and also from that drawn for the investigator of the private group (Figure 6) which is calculated to be 2.25.

Color. Mr. Nicolai states that the device is gray in color, comparable to zinc, darker and more flat in the thick lateral region. When he watches the bottom of the device the four pods seem to him to be darker than the rest, but always of the same general color.

Sound. The witness states that it is the sound that drew his attention to the object in the first place, while he was busy on the pump shelter, about 70 m away. He was then looking in the opposite direction and had to turn around to see it. He has great difficulty in defining the nature and the level of the sound. He compares it to a wind blowing fairly strongly. He does not say whether or not the sound stopped during the landing. The shock at the impact point was recalled like that of a stone falling on the ground. During the take-off phase the sounds were of similar amplitude as they were during the approach.

The Take-off Phase. It is during this phase that the witness observes the greatest quantity of details. This is understandable since the witness is now at the closest point, about 30 m: He has overcome his feeling of surprise and is able to react. According to him, the object was resting on the ground for several seconds before it suddenly rose vertically over several meters, tilted above the platform, continued to rise in this position and disappeared in the sky.

6. GEPAN's Interview of the Witness

Mr. Nicolai is a man who has been ill for several years: He suffered an infractus with subsequent relapse which now prevents him from exercising his professional activity. He was very tired when we visited him. After the reconstruction of the events, he had to go inside and rest while we collected the samples. Afterwards, Mrs. Nicolai told us that he could see us again. She gave us some additional details about his observation, and she expected from us some explanations in return.

We had our conversation in the family kitchen, where Mr. Nicolai was waiting for us. He resumed his narrative, trying to find an explanation that would satisfy his curiosity. He reviewed the various kinds of flying craft (airplanes and especially helicopters) but he stated, "It isn't possible to land here, there are other sites in the valley that are more convenient, more flat."

Mr. Nicolai came back to the device, and especially to the marvelous technology it represented, repeating, "It made practically no sound, it flew vertically, it fell like a stone and it didn't break," and he concluded "it's probably a military device, there are some nearby." He was alluding to the camp at JOUVAN, not far from Trans.

First Reactions. We have stressed the fact that Mr. Nicolai did not observe the object passively; instead he went closer to this device that had landed on