"Mysteries at the Museum" Secrets of Area 51: Mysteries at the Museum Specials

1 00:00:11,345 --> 00:00:14,747 WILDMAN: Perhaps nothing has inspired more intrigue, 2 00:00:14,749 --> 00:00:16,014 speculation, 3 00:00:16,016 --> 00:00:20,486 and creative conspiracy theories than Area 51. 4 00:00:20,488 --> 00:00:24,089 For more than 60 years, this isolated installation 5 00:00:24,091 --> 00:00:25,624 has been out of the public eye 6 00:00:25,626 --> 00:00:27,759 and remains one of the U.S. government's 7 00:00:27,761 --> 00:00:30,096 most closely held secrets. 8 00:00:30,098 --> 00:00:32,297 But what are they hiding? 9 00:00:32,299 --> 00:00:36,235 I witnessed alien spacecraft. 10 00:00:36,237 --> 00:00:37,637 Is its purpose to protect us 11 00:00:37,639 --> 00:00:40,105 from our adversaries here on Earth? 12 00:00:40,107 --> 00:00:43,108 Or is Area 51 a secret base 13 00:00:43,110 --> 00:00:47,280 devoted to investigating UFOs and alien life? 14 00:00:49,383 --> 00:00:51,850 From a secret weapons program... 15 00:00:51,852 --> 00:00:54,587 This aircraft is the reason that Area 51 16 00:00:54,589 --> 00:00:56,455 became a permanent facility. 17 00:00:56,457 --> 00:00:58,190 ...to bombshell revelations 18 00:00:58,192 --> 00:01:00,893 about the hunt for extraterrestrial life... 19 00:01:04,866 --> 00:01:07,867 ...new evidence may finally reveal the truth 20 00:01:07,869 --> 00:01:11,003 about what Americans for decades have wanted to know. 21 00:01:11,005 --> 00:01:14,807 Is Area 51 simply a top-secret military base, 22 00:01:14,809 --> 00:01:17,410 or are the conspiracy theories involving UFOs 23 00:01:17,412 --> 00:01:19,545 and alien life true? 24 00:01:19,547 --> 00:01:22,214 What is going on in Area 51? 25 00:01:25,887 --> 00:01:27,419 I'm Don Wildman. 26 00:01:27,421 --> 00:01:29,888 I've explored the world's greatest mysteries, 27 00:01:29,890 --> 00:01:32,825 examined rare artifacts and epic monuments. 28 00:01:32,827 --> 00:01:34,359 That is unbelievable. 29 00:01:34,361 --> 00:01:37,630 Now I'm digging deeper into some of the most perplexing 30 00:01:37,632 --> 00:01:40,165 and famous cases in history. 31 00:01:40,167 --> 00:01:42,568 My goal? To get closer to the truth. 32 00:01:42,570 --> 00:01:45,438 Let's burn this place down. -Let's burn it down. 33 00:01:45,440 --> 00:01:48,841 On this special episode of "Mysteries at the Museum," 34 00:01:48,843 --> 00:01:51,911 alien encounters in Area 51. 35 00:02:03,457 --> 00:02:05,991 Area 51 -- it's a name 36 00:02:05,993 --> 00:02:10,196 that automatically evokes mystery and intrigue. 37 00:02:10,198 --> 00:02:12,665 Concealed deep in the Mojave Desert, 38 00:02:12,667 --> 00:02:14,533 Area 51 has always been 39 00:02:14,535 --> 00:02:18,671 a highly classified military base and airfield. 40 00:02:18,673 --> 00:02:20,472 But through exhaustive research, 41 00:02:20,474 --> 00:02:23,142 it's come to be understood that only the most covert 42 00:02:23,144 --> 00:02:26,812 and cryptic flight experiments have been taking place there. 43 00:02:26,814 --> 00:02:29,214 Interestingly, the U.S. government 44 00:02:29,216 --> 00:02:32,351 only recently admitted the existence of Area 51, 45 00:02:32,353 --> 00:02:35,087 which raises obvious questions. 46 00:02:35,089 --> 00:02:37,355 What has been happening on this base, 47 00:02:37,357 --> 00:02:39,759 and why can't the public know? 48 00:02:39,761 --> 00:02:43,829 Even though Area 51 was created back in the 1950s, 49 00:02:43,831 --> 00:02:47,099 it wasn't until 2013 that the U.S. government 50 00:02:47,101 --> 00:02:49,501 even acknowledged its existence. 51 00:02:49,503 --> 00:02:52,438 The official story was that Area 51 was conceived 52 00:02:52,440 --> 00:02:55,307 as a black operation involving the CIA 53 00:02:55,309 --> 00:02:57,042 and the U.S. Air Force. 54 00:02:57,044 --> 00:03:00,178 Its sole mission was to test experimental aircraft 55 00:03:00,180 --> 00:03:02,048 during the Cold War. 56 00:03:02,050 --> 00:03:04,383 But skeptics weren't buying it. 57 00:03:04,385 --> 00:03:07,653 If the government had lied about the base's existence, 58 00:03:07,655 --> 00:03:11,657 could they still be hiding something even bigger? 59 00:03:11,659 --> 00:03:15,794 To many, Area 51 is and always has been involved 60 00:03:15,796 --> 00:03:20,266 in researching extraterrestrials and UFOs. 61 00:03:20,268 --> 00:03:22,935 But could this conspiracy be true? 62 00:03:22,937 --> 00:03:28,941 Could Area 51 have proof of alien life? 63 00:03:28,943 --> 00:03:30,843 What's really going on there? 64 00:03:33,247 --> 00:03:36,281 And what is it the government does not want us to know? 65 00:03:40,621 --> 00:03:44,356 Area 51 is located about 80 miles northwest of Las Vegas, 66 00:03:44,358 --> 00:03:48,360 in the desolate Nevada desert, but the real story begins 67 00:03:48,362 --> 00:03:52,164 more than 800 miles away, in Roswell, New Mexico. 68 00:03:55,770 --> 00:03:58,370 Here's how this curious story goes. 69 00:03:58,372 --> 00:04:01,573 Back in 1947, first week of July, 70 00:04:01,575 --> 00:04:05,577 U.S. Army Signal Corps engineers were tracking 71 00:04:05,579 --> 00:04:08,514 two flying objects across the southwestern desert. 72 00:04:08,516 --> 00:04:11,116 Then one of the two objects crashed, 73 00:04:11,118 --> 00:04:12,518 and authorities tracked the wreckage 74 00:04:12,520 --> 00:04:16,722 to a ranch 75 miles outside of Roswell, New Mexico. 75 00:04:18,592 --> 00:04:22,327 What local rancher Mac Brazel found there was shocking. 76 00:04:22,329 --> 00:04:25,397 He described it as a round fuselage 77 00:04:25,399 --> 00:04:27,732 topped with a mounted dome. 78 00:04:27,734 --> 00:04:33,873 Declassified intel documents described it as a flying disk. 79 00:04:33,875 --> 00:04:37,475 Immediately, a cover story was released, 80 00:04:37,477 --> 00:04:41,080 and Roswell Army Airfield, the local installation, 81 00:04:41,082 --> 00:04:44,216 claimed this was nothing but a weather balloon. 82 00:04:44,218 --> 00:04:47,686 But, apparently, anyone who saw this wreckage 83 00:04:47,688 --> 00:04:49,955 or newspaper photographs of it 84 00:04:49,957 --> 00:04:52,224 could tell you it looked nothing like a weather balloon. 85 00:04:52,226 --> 00:04:55,561 Many believed and still believe 86 00:04:55,563 --> 00:04:58,296 that this wreckage was not of this Earth, 87 00:04:58,298 --> 00:05:01,634 that what they were looking at was an alien spacecraft. 88 00:05:08,642 --> 00:05:11,844 Since that day, there have been hundreds of theories 89 00:05:11,846 --> 00:05:14,846 about what really happened out there. 90 00:05:14,848 --> 00:05:17,182 So, I've come for myself to debunk 91 00:05:17,184 --> 00:05:19,318 or confirm these theories. 92 00:05:19,320 --> 00:05:21,520 Donald Schmidt is an author who's spent decades 93 00:05:21,522 --> 00:05:25,123 researching the connections between Area 51 and Roswell, 94 00:05:25,125 --> 00:05:30,796 and he suggested we meet here, the very site of the 1947 crash, 95 00:05:30,798 --> 00:05:33,933 so I can hear the real story. 96 00:05:33,935 --> 00:05:35,667 Although the small town of Roswell 97 00:05:35,669 --> 00:05:39,071 has become a mecca for UFO and alien enthusiasts, 98 00:05:39,073 --> 00:05:41,006 the crash actually happened here, 99 00:05:41,008 --> 00:05:44,677 about 70 miles north, in Corona. 100 00:05:44,679 --> 00:05:47,146 And for the first time in over 70 years, 101 00:05:47,148 --> 00:05:49,548 the family who owns this famous land 102 00:05:49,550 --> 00:05:51,917 has opened the crash site to the public. 103 00:05:54,087 --> 00:05:55,087 WILDMAN: Hey, Don. How you doing? 104 00:05:55,089 --> 00:05:56,688 -Hi, Don. -Nice to meet you. 105 00:05:56,690 --> 00:05:58,691 Welcome to the dark side of the moon. 106 00:06:06,167 --> 00:06:07,499 Before becoming an author, 107 00:06:07,501 --> 00:06:10,435 Donald was the director of the Center of UFO Studies. 108 00:06:10,437 --> 00:06:14,773 He's dedicated his life to studying the Roswell crash. 