About Hudson Valley sightings
From 1982 to the mid-1990s, thousands of people in New York and Connecticut reported seeing a huge, slow-moving, silent V-shaped craft outlined in bright lights. State police and other investigators traced many of these sightings to private pilots flying light aircraft in tight formations from Stormville Airport. However, ufologists and some witnesses disputed that aircraft could explain all of the reports, making it one of the best-known UFO stories of the 1980s.
- Also called
- The "Westchester Boomerang"
- Period
- Mainly March 1983 to summer 1984; investigators report cases from 1982 to the mid-1990s
- Area
- Westchester, Putnam, Dutchess and Ulster counties, New York; Fairfield County, Connecticut
- Described
- A huge, slow, near-silent V or boomerang shape outlined in white, red and green lights
- Official explanation
- Light aircraft (Cessna 152s and others) flying in tight night formation from Stormville Airport
- Investigators
- J. Allen Hynek, Philip Imbrogno, Bob Pratt (Night Siege, 1987); Peter Gersten
- Status
- Formation flying explains the core reports; ufologists dispute that it explains all
- Date
- 28 June 1984
- People
- J. Allen Hynek, Philip Imbrogno
- Testimony
- Shellenberger testimony, p. 97
- Year
- 1984 in UFO history
- Timeline
- 1984 on the UAP Timeline
- Sources
- 7
The full story, section by section
The story of Hudson Valley sightings in 9 parts. Tap any part to read it in full.
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The sightingsReports began in earnest in March 1983 and peaked in 1983–1984.Read this part →
Image of the Taconic State Parkway with the Catskills in the background · Photo: Juliancolton, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons -
The boomerang as describedBob Pratt, a co-author of Night Siege, gave the believers' picture:Read this part → Illustration drawn for this site — not a photograph.
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The June 1984 coverageOn Thursday 28 June 1984 the Poughkeepsie Journal ran William LaRue's story "Probe of mysterious V shape widens".Read this part → Illustration drawn for this site — not a photograph.
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Indian PointThe researcher Philip Imbrogno said guards at the Indian Point nuclear plant saw an object over the plant on 14 June and 24 July 1984.Read this part →
Indian Point Nuclear Power Plant on the Hudson river · Photo: Tony, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons -
InvestigationJ. Allen Hynek, Imbrogno and the journalist Bob Pratt investigated the reports and wrote Night Siege: The Hudson Valley UFO Sightings (1987).Read this part → Illustration drawn for this site — not a photograph.
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ExplanationOther investigators, including reporters, police and skeptics, found that many sightings were caused by a group of private pilots from Stormville Airport in East Fishkill:Read this part → Illustration drawn for this site — not a photograph.
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DisputesSupporters argue that the aircraft explanation does not cover every report, especially those describing long periods of silent hovering.Read this part → Illustration drawn for this site — not a photograph.
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LegacyThe case was featured on Unsolved Mysteries in 1992, which interviewed many of the witnesses, including police officers.Read this part → Illustration drawn for this site — not a photograph.
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On the TimelineSee every 1984 event on the UAP Timeline →Read this part → Illustration drawn for this site — not a photograph.
Key people
The people at the centre of the story — witnesses, investigators, officials and sceptics:
- J. Allen HynekJ. Allen Hynek was an American astronomer and professor who served for over two decades as the U.S.
- Philip ImbrognoPhilip Imbrogno is an American UFO researcher and author who is best known for investigating the Hudson Valley UFO sightings from 1983 to 1984. He co-wrote the 1987 book Night Siege: The Hudson Valle…
- Peter GerstenPeter Gersten is an American lawyer known as the UFO lawyer for his legal work involving freedom of information lawsuits and UFO documentation against government agencies. Operating from the late 197…
- Howard BlumHoward Blum is an American journalist and author who wrote the 1990 book Out There: The Government's Secret Quest for Extraterrestrials. The book claimed that the Defense Intelligence Agency formed a…
Related cases & events
Events and sightings linked to Hudson Valley sightings:
📅 Year · 4 min read1984 in UFO historyThe text outlines UFO and UAP events, claims, and government transparency issues that occurred during 1984, including sightings in the Hudson Valley and the circulation of the Majestic 12 documents. Key occurrences involved reports near nuclear plants, admiss…
🗓️ Event · 6 min readInterplanetary Phenomenon UnitThe Interplanetary Phenomenon Unit is a name that emerged from U.S. Army Freedom of Information Act replies in 1980 regarding an alleged informal counterintelligence project that studied UFOs.
