Air Force, FBI Investigating Mysterious Crash Near Area 51

FAA ordered pilots to avoid the area due to ‘national security.’

Zach Vasile

Tuesday, October 07, 2025 at 05:04 PM ET

Verified

Edited By:

Ryan Ewing

An MQ-9 Reaper drone taxis into Creech Air Force Base. [Credit: U.S Air Force/Senior Airman Larry E. Reid Jr.]

Key Takeaways:

The U.S. Air Force and FBI are investigating tampering at the site of a mysterious aircraft crash near Area 51, which occurred on September 23.
Investigators discovered an inert training bomb body and an aircraft panel of unknown origin placed at the secured crash site post-incident.
The 432nd Wing acknowledged the "incident" but remains vague on aircraft details, fueling speculation about the type of drone involved and garnering public interest due to the location and "national security" flight restrictions.

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Two weeks after a mysterious aircraft crash in the Nevada desert near Area 51, the U.S. Air Force and the FBI are investigating what appears to be tampering at the crash site.

In a statement released Saturday, the 432nd Wing, stationed at Creech Air Force Base in Clark County, said one of its aircraft was involved in an “incident” on September 23, with no fatalities or injuries. The crash site was secured and cleaned up, the unit said, but on October 3, returning investigators discovered signs of “tampering” at the location, “including the presence of an inert training bomb body and an aircraft panel of unknown origin that were placed on the site post-incident.”