109 00:06:14,775 --> 00:06:18,043 How did you determine that this was where it crashed? 110 00:06:18,045 --> 00:06:20,512 Independent firsthand witnesses. 111 00:06:20,514 --> 00:06:21,780 From the day. 112 00:06:21,782 --> 00:06:24,115 From the very time of the incident. 113 00:06:24,117 --> 00:06:27,186 It's almost like a criminal investigation minus the crime, 114 00:06:27,188 --> 00:06:30,121 where you're tracking down every potential witness 115 00:06:30,123 --> 00:06:32,324 with the slightest tidbit of information. 116 00:06:32,326 --> 00:06:35,260 But we were especially keen on finding witnesses 117 00:06:35,262 --> 00:06:37,329 who could take us back to the so-called 118 00:06:37,331 --> 00:06:38,864 "scene of the crime." -Okay. 119 00:06:38,866 --> 00:06:40,266 And that is where we are now? 120 00:06:40,268 --> 00:06:41,800 -Exactly. -Okay. 121 00:06:41,802 --> 00:06:43,736 And so, give me the topography of this. 122 00:06:43,738 --> 00:06:46,405 I'm basically looking at the debris field 123 00:06:46,407 --> 00:06:47,605 from this vantage point. 124 00:06:47,607 --> 00:06:50,009 Out through this entire arroya. 125 00:06:50,011 --> 00:06:53,679 And then, off into the distance, the windmill. 126 00:06:53,681 --> 00:06:56,014 And to have the witnesses describe to us 127 00:06:56,016 --> 00:06:58,484 that the wreckage extended 128 00:06:58,486 --> 00:07:01,620 all the way to that very windmill -- 129 00:07:01,622 --> 00:07:02,954 9/10 of a mile. 130 00:07:02,956 --> 00:07:04,223 -Really? -Yes. 131 00:07:04,225 --> 00:07:06,759 So that windmill out on the horizon there, 132 00:07:06,761 --> 00:07:08,360 that's like a mile away, right? 133 00:07:08,362 --> 00:07:09,495 Almost a mile away. 134 00:07:09,497 --> 00:07:11,630 And the debris stretched all that way? 135 00:07:11,632 --> 00:07:14,900 Exactly, and that's what also impressed the military 136 00:07:14,902 --> 00:07:16,969 once they arrived on the scene. 137 00:07:19,573 --> 00:07:22,374 So, when the military finally cordons this place off, 138 00:07:22,376 --> 00:07:23,909 what are we talking about? How many people are there? 139 00:07:23,911 --> 00:07:25,243 How many soldiers are out here? 140 00:07:25,245 --> 00:07:26,912 50 to 60 troops. 141 00:07:26,914 --> 00:07:29,047 -No kidding. -No. 142 00:07:29,049 --> 00:07:31,116 These are the men who were in charge of the atomic bomb. 143 00:07:31,118 --> 00:07:32,785 World War II vets. 144 00:07:32,787 --> 00:07:35,520 And the thought that just the amount of debris 145 00:07:35,522 --> 00:07:38,190 already impressed them before they even got down 146 00:07:38,192 --> 00:07:39,925 and started to examine it... 147 00:07:39,927 --> 00:07:41,527 We've had wives describe to us 148 00:07:41,529 --> 00:07:43,195 that when their husbands came home, 149 00:07:43,197 --> 00:07:45,664 they took shower after shower after shower 150 00:07:45,666 --> 00:07:48,867 as though they had been exposed to something. 151 00:07:48,869 --> 00:07:51,737 But then something strange happened. 152 00:07:51,739 --> 00:07:53,405 Once the military finished collecting 153 00:07:53,407 --> 00:07:57,209 the mysterious wreckage, it was never seen again. 154 00:07:57,211 --> 00:07:58,811 So, where does the wreckage go? 155 00:07:58,813 --> 00:08:00,545 Where does this evidence go? 156 00:08:00,547 --> 00:08:03,282 Area 51. 157 00:08:03,284 --> 00:08:07,486 51 is certainly known for their experiments, 158 00:08:07,488 --> 00:08:10,155 their research, their development of stealth, 159 00:08:10,157 --> 00:08:14,159 so I personally believe that a good amount 160 00:08:14,161 --> 00:08:17,696 of the Roswell wreckage, it is still being tested... 161 00:08:17,698 --> 00:08:18,897 Mm-hmm. 162 00:08:18,899 --> 00:08:20,832 ...and what better place to do just that 163 00:08:20,834 --> 00:08:21,767 than Area 51? 164 00:08:25,639 --> 00:08:27,239 But there was never any proof 165 00:08:27,241 --> 00:08:30,976 linking the Roswell wreckage to Area 51 -- 166 00:08:30,978 --> 00:08:34,980 that is, until a new allegation breathed life into these rumors. 167 00:08:34,982 --> 00:08:38,183 It wasn't until 40 years later, in 1989, 168 00:08:38,185 --> 00:08:41,520 that an unknown engineer named Bob Lazar 169 00:08:41,522 --> 00:08:43,121 first appeared in a special interview 170 00:08:43,123 --> 00:08:45,724 on a Las Vegas television station. 171 00:08:45,726 --> 00:08:48,394 Lazar claimed that he'd been employed as an engineer 172 00:08:48,396 --> 00:08:50,729 and that he'd been to Area 51. 173 00:08:50,731 --> 00:08:52,664 It was during this assignment 174 00:08:52,666 --> 00:08:56,201 that Lazar says he saw a remarkable aircraft. 175 00:08:56,203 --> 00:08:58,603 It was a real UFO flown here 176 00:08:58,605 --> 00:09:02,007 from another planet by real aliens. 177 00:09:02,009 --> 00:09:05,610 Lazar's orders were to reverse-engineer the spacecraft 178 00:09:05,612 --> 00:09:09,147 and figure out how it worked. 179 00:09:09,149 --> 00:09:13,352 I witnessed a recovered alien spacecraft 180 00:09:13,354 --> 00:09:16,755 that the Department of Naval Intelligence 181 00:09:16,757 --> 00:09:19,291 and the United States was back-engineering. 182 00:09:19,293 --> 00:09:20,825 It's very plain. 183 00:09:20,827 --> 00:09:24,229 It's all one solid color -- a grayish, pewter color -- 184 00:09:24,231 --> 00:09:26,631 the same color as the outside of the craft. 185 00:09:26,633 --> 00:09:29,535 And there are no sharp corners anywhere. 186 00:09:29,537 --> 00:09:32,036 Every device in the craft -- 187 00:09:32,038 --> 00:09:35,707 the seat, the amplifier housings -- 188 00:09:35,709 --> 00:09:37,509 everything has a rounded corner on it, 189 00:09:37,511 --> 00:09:40,178 almost as if it was all fashioned out of wax 190 00:09:40,180 --> 00:09:42,714 and then slightly melted, so everything curved, 191 00:09:42,716 --> 00:09:45,317 even where the ceiling meets the floor on the end. 192 00:09:45,319 --> 00:09:49,254 Everything has a curve to it. 193 00:09:49,256 --> 00:09:52,124 Is Bob Lazar's eyewitness account proof 194 00:09:52,126 --> 00:09:56,461 of Area 51's extraterrestrial experiments? 195 00:09:56,463 --> 00:09:58,797 Lazar came forward as a whistle-blower, 196 00:09:58,799 --> 00:10:01,533 claiming it was a crime against the American people 197 00:10:01,535 --> 00:10:03,535 and scientific community for the government 198 00:10:03,537 --> 00:10:05,604 to keep such information secret. 199 00:10:05,606 --> 00:10:07,606 To this day, no one has ever been able 200 00:10:07,608 --> 00:10:09,341 to corroborate Lazar's story, 201 00:10:09,343 --> 00:10:11,343 including his claim to have worked 202 00:10:11,345 --> 00:10:15,947 in a secret government facility called S4, near Area 51. 203 00:10:15,949 --> 00:10:17,883 Like everything about this place, 204 00:10:17,885 --> 00:10:20,952 it's hard to tell what's real and what isn't. 205 00:10:20,954 --> 00:10:25,090 I was shot at while getting on the freeway here in Las Vegas. 206 00:10:25,092 --> 00:10:30,796 Friends were harassed and taken out of work that knew me. 207 00:10:30,798 --> 00:10:32,698 Many things happened. 208 00:10:32,700 --> 00:10:35,367 WILDMAN: But while Bob Lazar's story was riveting, 209 00:10:35,369 --> 00:10:39,104 he had to figure out how to prove his claims. 210 00:10:39,106 --> 00:10:41,973 While he couldn't get people into Area 51, 211 00:10:41,975 --> 00:10:44,910 he could tell them where to get a glimpse of the secret tests 212 00:10:44,912 --> 00:10:46,778 that were going on. 213 00:10:46,780 --> 00:10:49,514 Using a mailbox like this as a landmark, 214 00:10:49,516 --> 00:10:51,850 Bob would announce specific dates and times 215 00:10:51,852 --> 00:10:55,120 where anyone could come and see what he was talking about. 216 00:10:55,122 --> 00:10:57,589 And sure enough, when they would look to the sky, 217 00:10:57,591 --> 00:11:00,725 they would see strange lights and flying objects. 