The NCIS team is called in to investigate when a perfectly functioning Marine helicopter is found in the middle of a crop circle.

The first job for Gibbs and the team is to find the two pilots missing from the Marine Cobra helicopter. After locating the co-pilot, who thought their scheduled training flight had been canceled, the team continues its search for the pilot amid reports from nearby town people who say they saw strange lights the night the chopper landed. While many, including Abby, are convinced the area has been visited by aliens, Gibbs discovers the truth lies in the town's secret history.