Within Military Skies
Who Flew Colorado's Mystery Drone Fleet?
The 2019-20 drone reports drew police, FAA and military attention, yet no operator, clear fleet imagery or decisive radar trail emerged.
On this page
- How the sightings spread across eastern Colorado
- What police, aviation and military agencies checked
- Why the case remains unresolved
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Introduction
In late 2019 and early 2020, eastern Colorado became the centre of one of the most unusual aviation mysteries in recent American history. Residents across the state’s north-eastern plains reported seeing groups of bright, aircraft-sized drones flying at night in apparent patterns. Local sheriffs, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the FBI, state agencies and military representatives all became involved. Yet after weeks of investigation, no operator was identified, no command centre was found, and no conclusive explanation emerged.[ABC News]abcnews.comABC NewsNew drone task force investigating mysterious sightings…A multi-agency task force has been set up to investigate mysterious re…
For Colorado’s wider UFO and aviation history, the episode is important because it demonstrated how a large-scale aerial mystery can attract intense official attention without producing decisive evidence. Unlike many classic UFO reports, witnesses generally believed they were seeing conventional technology rather than exotic craft. The mystery lay elsewhere: who was flying them, why they were there, and why such a visible operation left so little trace.[Colorado Public Radio]cpr.orgdrone mystery spreads more sightings close calls no answersColorado Public RadioDrone Mystery Spreads: More Sightings, Close Calls, No…10 Jan 2020 — Concerns about the mysterious drones reporte…
How the sightings spread across eastern Colorado
The first widely publicised reports emerged in December 2019 from Phillips and Yuma counties in north-eastern Colorado. Witnesses described lights moving slowly across the night sky, often between roughly 6 p.m. and 10 p.m. Some observers claimed to see formations of multiple drones flying in grid-like patterns over rural farmland. Estimates varied, but reports sometimes mentioned groups of six to ten craft and, in a few cases, considerably more.[wikipedia.org]Wikipedia2019–20 Colorado drone sightings2019–20 Colorado drone sightings
What made the reports unusual was not a single dramatic encounter but their persistence. Similar sightings were reported across several counties and into neighbouring Nebraska. Local law-enforcement agencies received enough calls that the matter quickly moved beyond isolated witness accounts. Sheriffs publicly acknowledged that something was being seen, even though they could not determine exactly what it was.[theguardian.com]theguardian.comcolorado drones nebraska faaThe GuardianRural Colorado residents 'nervous' as mysterious drones…Jan 3, 2020 — Residents of rural Colorado have been left “very ner…
Descriptions often suggested relatively large drones, sometimes estimated at around six feet (1.8 metres) across. Witnesses reported blinking navigation lights and flight patterns that appeared organised rather than random. The impression of coordination fuelled speculation that a commercial, government or military operator might be involved.[Wikipedia]Wikipedia2019–20 Colorado drone sightings2019–20 Colorado drone sightings
The story gained national attention as media coverage expanded. Public concern grew because the flights appeared to occur repeatedly over sparsely populated agricultural areas, yet no organisation stepped forward to claim responsibility.[The Guardian]theguardian.comcolorado drones nebraska faaThe GuardianRural Colorado residents 'nervous' as mysterious drones…Jan 3, 2020 — Residents of rural Colorado have been left “very ner…
What police, aviation and military agencies checked
By early January 2020, the reports had escalated into a multi-agency investigation. More than seventy representatives from local, state and federal organisations attended a coordination meeting in Brush, Colorado. Participants included law-enforcement agencies, the FAA, the FBI and military representatives.[ABC News]abcnews.comABC NewsNew drone task force investigating mysterious sightings…A multi-agency task force has been set up to investigate mysterious re…
Investigators explored several possibilities:
- Commercial drone operators.
- Research or testing programmes.
- Utility or agricultural surveys.
- Military activities.
- Unauthorised private operations.
The FAA contacted known drone companies and authorised testing sites in the region but reported that none appeared responsible. Military officials also stated that they were not conducting the reported flights.[Wikipedia]Wikipedia2019–20 Colorado drone sightings2019–20 Colorado drone sightings
One of the most publicised developments was a search for a suspected “command vehicle” that might be controlling multiple drones from the ground. Law-enforcement officers circulated alerts and looked for such a vehicle across the eastern plains. The search produced no confirmed target and was eventually called off.[Wikipedia]Wikipedia2019–20 Colorado drone sightings2019–20 Colorado drone sightings
Colorado authorities also deployed aerial resources. The Colorado Division of Fire Prevention and Control used a Pilatus PC-12 surveillance aircraft equipped for observation missions in an attempt to locate or track the reported drones. Even with additional airborne monitoring, investigators failed to identify a controlling operator.[Wikipedia]Wikipedia2019–20 Colorado drone sightings2019–20 Colorado drone sightings
Why radar and tracking data never solved the mystery
For readers interested in military radar and aviation reports, one of the most striking aspects of the case is what investigators did not find.