218 00:11:05,666 --> 00:11:10,669 From a humble landmark, this simple black mailbox 219 00:11:10,671 --> 00:11:12,804 becomes a symbolic icon 220 00:11:12,806 --> 00:11:15,540 as hundreds of watchers flock to the area 221 00:11:15,542 --> 00:11:18,676 hoping to catch a glimpse of flying saucers 222 00:11:18,678 --> 00:11:21,746 rising from the Groom Lake base. 223 00:11:21,748 --> 00:11:25,284 Today, UFO tourists carry on the tradition, 224 00:11:25,286 --> 00:11:26,552 leaving a little something behind 225 00:11:26,554 --> 00:11:29,021 for their fellow explorers of the future. 226 00:11:29,023 --> 00:11:31,757 The original black mailbox was so important 227 00:11:31,759 --> 00:11:36,160 because it became the linchpin of Lazar's credibility. 228 00:11:36,162 --> 00:11:37,963 He seemed to know the exact times 229 00:11:37,965 --> 00:11:39,897 when flying saucers would appear 230 00:11:39,899 --> 00:11:41,700 and where they could best be seen. 231 00:11:41,702 --> 00:11:43,901 So, over time, more and more people 232 00:11:43,903 --> 00:11:47,706 would make the trip to this spot to enjoy the same thrill. 233 00:11:47,708 --> 00:11:50,642 They reported seeing everything from red darters 234 00:11:50,644 --> 00:11:53,378 to orange orbs to green, glowing disks 235 00:11:53,380 --> 00:11:56,581 hovering in the air and then spiriting away. 236 00:11:56,583 --> 00:11:59,250 They described objects glowing with an amber light 237 00:11:59,252 --> 00:12:02,053 and flashing like fireflies. 238 00:12:02,055 --> 00:12:05,057 So, could it be true? 239 00:12:05,059 --> 00:12:06,391 Could Area 51, 240 00:12:06,393 --> 00:12:09,861 the U.S. government's most secretive military base, 241 00:12:09,863 --> 00:12:13,799 actually have proof of extraterrestrial life? 242 00:12:13,801 --> 00:12:16,134 There's only one way to find out. 243 00:12:16,136 --> 00:12:17,903 I'm heading to Area 51. 244 00:12:21,208 --> 00:12:22,340 Look at this. 245 00:12:22,342 --> 00:12:23,742 Those are fighter jets right there. 246 00:12:36,490 --> 00:12:38,624 WILDMAN: I'm heading deep into the Nevada desert 247 00:12:38,626 --> 00:12:42,360 to try and locate Area 51. 248 00:12:42,362 --> 00:12:45,163 Does this clandestine military base truly hold 249 00:12:45,165 --> 00:12:46,898 the wrecked remains of the infamous 250 00:12:46,900 --> 00:12:51,236 1947 Roswell UFO crash? 251 00:12:51,238 --> 00:12:54,572 What are they hiding at Area 51? 252 00:12:54,574 --> 00:12:56,074 Whatever the truth may be, 253 00:12:56,076 --> 00:12:57,909 these operations are taking place 254 00:12:57,911 --> 00:12:59,444 in the name of national security 255 00:12:59,446 --> 00:13:02,714 and are said to involve cutting-edge technology. 256 00:13:02,716 --> 00:13:06,117 But they're so secretive that without security clearance, 257 00:13:06,119 --> 00:13:07,652 who would know for sure? 258 00:13:07,654 --> 00:13:12,457 In fact, even after 60 years, Area 51 is said to be so secret 259 00:13:12,459 --> 00:13:15,727 that it's virtually impossible to see the place, 260 00:13:15,729 --> 00:13:17,729 let alone enter it. 261 00:13:17,731 --> 00:13:20,666 So, where exactly is Area 51? 262 00:13:25,872 --> 00:13:28,272 Gaining access inside Area 51 263 00:13:28,274 --> 00:13:30,942 is virtually impossible for civilians, 264 00:13:30,944 --> 00:13:33,178 but maybe I can see it from above. 265 00:13:35,682 --> 00:13:36,982 How you doing? 266 00:13:36,984 --> 00:13:40,285 Pilot Richard "Tex" Coe of Sky Combat Ace 267 00:13:40,287 --> 00:13:43,422 used to fly F-16s for the Air Force. 268 00:13:43,424 --> 00:13:45,023 Now he runs an advanced flight school 269 00:13:45,025 --> 00:13:47,893 and teaches aerial dogfighting. 270 00:13:47,895 --> 00:13:50,095 Hopefully I won't be needing any of those skills today. 271 00:13:50,097 --> 00:13:51,830 COE: Tower Columbia 1-1-4-3 Zulu 272 00:13:51,832 --> 00:13:53,298 holding short of 1-7 right, 273 00:13:53,300 --> 00:13:54,899 ready for takeoff westbound. 274 00:13:58,638 --> 00:14:00,172 He tells me this is considered 275 00:14:00,174 --> 00:14:03,442 some of the most heavily restricted airspace on Earth. 276 00:14:07,848 --> 00:14:09,180 WILDMAN: The term "restricted" -- 277 00:14:09,182 --> 00:14:10,315 what does that really mean? 278 00:14:10,317 --> 00:14:13,184 Airspace is classified in different ways. 279 00:14:13,186 --> 00:14:15,520 So, you got these blue and magenta lines here. 280 00:14:15,522 --> 00:14:16,921 -Yeah. -You see that color? 281 00:14:16,923 --> 00:14:18,856 So, the blue lines are restricted areas, 282 00:14:18,858 --> 00:14:21,326 so you can't fly in there without permission. 283 00:14:21,328 --> 00:14:22,994 What happens if you do that? 284 00:14:22,996 --> 00:14:24,463 They're restricted for a reason. 285 00:14:24,465 --> 00:14:26,798 A lot of times, they'll do live-fire exercises, 286 00:14:26,800 --> 00:14:28,266 so they'll be dropping real bombs 287 00:14:28,268 --> 00:14:29,401 or shooting real missiles. 288 00:14:29,403 --> 00:14:31,536 So, you know, you don't want to go wandering in there. 289 00:14:31,538 --> 00:14:33,672 So, one of the consequences is that you find yourself 290 00:14:33,674 --> 00:14:35,273 in a, you know, beak-to-beak 291 00:14:35,275 --> 00:14:36,408 with a fighter jet, 292 00:14:36,410 --> 00:14:37,408 which you certainly don't want to do. 293 00:14:37,410 --> 00:14:38,610 Right. Interesting. Wow. 294 00:14:38,612 --> 00:14:40,345 So, they're dead serious about this. 295 00:14:40,347 --> 00:14:42,147 Oh, yeah. 296 00:14:46,887 --> 00:14:48,420 Take a look at this map. This is really cool. 297 00:14:48,422 --> 00:14:50,288 We have a chance on the self-control. 298 00:14:50,290 --> 00:14:52,757 We're zoomed in here. That's our plane right there. 299 00:14:52,759 --> 00:14:54,159 That's us. 300 00:14:54,161 --> 00:14:56,428 And we are flying just outside of these blue lines, 301 00:14:56,430 --> 00:14:58,764 which is the military restricted zone 302 00:14:58,766 --> 00:15:00,365 of Nellis Air Force Base. 303 00:15:00,367 --> 00:15:02,834 Within that base, within these lines, 304 00:15:02,836 --> 00:15:03,969 is that area there. 305 00:15:03,971 --> 00:15:06,171 And that little, purple circle there -- 306 00:15:06,173 --> 00:15:09,641 dead ahead, right over that ridge -- Area 51. 307 00:15:11,444 --> 00:15:13,578 WILDMAN: Few people have ever made it 308 00:15:13,580 --> 00:15:15,046 even this close to Area 51, 309 00:15:15,048 --> 00:15:17,382 and I can feel the tension in the cockpit. 310 00:15:17,384 --> 00:15:19,317 And as Tex and I inch closer to the world's 311 00:15:19,319 --> 00:15:22,788 most secretive military base, something goes wrong. 312 00:15:26,527 --> 00:15:28,126 They're talking to us, Tex. Is that -- 313 00:15:28,128 --> 00:15:30,261 Are we approaching things and they're getting nervous? 314 00:15:30,263 --> 00:15:31,963 They're starting to wonder where I'm going. 315 00:15:35,335 --> 00:15:36,601 Hey, look at this. 316 00:15:36,603 --> 00:15:38,136 There's our fighter jets right there. 317 00:15:38,138 --> 00:15:39,538 Wow. 318 00:15:39,540 --> 00:15:42,006 So, they're squawking, so I can see them. 319 00:15:42,008 --> 00:15:44,009 Right over here are a pair of fighter jets, 320 00:15:44,011 --> 00:15:45,944 but they're coming in to our right. 321 00:15:45,946 --> 00:15:47,812 Correct. They're at plus 16. 322 00:15:47,814 --> 00:15:49,981 Means they're 1,600 feet above us. 323 00:15:53,820 --> 00:15:55,253 Look at this. They just -- 324 00:15:58,558 --> 00:16:00,692 They want to intercept. 325 00:16:00,694 --> 00:16:03,962 They don't want me to see them coming, so they... 326 00:16:06,766 --> 00:16:09,968 I don't really feel it. 327 00:16:09,970 --> 00:16:11,836 4-3-Zulu. Copy. 328 00:16:11,838 --> 00:16:13,505 We got within about a half a mile. 329 00:16:16,577 --> 00:16:20,512 For our own safety, Tex and I are turning back. 330 00:16:20,514 --> 00:16:22,247 We've made it closer than most, 331 00:16:22,249 --> 00:16:24,049 but it's clear that security around the base 332 00:16:24,051 --> 00:16:27,185 is meant to maintain total secrecy. 