UFO reported near Poitiers, France in 1960

Summary

In January 1960, a U.S. Air Force officer documented a sighting of an unidentified object near Poitiers, France. The report, dated January 28, describes an object observed from an aircraft at 03:26 hours, moving eastward with an almost vertical trajectory. The observer, an Air Force officer, believed it could be a missile or rocket ascending. The report did not include photographs, but noted that a senior officer, Major Cypert, considered it could be an F-100 or F-101 fighter climbing with afterburners. Despite the lack of visual evidence, the possibility of a conventional aircraft was not dismissed.

The report also included details about the exact location of the sighting, near an air navigation beacon in France. The object was seen for approximately a few minutes, and its ascending trajectory and presence of propulsion flame suggested it was not an astronomical phenomenon. Although the report did not reach a definitive conclusion, the responsible officer saw no reason to question the proposed identification. This case reflects the ambiguity surrounding many sightings of the time, where the lack of clear evidence led to multiple possible interpretations.