This article was published in the daily newspaper Le Méridional, France, page 15, February 25, 1982.
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MISTERS Lucien Neuwirth, president of the general Council of the Loire, Mr. Francis Boot, prefect of the Loire and Mr. Roger Rocher, president of the soccer team of Saint-Etienne, said to have seen a UFO Tuesday morning on the "Air Inter" plane that goes from Saint-Etienne to Paris.
It is the pilot of the aircraft who alerted the passengers while passing above Roanne (the Loire) making them notice a brilliant object moving at approximately 15.000 km of altitude.
Mr. Lucien Neuwirth claimed at his descent of plane "I think of having seen like a reflection, as if a balloon probe reflected the rays of the rising sun." On his side, Mr. Roger Rocher declared: "The object had the size of a large star that hovered, we could see it during five minutes before it disappeared towards the south. "Lastly, to Mr. Francis Boot, it was a "metallic machine of round form."
Note: Description matching that of a large CNES science balloon.