333 00:16:27,187 --> 00:16:28,853 And they aren't fooling around. 334 00:16:32,125 --> 00:16:34,725 The U.S. government has been willing to provide 335 00:16:34,727 --> 00:16:38,129 only the most minimal information regarding Area 51. 336 00:16:38,131 --> 00:16:42,534 Officially, it was created in 1955, but who knows? 337 00:16:42,536 --> 00:16:45,136 Mentions of Area 51 are routinely redacted 338 00:16:45,138 --> 00:16:47,806 from declassified documents. 339 00:16:47,808 --> 00:16:51,543 In fact, it wasn't until 2013 340 00:16:51,545 --> 00:16:54,679 that the U.S. government officially acknowledged 341 00:16:54,681 --> 00:16:56,881 that Area 51 even existed at all. 342 00:16:56,883 --> 00:16:58,482 I'm on my way to meet Joerg Arnu. 343 00:16:58,484 --> 00:17:02,086 He's a local guide and Area 51 expert. 344 00:17:02,088 --> 00:17:03,554 He knows exactly where to go 345 00:17:03,556 --> 00:17:05,423 and all the more dangerous aspects 346 00:17:05,425 --> 00:17:08,560 of trying to get a glimpse of this top-secret base. 347 00:17:08,562 --> 00:17:10,896 Maybe he can get me in close enough for a peek. 348 00:17:16,169 --> 00:17:18,904 In addition to leading tours of the surrounding area, 349 00:17:18,906 --> 00:17:21,172 Joerg has been a researcher and military monitor 350 00:17:21,174 --> 00:17:23,041 in this region for years. 351 00:17:23,043 --> 00:17:25,443 I'm relying on him to keep me out of the cross hairs 352 00:17:25,445 --> 00:17:27,546 as we try again for a better look. 353 00:17:29,383 --> 00:17:31,583 -Good to see you, Don. -Nice to meet you. 354 00:17:31,585 --> 00:17:34,319 Welcome to the outskirts of Area 51. 355 00:17:37,457 --> 00:17:39,257 I really have no sense of boundaries 356 00:17:39,259 --> 00:17:40,992 or where anything really is. 357 00:17:40,994 --> 00:17:42,727 Can you orient me somehow? -Yeah. 358 00:17:42,729 --> 00:17:44,462 Let me show you on a map where we are. 359 00:17:44,464 --> 00:17:46,464 Okay. 360 00:17:46,466 --> 00:17:49,734 So, this whole area is a restricted area, 361 00:17:49,736 --> 00:17:54,339 and it's with bombing ranges, nuclear waste, and all that. 362 00:17:54,341 --> 00:17:56,074 Area 51 is tucked right in the middle of it. 363 00:17:56,076 --> 00:17:57,542 WILDMAN: It's interesting. 364 00:17:57,544 --> 00:17:59,210 So, strategically, this is really placed in the midst 365 00:17:59,212 --> 00:18:01,680 of what has always been restricted areas... 366 00:18:01,682 --> 00:18:02,747 Correct. 367 00:18:02,749 --> 00:18:04,148 ...for the most top-secret reasons. 368 00:18:04,150 --> 00:18:06,751 And then, strangely, you got Area 51 in the middle. 369 00:18:06,753 --> 00:18:10,287 It's almost like it's surrounded by a moat of restriction. 370 00:18:10,289 --> 00:18:11,556 That's exactly right. 371 00:18:11,558 --> 00:18:12,890 So, where are we now? 372 00:18:12,892 --> 00:18:15,560 -We are up here by the highway. -Okay. 373 00:18:15,562 --> 00:18:17,428 ARNU: And we're going to take this direct road 374 00:18:17,430 --> 00:18:20,231 up to the perimeter of Area 51. 375 00:18:25,305 --> 00:18:27,372 They're doing more and more 376 00:18:27,374 --> 00:18:30,108 secretive things out there now. 377 00:18:30,110 --> 00:18:33,377 The base has grown tremendously over the years, 378 00:18:33,379 --> 00:18:35,780 and it is the go-to place for the government 379 00:18:35,782 --> 00:18:38,450 for anything that they don't want our enemies to know. 380 00:18:38,452 --> 00:18:40,185 WILDMAN: Interesting. 381 00:18:42,321 --> 00:18:45,189 WILDMAN: After the Roswell crash in 1947, 382 00:18:45,191 --> 00:18:49,661 the number of sightings in and around Area 51 skyrocketed. 383 00:18:52,198 --> 00:18:54,132 Just in this section of desert alone, 384 00:18:54,134 --> 00:18:58,269 there have been literally thousands of reports. 385 00:18:58,271 --> 00:19:00,338 But visitors beware. 386 00:19:00,340 --> 00:19:02,674 Area 51 is heavily guarded, 387 00:19:02,676 --> 00:19:05,476 and tales of trespassers detained, arrested, 388 00:19:05,478 --> 00:19:08,813 and even shot at are well known. 389 00:19:08,815 --> 00:19:12,483 And as soon as we get down in this little canyon here, 390 00:19:12,485 --> 00:19:14,419 you'll see the warning signs. 391 00:19:14,421 --> 00:19:15,620 Wow. There you go. 392 00:19:15,622 --> 00:19:17,555 So we better be prepared to stop. 393 00:19:17,557 --> 00:19:19,357 We don't want to go anywhere past that. 394 00:19:19,359 --> 00:19:21,425 Okay. I should go slow, huh? 395 00:19:21,427 --> 00:19:23,228 It gets a little nervy, doesn't it? 396 00:19:23,230 --> 00:19:25,697 Yes, it does. 397 00:19:25,699 --> 00:19:27,098 And there it is. 398 00:19:27,100 --> 00:19:28,032 Okay, there it is. 399 00:19:28,034 --> 00:19:31,369 This is as far as we can go. 400 00:19:31,371 --> 00:19:33,772 This is the gate of Area 51. 401 00:19:38,578 --> 00:19:40,311 Man. 402 00:19:40,313 --> 00:19:42,714 You don't see much out here, do you? 403 00:19:42,716 --> 00:19:45,783 I would have no idea I'm at a military base, 404 00:19:45,785 --> 00:19:49,854 let alone the most secretive place in America. 405 00:19:49,856 --> 00:19:51,856 Absolutely. 406 00:19:51,858 --> 00:19:54,058 I sure expected to see somebody with a gun. 407 00:19:54,060 --> 00:19:56,194 I mean, some kind of checkpoint, right? 408 00:19:56,196 --> 00:19:58,863 It's all very low-key, but you got to see. 409 00:19:58,865 --> 00:20:01,032 You got security watching us from the hill. 410 00:20:01,034 --> 00:20:02,533 Yeah. 411 00:20:02,535 --> 00:20:04,535 There's probably armed guards in that vehicle right there. 412 00:20:04,537 --> 00:20:08,273 We have a camera watching us over there. 413 00:20:08,275 --> 00:20:11,542 There's two cameras on the side of the hill. 414 00:20:11,544 --> 00:20:14,812 There's Bald Mountain way back there, watching us. 415 00:20:14,814 --> 00:20:16,014 Okay. 416 00:20:16,016 --> 00:20:18,415 So, there's a lot of eyeballs on us. 417 00:20:18,417 --> 00:20:20,218 So, why does this fascinate you? 418 00:20:20,220 --> 00:20:22,953 I mean, you live not too far away from here. 419 00:20:22,955 --> 00:20:26,424 I'm intrigued by this whole mystery, by the security, 420 00:20:26,426 --> 00:20:29,160 by all this low-key -- playing it low-key, 421 00:20:29,162 --> 00:20:30,828 but then when you really look closer, 422 00:20:30,830 --> 00:20:32,096 it really becomes a big, 423 00:20:32,098 --> 00:20:34,431 big facility behind it. -Right. 424 00:20:34,433 --> 00:20:35,767 It's the tip of the iceberg, isn't it? 425 00:20:35,769 --> 00:20:37,768 The tip of the iceberg -- that's exactly right. 426 00:20:37,770 --> 00:20:39,503 What we're seeing here is not even really 427 00:20:39,505 --> 00:20:41,172 the tip of the iceberg. 428 00:20:41,174 --> 00:20:43,307 I have flown over this area, 429 00:20:43,309 --> 00:20:45,576 I have driven a very long road with you, 430 00:20:45,578 --> 00:20:47,312 I'm standing at the border, 431 00:20:47,314 --> 00:20:49,313 but I still can't see anything. 432 00:20:49,315 --> 00:20:51,916 I mean, it's still like a myth, a fantasy in my mind. 433 00:20:51,918 --> 00:20:53,784 Is there something I can actually see 434 00:20:53,786 --> 00:20:55,587 with my own eyes that proves 435 00:20:55,589 --> 00:20:57,121 Area 51 is there? 436 00:20:57,123 --> 00:20:59,057 If you're up for a little hike, I want to show you something. 437 00:20:59,059 --> 00:20:59,991 Definitely. Lead on. 438 00:20:59,993 --> 00:21:03,661 Let's do this. 439 00:21:03,663 --> 00:21:05,329 For a good look at this guard shack, 440 00:21:05,331 --> 00:21:07,331 Joerg leads me off the road, into what's called 441 00:21:07,333 --> 00:21:09,868 the buffer zone -- a large swath 442 00:21:09,870 --> 00:21:12,203 of government-owned desert land 443 00:21:12,205 --> 00:21:13,805 surrounding the base. 444 00:21:13,807 --> 00:21:16,874 This land surrounding the buffer zone is public, 445 00:21:16,876 --> 00:21:18,742 so it's free for people like us. 446 00:21:18,744 --> 00:21:20,411 But we are not alone. 