A top secret military aircraft crashed close to the iconic Area 51 base, with the government accused of covering up the details.
The mystery object went down on September 23, just outside the boundaries of the famous Nevada base, which sits 120 miles northwest of Las Vegas.
It happened public land near Highway 375, also known as the E.T. Highway, a popular destination for UFO enthusiasts.
New details and audio have since emerged, suggesting a massive overnight operation and a swift, coordinated cover-up.
According to George Knapp, an investigative journalist with KLAS and UFO expert, the official story from the military is ‘pure fiction.’
Knapp revealed to KLAS that he spoke with Joerg Arnu, a longtime Area 51 observer who monitors radio traffic from the base 24 hours a day on his website Dreamland Resort. Click here to view Arnu’s YouTube channel.
On the morning of the crash, Arnu heard a chilling transmission: ‘All foot patrols be advised, there’s a UAV, unmanned, unmanned aircraft with ordnance.’
UAV stands for unmanned aerial vehicle – military parlance for a drone.
Joerg Arnu, pictured, captured audio following what he says was the crash of a top secret aircraft at Area 51 last month
Photos of Area 51 taken from the sky. The base that sits 120 miles north of Las Vegas is one of the most secretive places in the world
It’s unclear whether the message referred to a drone that had crashed or one monitoring the crash site.
But Arnu believes something serious went wrong during a secret nighttime air operation.
Security forces quickly locked down much of Tikaboo Valley, which surrounds Area 51, deploying armed patrols and blocking off roads.
A military helicopter with a cargo basket and portable toilets suggested a long-term recovery effort.
‘Almost the entire valley was shut down,’ Arnu said. ‘They meant business.’
Locals in Rachel, Nevada, noticed the heightened security but were kept in the dark. Arnu attempted to reach the site, but was turned away by armed guards.
Days later, he returned and found a newly plowed dirt road leading to what appeared to be a staging area.
But the real crash site was nearby, marked by burned Joshua trees and buried debris.
Arnu and fellow aerospace sleuths discovered fragments that didn’t match a standard drone, suggesting misdirection by the military.
Arnu believes this is the site of last month’s crash and pointed out burned Joshua trees as evidence of a disaster
Another close-up shot of Area 51 buildings taken in 2020. The base sits in the middle of an enormous secure zone
A helicopter was seen marking off part of a road that had been closed after last months crash
The Air Force later claimed the crash involved a Reaper drone from Creech Air Force Base, and accused someone of tampering with the site by scattering unrelated debris and a training bomb. The FBI was reportedly investigating.
Arnu dismissed the explanation as a tactic to discourage further investigation: ‘That’s absolutely bogus. I think that was designed to make people not go there.’
He believes the military couldn’t recover every piece of the wreckage, so they buried the site and planted misleading debris.
On Arnu’s website, members, including former military and defense contractors, speculate the downed craft may have been a next-generation AI-controlled drone, capable of operating autonomously alongside fighter jets.
Area 51 has long captured the public imagination over claims it is where the US government stores crashed alien spacecraft.
The base is actually where ultra-top secret aircraft and weapons technology is tested.
Tire tracks close to Area 51 that Joerg Arnu says are evidence of a recovery operation following the crash of a top secret aircraft last month
It covers more than 4,500 square miles and is centered around a dry lake bed known as groom lake on which multiple runways have been constructed.
Area 51 is surrounded by a 575-square-mile no fly zone.
While it doesn’t have a physical border, it is closely monitored by censors, with anyone who dares to trespass warned by signs that they may be shot on sight.
Much of the tech used at Area 51 is so secret that it is never revealed to the public.
The base is so remote that new aircraft tested there can be concealed in total secrecy before their existence is eventually made public.
