Concept
Crash retrieval & reverse engineering
Also known as crash retrieval, reverse engineering, reverse-engineering
"Crash retrieval and reverse engineering" refers to the allegation that the United States, and possibly other nations, have recovered craft of non-human origin and run secret programmes, often called "legacy programs", to study and copy their technology. It was put before Congress most prominently by the former intelligence officer David Grusch in his July 2023 testimony, building on earlier claims about Roswell and books by former officials.
AARO's 2024 historical review found no empirical evidence that the government or private companies have reverse-engineered extraterrestrial technology, and said the companies named by interviewees denied it on the record. The claims, the people who make them and the counter-evidence are linked from this entry.
Sources: Grusch's written statement (2023) · AARO Historical Record Report, Vol. 1 (2024)
Facts and claims
- claimed The allegation that the U.S. (and other nations) have recovered non-human craft and run secret programs to reverse-engineer them. Source: doc-grusch-statement-2023-07-26.pdf
Connected files
Books
- Crash: When UFOs Fall from the Sky — A History of Famous Incidents, Conspiracies, and Cover-ups (subject of)
- Imminent: Inside the Pentagon's Hunt for UFOs (subject of)
- Inside the US Government Covert UFO Program: Initial Revelations (related to)
- Situation Red, the UFO Siege! (subject of) — Its closing chapters first raised in book form the stories Stringfield would spend the rest of his life collecting: informants who said the military had recovered crashed craft and bodies
- Trinity: The Best-Kept Secret (subject of)
- UFO Crash/Retrievals: Status Reports I–VII (subject of)
Claims
- The U.S. holds recovered craft of non-human origin and runs a secret program to reverse-engineer them (subject of)
Documents
- AARO Historical Record Report, Volume 1 (disputed by) — AARO's 2024 historical review found no empirical evidence that the government or private companies have reverse-engineered extraterrestrial technology
- Admiral Wilson memo (EWD notes) (alleged in) — In the notes, Wilson is told by a contractor's program manager “they were a reverse engineering program — something recovered years ago”
- FBI file: Majestic 12 (alleged by) — The forged “briefing document” describes a secret committee managing crash retrievals, including Roswell
- David Grusch — written opening statement, House Oversight hearing (July 26, 2023) (subject of)
- FBI “Guy Hottel” memo (alleged by) — Relays an informant's story of three “flying saucers” recovered in New Mexico, each with three small bodies
People
- Sean Kirkpatrick (disputed by) — He calls the legacy program “fictitious”: “There is no legacy program”
- Bob Lazar (claims by) — His 1989 account on KLAS-TV became the template for modern crash-retrieval stories
- Clifford Stone (claims by)
- David Grusch (alleged by) — His 2023 testimony made the crash-retrieval allegation a matter of congressional record; AARO calls it inaccurate
- Diana Walsh Pasulka (related to)
- Dylan Borland (claims by) — He says he was “exposed to classified information from the UAP legacy crash retrieval program”
- Eric Davis (claims by) — He says “the legacy program has been very insulated and insular” and that he briefed Grusch on it
- Jake Barber (alleged by) — Says he flew a helicopter on a classified mission to retrieve a UAP
- Jay Stratton (claims by) — He says a “legacy program” has hidden recovered non-human craft for 80 years
- Jon T. Kosloski (investigated by) — He said AARO had met interlocutors and a couple of first-hand witnesses, and asked senators to encourage more to come forward
- Leonard Stringfield (cases collected by) — From 1978 he published dozens of retrieval accounts; he said himself his cases could be considered hearsay
- Philip J. Corso (alleged by) — Claimed he managed the reverse-engineering of artifacts recovered at Roswell
Programs
- Legacy program (alleged program)
Events
- David Grusch files his whistleblower complaint with the ICIG (subject of)
- The New York Times reveals the Pentagon UFO program (mentioned in) — Reported alloys that Elizondo and contractors said had been recovered from UAP; co-author Blumenthal later walked it back. It reported no crash-retrieval program
Incidents
- Magenta crash (alleged, 1933) (alleged cases) — Grusch says a bell-like craft was recovered at Magenta; AARO found no verifiable evidence of a retrieval programme
- Roswell crash (alleged cases) — Books from 1980 on added a crashed craft and bodies; the Air Force attributes the accounts to balloons and test dummies
News
- Stratton on CUOMO: a “humanoid-looking creature” looked at his son through the window (subject of)
- Burlison: his office is “still on the trail” of the alien footage Grusch described, after Grusch left his staff in September (subject of)
Official records (PURSUE)
Videos
- Col. Philip J. Corso: The Day After Roswell lecture “at the Ranch” (22 February 1998) (discussed in)
