An A-12 spy plane is readied for radar testing at Area 51

The crashed A-12 spy plane

For almost 50 years the U.S. government has managed to cover up the fact that a A-12 spy plane crashed in the Utah desert while on a test flight from the secret military outpost Area 51 in 1963.

An A-12 prototype on a testing pylon  in Area 51

 Now the National Geographic news website has posted photos of the crashed plane along with never-before-seen photos from the 1950s that provide a rare glimpse inside Area 51, the clandestine site which has been the subject of speculation for many years. 
    Conspiracy theorists have long believed the area was used to house captured aliens and grounded flying saucers. It is even believed by many to have been the site of a staged moon landing.  
    But the website puts the record straight. “Area 51 was created so that U.S. cold warriors with the highest security clearances could pursue cutting-edge aeronautical project away from prying eyes,” it says.