The Trans-en-Provence Landing

On January 8, 1981, French farmer Renato Nicolaï witnessed a disc-shaped object land on his property in Trans-en-Provence. The subsequent investigation by GEPAN, France’s official government UFO research group, produced one of the most thoroughly documented physical trace cases in UFO history.

The Witness

Renato Nicolaï:

• 55 years old
• Retired farmer
• Trans-en-Provence
• Southern France
• Reliable witness

The Day

January 8, 1981:

• Late afternoon
• Working in garden
• Heard whistling sound
• Saw object descend
• Landed nearby

The Object

Nicolaï observed:

• Disc-shaped craft
• Lead-gray color
• About 8 feet diameter
• Small legs visible
• Rounded bottom

The Landing

The object:

• Descended rapidly
• Landed on terrace
• Remained briefly
• Rose up
• Departed quickly

Immediate Report

Nicolaï:

• Called gendarmes
• Same day
• Showed landing spot
• Circular marks visible
• Official report filed

GEPAN Investigation

France’s official group:

• Groupe d’Étude des Phénomènes Aérospatiaux Non Identifiés
• Part of CNES (space agency)
• Investigated immediately
• Scientific methodology
• Official government body

The Physical Evidence

At the site:

• Circular trace
• 2.4 meters diameter
• Soil affected
• Plants damaged
• Ground compressed

Soil Analysis

Laboratory examination:

• Heating evidence
• Chemical changes
• Compression marks
• Not from fire
• Unknown source

Plant Analysis

Alfalfa examined:

• Chlorophyll reduction
• Biochemical changes
• Aging effects
• Not natural
• Traumatic damage

The GEPAN Report

Officially concluded:

• Something landed
• Left physical traces
• Caused plant damage
• Cannot be explained
• Genuine unknown

Professor Michel Bounias

Botanist:

• Analyzed samples
• Found anomalies
• Published findings
• Scientific confirmation
• Unknown cause

The French Approach

Unlike other nations:

• France took seriously
• Official investigation
• Scientific methodology
• Published results
• Transparency

Duration

The sighting:

• Very brief
• Object on ground
• Less than minute
• Quick departure
• But evidence remained

Skeptical Analysis

Critics suggested:

• Vehicle caused marks
• Or agricultural equipment
• But analysis disagrees
• Heating evidence
• Not conventional

Significance

Trans-en-Provence is significant for:

• Government investigation
• Scientific analysis
• Physical evidence
• Official acknowledgment
• Documented anomalies

Legacy

The Trans-en-Provence case stands as one of the best examples of official, scientific UFO investigation. The French government’s GEPAN study, with its documented physical evidence and unexplained plant damage, represents a model for how such cases could be investigated.