Trans-en-Provence Case
Encyclopedia
The Trans-en-Provence Case is one of the rare cases where a UFO is said to have left physical evidence, in the form of burnt residue from a field. The event took place on January 8, 1981, outside the town of Trans-en-Provence
in the French
département of Var
. It has been described as "perhaps the most completely and carefully documented sighting of all time".
, heard a strange whistling sound while performing agricultural work on his property. He then saw a saucer-shaped object about eight feet in diameter
land about 50 yards (45.7 m) away at a lower elevation.
According to the witness, "The device had the shape of two saucers, one inverted on top of the other. It must have measured about 1.5 meters in height. It was the color of lead. This device had a ridge all the way around its circumference. Under the machine I saw two kinds of pieces as it was lifting off. They could be reactors or feet. There were also two other circles which looked like trapdoors. The two reactors, or feet, extended about 20 cm below the body of the machine."
Nicolaï claimed the object took off almost immediately, rising above the treeline and departing to the north east. It left burn marks on the ground where it had sat.
The local Gendarmerie
were notified of the event the following day by Mr. Nicolaï directly on the advices of his neighbor's wife, Mrs Morin.. The Gendarmerie proceeded to interview Mr. Nicolaï, take photos
of the scene, and collect soil
and plant
samples from the field. The case was later sent to GEIPAN
- or GEPAN (Groupe d'Étude des Phénomènes Aérospatiaux Non-identifiés) as it was known at that time - for review.
of about 4 or 5 ton
s, and heated to between 300 and 600 degrees Celsius
. Trace amounts of phosphate
and zinc
were found in the sample material, and analysis of resident alfalfa
near the landing site showed chlorophyll
levels between 30 and 50 percent lower than expected.
military base makes such a theory generally plausible.
However, GEPAN
's investigation focused on conventional explanations, such as atmospheric or terrain causes of a terrestrial nature. But despite a joint investigation by GEPAN and the Gendarmerie which lasted for two years no plausible explanation was found.
skeptics insist that the GEPAN investigation was flawed, especially the study of the physical trace.
The police report said that the trace, which appeared on an active road, looked like one made by the tire of a car. This explanation was dismissed by GEPAN because of the sole witness saying otherwise. The physical trace shown on the picture is not a perfect circle, in fact there are two more-or-less semicircles crossing over each other. Also, a circular shape does not coincide with the description of the UFO made by Mr. Nikolaï. In a recent interview for French television, Mr. Nikolaï confirmed that there were vehicles passing by on the road at the time of the sighting.
The GEPAN came very late on the field, after the French Gendarmerie
, other ufologists and curious people, so the physical trace could simply have been altered in it chemical composition by the people walking on it.
Trans-en-Provence
Trans-en-Provence is a commune in the Var department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France.-Air well:-References:*...
in the French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
département of Var
Var (département)
The Var is a French department in the region Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur in Provence, in southeast France. It takes its name from the river Var, which used to flow along its eastern boundary, but the boundary was moved in 1860...
. It has been described as "perhaps the most completely and carefully documented sighting of all time".
Event details
The case began on January 8, 1981 at 5pm. Renato Nicolaï, a fifty-five year-old farmerFarmer
A farmer is a person engaged in agriculture, who raises living organisms for food or raw materials, generally including livestock husbandry and growing crops, such as produce and grain...
, heard a strange whistling sound while performing agricultural work on his property. He then saw a saucer-shaped object about eight feet in diameter
Diameter
In geometry, a diameter of a circle is any straight line segment that passes through the center of the circle and whose endpoints are on the circle. The diameters are the longest chords of the circle...
land about 50 yards (45.7 m) away at a lower elevation.
According to the witness, "The device had the shape of two saucers, one inverted on top of the other. It must have measured about 1.5 meters in height. It was the color of lead. This device had a ridge all the way around its circumference. Under the machine I saw two kinds of pieces as it was lifting off. They could be reactors or feet. There were also two other circles which looked like trapdoors. The two reactors, or feet, extended about 20 cm below the body of the machine."
Nicolaï claimed the object took off almost immediately, rising above the treeline and departing to the north east. It left burn marks on the ground where it had sat.
