Mysterious Area 51 ‘Unmanned Aircraft’ Crash Probed by Air Force, FBI — as Claims, Rumors Swirl
A mysterious aircraft crash near Nevada’s secretive Area 51 has triggered weeks of speculation, a military probe — and allegations of a government cover-up.
The incident occurred Sept. 23 on public land just outside the boundaries of the classified base at Groom Lake, about 83 miles north-northwest of Las Vegas, according to the Air Force and KLAS-TV, which reported on the crash Thursday.
A spokesperson for Creech Air Force Base confirmed the mishap involved an aircraft assigned to the 432nd Wing, which operates unmanned aerial vehicles.
No fatalities or injuries were reported, and recovery operations wrapped up Sept. 27, the base said.
But what followed — a base lockdown, flight restrictions and apparent tampering at the crash site — has fueled widespread rumors about what really fell from the sky.
The Air Force said investigators discovered “signs of tampering” during a follow-up site survey on Oct. 3, including an inert training bomb and an aircraft panel of unknown origin that were placed there after the crash. (Read more from “Mysterious Area 51 ‘Unmanned Aircraft’ Crash Probed by Air Force, FBI — as Claims, Rumors Swirl” HERE)