🗓️ Event · 7 min readIndian Point nuclear plant sighting (1984)In June and July 1984, security guards and other witnesses at the Indian Point nuclear power complex in Buchanan, New York, reportedly observed a large, boomerang-shaped object hovering near a reactor. The sightings were documented by researcher Philip Imbrog…
🗓️ Event · 6 min readNIDS black triangle studyThe National Institute for Discovery Science conducted a study, released in 2004, analyzing nearly 400 reports of large, low-flying triangular craft across the United States and Canada. Led by Colm Kelleher and funded by Robert Bigelow, the research concluded…
🗓️ Event · 5 min readCheyenne Mountain and Lake Kickapoo sighting (1986)In his 1990 book, journalist Howard Blum described a December 1986 incident where a Navy officer allegedly saw a strange object performing extreme maneuvers on a computer display at Cheyenne Mountain. This account purportedly triggered the formation of a secr…Programs, organizations & documents
The official programs, groups and papers involved:
Books, films & documentaries
Where to read and watch more:
🎬 Book or film · 6 min readNight SiegeNight Siege is a 1987 book by J. Allen Hynek, Philip J. Imbrogno, and Bob Pratt about a wave of UFO reports in New York and Connecticut during 1983 and 1984.
🎬 Book or film · 5 min readThe New York TimesThe New York Times is a major American daily newspaper best known in UFO history for its December 2017 article revealing the Pentagon's secret Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program and publishing Navy videos of unidentified objects. This coverage a…Related topics & places
Ideas, terms and places that come up in the story:
📍 Place · 6 min readHudson ValleyThousands of residents in New York and Connecticut reported a wave of massive, silent, V- or boomerang-shaped UFO sightings from March 1983 to the summer of 1984. State police and authorities traced the lights to a group of local light-aircraft pilots flying …
📖 Term · 17 min readUnidentified flying objectAn unidentified flying object, or UFO, is an unexplained phenomenon or object seen in the sky, with the modern craze originating in the United States in June 1947. While popular culture often equates UFOs with alien spacecraft, most investigations reveal them…📖 Term · 4 min readBlack triangleA black triangle is a type of UFO report describing a large, dark, triangular object usually seen at night with pulsing colored lights at the corners. Numerous sightings have occurred internationally since 1960, including prominent waves in the Hudson Valley,…🗓️ Hudson Valley sightings on the UAP timeline
- Hudson Valley residents report a boomerang-shaped craft flying at treetop level. Read the article →
🛸 UFO sightings about Hudson Valley sightings
Sightings that mention Hudson Valley sightings
More in the encyclopedia
Other articles that link to or mention Hudson Valley sightings:
- Selman Graves and the Paradise Valley crash claimThis article is about the Paradise Valley crash claim, which alleges that a flying saucer landed or crashed north of Phoenix, Arizona, in October 1947. Witness Selman Graves reported seeing a dome-sh…
- Steve Millard's Silicon Valley study groupSteve Millard's Silicon Valley study group was a private UFO discussion circle that met in California in the autumn of 1986. The group brought together technology entrepreneurs, scientists, and forme…
- Saucer-like helicopters claim (1984)This article is about an uncorroborated 1984 journal entry by Jacques Vallée describing a claim that a mercenary group used helicopters designed to look like flying saucers for nuclear security testi…
- Remote viewers and a military trial anomaly (1984)A 2024 UAP timeline by Michael Shellenberger includes a claim that alleged May 1984 CIA documents show the Army's remote-viewing program investigated an anomalous event during classified military tri…
- DSP "fast walker" detection (1984)On May 5, 1984, over the Indian Ocean, a U.S. Defense Support Program early-warning satellite detected an unidentified fast-moving object passing close to it in space.
- Request for Vallée's best cases (1966)On 23 July 1966, computer scientist and astronomer Jacques Vallée recorded in his journal that the observatory where he worked received a letter from an aerospace engineer asking for its twenty best …
- Air Force proposals to improve UFO work (1961)Between June 1960 and March 1961, the Air Technical Intelligence Center at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base developed proposals to improve its UFO work after inquiries from congressional staff. The re…
- Proposal to collect UFO home movies (1950)This article is about a 1950 United States Air Force memorandum concerning senior officers attempting to covertly acquire a Louisville newsman's film of a flying disc. The event took place in July 19…
- Martin Marietta engineer's papers (1965)This article is about journal entries from scientist Jacques Vallée in 1965 and 1966 regarding an unnamed engineer from the aerospace company Martin Marietta. The engineer became upset when someone s…
Questions & answers
What is Hudson Valley sightings?
