Procès-Verbal d'Enquête Préliminaire - Observation d'un Objet Volant Non Identifié - 10-11 Août 1988

This document is a preliminary investigation report (Procès-Verbal d'Enquête Préliminaire) issued by the French Gendarmerie Nationale on August 18, 1988. It details the testimony of two military trainees who observed an unidentified aerial phenomenon during a bivouac in the forest on the night of August 10-11, 1988. The witnesses, who were on guard duty, reported seeing intense white flashing lights at approximately 00:50. They described the object as having a significant size, moving at an altitude of roughly 4,000 meters, and traveling from the Northeast to the Southwest at a speed they estimated to be faster than a Mirage F.1 aircraft. Crucially, the witnesses noted that the object made no engine noise. The object reportedly modified its flight path into a 'crénau' (stepped/crenellated) pattern, eventually coming to a stationary position before performing a slow descent and disappearing behind trees. One witness noted that the lights were blindingly intense, resembling a 'ball of fire.' The investigation included formal auditions of the witnesses, which are documented as pieces 2 and 3 of the report. The investigating officer noted that no other witnesses were found and that the phenomenon likely disappeared after passing over a nearby town. The report was transmitted to the Commandant of the Company and the Groupement. One witness also mentioned a previous personal experience with a similar phenomenon in 1981 or 1982, which he claimed was associated with electrical disturbances.