The Cussac Encounter
Two children watching cows on a French hillside saw four small black figures rise into the air and dive into a glowing sphere.
What was reported
On the morning of 29 August 1967, François, 13, and his sister Anne-Marie, 9, were herding cows on a plateau near Cussac when they saw four small figures, about 1.2 metres tall and completely black, beside a shining sphere on the other side of a road.
The children said the figures rose into the air one after another and dived head first into the top of the sphere, which then flew off with a whistling sound. Police who arrived later noted a smell of sulphur and an area of dried grass.
Explanations offered
No explanation has been confirmed. The gendarmerie found the children credible, and France's official office for investigating unidentified aerial phenomena has documented the case. Sceptics suggest the children misidentified something ordinary at a distance, but no candidate has been agreed.
- When
- 29 August 1967
- Where
- Cussac, Cantal, France
- Witnesses
- Two children, a brother and sister
- Status
- Unexplained
Famous cases are real, widely reported events. Each file sets out what witnesses said and the explanations that have been offered, without taking a side.