Mooney Pilot Overflies Area 51, Checking ‘Frequencies’

According to a report from the Daily Caller, a 70-year-old California man flew his Mooney aircraft over Area 51 and is currently awaiting a call from the Department of Defense.

In a series of voicemails, the pilot told the Daily Caller he successfully flew over the Nevada Test and Training Range (NTTR) within Nellis Air Force Base, commonly referred to as Area 51, and is now anticipating repercussions from authorities. The man also stated he believes his pilot certificate will be suspended.

According to the pilot, he made the flight in order to test “frequencies” in the restricted airspace. He also mentioned he did not see any signs of UFOs or alien life forms. Military aircraft did not intercept the aircraft but upon landing at Buchanan Field in Concord, California, ATC requested the pilot call Nellis Air Force Base due to “possible pilot deviation.”

In a statement to the Daily Caller, a spokesperson for Nellis Air Force Base said, “There are several agencies that have jurisdiction over various parts of the Nevada Test and Training Range. The U.S. Air Force controls the airspace over the range and roughly 2.9 million acres of land withdrawn for military use. Various organizations including the Department of Energy, Department of the Interior and private towns such as Rachel also manage portions of the land. As a matter of practice, we do not discuss specific security measures. The Nevada Test and Training Range provides flexible, realistic and multidimensional battlespace to test and develop tactics as well as conduct advanced training in support of U.S. national interests; any attempt to illegally access the area is highly discouraged.”