ALSACAT:

ALSACAT is my comprehensive catalog of UFO sighting reports in Alsace, the region is the North-East of France, whether they are "explained" or "unexplained".

The ALSACAT catalog is made of case files with a case number, summary, quantitative information (date, location, number of witnesses...), classifications, all sources mentioning the case with their references, a discussion of the case in order to evaluate its causes, and a history of the changes made to the file. A general index and thematic sub-catalogs give access to these Alsatian case files.

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Case of Molsheim, on April 27, 1996:

Case number:

ALSACAT-1996-04-27-MOLSHEIM-1

Summary:

The magazine Phénomena of the ufology group "SOS OVNI" apparently reported a case of April 27, 1996 in Molsheim.

Around 01:45 a.m., a motorist was almost overflown while traveling on the departmental road D422 between Molsheim and Marlenheim shortly after Soultz-les-Bains. The phenomenon is described as triangular, with three big green light sources at the corners and a red center. From the red source came a red beam of light.

The witness could not hear any noise at any time.

The phenomenon was heading to Strasbourg at low speed along a trajectory from the South-West to the North-East and at low altitude.

Data:

Temporal data:

Date:	April 27, 1996
Time:
Duration:	?
First known report date:	1996
Reporting delay:	Hours, months.

Geographical data:

Department:	Bas-Rhin
City:	Molsheim
Place:	Driving on the D422 road shortly after Soultz-sous-Forêts, UFO in the sky.
Latitude:	48.567
Longitude:	7.492
Uncertainty radius:	4 km

Witnesses data:

Number of alleged witnesses:	1
Number of known witnesses:	1
Number of named witnesses:	0
Witness(es) ages:	Adult or aged.
Witness(es) types:	?

Ufology data:

Reporting channel:	Ufology magazine "Phénomena"
Type of location:	Driving on road, UFO in the sky.
Visibility conditions:	Night
UFO observed:	Yes
UFO arrival observed:	?
UFO departure observed:	?
Entities:	No
Photographs:	No.
Sketch(s) by witness(es):	No.
Sketch(es) approved by witness(es):	No.
Witness(es) feelings:	?
Witnesses interpretation:	?

Classifications:

Hynek:	NL
ALSACAT:	Possible airliner in landing approach.

Sources:

[Ref. fme1:] "BANQUE OVNI" - FRANCK MARIE:

Four entries of interest are listed:

1996,04,27 - xx:xx - 067 - Molsheim 48°27 -7°29

1446 - dark triangle in slow flight (Soultz-les-Bains, Strasbourg)(Sos-Ovni)

1996,04,27 - morning - 067 - Bas-Rhin, several cases - -

1460 - noises of big helicopters, nothing visible (except 1 case) - /31262

1996,04,27 - 01:45 - 067 - Soultz les Bains 48°34 -7°29

1460 - triangle 3 green lights 1 red light in the center, overflight SO/NE - /31261

1996,04,27 - 02:30 - 067 - Strasbourg-Entzheim* � 48°32 -7°37

1460 - red light (sunset) near airport - /31263

[Ref. lhh1:] LARRY HATCH:

17639: 1996/04/27 01:50 1 7:29:00 E 48:34:20 N 3333 WEU FRN BRH 6:7

D422 N/MOLSHEIM,FR:2 CARS:LRG SLNT TRIANGLE >NE/LO ALT twrd STRASBOURG:

Ref#226 PHENOMENA bimonthly. SOS-OVNI France Issue No. 32 : ROAD+RAILS

[Ref. goe1:] GODELIEVE VAN OVERMEIRE:

21)

1996, April 27,

FRANCE, Molsheim (Alsace)

At approximately 01:45 a motorist was reportedly almost overflown while traveling on the D 422 between Molsheim and Marlenheim shortly after Soultz-les-Bains. The phenomenon is described as triangular, with 3 large green light sources at the corners and a red center. From the red source came a beam of red light. The witness did not hear any noise at any time. The phenomenon was heading to Strasbourg at low speed in a SW to NE path and at low altitude. Another witness reports having seen a reddish light, like a setting sun, between 2 h 30 and 3 hours, near the airport of Strasbourg-Entzheim; which disappeared after a few minutes. (Phénoména nR 32 p. 24)

[Ref. djn1:] DONALD JOHNSON:

Encounters with Aliens on this Day

April 27

1996 - At 1:45 a.m. two witnesses driving on Highway D22 north of Molsheim, Bas-Rhin, France saw a large triangle that flew to the northeast at a low altitude toward Strasbourg, France. It made no sound. (Source: Larry Hatch, U computer database, case # 17344, citing Phenomena, issue # 32).

