The FBI has opened an investigation into a crash near the top-secret base Area 51.
In a 4 October statement, officials at Creech Air Force Base in Nevada revealed that an aircraft 'was involved in an incident,' crashing in the desert just miles from Area 51's restricted zone on 23 September.
Area 51 is a highly classified US Air Force facility located at Groom Lake in southern Nevada, part of the Nevada Test and Training Range.
Its extreme secrecy has spawned countless theories about alien research and UFO activity.
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Built in 1955, Area 51 stayed off the public radar until 1989, when Robert Lazar made claims on television that he'd worked there studying extra-terrestrial technology and spacecraft.
While the Air Force stated the craft belonged to the base's 432nd Wing, social media users noted the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) put a temporary flight restriction in place over the area for a week, roughly 12 miles east of Area 51's security perimeter and about 24 miles from the base itself.
The shutdown was justified simply as 'national security,' with no further explanation given by the FAA.
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However, the Air Force has revealed even stranger developments after military personnel cleared the site, leaving nothing for the public to discover.
Creech officials said investigators found an 'inert training bomb body' and a piece of unidentified aircraft at the same crash site, leading the FBI to get involved.
According to the Air Force statement, officials believe someone deliberately tampered with the crash scene after the military departed the desert. They said the aircraft piece was likely a plane panel, but from an 'unknown origin.'
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The Air Force stated that 'no further details are available at this time,' but confirmed there were no injuries or fatalities during the unexplained incident.
Joerg Arnu, a long-time Area 51 researcher who runs the website Dreamland Resort, visited the crash site on 27 September to find a completely cleared area with several tyre tracks.
"They really tore up the ground so it's impossible to find the impact mark," Arnu said in a video, adding that no debris remained visible.
That said, the researcher admitted there could still be debris underground and desert rains often wash hidden objects back to the surface.
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Creech Air Force Base sits less than 60 miles from where the crash supposedly happened. It's home to the 432nd Wing, which operates Reaper drones armed with weapons and stealth drones like the RQ-170 Sentinel. These aircraft are mainly used for gathering intelligence, surveillance and combat missions.