Hudson Valley sightings: From 1982 to the mid-1990s, thousands of people in New York and Connecticut reported seeing a huge, slow-moving, silent V-shaped craft outlined in bright lights. State police and other investigators traced many of these sightings to private pilots flying light aircraft in tight formations from Stormville Airport. However, ufologists and some witnesses disputed that aircraft could explain all of the reports, making it one of the best-known UFO stories of the 1980s. Read: Hudson Valley sightings →
Who is J. Allen Hynek?
J. Allen Hynek was an American astronomer and professor who served for over two decades as the U.S. Read: J. Allen Hynek →
Who is Philip Imbrogno?
Philip Imbrogno is an American UFO researcher and author who is best known for investigating the Hudson Valley UFO sightings from 1983 to 1984. He co-wrote the 1987 book Night Siege: The Hudson Valley UFO Sightings detailing thousands of reports of a large, silent object. While Imbrogno and other authors argued the sightings were unexplainable, state police and skeptics attributed the lights to tight formations of night-flying light aircraft. Read: Philip Imbrogno →
Who is Peter Gersten?
Peter Gersten is an American lawyer known as the UFO lawyer for his legal work involving freedom of information lawsuits and UFO documentation against government agencies. Operating from the late 1970s onwards, he co-founded Citizens Against UFO Secrecy, sued the CIA and NSA, and represented high-profile UFO cases such as the Cash-Landrum incident. Most of his lawsuits were ultimately dismissed or lost, and he later retired to Sedona, Arizona, where he became known for leading hikes up Bell Rock. Read: Peter Gersten →
What is 1984 in UFO history?
1984 in UFO history: The text outlines UFO and UAP events, claims, and government transparency issues that occurred during 1984, including sightings in the Hudson Valley and the circulation of the Majestic 12 documents. Key occurrences involved reports near nuclear plants, admissions regarding restricted public access to land near Area 51, and various claims from anonymous sources and military personnel about captured film and detected objects. Read: 1984 in UFO history →
What was Interplanetary Phenomenon Unit?
Interplanetary Phenomenon Unit: The Interplanetary Phenomenon Unit is a name that emerged from U.S. Army Freedom of Information Act replies in 1980 regarding an alleged informal counterintelligence project that studied UFOs. Read: Interplanetary Phenomenon Unit →
What is Citizens Against UFO Secrecy?
Citizens Against UFO Secrecy (CAUS) was an American non-profit activist group founded in 1977 that used the Freedom of Information Act and the courts to try to force federal and state agencies to release classified UFO information. Its best-known legal case involved a 1980 lawsuit against the National Security Agency that ended when a judge accepted the agency's secret reasons for withholding its records. The group later became inactive, and its non-profit status was revoked by 2023. Read: Citizens Against UFO Secrecy →
What is Night Siege?
Night Siege is a 1987 book by J. Allen Hynek, Philip J. Imbrogno, and Bob Pratt about a wave of UFO reports in New York and Connecticut during 1983 and 1984. Read: Night Siege →
What is The New York Times?
The New York Times is a major American daily newspaper best known in UFO history for its December 2017 article revealing the Pentagon's secret Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program and publishing Navy videos of unidentified objects. This coverage and subsequent reporting by the newspaper sparked intense public interest and speculation, though it also drew criticism from some experts for being thinly sourced and slanted. Read: The New York Times →
What is Hudson Valley?
Hudson Valley: Thousands of residents in New York and Connecticut reported a wave of massive, silent, V- or boomerang-shaped UFO sightings from March 1983 to the summer of 1984. State police and authorities traced the lights to a group of local light-aircraft pilots flying in tight formation from Stormville Airport, though UFO researchers argued that planes could not explain every report. The events were detailed in the 1987 book Night Siege and became a major part of UFO literature. Read: Hudson Valley →
What is Unidentified flying object?
Unidentified flying object: An unidentified flying object, or UFO, is an unexplained phenomenon or object seen in the sky, with the modern craze originating in the United States in June 1947. While popular culture often equates UFOs with alien spacecraft, most investigations reveal them to be known objects, natural phenomena, hoaxes, or mirages, and no government investigation has ever concluded they are extraterrestrial. Read: Unidentified flying object →