447 00:21:20,413 --> 00:21:23,214 Area 51 security patrols the perimeter 448 00:21:23,216 --> 00:21:26,150 24 hours a day, and there are sensors 449 00:21:26,152 --> 00:21:27,819 hidden next to these dirt roads 450 00:21:27,821 --> 00:21:31,422 so they can get fair warning for any people who are approaching. 451 00:21:31,424 --> 00:21:33,958 If you are bold enough to cross that perimeter, 452 00:21:33,960 --> 00:21:35,693 you can expect a quick arrest 453 00:21:35,695 --> 00:21:37,829 and a date with the county sheriff. 454 00:21:37,831 --> 00:21:41,833 And it should be noted, the guards are authorized, 455 00:21:41,835 --> 00:21:44,235 if they see the action warranted, 456 00:21:44,237 --> 00:21:46,571 to take much more drastic measures. 457 00:21:55,648 --> 00:21:57,115 Oh, wow, there you go. 458 00:21:57,117 --> 00:21:58,583 There it is. 459 00:21:58,585 --> 00:22:00,251 -That's the building. -That's the building. 460 00:22:00,253 --> 00:22:02,453 That's the guard shack of Area 51. 461 00:22:02,455 --> 00:22:03,521 WILDMAN: No kidding. 462 00:22:03,523 --> 00:22:04,655 So, beyond that 463 00:22:04,657 --> 00:22:06,457 is where it all gets much more mysterious. 464 00:22:06,459 --> 00:22:07,658 Absolutely. 465 00:22:07,660 --> 00:22:10,728 Beyond that is where no one can see. 466 00:22:10,730 --> 00:22:12,063 Wow, that is incredible -- 467 00:22:12,065 --> 00:22:15,466 a vast area of the great unknown. 468 00:22:15,468 --> 00:22:16,934 Well, we're being watched. 469 00:22:16,936 --> 00:22:18,802 I mean, that's the same guy on that hilltop. 470 00:22:18,804 --> 00:22:20,738 All the same means are watching us up here. 471 00:22:20,740 --> 00:22:22,473 This is even more dangerous to them, right? 472 00:22:22,475 --> 00:22:24,008 Yes. 473 00:22:24,010 --> 00:22:25,944 We're way out of the -- way off the beaten path here. 474 00:22:28,615 --> 00:22:32,150 I know it's just one building, but what you're looking at 475 00:22:32,152 --> 00:22:35,019 is the beginning of one of the largest 476 00:22:35,021 --> 00:22:38,289 and most secretive military complexes in the world. 477 00:22:42,495 --> 00:22:46,631 Only a select few have been granted access inside Area 51 478 00:22:46,633 --> 00:22:47,999 and had the privilege of witnessing 479 00:22:48,001 --> 00:22:50,368 what's happening within the confines 480 00:22:50,370 --> 00:22:53,705 of the most secretive military complex in the country. 481 00:22:53,707 --> 00:22:58,208 Area 51 may indeed be a vital outpost for the U.S. military, 482 00:22:58,210 --> 00:23:00,711 but it has been inextricably linked to something 483 00:23:00,713 --> 00:23:05,016 even more extraordinary and mysterious -- UFO sightings. 484 00:23:07,387 --> 00:23:10,254 Soon after Area 51 was established, 485 00:23:10,256 --> 00:23:13,324 fear and pandemonium began to mount as locals 486 00:23:13,326 --> 00:23:17,862 started reporting strange sightings on a daily basis. 487 00:23:17,864 --> 00:23:20,264 In response, the Air Force started a program 488 00:23:20,266 --> 00:23:22,466 called Project Blue Book. 489 00:23:22,468 --> 00:23:24,802 It was the first official government program 490 00:23:24,804 --> 00:23:28,872 that formally logged every UFO sighting that was reported. 491 00:23:28,874 --> 00:23:31,142 It went on for nearly 10 years 492 00:23:31,144 --> 00:23:34,745 and recorded over 12,000 sightings. 493 00:23:34,747 --> 00:23:38,282 Project Blue Book ended in 1969. 494 00:23:38,284 --> 00:23:42,086 Soon, theories and conspiracies surrounding extraterrestrials 495 00:23:42,088 --> 00:23:46,024 got people asking what's really happening at Area 51. 496 00:23:46,026 --> 00:23:48,760 Could this secret base be the centerpiece 497 00:23:48,762 --> 00:23:51,495 of all things extraterrestrial in America? 498 00:23:51,497 --> 00:23:54,298 And is there a way to prove once and for all 499 00:23:54,300 --> 00:23:59,036 that alien life is the secret inside Area 51? 500 00:23:59,038 --> 00:24:01,505 Can new evidence from the Roswell crash 501 00:24:01,507 --> 00:24:04,175 prove the existence of extraterrestrial life? 502 00:24:04,177 --> 00:24:07,111 We had this site flagged. 503 00:24:07,113 --> 00:24:10,715 And a new report reveals a top-secret UFO program 504 00:24:10,717 --> 00:24:12,417 run by the U.S. government. 505 00:24:24,531 --> 00:24:26,931 WILDMAN: I'm on a mission to discover the true story 506 00:24:26,933 --> 00:24:30,067 behind America's most top-secret location -- 507 00:24:30,069 --> 00:24:31,402 Area 51. 508 00:24:31,404 --> 00:24:34,004 Since it was established in 1955, 509 00:24:34,006 --> 00:24:36,140 this mysterious base has been the subject 510 00:24:36,142 --> 00:24:38,675 of intense scrutiny and debate. 511 00:24:38,677 --> 00:24:41,012 Is it just a military outpost 512 00:24:41,014 --> 00:24:44,949 or is it a laboratory for extraterrestrial studies? 513 00:24:44,951 --> 00:24:47,618 The biggest rumor links Area 51 514 00:24:47,620 --> 00:24:51,222 with the remains of the 1947 Roswell crash. 515 00:24:51,224 --> 00:24:54,158 But it's what people are seeing in the skies around here 516 00:24:54,160 --> 00:24:58,763 that has fueled even more speculation of UFO testing. 517 00:24:58,765 --> 00:25:00,364 I'm meeting up with some locals 518 00:25:00,366 --> 00:25:03,701 who have reported seeing strange things in these very skies. 519 00:25:03,703 --> 00:25:06,104 So, Kelly, so you had a sighting yourself, yeah? 520 00:25:06,106 --> 00:25:07,505 Where did that happen? 521 00:25:07,507 --> 00:25:09,707 Well, I was living in Henderson at the time, 522 00:25:09,709 --> 00:25:11,642 and I was living in a part of the town 523 00:25:11,644 --> 00:25:13,377 that's very high up on a hill. -Okay. 524 00:25:13,379 --> 00:25:15,112 Henderson is right next to Las Vegas. 525 00:25:15,114 --> 00:25:16,914 It is. 526 00:25:16,916 --> 00:25:20,384 I was up in my office upstairs, 527 00:25:20,386 --> 00:25:22,453 and I looked out the restroom window, 528 00:25:22,455 --> 00:25:25,322 and I saw what I thought looked like either a bird 529 00:25:25,324 --> 00:25:30,327 or a dove or two pieces of stick joined together. 530 00:25:30,329 --> 00:25:31,796 It was white. 531 00:25:31,798 --> 00:25:35,066 And around it was a white light 532 00:25:35,068 --> 00:25:36,734 that was emanating like an orb. 533 00:25:36,736 --> 00:25:38,269 Wow. 534 00:25:38,271 --> 00:25:41,739 Didn't give it much thought until the next day -- 535 00:25:41,741 --> 00:25:43,941 same scenario repeats itself. 536 00:25:43,943 --> 00:25:45,276 There it is again. 537 00:25:45,278 --> 00:25:48,613 This is a little terrifying, I would imagine. 538 00:25:48,615 --> 00:25:50,348 If it had been an image that was frightening, 539 00:25:50,350 --> 00:25:51,616 I would have been very frightened, 540 00:25:51,618 --> 00:25:53,283 but when I saw the image, 541 00:25:53,285 --> 00:25:55,619 I thought of it as rather very spiritual, actually. 542 00:25:55,621 --> 00:25:57,354 Oh, okay. Wow. 543 00:25:57,356 --> 00:25:59,289 And never again anything like that? 544 00:25:59,291 --> 00:26:00,691 While Kelly's sighting happened 545 00:26:00,693 --> 00:26:03,427 about 70 miles away in Henderson, 546 00:26:03,429 --> 00:26:06,631 David had an experience much closer to Area 51. 547 00:26:06,633 --> 00:26:08,499 So, David, your encounter... 548 00:26:08,501 --> 00:26:11,235 I was driving home with a friend of mine. 549 00:26:11,237 --> 00:26:16,040 This ball of light like an orb of light 550 00:26:16,042 --> 00:26:18,309 rose up through the pine trees. -Really? 551 00:26:18,311 --> 00:26:21,579 Yeah, it stopped at the top of the tree line, hesitated, 552 00:26:21,581 --> 00:26:23,647 and it just flicked across the sky. 553 00:26:23,649 --> 00:26:24,916 Really? 