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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 on the road from Rosheim to Grendelbruch, on June 17, 2003:

Case number:

ALSACAT-2003-06-17-EICHWAELDEL-1

Summary:

On June 18, 2003, someone saying he is an Alsatian engineer who likes to understand things, e-mailed to me that he saw a phenomenon that he cannot explain, the day before, Tuesday, June 17, 2003, shortly before noon.

The thing has been seen in the straight road stretch before the forest house of the Eichwaeldel on the road from Rosheim to Grendelbruch in the Bas-Rhin.

He was driving his silent electric car, at about 80 km/h, coming from Rosheim, going towards Grendelbruch. Shortly after entering the straight line, he was "passed" by a shadow that came from behind him, and continued, following exactly the road. The shadow seemed to him to be slightly smaller than the road, and of a generally circular form, "at least, not crooked."

The object - if there was an object - would have passed in the sky about 30 degrees above the horizon, quickly. He says he noticed it when he entered the straight road stretch in the right end of his field of vision.

He was surprised by the fact that it moved just on the road, and by the speed of that shadow; which disappeared in a split second. He believes it run 500 meters in 1 second.

He wondered if it had been a plane coming from Entzheim, or a cloud, but he seemed unconvinced by that.

Data:

Temporal data:

Date: June 17, 2003
Time: Just before noon.
Duration: Split second.
First known report date: June 18, 2003
Reporting delay: 1 day.

Geographical data:

Department: Bas-Rhin
City: Grendelbruch
Place: On the D604 road from Rosheim to Grendelbruch.
Latitude: 48.492
Longitude: 7.413
Uncertainty radius:

Witnesses data:

Number of alleged witnesses: 1
Number of known witnesses: 1
Number of named witnesses: 0
Witness(es) ages: Adult
Witness(es) types: Engineer, male.

Ufology data:

Reporting channel: ?
Type of location: Driving in electric car on a road in a forest.
Visibility conditions: Day
UFO observed: No
UFO arrival observed: Yes
UFO departure observed: Yes
Entities: No
Photographs: No.
Sketch(s) by witness(es): No.
Sketch(es) approved by witness(es): No.
Witness(es) feelings: Puzzled.
Witnesses interpretation: Shadow of a plane, of a cloud?

Classifications:

Hynek: N/A
ALSACAT: Probable shadow of a plane.

Sources:

[Ref. pgs1:] EMAIL FROM THE WITNESS:

Subj: unusual thing...

Date: 06/18/2003 5:54:54 AM Pacific Daylight Time
From: [X]@free.fr

Hello, Alsatian friend ...

I am writing this little mail to ask your "specialist" opinion on a phenomenon that happened to me yesterday, Tuesday, June 17, shortly before noon. It happened on the straight line before the forest house of the Eichwaeldel on the road from Rosheim to Grendelbruch (67). I can not find a satisfactory explanation. Still, gotta be one:-)

I was driving in an electric car (silent), around 80km/h, from Rosheim towards Grendelbruch. Shortly after entering the straight line, I was "passed" by a shadow. It came from behind me and continued on, following the road exactly. The shadow seemed to be slightly smaller than the road, and had a generally circular shape. At least not crooked My problem: its speed. It disappeared in a split a second, approx., I believe it had traveled 500m in 1 second ... moreover it was right on the road, it intrigues me.

Thatsit. If you got an explanation to offer me, I take it.

A plane coming from entzheim? you think it fits? a cloud ??? blah ...

CU

[Nickname], a poor engineer who hates not to understand stuff

-----------------------------------

The object passed in the sky about 30 degrees above the horizon, quickly. I noticed it when it entered the right end of my field of vision...

Discussion:

Map.

So, this a case difficult to classify as a DD or NL or RR1 or whatever, since it is the observation of the passing of a shadow, without any object seen.

To me, the most likely and easiest explanation would be that the shadow came from a private plane. Certainly, to be overflown by the shadow of an airplane must not be very common, but it does have to happen sometimes.

If I understood the place correctly, we are on the D604 forest road bordered with quite high and opaque trees that could hide a plane, the sun was located on the left towards the south at 136° and at an elevation of 60°.

Evaluation:

Probable shadow of a plane.

Sources references:

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

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 2, 2016 Creation, [pgs1].
1.0 Patrick Gross March 2, 2016 First published.

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This page was last updated on March 2, 2016.