Unidentified Flying Objects (UFOs); An Overview With a Particular Focus on the Southern Tier

By Ed Nizalowski, historian —

(This is part four of a series on the same topic.)

April 25, 1966: Towanda, Pa.

At 8:15 p.m. on April 25, 1966, Robert W. Martz, a 73-year-old retired electrical contractor from Monroeton, Pa., was driving with his friend, Charles Dayton. He suddenly noticed a “very awesome, huge, flaming body, which lit up a large area, visible for a few seconds. It had a red flame with a green and yellow tail. The huge flames went out like turning off an electric bulb for a few seconds. It looked like it was 250 feet in front of us and 250 feet up, and it could go at a terrific speed. It was about 25 feet in length and had a tail 35 feet long.”

The car’s engine had stalled, and the lights went out. The car’s engine was soon able to function. Martz and Dayton were not alone in what they experienced. The Daily Review of Towanda had a feature article entitled “Thousands Awed by Fiery Objects Seen in Eastern Sky” that appeared on April 26, 1966.  

September 1967: Norwich, N.Y., just north of the city limits, Anonymous source

“We had just finished dinner, and I was, for no apparent reason, daydreaming at the window when I had a powerful compulsion to go into the field out behind the house. I experienced an overwhelming feeling that I was being intensely watched. 

“At some point, I turned my head slowly to the right, and there they were: two of them, just standing there about 40-feet away in the fading light of the sun. I just couldn’t believe something so extraordinary would just stand there exposed like that. They were humanoid in form and standing shoulder-to-shoulder. They were no more than 4-feet tall and were completely motionless. 

“Although there was no noise or realized communication, I knew that I was the sole focus of their presence and observation. Time seemed to have stopped. They had no face, hair, or anything that I could discern as recognizable features. It was definitely not a thing of our world or our time. Their exterior was seamless: no insignia, zippers, buttons, or anything. I saw no craft, lights, or anything else that would appear to be out of the ordinary; no strange sounds. 

“Oddly enough, everything ends right there, which leads me to believe there is more embedded in my subconscious.”

1968, late June: Newark Valley, N.Y. 

Tom Doyle (age seven) and his brother Matt (age six) are walking up Elm Street toward the Elementary School sometime in the morning. Near the intersection with Franklin Street, they see a craft coming from the west. It was a saucer-like object, 30-feet to 35-feet across and 10-feet deep. 

It was generating a sound similar to what one would hear from an electric power substation. It kept traveling east along Franklin, over to the present location of the Hollenbeck’s grocery store and then disappeared over the hill.  

1971 Fall: 38B Broome/ Tioga County line 

This was related to me by John Robble, now deceased. He was a night shift manager at a local firm when one of his employees, who was pregnant, became ill and needed to return home. She lived in Newark Valley. 

It was very foggy, but near the county line, the color of the fog changed to a reddish-orange color. He drove through this phenomenon for about 10 minutes when the fog’s normal color returned. Driving back from Newark Valley, this color had dissipated. 

When Robble returned to work, he reported this to the Broome County Airport. He was told that other people had had a similar experience, and he was told that this was because of a temperature inversion. 

Early 1980’s: Dutchtown Road, Town of Owego 

Joe Carmon Saskatoon, SK Canada (via email) 

“I also saw a similar egg-shaped UFO slowly ascending from behind a hill (about 200 yards away from me) in the early 1980s on Dutchtown Road, which is off of 38B. It was metallic white and developed what looked like a blue corona around it. It left what looked like a contrail behind it as it slowly ascended. 

“When it reached a certain height of about 200 feet (above the hill) it disappeared, leaving the contrail behind. I’ve always wondered what it was and was surprised to find that others had seen the UFO in the area where I lived.” 

1987 or 1988: Wilson Creek Road 

From the website group: Forgotten Northern Tioga County [Name Withheld].

“Around 1987 or 1988, when we lived on Wilson Creek Road in Berkshire, my daughter came running into the house because of lights behind our home near the corner of East Berkshire Hill. My husband and I  ran out, and it looked like a mansion lit up behind our property that had no homes on it. We ran back into the house to grab our jackets and came back out, but it was gone. The airport reported it was a fleet of helicopters, but there wasn’t a sound in the sky that night!” 

1987 or 1988: Damon’s Pond, Michigan Hill, Town of Richford 

Account by Gene Gorsline, from the website group, Forgotten Northern Tioga County.

“I was at Damon’s pond, and a triangle-shaped light came over the pines right next to us. It was quiet but super fast. Every few years, I ask the other two friends what we saw just to make sure I’m not crazy. 

“After this, we went back to check out the area, and in the shape of a triangle in the middle of the pines, all the trees were laid down on the ground, not broken but bent. This whole experience still makes me question reality.” 

May 1988 or 1989: Route 38 from Owego to Harford Mills 

From the website group: Forgotten Northern Tioga County [Name Withheld].

“I’ve seen a few along Route 38 from Owego to Harford Mills along with five other people. Another time, one stopped in flight, turned around, and headed for me. Absolutely no sound at either sighting.” 

1989 to 1991: Wade Hollow Road, Town of Owego 

From the website group: Forgotten Northern Tioga County [Name Withheld].

“Yep, I remember it. I was driving home on Wade Hollow Road and watched a light come over the treetops. I came to a stop, turned off the radio, and it hovered over my car without a sound. It stayed there  until I took off, and it was no longer there as I watched for it in my rearview mirror; it just disappeared. It scared the bejeebers out of me.” 

Circa 1995: Nizalowski Farm off of 38B 

Witnessed by Ed Nizalowski, Ray Kuzia, and Bohdan Pankevych.

Here is Ray’s account, “You, Bohdan, and I were watching this V-shaped formation of five red lights in the overcast, starless night, just after a rain. It flew nearly silently, but when closely overhead, I could hear faint sounds from it, like it was powered by a few old-fashioned radial airplane engines (biplane engines). 

“Due to the heavy clouds causing such darkness, I couldn’t tell you how high it was. Maybe only a few hundred feet, but I estimated that from one end of the five-light V formation to the other would have been the length of about three football fields. None of us got excited over it, for I thought it was just our military moving some project that they didn’t want the public to see.” 

To be continued………

(You can contact Ed Nizalowski at ed.nizalowski@gmail.com with any comments or thoughts on this topic.)