554 00:26:24,918 --> 00:26:26,450 Couldn't have been something man-made? 555 00:26:26,452 --> 00:26:27,985 Let me play devil's advocate. -No, absolutely not. 556 00:26:27,987 --> 00:26:30,588 Let's say some sort of early form of drone 557 00:26:30,590 --> 00:26:32,323 somebody was playing with in their backyard, 558 00:26:32,325 --> 00:26:34,525 and it had a beam of light out of it or something. 559 00:26:34,527 --> 00:26:36,794 No, because what was interesting about it 560 00:26:36,796 --> 00:26:39,530 was that it seemed to have absolutely -- 561 00:26:39,532 --> 00:26:41,198 gravity had no effect on it. 562 00:26:41,200 --> 00:26:43,000 It just glided up... -Okay. 563 00:26:43,002 --> 00:26:44,468 ...and just kind of hovered, 564 00:26:44,470 --> 00:26:47,138 and there was no noise -- no sound -- just took off. 565 00:26:47,140 --> 00:26:49,607 You guys are substantial people. 566 00:26:49,609 --> 00:26:51,208 I trust you. 567 00:26:51,210 --> 00:26:54,278 It's real when you talk to people who have seen it. 568 00:26:54,280 --> 00:26:57,148 I am a believer in this whole phenomenon 569 00:26:57,150 --> 00:26:59,283 because I know people who've reported this, 570 00:26:59,285 --> 00:27:02,420 and now I know you, and being at this place, 571 00:27:02,422 --> 00:27:05,823 which is almost like the cathedral of UFO sightings, 572 00:27:05,825 --> 00:27:07,491 gives me quite a feeling. 573 00:27:10,563 --> 00:27:12,096 Let's be honest. 574 00:27:12,098 --> 00:27:14,565 Most people who claim to have witnessed strange sightings 575 00:27:14,567 --> 00:27:17,634 and UFOs are often dismissed as mistaken, 576 00:27:17,636 --> 00:27:20,304 misguided, or just plain nuts. 577 00:27:20,306 --> 00:27:24,308 But what if they were right all along? 578 00:27:24,310 --> 00:27:27,979 A recent bombshell report in America's leading newspaper 579 00:27:27,981 --> 00:27:30,715 blew the lid off of a secret government program 580 00:27:30,717 --> 00:27:36,053 dedicated to UFOs and unexplained phenomena. 581 00:27:36,055 --> 00:27:40,057 What does this report tell us about extraterrestrial life? 582 00:27:40,059 --> 00:27:42,460 And does it hold the key to unlocking the mystery 583 00:27:42,462 --> 00:27:44,162 of Area 51? 584 00:27:56,476 --> 00:27:58,275 WILDMAN: I'm investigating the mystery 585 00:27:58,277 --> 00:28:01,011 surrounding America's top-secret military base -- 586 00:28:01,013 --> 00:28:03,614 Area 51. 587 00:28:03,616 --> 00:28:06,217 As early as the 1950s, there were rumors 588 00:28:06,219 --> 00:28:08,485 that the wreckage from the Roswell crash 589 00:28:08,487 --> 00:28:11,022 had been taken there for further study. 590 00:28:11,024 --> 00:28:14,558 Then, in the 1980s, an engineer named Bob Lazar 591 00:28:14,560 --> 00:28:18,762 claimed to have seen actual UFOs at Area 51. 592 00:28:18,764 --> 00:28:23,700 I witnessed a recovered alien spacecraft. 593 00:28:23,702 --> 00:28:26,570 WILDMAN: The U.S. government has always denied those claims 594 00:28:26,572 --> 00:28:28,572 and maintained that they were not in the business 595 00:28:28,574 --> 00:28:31,909 of investigating extraterrestrial life. 596 00:28:31,911 --> 00:28:35,112 But then, in a groundbreaking 2017 report in 597 00:28:35,114 --> 00:28:36,580 "The New York Times," 598 00:28:36,582 --> 00:28:38,315 a government-official- turned-whistleblower 599 00:28:38,317 --> 00:28:43,453 named Luis Elizondo revealed the existence of a federal program 600 00:28:43,455 --> 00:28:46,123 dedicated to the study of UFO sightings. 601 00:28:50,463 --> 00:28:54,065 It turns out that for a long time, the government -- 602 00:28:54,067 --> 00:28:56,467 the U.S. government, the military, the Pentagon -- 603 00:28:56,469 --> 00:28:59,136 has been operating a secret program 604 00:28:59,138 --> 00:29:01,339 costing tens of millions of dollars 605 00:29:01,341 --> 00:29:05,676 called the Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program. 606 00:29:05,678 --> 00:29:09,280 According to Elizondo, the program began in 2007 607 00:29:09,282 --> 00:29:11,882 at the request of U.S. Senator Harry Reid 608 00:29:11,884 --> 00:29:14,951 and was based inside the Pentagon. 609 00:29:14,953 --> 00:29:16,821 Its goal was to analyze sightings 610 00:29:16,823 --> 00:29:18,689 of unexplained phenomena, 611 00:29:18,691 --> 00:29:22,293 particularly those of the U.S. military. 612 00:29:22,295 --> 00:29:24,361 Elizondo was put in charge of the program, 613 00:29:24,363 --> 00:29:29,900 which, over the next 5 years, received $22 million in funding. 614 00:29:29,902 --> 00:29:32,570 And right away, the program bore fruit. 615 00:29:34,640 --> 00:29:36,240 Just a few years earlier, 616 00:29:36,242 --> 00:29:39,509 the U.S. Navy took some of the most incredible video 617 00:29:39,511 --> 00:29:42,246 of what appears to be actual UFOs. 618 00:29:42,248 --> 00:29:44,582 Now there was a team of experts in place 619 00:29:44,584 --> 00:29:47,851 who could analyze the footage. 620 00:29:47,853 --> 00:29:50,053 This is an incredible story. 621 00:29:50,055 --> 00:29:55,259 So, in 2004, two Navy pilots -- Commander David Fravor 622 00:29:55,261 --> 00:29:57,527 and Lieutenant Commander James Slaight -- 623 00:29:57,529 --> 00:30:00,664 are flying their F/A-18F Super Hornets 624 00:30:00,666 --> 00:30:02,866 off the Pacific coast over the ocean 625 00:30:02,868 --> 00:30:05,336 when suddenly they notice that just below them, 626 00:30:05,338 --> 00:30:10,207 the ocean seems very churned up in one particular spot. 627 00:30:10,209 --> 00:30:12,543 And they take a closer look circling around, 628 00:30:12,545 --> 00:30:15,413 and finally, they see this shape. 629 00:30:15,415 --> 00:30:18,015 These guys can't really conceive of what it is. 630 00:30:18,017 --> 00:30:19,817 And they take some video -- okay, 631 00:30:19,819 --> 00:30:21,085 that's the incredible thing. 632 00:30:21,087 --> 00:30:22,753 And here it is. 633 00:30:32,031 --> 00:30:33,163 That's the space. 634 00:30:33,165 --> 00:30:34,699 They're shooting video from above it. 635 00:30:36,836 --> 00:30:39,036 And they can't tell what it is. 636 00:30:39,038 --> 00:30:43,440 What these pilots describe this as is a kind of big Tic Tac 637 00:30:43,442 --> 00:30:47,745 about 40 feet long hovering there over the water. 638 00:30:49,982 --> 00:30:51,382 It's just right there -- 639 00:30:51,384 --> 00:30:53,718 something they had never seen before -- a UFO. 640 00:30:53,720 --> 00:30:55,585 And then, suddenly, it starts to move. 641 00:30:55,587 --> 00:30:56,620 Look at how it moves. 642 00:30:57,990 --> 00:31:00,257 It's rotating! 643 00:31:00,259 --> 00:31:02,659 What they notice is that the movement is caused 644 00:31:02,661 --> 00:31:04,862 by nothing they can see. 645 00:31:04,864 --> 00:31:07,131 Nothing seems to be in control of this vehicle 646 00:31:07,133 --> 00:31:09,200 except some inner force. 647 00:31:09,202 --> 00:31:11,202 Very mysterious -- it takes off. 648 00:31:17,009 --> 00:31:19,410 I mean, that's incredible. 649 00:31:19,412 --> 00:31:20,945 Can you imagine? 650 00:31:20,947 --> 00:31:22,947 Afterwards, what Fravor says is, 651 00:31:22,949 --> 00:31:26,484 "I don't know what it is, but I sure want to fly one." 652 00:31:30,756 --> 00:31:34,225 And these videos were just the tip of the iceberg. 653 00:31:34,227 --> 00:31:37,695 According to the "Times" report, the program produced documents 654 00:31:37,697 --> 00:31:40,764 that "describe sightings of aircraft 655 00:31:40,766 --> 00:31:42,900 that seemed to move at very high velocities 656 00:31:42,902 --> 00:31:45,369 with no visible signs of propulsion, 657 00:31:45,371 --> 00:31:48,772 or that hovered with no apparent means of lift." 658 00:31:48,774 --> 00:31:51,041 For the first time, a government program 659 00:31:51,043 --> 00:31:53,977 was acknowledging that such unexplained sightings 660 00:31:53,979 --> 00:31:57,181 were real and worthy of deeper consideration. 