Despite weeks of attention, no publicly released radar record demonstrated a coordinated fleet moving across eastern Colorado. No definitive tracking data emerged showing dozens of drones operating simultaneously. Likewise, investigators never released clear imagery proving that all reported lights represented a single organised drone operation.[KUNC]kunc.orgdocuments indicate how little officials knew about mysterious drones last yearDocuments Indicate How Little Officials Knew About…25 Jul 2021 — 13, 2020), the Colorado Department of Homeland Security issued a…
This absence of evidence does not necessarily mean witnesses saw nothing. Small drones can be difficult to track, especially at low altitude and in rural terrain. Radar systems designed for conventional aircraft are not always optimised for detecting numerous small unmanned vehicles. Aviation specialists have long noted that drone detection can be technically challenging, particularly when objects are small, slow and close to the ground.[arXiv]arxiv.orgOpen source on arxiv.org.
However, the lack of supporting sensor data became increasingly important as the investigation continued. A genuine fleet operating nightly over multiple counties might be expected to leave a stronger trail of photographs, radar returns, telemetry, recovered equipment or identified operators. None of those emerged publicly.[KUNC]kunc.orgdocuments indicate how little officials knew about mysterious drones last yearDocuments Indicate How Little Officials Knew About…25 Jul 2021 — 13, 2020), the Colorado Department of Homeland Security issued a…
The result was a gap between witness testimony and measurable evidence. Residents continued reporting unusual lights, but investigators struggled to transform those reports into a documented, trackable operation.
The growing debate over what people were actually seeing
As the investigation progressed, sceptical explanations gained attention.
Several aviation observers argued that at least some sightings were likely conventional aircraft. At night, distant aeroplanes approaching an observer can appear stationary before seeming to drift sideways or change direction. Bright landing lights can create the impression of hovering objects, particularly over the flat landscapes of eastern Colorado.[Wikipedia]Wikipedia2019–20 Colorado drone sightings2019–20 Colorado drone sightings
State investigators eventually reported that many reviewed sightings appeared consistent with stars, planets, commercial aircraft and ordinary hobby drones rather than a coordinated fleet. By mid-January 2020, Colorado authorities stated that they had found no evidence of criminal activity and had not substantiated claims of suspicious drone swarms.[ABC News]abcnews.comOpen source on abcnews.com.
This did not fully settle the matter. Some witnesses remained convinced that they had observed large drones flying in formation. The difficulty was that the strongest reports rarely coincided with equally strong photographic or sensor evidence. As often happens in aviation mysteries, the most dramatic accounts and the most reliable measurements did not arrive together.[Colorado Public Radio]cpr.orgdrone mystery spreads more sightings close calls no answersColorado Public RadioDrone Mystery Spreads: More Sightings, Close Calls, No…10 Jan 2020 — Concerns about the mysterious drones reporte…
Why the case remains unresolved
The eastern Colorado drone episode occupies an unusual position between a solved case and a classic unsolved mystery.
On one hand, authorities never identified an operator, located a command vehicle or publicly explained every report. The original question—who flew the drones—remains unanswered. FAA records released later showed that investigators themselves often lacked clear information and were uncertain whether any aviation regulations had even been violated.[TWZ]twz.comfaa documents offer unprecedented look into colorado drone mysteryfaa documents offer unprecedented look into colorado drone mystery
On the other hand, the case did not produce convincing evidence of an unknown technology. Investigators gradually concluded that many sightings were misidentifications of ordinary aerial objects, and no verified fleet was documented through radar, photography or recovered equipment.[KUNC]kunc.orgdocuments indicate how little officials knew about mysterious drones last yearDocuments Indicate How Little Officials Knew About…25 Jul 2021 — 13, 2020), the Colorado Department of Homeland Security issued a…
That leaves the mystery in a middle category familiar to students of Colorado’s aviation and UFO history: a genuine wave of reports that triggered substantial official concern, but one in which the evidence became weaker rather than stronger as investigators looked more closely. The missing operator was never found, yet neither was the clear proof that a large organised drone fleet had actually been conducting the operations many witnesses initially believed they were observing.[kunc.org]kunc.orgdocuments indicate how little officials knew about mysterious drones last yearDocuments Indicate How Little Officials Knew About…25 Jul 2021 — 13, 2020), the Colorado Department of Homeland Security issued a…
Within Colorado’s broader record of unusual aerial reports, the mystery drones are therefore less significant as evidence of extraordinary craft than as a case study in how modern sightings spread, how authorities investigate them, and how even a major multi-agency search can end without a definitive answer.[abcnews.com]abcnews.comABC NewsNew drone task force investigating mysterious sightings…A multi-agency task force has been set up to investigate mysterious re…
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Endnotes
1.
