A mysterious “Dorito-shaped” aircraft was spotted soaring above the highly classified Area 51 military base in southern Nevada.
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Off-grid videographer Anders Otteson — known for documenting the mysterious landscapes around the military installation for his YouTube channel Uncanny Expeditions — was out in the desert when he recorded a strange, unidentified aircraft around 3 a.m. Jan. 14
The craft, believed to be an unidentified aerial phenomenon, appeared to have an “equilateral triangle” shape, noticeably different from the B-2 Spirit stealth bomber that Otteson filmed earlier that night.
Off-grid videographer Anders Otteson recorded a strange, unidentified aircraft over the desert outside Area 51 around 3 a.m. Jan. 14Uncanny Expeditions / YouTube
While the B-2 has a similar V-wing profile, Otteson said the mystery craft appeared to have a flatter trailing edge, no visible wings, and a jagged rear section.
Still, Otteson noted that given the limited resolution, he would not rule out the possibility that it was a B-2 or another military aircraft.
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“Are we looking at a classified test flight or run-of-the-mill training sortie?” the explorer asked. “I certainly think we have something interesting here.”
Otteson said the aircraft matched the shape and flight trail seen in 2014 photos showing what appeared to be “an as yet unacknowledged triangle-shaped aircraft” over Wichita, Kansas, and Amarillo, Texas.
The two photos appeared to show similar unidentified triangle-shaped aircraft, unlike any known Air Force planes or drones.
He added that the sighting also reminded him of more recent reports of similar “Dorito-shaped” aircraft spotted over Southern California’s remote desert regions.
A United States Air Force B-2A bomber.Universal Images Group via Getty
On Jan. 15, Otteson linked up with UFO researcher Joerg Arnu, who shared scanner audio allegedly capturing odd, snack-themed code words over Area 51’s unencrypted radio channels during a B-2 bomber flight hours before the “Dorito-shaped” sighting.
The pilots were heard tossing around phrases like “profile Michelob,” “Imperial with garlic,” “pretzel snack” and “fridge hydrate” during the exchange.
Arnu said the chatter was “different than anything” he had previously heard after decades of monitoring the airwaves.
Razor wire and security cameras at the entrance to Area 51 in Rachel, Nevada.REUTERS
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Area 51 remained secret until the government acknowledged it in 2013.Gallo Images via Getty Images
Otteson cautioned, however, that the code words could be routine military jargon used by pilots communicating over radio channels.
Still, the YouTuber believes there is “something interesting” happening in the airspace around Area 51.
Nevada logged more than 40 reported sightings of triangular unidentified aerial phenomena in 2025, according to the National UFO Reporting Center.
Area 51 remained secret for decades — becoming a focal point of UFO lore for years — until the government formally acknowledged its existence in 2013.
In April, a triangular tower at the Air Force base fueled conspiracy theories suggesting it could be linked to alien technology.
What exactly the structure is remains unclear, despite being described as standing between 150 and 190 feet tall.