- Congressional hearings on military reports of Unexplained Aerial Phenomena (UAP) - May 17th, 2022 (discussed in)
- House holds hearing on UFOs, government transparency | full video (discussed in)
- Inside the DIA's Secretive UFO Investigation: Lacatski and Kelleher on WEAPONIZED #38 (October 2023) (discussed in)
- Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena: Exposing the Truth (discussed in)
- Understanding UAP: Science, National Security & Innovation (House Oversight and Government Reform) (discussed in)
- Restoring Public Trust Through UAP Transparency and Whistleblower Protection (discussed in)
- “He ran the Pentagon's secret UFO program, and says we've been played”: James Lacatski, part 1 (WEAPONIZED, November 2025) (discussed in)
- “The Government UFO Boss”: James Lacatski, part 2, on New Insights (WEAPONIZED, November 2025) (discussed in)
- “This is UFO disclosure, as far as it can go”: James Lacatski on Future Visions (WEAPONIZED, April 2026) (discussed in)
- David Grusch on the Dr. Phil Podcast: craft, cadavers and the retrieval program (August 2026) (subject of)
- UAP & National Security: Mellon, Gallaudet, von Rennenkampff & McConnell at Disclosure Forum 2026 (discussed in)
- Jay Stratton on Fox News Special Report with Bret Baier (13 October 2026) (subject of)
- Rep. Eric Burlison on the Dr. Phil Podcast: "A Congressman Was Briefed on a Secret Test to Lure UFOs" (15 October 2026) (discussed in)
- Jay Stratton on Jesse Watters Primetime: "the Manhattan Project on steroids" (16 October 2026) (subject of)
- Jay Stratton on CUOMO: a non-human being at his window and the Legacy Program (NewsNation, 20 October 2026) (subject of)
- Rep. Eric Burlison on UAP disclosure, government secrecy and David Grusch (Rebelliously Curious, October 2026) (discussed in)
- Disclosure Project press conference, National Press Club (May 9, 2001), full event (discussed in)
- Astronaut Edgar Mitchell Talks About UAP UFO And Aliens (discussed in)
- Exopolitics Toronto - Paul Hellyer Speaks of UFO Disclosure - 9/25/2005 - Part 1 (discussed in)
- “A Top Government Official Told Me Aliens Run Everything!” -Dylan Borland UNLEASHED (discussed in)
- Eric Davis: “A US President Was Briefed on UFOs!” (discussed in)
- "I Retrieved a UFO With My Helicopter!" -Jake Barber (discussed in)
- Joe Rogan Experience #2365 - Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (discussed in)
- Joe Rogan Experience #2065 - David Grusch (discussed in)
- Joe Rogan Experience #2314: Hal Puthoff (discussed in)
Mentioned in this file
- All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (Program)
Mentioned in videos
- House holds hearing on UFOs, government transparency | full video
- Inside the DIA's Secretive UFO Investigation: Lacatski and Kelleher on WEAPONIZED #38 (October 2023)
- Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena: Exposing the Truth
- Understanding UAP: Science, National Security & Innovation (House Oversight and Government Reform)
- Restoring Public Trust Through UAP Transparency and Whistleblower Protection
- “He ran the Pentagon's secret UFO program, and says we've been played”: James Lacatski, part 1 (WEAPONIZED, November 2025)
- Varginha press conference at the National Press Club: James Fox and the Brazilian witnesses (NewsNation live, 20 January 2026)
- FULL PRESSER: David Grusch & Lawmakers Call for UAP Records Declassification on Capitol Hill (9 June 2026)
- David Grusch on the Dr. Phil Podcast: craft, cadavers and the retrieval program (August 2026)
- Rep. Eric Burlison on the Dr. Phil Podcast: "A Congressman Was Briefed on a Secret Test to Lure UFOs" (15 October 2026)
- “A Top Government Official Told Me Aliens Run Everything!” -Dylan Borland UNLEASHED
- NASA Doctor: “I Saw This UFO In A Secret Hangar!” (Ft. Greg Rogers)
- "I Retrieved a UFO With My Helicopter!" -Jake Barber
- US fighter pilots witness UFO: Ryan Graves (American Alchemy, 2024)
- Breaking UFO Story: ‘Immaculate Constellation’ UFO Program (Ft. Michael Shellenberger)
- Joe Rogan Experience #2065 - David Grusch
Mentioned in documents and records
- Eyes Only: The Story of Clifford Stone and UFO Crash Retrievals
- Mussolini e gli UFO: gli X-files del nazifascismo
- The U.S. government's official UAP investigations have found no verifiable evidence of extraterrestrial or non-human technology
- A craft of non-human origin crashed near Roswell, New Mexico, in July 1947, and the military recovered it
- Special Access Program
- Waived SAP
- The Roswell Report: Case Closed (U.S. Air Force, 1997), summary
- Hearing transcript: UAP — Implications on National Security, Public Safety, and Government Transparency (House Oversight, July 26, 2023)
- Capitol Hill UAP declassification press conference
- Admiral Wilson memo begins circulating online
- UAP: Implications on National Security, Public Safety, and Government Transparency
- Conde, Bahia “crashed sphere” report
- Kirkpatrick answers Stratton: "There is no legacy program"
- National Air and Space Intelligence Center