An American drone has malfunctioned and crashed into a guided missile cruiser off the coast of Southern California, causing two injuries, say officials. The incident happened while the vessel was testing a combat weapons system.

Lt. Lenaya Rotklein of the US Third Fleet told AP the two sailors injured in the crash were being treated for minor burns. The remotely-controlled craft reportedly veered out of control during an operation to test the USS Chancellorsville’s combat weapons system on Saturday afternoon. Rotklein said the drone was being used to test the ship's radar.

The guided missile carrier is now heading back to the San Diego Naval Base, where officials will assess the extent of the damage. In response to the accident, the Navy says it is opening an investigation to examine the possible causes.

This is the second drone crash to occur this week in the US after an unmanned craft malfunctioned and came down over Lake Ontario on Tuesday, prompting the suspension of all drone flights in the Central New York area.

The military was unable to say why the $4 million Reaper drone lost control and crashed, but reported there was no damage to civilian property or injuries.

Anti-drones activists have slammed the US government’s use of the unmanned craft on American soil, citing the increasing number of accidents.

“One of the notorious things about drones and Reapers is their high accident rate,” Ed Kinane a Syracuse-based peace activist told syracuse.com on Tuesday. “A general concern is that because the military is so in love with drones and the Reaper, it appears they have rushed these things into production.”

Bloomberg calculated in a 2012 survey that on average there were 9.31 accidents for every 100,000 hours of drone flight.

Nevertheless the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has resolved to push ahead with a plan to expand the use of drones in American airspace by 2015.

http://rt.com/usa/drone-crashes-missile-cruiser-852/


--Steve

Last week a drone from Fort Drum in Northern NY was dropped in the middle of Lake Ontario. Made the local news here. No info on what happened - mechanical- pilot error etc.

What is approved airspace?
I thought drones were illegal over US airspace?


--Steve

As a pilot since 1964, I hate these things, but I also realize many of the reasons why they are a part of the future of aviation, especially military.
First and foremost is that no human is in harm's way, except for the targeted human.
Since they don't carry people, design considerations don't have to include keeping an occupant in a pressurized environment, or otherwise caring for the well being of an occupant.
No pilot escape and survival considerations have to be part of the design.

justin_o_guy2 wrote on 11/18/13 at 16:03:49:

There are pilots,... they are just on the ground... .. but, they have the same moral decision to make...

no need at all... with a push of a button the command is transferred to someone who will.