Overview
A video posted on the citizen‑run Substack “It Can’t Be People” shows a military‑type helicopter hovering directly above a newly formed crop circle in the English countryside. The clip, uploaded on 27 December 2025, has quickly circulated on social media platforms under the #paranormal tag, reigniting debate over whether government agencies are monitoring anomalous phenomena such as unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP) and man‑made crop formations.
Incident Details
According to the author, who signs the post as “Citizen D,” the crop circle was created by a small group who arranged “lights” in a triangular pattern, allegedly replicating the silhouette of the alleged TR‑3 “Black Manta” craft—a secret‑ive, triangular‑shaped UAP that has appeared in various eyewitness reports over the past decade. Shortly after the lights were activated, a mauve‑colored glow descended to a height “no higher than a pylon,” prompting the observers to believe they were witnessing a genuine UAP. Within seconds, the glow was replaced by the unmistakable rotors of a Cherokee‑type military helicopter, which appeared to “land within our circle,” as described by the witness.
The video, embedded in the Substack post, shows the helicopter maintaining a stationary hover for approximately 45 seconds before moving away. The footage is grainy but includes audible rotor wash and a faint, rhythmic “chuk‑chuk‑chuk‑chuk” sound that the author likens to the helicopter’s rotor signature. No identifying markings are visible on the aircraft.
Witness Accounts
The Substack entry includes a direct quote from one of the participants:
“They probably saw the car cooling down by using their thermographic sensors,” one of us wheezed, as we fled a military craft lingering…
The language suggests a mixture of awe and apprehension, with the observers interpreting the helicopter’s presence as a possible “thermal‑sensor” sweep of the newly formed pattern. The post’s author emphasizes that the group believed the crop circle to be a deliberate homage—“another one”—rather than a spontaneous natural formation, asserting that “Man‑made crop circles are NOT hoaxes.”
Context and Broader UAP Interest
The incident arrives amid heightened public and congressional scrutiny of UAP encounters. In 2023, the Pentagon’s All‑Domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) released its first comprehensive annual report, acknowledging dozens of unexplained aerial sightings, some involving military assets. While the AARO has not publicly linked any of its investigations to crop‑circle sites, analysts note that agricultural fields provide low‑risk, open terrain that could serve as convenient observation points for both civilian and military aircraft.
Historically, similar claims of military aircraft hovering over crop circles have surfaced sporadically—most notably a 2018 report from a farmer in Kent who described a “black helicopter” circling a newly appeared formation before disappearing. Skeptics argue that such sightings may be routine low‑altitude patrols or training exercises, especially in regions with active military training ranges. However, the combination of an unusual lighting display, a triangular pattern reminiscent of popular UAP descriptions, and the immediate arrival of a military helicopter has prompted renewed speculation among UAP researchers.
Official Response and Next Steps
As of the time of writing, no official statement has been released by the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) or the United States Department of Defense regarding the specific incident. Freedom of Information (FOI) requests filed in early 2025 for flight logs over the region have yet to be fulfilled. Researchers at the UAP Research Center (UAPRC) have listed the video in their “Recent Anomalies” database and are seeking corroborating radar data from local air traffic control.
The Substack post, while anecdotal, underscores a persistent public demand for transparency about how military assets interact with sites of alleged paranormal activity. Whether the helicopter’s presence was a routine surveillance flight, a response to a perceived security breach, or something more unusual remains unverified. As more footage emerges and investigators request official data, the episode serves as a reminder that the intersection of military operations and unexplained phenomena continues to challenge both journalists and policymakers.