[Ref. uda1:] "UFODNA" WEBSITE:

27 April 1996 01:50

Molsheim, Alsace, France

Large triangle flew to the northeast at low altitude toward Strasbourg. No sound.

A triangular object was observed. One triangle was observed by two witnesses on a road for over one minute. No sound was heard.

Hynek rating: NL

Vallee rating: FB1

The sources are indicated as: "Phenomena,; Hatch, Larry, *U* computer database, Author, Redwood City, 2002."

Discussion:

Unlike Donald Johnson, I am not ready to headline that this was an "encounter with aliens."

First, there is no sign of any investigation, checking, research.

Then there is hardly much strangeness in the little that is described. The silence cannot be a strangeness factor, since the witness was driving, nothing indicating that he stopped the engine and lowered the window to make sure that there was an abnormal silence.

In fact, one can immediately think of a plane flying low to land or take off. Let us see the location.

The witness is on the secondary road D422 (not on a "Highway D22" as written in [djn1]).

We were told that was he was between Molsheim and Marlenheim shortly after Soultz-les-Bains. This would put him apparently near the red dot, and it this is on the D422 road indeed. Marlenheim is further north on this road, at 3, 4 or 5 km, depending on his exact position.

In straight line, at about 10 km from him in his Southeast, we have the Strasbourg-Entzheim Airport; which I have indicated above with a green line.

So, we do have the possibility of an airliner.

We are told that the "phenomenon was going towards Strasbourg" therefore to the east of this position, on a trajectory from the Southwest toward the Northeast. This suggests that he was driving from North to South, if he had been northbound he could not correctly say that the object was going towards the Northeast to Strasbourg, he would have indicated it was going East to Strasbourg. So he must have driven right in the direction in which approaching airliners land to the airport.

As we are told that he was "shortly after" Soultz-sous-Forêts, this would indicate that his position was on the other side of this city, at the green dot.

This would also fit with the oddity that the case is headlined "Molsheim". The witness was likely driving to Molsheim rather than to Marlenheim.

I absolutely do not claim that this explanation is proven, I cannot prove that he did not see an alien craft, my airliner on landing approach is only a proposal for lack of better proposal.

Evaluation:

Possible airliner in landing approach.

Sources references:

* = Source is available to me.
? = Source I am told about but could not get so far. Help needed.

[pha1] ? Ufology magazine Phenomena, France, ufology group SOS OVNI, #32, page 24, 1996.
[fme1] * "Banque Ovni - BP 41 - 922224 Bagneux cedex - France - Fichier central - liste des cas - Avril 1996", updated on November 19, 1997, at http://http://banquovni.chez.com/1996a04.htm
[lhh1] * "*U* Computer Database", compiled by Larry Hatch, USA, circa 2002.
[goe1] * "Chronologie OVNI", web page compiled by Godelieve Van Overmeire, Belgium, circa 2002.
[djn1] ? "Encounters with Aliens on this Day - April 27", web page compiled by Donald Johnson, USA, circa 2002, at http://www.ufoinfo.com/onthisday/April27.html
[uda1] * "27 Apr 1996 - Molsheim, Alsace, France", web page by the UFOdna website, circa 2013, at http://thecid.com/ufo/uf14/uf8/148577.htm

File history:

Authoring:

Main author:	Patrick Gross
Contributors:	None
Reviewers:	None
Editeur:	Patrick Gross

Changes history:

Version:	Create/changed by:	Date:	Description:
0.1	Patrick Gross	March 8, 2016	Creation, [fme1], [goe1], [djn1], [uda1].
1.0	Patrick Gross	March 8, 2016	First published.
1.1	Patrick Gross	May 25, 2021	Addition [lhh1].

This page was last updated on May 25, 2021, 2021.