ALSACAT-1990-00-00-BASRHIN-1
In the 2000s, "Pierre", from the Bas-Rhin department, sent his testimony to the Swiss ufology group "GREPI" who published it on their website.
"Pierre" indicated that the observation had taken place in October or November 1990, one evening around 7 p.m., "shortly before the accidental death of Same Christophe", while he was watching the television series "Santa Barbara" on "TF1", the first French TV channel.
"Pierre" indicated that the place of observation was a small village of 800 inhabitants in the Bas-Rhin, in the immediate vicinity of a national forest of about 15 km by 15 km. The sky was clear, the wind very light, the outside temperature between 12 and 17°C.
His mother, having just returned from the terrace, asked him, "what is that weird noise outside?"
So he got up, and "saw something strange, indescribable, the shock of my life, something when it happens where you wonder 'am I dreaming?'"
He indicates that the noise was neither that of a turbine, nor that of a piston engine, nor that of an electric motor, but "like when you are under a high voltage line, rather a crackling."
Describing himself as an airplanes buff since childhood, and having obtained a pilot's license, he explained that he had really had a hard time gauging the size and height at which the object was in the sky above their garden. He nevertheless estimated that the object could have been 10 meters in diameter and was 30 to 50 meters above the ground.
He indicated that it was a triangle-shaped object with three round-shaped, relatively strong but non-dazzling glows of white/bluish color at the ends. The object was in a horizontal position, but he did not distinguish anything from the object other than the three luminous discs, whose brilliance remained the same throughout the observation.
The object was turning "like a clock", turning on itself in a way that seemed to be regular, without moving and without variation in apparent altitude.
He and his mother were surprised; his mother asked him if it was a plane or a helicopter. Pierre indicated that there was no wind and that the object was almost exactly above them, without producing the slightest gush or air downwards, allowing only the small crackling to be heard.
The object remained in place for 20 to 30 minutes, then it moved in a straight line towards the south while remaining at the same altitude. Very curious but not reassured, they wanted to know what it was, got into the car and followed the object for about 1 kilometer while driving at 30 or 40 km/h, on a terrain with a drop of at least less than 50 meters.
When they arrived at the edge of the forest, the object turned to the left. Other people from the village were there too, they had seen the same thing and also wanted to know what it was.
"Pierre" and his mother entered the small path in the forest, where the view up was difficult, because the trees obscured the view to the sky. They had trouble following and making out the object. They passed by the "crossroads of the three fir trees", in the forest, and at this moment the object passed on the left. A little further on, they had lost sight of it, after about 1 kilometer of forest path.
They came back "with lots of questions in our heads and no clear answers". "Pierre" explains that what happened that night upset him a lot.
| Date: | October or November 1990 |
|---|---|
| Time: | 07:00 p.m. |
| Duration: | 35 to 40 minutes. |
| First known report date: | 2000? |
| Reporting delay: | 2 decades? |
| Department: | Bas-Rhin |
|---|---|
| City: | ? |
| Place: | From the garden then in car driving on forest path. |
| Latitude: | 48.652 |
| Longitude: | 7.562 |
| Uncertainty radius: | 60 km. |
| Number of alleged witnesses: | 3 or more. |
|---|---|
| Number of known witnesses: | 1 |
| Number of named witnesses: | 0 |
| Witness(es) ages: | Young adult or adult, ault or aged. |
| Witness(es) types: | Resident and his mother. |
| Reporting channel: | By email to the Swiss ufology group GREPI.? |
|---|---|
| Type of location: | From the garden then in car driving on forest path. |
| Visibility conditions: | Night. |
| UFO observed: | Yes. |
| UFO arrival observed: | No. |
| UFO departure observed: | Yes. |
| Entities: | No. |
| Photographs: | No. |
| Sketch(s) by witness(es): | No. |
| Sketch(es) approved by witness(es): | No. |
| Witness(es) feelings: | Very puzzled. |
| Witnesses interpretation: | Unidentified. |
| Hynek: | CE1 |
|---|---|
| ALSACAT: | Extraterrestrial visitors or invention. |
[Ref. gre1:] TEMOIGNAGE SUR LE SITE WEB DU GREPI:
|
This happened in October or November 1990, one evening around 7 p.m. (shortly before the accidental death of Same Christophe).
