Probe of Unmanned Aircraft Crash Near Area 51

On Sept. 23 an unidentified aircraft crashed on public land just outside Groom Lake/Area 51; Creech Air Force Base said the mishap involved an aircraft assigned to the 432nd Wing, which operates unmanned aerial vehicles. Recovery operations wrapped up by Sept. 27 with no reported injuries, and the FAA imposed a five-nautical-mile temporary flight restriction east of Area 51 that lasted into early October. During a follow-up site survey investigators reported signs of tampering — including an inert training-bomb body and an aircraft panel placed at the scene — and the Air Force Office of Special Investigations and the FBI have launched a joint probe. Area 51 monitors and local journalists reported a heavy security response, including a locked-down Tikaboo Valley, armed patrols, scorched vegetation and rapid burial of debris. Sparse official details and conflicting accounts have fueled widespread speculation and allegations of a government cover-up, which military officials and some analysts say reflect standard recovery and security procedures.