Army drone flew 630 miles across Arizona with nobody in control
- Civil Air Patrol radar data shows the path an Army drone took after disappearing
- Army drone discovered crashed near Evergreen, Colorado on Thursday
- The Shadow reconnaissance drone went missing in Arizona on January 31
- Was discovered crashed in Evergreen, Colorado 10 days later, 630 miles away
- Officials were shocked, as the small drone has only a 78-mile range
- Now new details reveal the military lost contact with drone just after launch
- Drone made nearly 90-degree turn after breaking contact
Newly released information is raising more questions than answers about the Army surveillance drone that disappeared from Arizona and was found crashed hundreds of miles away.
The unarmed drone, a $1.5million Shadow RQ-7Bv2 reconnaissance aircraft, went missing from Fort Huachuca in Arizona on January 31, and was recovered 630 miles away 10 days later, well beyond its 78-mile range.
Now the military reveals that it lost contact with the drone shortly after it was launched, with Fort Huachuca spokeswoman Tanja Linton confirming that the aircraft flew nearly the entire journey outside the Army's control, Stars and Stripes reports.
Civil Air Patrol radar data collected by Stars and Stripes shows the aircraft making a nearly 90-degree turn after crossing into New Mexico, well after leaving the 78-mile communications radius that would have allowed controllers to pilot the craft.
Radar data reported by Stars and Stripes shows the approximate path an Army Shadow drone took after losing contact with operators. The drone made a hard bank of nearly 90 degrees in New Mexico, after it had passed well beyond its line-of-sight control radius
The drone wreckage was found over 600 miles from Fort Huachuca, far beyond its usual range
A Shadow drone touches down after a test flight at Fort Huachuca in this file photo. The drone went missing during a joint training exercise with soldiers based in Washington state
The 450-pound Shadow drone, which has a wingspan of roughly 20 feet, was found in Evergreen, Colorado by a hiker, reportedly missing one wing.
It had been launched 10 days earlier at 5.16pm from Hubbard Landing Zone on Fort Huachuca's east range.
Operators lost contact nearly immediately after the launch, which was for a training exercise with soldiers from the 2nd Stryker Brigade of the 7th Infantry Division at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington.
Shadow drones communicate with operators on electronic line-of-sight, giving them a range of roughly 78 miles, according to specifications from maker Textron Systems.
Unlike other drones, Shadows are not operated by satellite, giving them a limited operating radius around their controller.
A Shadow drone is shown taking off from a hydraulic launcher in this file photo. Controllers at Fort Huachuca lost contact with the drone that went missing nearly immediately after launch
However, the drones can fly for eight to nine hours continuously, so it's possible the Shadow could have continued on its original flight path after losing contact.
The craft usually fly with a preset bearing, altitude and wind speed, Paul Stevenson, an Army aviation spokesman, told Stars and Stripes.
What remains a mystery is how the craft made a sharp 90-degree turn north after losing contact with Army controllers, although worth noting is that the turn appeared to prevent the drone from entering Mexican airspace.
When a command link is lost, unmanned aircraft are programmed to respond in a variety of ways, experts told Stars and Stripes.
A search ensued, and when it failed to locate the drone, the Army concluded it had probably crashed and disintegrated in the area.
Nine days later, on Thursday, a hiker in Colorado spotted the Army drone stuck in a tree in the mountains west of Denver, near Evergreen, Colorado.
The craft was missing a wing.
Army officials were surprised at the discovery roughly 600 miles from Fort Huachuca, far outside the Shadow's typical range.
A soldier is shown with a Shadow drone at Forward Operating Base Shank in Afghanistan (file)
Most watched News videos
- Horrifying moment crocodile surfaces with housewife in its jaws
- Barber shop customer rushes from seat to help cop being attacked
- Drone video captures 'North Korean troops in Russia's Kursk region'
- Moment heroic third grader saves classmate from choking
- Moment driver inhaled laughing gas seconds before killing friends
- Chilling moment moment Swedish rapper is shot while being filmed
- 'Sir Starmer and the Granny Harmers' hit out at PM in Xmas parody
- 'Russian and North Korean soldiers' bodies seen stacked together
- Thomas Johnson can't recall inhaling nitrous oxide during interview
- Watch Kaitlan Collins' interview with Tom Homan on deportation
- Brave Gisele Pelicot's story: Married to a monster and now a hero
- Hilarious moment woman caught dancing on doorbell camera after party
