Dark V-shaped form over Bourgoin-Jallieu, 1983

Summary

On 23 January 1983, several witnesses in Bourgoin-Jallieu spotted a dark grey, elongated or V-shaped object at roughly 2,500 metres altitude, moving horizontally and silently. Even binoculars failed to identify it clearly. One observer, a former air navigator, compared the silhouette to the wake of a Boeing 747 seen from behind. The estimated speed of 500–600 km/h and the V-shape support the theory of a commercial aircraft on approach viewed from an unusual angle. Though never definitively confirmed, this remains the most coherent hypothesis.