Mystery, Conspiracy Surrounds Fiery Crash

In the wee hours of May 14, 2008, a noctilucent object shot like turquoise fire through the sky south of Las Vegas and crashed to earth just outside Needles, California.

Frank Costigan, a former security chief for Los Angeles Intl. Airport, witnessed the object's fiery descent and swears it was no meteor. "It was bright," he said, "bright enough that it illuminated the ground."

Costigan claims the object slowed down at one point before speeding up again. Eventually, the phenomenon ducked behind a hill. Costigan expected to hear the loud report of a crashed meteorite, but instead, all was silent.

A few hours later, David Hayes, who owns a Needles radio station, saw a phalanx of odd vehicles with government plates pulling off the highway. One he described as a large truck surmounted by a dome and a superstructure reminiscent of a stealth fighter. He thought it might have been some type of military surveillance vehicle. Hayes goes on to claim that once he made eye-contact with one of the soldiers, the man followed him to his job. He could see one of the nondescript dark vehicles parked outside the KTOX station.

A third Needles resident, a man known only as "Bob" or "R.B.", claims he saw the object land with a thud approximately 100 yards west of the Colorado River where he lives in a houseboat.
Thinking a plane had crashed Bob attempted to call 911 but was unable to get cell reception. He was just about to move his boat when he heard the sound of approaching helicopters. Looking skyward, Bob spotted five flying in formation - one of which was a skycrane. Several minutes later, a glowing oval-shaped object about the size of a "semi-trailer" was retrieved and the helicopters retreated toward Las Vegas.

According to reports that came in to the radio station, the Laughlin, NV airport was deluged with a constant stream of arriving Janet planes, the aircraft that shuttle Area 51 workers.

But these facts cannot yet be confirmed because, it is reported, the Laughlin Airport has no one on tower duty after 6 pm.

It is also interesting to note, that while Needles is hardly a sprawling metropolis, these three witnesses and their unconfirmed data all seem to share a suspicious connection. Costigan, for instance, does investigative reporting for Hayes, according to reporters. And as for "Bob" - neither he nor his houseboat can be found. So, was he real?

Local reporters questioned multiple agencies and possible eye-witnesses. Nothing. An unconfirmed report from a military watchdog group does seem to confirm the presence of one helicopter in the area that morning.

For a more exhaustive look at the crash near Needles, check out this link: earthfiles