The local Gendarmerie
Gendarmerie
A gendarmerie or gendarmery is a military force charged with police duties among civilian populations. Members of such a force are typically called "gendarmes". The Shorter Oxford English Dictionary describes a gendarme as "a soldier who is employed on police duties" and a "gendarmery, -erie" as...
were notified of the event the following day by Mr. Nicolaï directly on the advices of his neighbor's wife, Mrs Morin.. The Gendarmerie proceeded to interview Mr. Nicolaï, take photos
Photograph
A photograph is an image created by light falling on a light-sensitive surface, usually photographic film or an electronic imager such as a CCD or a CMOS chip. Most photographs are created using a camera, which uses a lens to focus the scene's visible wavelengths of light into a reproduction of...
of the scene, and collect soil
Soil
Soil is a natural body consisting of layers of mineral constituents of variable thicknesses, which differ from the parent materials in their morphological, physical, chemical, and mineralogical characteristics...
and plant
Plant
Plants are living organisms belonging to the kingdom Plantae. Precise definitions of the kingdom vary, but as the term is used here, plants include familiar organisms such as trees, flowers, herbs, bushes, grasses, vines, ferns, mosses, and green algae. The group is also called green plants or...
samples from the field. The case was later sent to GEIPAN
GEIPAN
GEIPAN , formerly known as GEPAN and SEPRA , is a unit of the French Space Agency CNES whose brief is to investigate unidentified aerospace phenomena and make its findings available to the public....
- or GEPAN (Groupe d'Étude des Phénomènes Aérospatiaux Non-identifiés) as it was known at that time - for review.
Analysis of evidence
GEPAN analysis noted that the ground had been compressed by a mechanical pressurePressure
Pressure is the force per unit area applied in a direction perpendicular to the surface of an object. Gauge pressure is the pressure relative to the local atmospheric or ambient pressure.- Definition :...
of about 4 or 5 ton
Ton
The ton is a unit of measure. It has a long history and has acquired a number of meanings and uses over the years. It is used principally as a unit of weight, and as a unit of volume. It can also be used as a measure of energy, for truck classification, or as a colloquial term.It is derived from...
s, and heated to between 300 and 600 degrees Celsius
Celsius
Celsius is a scale and unit of measurement for temperature. It is named after the Swedish astronomer Anders Celsius , who developed a similar temperature scale two years before his death...
. Trace amounts of phosphate
Phosphate
A phosphate, an inorganic chemical, is a salt of phosphoric acid. In organic chemistry, a phosphate, or organophosphate, is an ester of phosphoric acid. Organic phosphates are important in biochemistry and biogeochemistry or ecology. Inorganic phosphates are mined to obtain phosphorus for use in...
and zinc
Zinc
Zinc , or spelter , is a metallic chemical element; it has the symbol Zn and atomic number 30. It is the first element in group 12 of the periodic table. Zinc is, in some respects, chemically similar to magnesium, because its ion is of similar size and its only common oxidation state is +2...
were found in the sample material, and analysis of resident alfalfa
Alfalfa
Alfalfa is a flowering plant in the pea family Fabaceae cultivated as an important forage crop in the US, Canada, Argentina, France, Australia, the Middle East, South Africa, and many other countries. It is known as lucerne in the UK, France, Australia, South Africa and New Zealand, and known as...
near the landing site showed chlorophyll
Chlorophyll
Chlorophyll is a green pigment found in almost all plants, algae, and cyanobacteria. Its name is derived from the Greek words χλωρος, chloros and φύλλον, phyllon . Chlorophyll is an extremely important biomolecule, critical in photosynthesis, which allows plants to obtain energy from light...
levels between 30 and 50 percent lower than expected.
Impressions and explanations
Mr. Nicolaï had initially believed the object to be an experimental military device. The close proximity of the site the CanjuersCanjuers
Canjuers is a calcareous plateau and a military camp in Provence in southeastern France.-Geography:Situated in the département of the Var in the Prealps of Castellane, on the south of the Verdon Gorge and to the north of Draguignan....
military base makes such a theory generally plausible.
However, GEPAN
GEIPAN
GEIPAN , formerly known as GEPAN and SEPRA , is a unit of the French Space Agency CNES whose brief is to investigate unidentified aerospace phenomena and make its findings available to the public....
's investigation focused on conventional explanations, such as atmospheric or terrain causes of a terrestrial nature. But despite a joint investigation by GEPAN and the Gendarmerie which lasted for two years no plausible explanation was found.
Skeptical analysis
The FrenchFrance
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
skeptics insist that the GEPAN investigation was flawed, especially the study of the physical trace.
The police report said that the trace, which appeared on an active road, looked like one made by the tire of a car. This explanation was dismissed by GEPAN because of the sole witness saying otherwise. The physical trace shown on the picture is not a perfect circle, in fact there are two more-or-less semicircles crossing over each other. Also, a circular shape does not coincide with the description of the UFO made by Mr. Nikolaï. In a recent interview for French television, Mr. Nikolaï confirmed that there were vehicles passing by on the road at the time of the sighting.
The GEPAN came very late on the field, after the French Gendarmerie
Gendarmerie
A gendarmerie or gendarmery is a military force charged with police duties among civilian populations. Members of such a force are typically called "gendarmes". The Shorter Oxford English Dictionary describes a gendarme as "a soldier who is employed on police duties" and a "gendarmery, -erie" as...
, other ufologists and curious people, so the physical trace could simply have been altered in it chemical composition by the people walking on it.