ALSACAT-2004-09-20-RIXHEIM-1
On September 21, 2004, the Alsatian ufology association SPICA reported on a UFO web forum a sighting by "Henri" on September 20, 2004, at 10:23 p.m. from Rixheim in the Haut-Rhin.
He said he was looking at the sky to the west as the high cloud cover was to be about 5000 meters because airliners in lading approach of the Basel - Mulhouse Airport were visible, their path passing just above his house.
He also saw planes passing above, in transit, higher than 4000 meters.
Suddenly his gaze was attracted to something that was moving under the clouds in a south to north direction: seven to eight dots of light that moved at exactly the same speed, forming a large triangle, like an arrowhead.
He estimated the distance between these dots as being of more than 300 meters, compared to the lights of the airliners flying at this height.
To observe, this he had raised his head a little, at an angle of about 60°. The phenomenon lasted about 6 or 7 seconds and it "disappeared" to the north towards the Vosges.
Soon after, he saw airliners in landing approach, and he thinks they may have observed the phenomenon too.
| Date: | September 20, 2004 |
|---|---|
| Time: | 10:23 p.m. |
| Duration: | ~6-7 seconds. |
| First known report date: | September 21, 2004 |
| Reporting delay: | Hour, 1 day. |
| Department: | Haut-Rhin |
|---|---|
| City: | Rixheim |
| Place: | ? |
| Latitude: | 47.744 |
| Longitude: | 7.397 |
| Uncertainty radius: | 2 km |
| Number of alleged witnesses: | 1 |
|---|---|
| Number of known witnesses: | 1 |
| Number of named witnesses: | 0 |
| Witness(es) ages: | Adult or aged. |
| Witness(es) types: | Male. |
| Reporting channel: | ? |
|---|---|
| Type of location: | ? |
| 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: | ? |
| Witnesses interpretation: | ? |
| Hynek: | NL |
|---|---|
| ALSACAT: | Possible jet fighters formation. |
[Ref. spa2:] UFOLOGY GROUP "SPICA" ON THE R.I.O WEB FORUM:
Fw: Alerting
Spica.57
Sept. 21, 2004
Henri signals
City = RIXHEIM
Department = Haut-Rhin
Zipcode = 68170
Country = F
Dateobs = 20/09/2004
Timeobs = 22:23 P.M.
comments = That day September 20 at 10:23 p.m. I look at the sky to the west. The cloud cover is high, about 5000 m because you can see airliners in approach to land at the EuroAirport Basel Mulhouse (the flight path passes right over the house) but we also see planes flying high in transit thus higher than 4000 m. Suddenly my eyes are attracted to something that moves in a south to north direction. I see 7 to 8 dots of light moving through the cloud cover, exaxtly [sic] at the same speed by forming a large triangle, like an arrowhead. I think the distance between the dots is more than 300 m (compared with position light of planes flying at this height) Observation happens happens [sic] raising the head slightly at an angle of about 60°. The phenomenon lasts about 6 to 7 seconds and disappears to the north towards the Vosges. shortly after some planes are in aproach phase for landing, they may have observed the phenomenon.
The website of the SPICA association
http://www.spica.org
[Ref. spa3:] UFOLOGY GROUP "SPICA":
|
RIXHEIM (68) Monday, September 20, 2004 at 10:23 p.m.
Source: SPICA
I look at the sky to the west. The cloud cover is high, about 5000 m because you can see airliners in landing approach at the EuroAirport Basel Mulhouse. Suddenly my view is attracted by something that moves in the direction south to north crumb. I see 7-8 points of light that move under the cloud cover, exactly at the same speed forming a large triangle, like an arrowhead. I think the distance between the dots is over 300 m (compared to the position lights of planes flying at this height). The observation is by raising the head a little at an angle of about 60°. The phenomenon lasts about 6 to 7 seconds and disappears to the north towards the Vosges.
[Ref. spa4:] UFOLOGY GROUP "SPICA":
| City | Date and hour of observation | General shape Identification |
General color Hypothesis |
Conclusion |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| RIXHEIM | Monday 20 September 2004 at 10:23 p.m. | luminous dot Unidentified |
information not communicated None |
Unsolved -lack of info |
|
The duration of the sightings seems to exclude Chinese lanterns.
But I cannot rule out that it would be exhausts and afterburner lights of a formation of jet fighter planes.
Also, we do not know if this was a silent flight: nothing is said about it. And the "V" formation would be explained too.
|
|
Possible jet fighters formation.
* = 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 | December 11, 2014 | Creation, [spa2]. |
| 1.0 | Patrick Gross | December 11, 2014 | First published. |
| 1.1 | Patrick Gross | May 3, 2015 | Addition, [spa3]. |
