Federal Aviation Administration Closes Air Space Over Area 51 Over Weekend For ‘Reasons’

For those who have been closely watching the mock Facebook event that plans to storm Area 51 and find out if aliens really do exist, the date for this event is fast approaching. On September 20, the possibility is that 2.1 million people who have RSVPed to the event will actually turn up at Area 51 in Nevada. Of course, the reality is that not nearly that many people will actually attend. After all, even the event organizers have stated that it is a gag event and that no one should really try to break into Area 51. It is a top-secret U.S. base as well, so consequences will result from trying to storm the area.

The possibility of being arrested has already proven true, as previously reported by The Inquisitr. Two Dutchmen approached the area last week and were detained after they were discovered inside the Nevada National Security Site, which is a government nuclear facility situated approximately 10 miles from Area 51. They were charged with trespassing. So, the U.S. government and law enforcement are certainly taking the potential threat seriously.

However, as September 20 approaches, there is still the real possibility that at least a small percentage of those claiming to attend the Storm Area 51 Facebook event actually turn up. As a result of this, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) will preemptively close the air space over Area 51 as an extra precaution.

According to Digital Trends, the FAA has “issued temporary flight restrictions between September 18-23.” The reason the FAA gave for this closure is “special security reasons.” While they have not specifically said that the closure is a result of the Storm Area 51 Facebook event, it seems most likely that this is the reason behind it.

In addition to this closure, the Department of Justice also states via Section 1382 of Title 18 that anyone who tries to break into a U.S. military base could face fines of $500 as well as jail time. These penalties apply to any “military, naval, or coast guard reservation, post, fort, arsenal, yard, station or installation over which the United States has exclusive possession.”

While the gag event has garnered much publicity, the organizers have tried to offer a safer alternative to actually storming Area 51. Previously, an event called AlienStock was planned in the region to accommodate those who were interested in heading to Nevada on September 20. However, that event fell through. Those who still insist on heading to Nevada this week, AlienStock will be hosting the Area 51 Celebration which will be held in the Downtown Las Vegas Events Center, according to their website. The event will be free and will also include a “classified” line up of music and entertainment for those not willing to risk fines and jail time by heading out to Area 51.