661 00:31:57,183 --> 00:32:00,651 With that, everything would need to be re-evaluated, 662 00:32:00,653 --> 00:32:03,386 from the Roswell crash to the conspiracy theories 663 00:32:03,388 --> 00:32:05,055 about Area 51. 664 00:32:07,193 --> 00:32:10,060 The dizzying claims in this bombshell report 665 00:32:10,062 --> 00:32:13,530 have sent everything we thought we knew into disarray. 666 00:32:13,532 --> 00:32:17,201 Now experts and theorists are back to square one. 667 00:32:17,203 --> 00:32:18,735 Who should we believe? 668 00:32:18,737 --> 00:32:20,737 Did these reports clear anything up 669 00:32:20,739 --> 00:32:24,275 or did they just muddy the water even more? 670 00:32:24,277 --> 00:32:25,742 According to the U.S. government, 671 00:32:25,744 --> 00:32:30,280 this UFO program was shut down in March 2012, 672 00:32:30,282 --> 00:32:33,083 but Elizondo claims it hasn't stopped. 673 00:32:33,085 --> 00:32:37,822 In fact, he says that research is still going on today. 674 00:32:37,824 --> 00:32:40,424 And while this program is not officially headquartered 675 00:32:40,426 --> 00:32:44,094 at Area 51, much of its work has been conducted nearby, 676 00:32:44,096 --> 00:32:45,762 just outside Las Vegas. 677 00:32:45,764 --> 00:32:48,632 And that probably isn't a coincidence. 678 00:32:48,634 --> 00:32:51,768 Bigelow Aerospace, the program's primary contractor, 679 00:32:51,770 --> 00:32:55,639 built storage facilities just a few miles from Area 51 680 00:32:55,641 --> 00:32:57,708 to house and study metal alloys 681 00:32:57,710 --> 00:33:01,245 from unidentified aerial phenomena. 682 00:33:01,247 --> 00:33:03,580 Could that include the wreckage from Roswell 683 00:33:03,582 --> 00:33:07,117 or from other sightings that we don't yet know about? 684 00:33:07,119 --> 00:33:09,587 Does this new revelation bring us any closer 685 00:33:09,589 --> 00:33:12,790 to unlocking the truth about Area 51? 686 00:33:25,404 --> 00:33:27,204 WILDMAN: In just the past few years, 687 00:33:27,206 --> 00:33:28,739 the U.S. government confirmed 688 00:33:28,741 --> 00:33:33,610 that it has conducted out of the Pentagon a covert study of UFOs. 689 00:33:33,612 --> 00:33:36,814 While it claims to have shut down the operation in 2012, 690 00:33:36,816 --> 00:33:41,085 people inside the program insist it continues to this day. 691 00:33:41,087 --> 00:33:43,753 In either case, most of its research has been done 692 00:33:43,755 --> 00:33:45,889 just a few miles from Area 51 693 00:33:45,891 --> 00:33:47,891 and is centered around metal alloys 694 00:33:47,893 --> 00:33:50,761 found from crash sites like the one in Roswell. 695 00:33:50,763 --> 00:33:55,299 The new revelations have only energized the hunt for answers. 696 00:33:55,301 --> 00:33:59,102 Since 1947, the crash here, north of Roswell, 697 00:33:59,104 --> 00:34:00,704 has been proof to many that our planet 698 00:34:00,706 --> 00:34:03,440 has had extraterrestrial contact. 699 00:34:03,442 --> 00:34:06,510 And whether that aircraft came from outer space 700 00:34:06,512 --> 00:34:08,646 or was a product of the military, 701 00:34:08,648 --> 00:34:12,516 it's believed that its remains are still housed at Area 51, 702 00:34:12,518 --> 00:34:15,251 never to be seen by the public again. 703 00:34:15,253 --> 00:34:18,188 But new evidence from the crash site itself 704 00:34:18,190 --> 00:34:20,991 is presenting exciting new possibilities 705 00:34:20,993 --> 00:34:22,859 about what may have really happened. 706 00:34:25,598 --> 00:34:28,198 With the U.S. government's seeming admission that it 707 00:34:28,200 --> 00:34:31,735 has been conducting studies of metal scraps from UFOs, 708 00:34:31,737 --> 00:34:34,405 expert Don Schmidt believes the Roswell story 709 00:34:34,407 --> 00:34:36,407 is only just beginning. 710 00:34:36,409 --> 00:34:39,809 So, it's under a cone of silence at Area 51. 711 00:34:39,811 --> 00:34:41,745 What else do you do with this story? 712 00:34:41,747 --> 00:34:45,149 Well, we continue to look for physical remnants. 713 00:34:45,151 --> 00:34:49,587 And wherever it presently is housed is someone, 714 00:34:49,589 --> 00:34:52,222 is somebody, is some organization, 715 00:34:52,224 --> 00:34:53,958 is some facility that is sitting 716 00:34:53,960 --> 00:34:56,960 on the biggest story of the millennium. 717 00:34:56,962 --> 00:34:59,496 Do you think still some evidence can be found out here? 718 00:34:59,498 --> 00:35:01,098 Absolutely. 719 00:35:01,100 --> 00:35:04,301 In fact, we've had, to date, six archaeological projects. 720 00:35:04,303 --> 00:35:06,503 We're planning on the next one. -Oh, okay. 721 00:35:06,505 --> 00:35:09,439 Because we're using more and more sophisticated equipment -- 722 00:35:09,441 --> 00:35:11,908 ground-penetrating radar, for example. 723 00:35:11,910 --> 00:35:13,243 Sure. 724 00:35:13,245 --> 00:35:14,644 So, this mound we're standing on here -- 725 00:35:14,646 --> 00:35:15,912 this is the main impact zone. 726 00:35:15,914 --> 00:35:18,648 -We had this site flagged. -Okay. 727 00:35:18,650 --> 00:35:21,851 So, what have you found in all of this archaeology? 728 00:35:21,853 --> 00:35:25,255 There have been some fragments that have been found 729 00:35:25,257 --> 00:35:31,261 that consist of some unusual combination of elements. 730 00:35:31,263 --> 00:35:34,331 One specifically was mostly aluminum, 731 00:35:34,333 --> 00:35:38,401 but it also contained 3% molybdenum. 732 00:35:38,403 --> 00:35:39,736 What's that? 733 00:35:39,738 --> 00:35:41,337 And that's a hardening agent for steel. 734 00:35:41,339 --> 00:35:44,875 There is not a registered alloy 735 00:35:44,877 --> 00:35:48,945 that we have been able to find throughout the entire Earth 736 00:35:48,947 --> 00:35:51,148 that that combination exists. 737 00:35:51,150 --> 00:35:52,883 Wow. So, these fragments -- 738 00:35:52,885 --> 00:35:56,153 if these aren't of the Earth, then what are you saying? 739 00:35:56,155 --> 00:35:57,421 Where do they come from? 740 00:35:57,423 --> 00:36:01,425 We have to consider above all else 741 00:36:01,427 --> 00:36:05,228 that this still remains a site of significant importance. 742 00:36:05,230 --> 00:36:06,296 Mm-hmm. 743 00:36:06,298 --> 00:36:08,032 It then just continues to open up 744 00:36:08,034 --> 00:36:10,166 the expanse of the possibilities 745 00:36:10,168 --> 00:36:13,503 and certainly the biggest possibility that we are indeed 746 00:36:13,505 --> 00:36:16,439 dealing with something manufactured off the planet. 747 00:36:16,441 --> 00:36:18,375 -In outer space. -Yes. 748 00:36:22,514 --> 00:36:24,248 While much of what Don is telling me 749 00:36:24,250 --> 00:36:26,517 has yet to be corroborated or proven, 750 00:36:26,519 --> 00:36:30,054 it's clear that Roswell and Area 51 will be forever linked 751 00:36:30,056 --> 00:36:32,322 and that only a select few know the truth 752 00:36:32,324 --> 00:36:36,192 about what actually happened back in 1947. 753 00:36:36,194 --> 00:36:37,927 While I've been focusing on theories 754 00:36:37,929 --> 00:36:41,598 involving extraterrestrial life and otherworldly encounters, 755 00:36:41,600 --> 00:36:44,068 there is also a much more mundane explanation 756 00:36:44,070 --> 00:36:45,803 that I need to explore. 757 00:36:45,805 --> 00:36:49,206 What if the real answer of what's been going on at Area 51 758 00:36:49,208 --> 00:36:52,509 has nothing to do with alien life or spacecraft? 759 00:36:52,511 --> 00:36:54,878 What if the unidentified flying objects 760 00:36:54,880 --> 00:36:57,581 are actually very much from this Earth? 761 00:37:12,297 --> 00:37:15,031 WILDMAN: I'm on a quest to discover what secrets 762 00:37:15,033 --> 00:37:18,035 are really being kept at Area 51. 