Petrolia, Pennsylvania: Large Triangle Interacts with Headlights
Three men repairing a jeep near Petrolia, PA notice a bright object with a flashing red light above the trees at 7:15 PM. When they turn on headlights, the object approaches; headlights off, it backs away. Repeated interaction. As it passes at 250 feet altitude, they see a very large dull gun-metal triangular craft surrounded by luminescent mist, with a red light in front and white/amber lights at other corners. Two bright lights shoot from the triangle. The object stops completely when a jet approaches, becomes very bright, then rises straight up. Witnesses experience physical effects: skin crawling sensation, severe headaches, diarrhea lasting days. Investigated by Stan Gordon, MUFON State Director of Pennsylvania.
Background
1. On April 1, 1982, three men near Petrolia, Pennsylvania, witnessed a large, triangular object interacting with the headlights of their vehicle. The object, initially appearing as a bright light, approached and retreated based on the headlights' status before passing directly overhead.
The Incident
At approximately 7:15 PM, three men were repairing a jeep near Petrolia, Pennsylvania. One of the men noticed an unusually bright object with a flashing red light above the trees. As it was getting dark, they turned on the jeep's headlights to continue working.
Almost immediately, the bright object moved toward them. When they turned the headlights off, the object backed away. This interaction was repeated. The object then passed almost directly over their heads at an altitude of no more than 250 feet.
As the object passed overhead, the bright light went out, revealing a large, triangular shape of a dull, gun-metal color surrounded by a luminescent mist. The object had lights at each point:
* A red light in front
* A white and amber light at the other corners
The witnesses then observed two bright lights shoot away from the triangle, one going north and one south. No sound was heard during the entire event. A jet plane approached from the east, and the object appeared to stop completely and become very bright before rising straight up and disappearing.
Investigation
Gordon investigated the Petrolia incident. Two of the witnesses reported feeling that “their skin was crawling off their body” while observing the object. For several days, they experienced severe headaches, and one had diarrhea. Other residents from the local area reported similar observations.
Significance
The Petrolia incident is significant due to the reported interaction between the object and the witnesses' vehicle headlights, the detailed description of the triangular craft, and the reported physiological effects experienced by the witnesses. The sighting occurred amid a sharp upsurge of UFO sightings in western Pennsylvania during that time. The lack of sound and the object's apparent reaction to the approaching jet are also notable aspects of this case.