Source: Wikipedia
Title: 2019–20 Colorado drone sightings
Link:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2019%E2%80%9320_Colorado_drone_sightings
2.
Source: time.com
Link:https://time.com/5757819/drones-colorado-nebraska/
Source snippet
Officials, including sheriffs and the FAA, are investigating the drones, which remain unidentified. Drones, flying at around 150 to 200 f...
3.
Source: kunc.org
Title: documents indicate how little officials knew about mysterious drones last year
Link:https://www.kunc.org/news/2021-07-25/documents-indicate-how-little-officials-knew-about-mysterious-drones-last-year
Source snippet
Documents Indicate How Little Officials Knew About...25 Jul 2021 — 13, 2020), the Colorado Department of Homeland Security issued a...
4.
Source: twz.com
Title: faa documents offer unprecedented look into colorado drone mystery
Link:https://www.twz.com/34662/faa-documents-offer-unprecedented-look-into-colorado-drone-mystery
5.
Source: arxiv.org
Link:https://arxiv.org/abs/2211.10038
6.
Source: Wikipedia
Link:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colorado
7.
Source: colorado.com
Link:https://www.colorado.com/
8.
Source: co.colorado.gov
Link:https://co.colorado.gov/
9.
Source: abcnews.com
Link:https://abcnews.com/US/drone-task-force-investigating-mysterious-sightings-colorado-nebraska/story?id=68102066
Source snippet
ABC NewsNew drone task force investigating mysterious sightings...A multi-agency task force has been set up to investigate mysterious re...
10.
Source: cpr.org
Title: drone mystery spreads more sightings close calls no answers
Link:https://www.cpr.org/2020/01/10/drone-mystery-spreads-more-sightings-close-calls-no-answers/
Source snippet
Colorado Public RadioDrone Mystery Spreads: More Sightings, Close Calls, No...10 Jan 2020 — Concerns about the mysterious drones reporte...
11.
Source: theguardian.com
Title: colorado drones nebraska faa
Link:https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/jan/02/colorado-drones-nebraska-faa
Source snippet
The GuardianRural Colorado residents 'nervous' as mysterious drones...Jan 3, 2020 — Residents of rural Colorado have been left “very ner...
12.
Source: abcnews.com
Link:https://abcnews.com/US/mystery-drone-faithful-undeterred-lack-evidence/story?id=68264339
13.
Source: cpr.org
Link:https://www.cpr.org/2026/05/19/lost-colorado-air-national-guard-jobs/
14.
Source: kids.nationalgeographic.com
Link:https://kids.nationalgeographic.com/geography/states/article/colorado
Additional References
15.
Source: reddit.com
Link:https://www.reddit.com/r/UnresolvedMysteries/comments/eiqi5u/whats_behind_the_drone_swarms_in_colorado_and/
Source snippet
What's Behind the "Drone Swarms" in Colorado and...The drones have been appearing nightly since approximately December 16, in numb...
16.
Source: youtube.com
Title: Mysterious Drones Causing ‘Huge Strain’ on Resources in Small Colorado Town
Link:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NF_FntovJvI
Source snippet
Colorado drone mystery causing problems at local airports...
17.
Source: youtube.com
Title: Residents concerned as FAA investigates mystery Colorado drones
Link:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XWzJaBCZlCA
Source snippet
Mysterious Drones Causing 'Huge Strain' on Resources in Small Colorado Town...
18.
Source: youtube.com
Title: FBI investigating drones flying over Colorado and other states
Link:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RlQOLibG3iM
Source snippet
Mystery drone flights over Colorado, Nebraska...
19.
Source: youtube.com
Title: Mystery drone flights over Colorado, Nebraska
Link:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JFX11X18Nfg
Source snippet
Residents concerned as FAA investigates mystery Colorado drones...
20.
Source: facebook.com
Link:https://www.facebook.com/sharonchentv/posts/update-one-witness-says-shes-spotted-as-many-as-30-drones-in-the-sky-now-being-s/2573986869502505/
21.
Source: facebook.com
Link:https://www.facebook.com/WorldNewsTonight/posts/mystery-drone-danger-mysterious-drones-have-been-spotted-flying-over-several-cou/10157495547584818/
22.
Source: visitdenver.com
Link:https://visitdenver.com/
23.
Source: facebook.com
Link:https://www.facebook.com/groups/552059654373970/posts/555402627373006/
24.
Source: facebook.com
Link:https://www.facebook.com/vcstar/posts/local-and-federal-authorities-are-investigating-confirmed-reports-of-mysterious-/10156960012606344/