763 00:37:18,037 --> 00:37:20,971 The rumors of covert experiments with alien aircraft 764 00:37:20,973 --> 00:37:23,707 and continued reports of unexplained sightings 765 00:37:23,709 --> 00:37:25,842 seem only to fuel UFO believers, 766 00:37:25,844 --> 00:37:29,313 but while "The New York Times" did reveal the existence 767 00:37:29,315 --> 00:37:32,449 of a government program studying UFOs, 768 00:37:32,451 --> 00:37:36,052 no one has produced proof of extraterrestrial life. 769 00:37:36,054 --> 00:37:38,722 So, what if there's a more earthly explanation 770 00:37:38,724 --> 00:37:41,058 for what's really been going on around here? 771 00:37:41,060 --> 00:37:44,260 It's clear the military is hiding something out there, 772 00:37:44,262 --> 00:37:47,130 but what if the government had different plans for Area 51, 773 00:37:47,132 --> 00:37:51,401 after all, that had nothing to do with alien life? 774 00:37:56,675 --> 00:38:00,410 I'm in Palmdale, California, to visit the Blackbird Airpark, 775 00:38:00,412 --> 00:38:04,214 an annex to nearby Edwards Air Force Base. 776 00:38:04,216 --> 00:38:07,150 Supposedly, the key to unlocking what's really been going on 777 00:38:07,152 --> 00:38:11,087 at Area 51 can be found right here. 778 00:38:11,089 --> 00:38:12,622 Hey, Peter. How you doing? 779 00:38:12,624 --> 00:38:15,358 Hey, Don. Nice to meet you. 780 00:38:15,360 --> 00:38:17,294 Aerospace historian Peter Merlin 781 00:38:17,296 --> 00:38:20,897 has spent decades researching Area 51. 782 00:38:20,899 --> 00:38:22,999 According to Peter, Area 51 is 783 00:38:23,001 --> 00:38:26,369 and always has been focused on top-secret aircraft 784 00:38:26,371 --> 00:38:29,172 that the U.S. government didn't want anyone to know about. 785 00:38:29,174 --> 00:38:30,573 Often strange-looking 786 00:38:30,575 --> 00:38:33,243 and able to reach speeds previously unseen, 787 00:38:33,245 --> 00:38:35,579 it's these aircraft that Peter believes people 788 00:38:35,581 --> 00:38:38,982 have been mistaking for UFOs for decades. 789 00:38:38,984 --> 00:38:43,854 And it all started with a U-2 spy plane. 790 00:38:43,856 --> 00:38:44,988 MERLIN: Without this airplane, 791 00:38:44,990 --> 00:38:46,456 there probably wouldn't be an Area 51. 792 00:38:46,458 --> 00:38:49,126 -And why is that? -It was a top-secret project. 793 00:38:49,128 --> 00:38:50,727 The CIA was running it. 794 00:38:50,729 --> 00:38:52,262 They needed a remote area, 795 00:38:52,264 --> 00:38:54,464 someplace out of way of prying eyes -- 796 00:38:54,466 --> 00:38:56,266 middle of nowhere. 797 00:38:56,268 --> 00:38:59,336 Back in the 1950s, the U-2 was used to collect data 798 00:38:59,338 --> 00:39:01,605 on the Soviet Union during the Cold War 799 00:39:01,607 --> 00:39:03,607 and was a spectacular success. 800 00:39:03,609 --> 00:39:06,944 With a flying altitude of over 60,000 feet, 801 00:39:06,946 --> 00:39:10,079 the world had never seen anything like it. 802 00:39:10,081 --> 00:39:12,282 According to Peter, with its sleek design 803 00:39:12,284 --> 00:39:13,884 and ability to fly so high, 804 00:39:13,886 --> 00:39:17,553 the U-2 could easily have been mistaken for a UFO. 805 00:39:17,555 --> 00:39:20,624 And the U-2 was only the beginning. 806 00:39:20,626 --> 00:39:24,428 In May 1960, CIA pilot Francis Gary Powers 807 00:39:24,430 --> 00:39:27,030 was shot down over Russia and captured. 808 00:39:27,032 --> 00:39:28,431 And when he was put on trial, 809 00:39:28,433 --> 00:39:31,568 that totally exposed the covert espionage operation 810 00:39:31,570 --> 00:39:33,837 and led to cancelation of further manned overflights 811 00:39:33,839 --> 00:39:35,105 with the U-2. 812 00:39:35,107 --> 00:39:37,173 So, they need something bigger and faster. 813 00:39:37,175 --> 00:39:40,310 They needed something that could fly much faster and higher 814 00:39:40,312 --> 00:39:42,379 and be less detectable to radar, 815 00:39:42,381 --> 00:39:43,780 and that was the A-12. 816 00:39:43,782 --> 00:39:45,482 Right over there. 817 00:39:47,585 --> 00:39:49,052 Wow, look at that. 818 00:39:49,054 --> 00:39:51,321 And that's the A-12? 819 00:39:51,323 --> 00:39:54,391 It's the A-12. 820 00:39:54,393 --> 00:39:56,926 And it was absolutely revolutionary for its time. 821 00:39:56,928 --> 00:39:58,729 Okay. 822 00:39:58,731 --> 00:40:01,197 WILDMAN: The A-12 broke with every convention. 823 00:40:01,199 --> 00:40:04,934 Clad in titanium, it could fly faster than Mach 3.0 824 00:40:04,936 --> 00:40:06,936 and as high as 90,000 feet. 825 00:40:06,938 --> 00:40:10,206 Back in the 1960s, there was nothing else like it on Earth, 826 00:40:10,208 --> 00:40:13,944 and it was regularly tested in the night skies over Area 51. 827 00:40:17,216 --> 00:40:20,750 I got to tell ya -- I mean, especially back in 1960, 828 00:40:20,752 --> 00:40:23,486 I would feel like I'm looking at a spacecraft. 829 00:40:23,488 --> 00:40:25,555 And some people thought exactly that. 830 00:40:25,557 --> 00:40:27,824 There was an electrician at Area 51 831 00:40:27,826 --> 00:40:30,961 who saw one of these A-12s on the ground in the 1960s 832 00:40:30,963 --> 00:40:32,696 and thought it was a flying saucer. 833 00:40:32,698 --> 00:40:34,364 Right. 834 00:40:34,366 --> 00:40:36,699 Today, we're familiar with military planes like these, 835 00:40:36,701 --> 00:40:39,769 but back then, no one had seen anything like them. 836 00:40:39,771 --> 00:40:42,105 It's got me thinking about all the sightings 837 00:40:42,107 --> 00:40:44,374 that were being recorded by the Air Force. 838 00:40:44,376 --> 00:40:46,910 Many of those UFOs -- those supposed sightings -- 839 00:40:46,912 --> 00:40:50,480 could have been aircraft flying out of Area 51. 840 00:40:50,482 --> 00:40:52,115 We'll never know how many for sure, 841 00:40:52,117 --> 00:40:53,783 but it's entirely possible. 842 00:40:58,256 --> 00:40:59,990 Peter makes a compelling case 843 00:40:59,992 --> 00:41:02,326 that the testing of military equipment 844 00:41:02,328 --> 00:41:06,896 could explain away all of the sightings in and around Area 51. 845 00:41:06,898 --> 00:41:08,731 But not everyone buys it. 846 00:41:08,733 --> 00:41:11,601 After all, the U.S. government wouldn't even acknowledge 847 00:41:11,603 --> 00:41:15,038 that Area 51 existed, so there's a good chance 848 00:41:15,040 --> 00:41:18,141 that there's something else they're not telling us now. 849 00:41:18,143 --> 00:41:21,677 And so, the debate continues. 850 00:41:21,679 --> 00:41:23,279 For over 60 years, 851 00:41:23,281 --> 00:41:25,815 our government has spent billions of dollars 852 00:41:25,817 --> 00:41:29,486 on top-secret military research here at Area 51. 853 00:41:29,488 --> 00:41:31,821 For some, the mystique of this place makes perfect sense. 854 00:41:31,823 --> 00:41:34,825 It helps keep America safe from its adversaries, 855 00:41:34,827 --> 00:41:38,495 from the U-2 program to whatever cutting-edge advancements 856 00:41:38,497 --> 00:41:41,697 are being developed behind those gates today. 857 00:41:41,699 --> 00:41:44,634 But for others, this kind of top-secret, 858 00:41:44,636 --> 00:41:46,703 classified approach is a disservice. 859 00:41:46,705 --> 00:41:49,506 The American public has an inalienable right to know 860 00:41:49,508 --> 00:41:52,075 what their government and military are doing. 861 00:41:52,077 --> 00:41:53,510 Somewhere between these two camps, 862 00:41:53,512 --> 00:41:54,778 in this divide, 863 00:41:54,780 --> 00:41:57,114 are big questions that remain unanswered, 864 00:41:57,116 --> 00:42:01,984 and new revelations create even more questions. 865 00:42:01,986 --> 00:42:04,254 Do we believe our government when they tell us 866 00:42:04,256 --> 00:42:08,291 that Area 51 is home to black ops and nothing more? 867 00:42:08,293 --> 00:42:11,994 Or is it possible that this super-secret base 868 00:42:11,996 --> 00:42:14,597 is the headquarters for extraterrestrial research 869 00:42:14,599 --> 00:42:16,399 in America? 870 00:42:16,401 --> 00:42:18,135 After all this time, 871 00:42:18,137 --> 00:42:22,472 Area 51 still keeps its secrets close to the vest, 872 00:42:22,474 --> 00:42:25,741 and our curiosity only grows.