I was watching TV (as usual. Santa Barbara on TF1).
My mother, having just returned from the terrace, asks me "what is that weird noise outside?"
So I got up and saw something strange, indescribable, the shock of my life, something when it happens where you wonder "am I dreaming?"
Firstly this noise, neither a turbine, nor a piston engine, not an electric motor either, but like when you are under a high voltage line, rather a crackling, and this thing... (I am passionate about planes since my childhood, I even passed my pilot's license). I really had trouble gauging the size and the height at which this thing was in the sky above our garden, when we distinguish an object, we recognize it, and according to the size of distinction we can define distance, but in this case I really had trouble, not knowing how to clearly define the size, nor the altitude. I would say about 10m in diameter and 30-50m in altitude, a triangle shaped object with 3 white/bluish glows at the ends and spinning like a clock.
We were, my mother and I, surprised by this weird thing, my mother asked me "what is it, a plane, a helicopter?" Tonight there was no wind and the thing was almost right above us and there was no downwind, just this little crackle.
The thing stayed there for about 20-30 minutes, then it moved south, staying at the same altitude. We were very curious, not reassured, but we wanted to know what it was. We got in the car and we followed this thing for about 1km (30-40 km/h), arrived at the edge of the forest, it turned to the left, other people from the village were there too, they had seen the same thing as us and wanted to get to the bottom of it...
We entered the small forest path, the view up was difficult, no sunroof and the trees blocking the view to the sky... We had trouble following and making out the thing . We passed the crossroads of the three trees, in the forest, and there the thing passed on the left. A little further we lost sight of it, after about 1km of forest path.
So we came home with lots of questions in our heads and no clear answers. What happened that night really upset me. What did we see there???
Additional information:
Place of observation: The Bas-Rhin, in a small village of 800 inhabitants, in the immediate vicinity of a national forest of about 15km by 15km.
Weather conditions: clear sky, very light wind, outside temperature between 12-17°
I was first inside, then outside, passenger in a car.
In which general direction were you looking?: due south
The phenomenon rotated on itself (rotation which seemed regular) but did not move at first, no apparent translation or variation in altitude, then all the time we followed the object it moved in a straight line , except the 2 changes of direction.
Appearance: 3 strong round-shaped glows in a triangular arrangement (in horizontal position) but without being dazzling, I did not distinguish any specific object other than these luminous discs, for me the brightness remained the same throughout observation, not dazzling but relatively strong.
Apparent size: I would say a diameter between 8 and 10m
At what approximate distance were you from the phenomenon?: 30-50m above ground level, the village must be 400m above sea level.
Estimated travel speed: around 40km/h +- 10
General direction of movement: first on the spot for the 20 minutes of the sighting then the direction of the south, then back to the north, then we lost it.
At what apparent altitude do you locate the phenomenon?: always about the same height above the ground, 30-50m, knowing that during the path of the object there was at least a drop of 50-m
What was the total duration of the observation, of each of its phases?: around 35-40 minutes, including 15-20 minutes for the stationary phase.
How did the sighting end?: We lost it due to the thickness of the forest which gave us only a thin field of visibility upwards.
Number of witnesses: 3
Pierre (Bas-Rhin - France)
Extraterrestrial visitors or invention.
* = Source is available to me.
? = Source I am told about but could not get so far. Help needed.
| Main author: | Patrick Gross |
|---|---|
| Contributors: | None |
| Reviewers: | None |
| Editor: | Patrick Gross |
| Version: | Create/changed by: | Date: | Description: |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.1 | Patrick Gross | February 13, 2023 | Creation, [gre1]. |
| 1.0 | Patrick Gross | February 13, 2023 | First published. |
