Elevate your local knowledge

Sign up for the iNFOnews newsletter today!

Select Region

Selecting your primary region ensures you get the stories that matter to you first.

US Air Force drone crashes in remote area near Mt. Whitney

US Air Force drone crashes in remote area near Mt. Whitney | iNFOnews.ca
FILE - In a Monday, June 30, 2008, file photo, Beale Air Force Base Airmen work on an RQ-4 Global Hawk into its hangar at Beale Air Force Base in Yuba County, Calif. An RQ-4 Global Hawk crashed in a remote section of eastern California near Mt. Whitney. Edwards Air Force Base said in a statement that the unmanned surveillance aircraft was making a routine trip Wednesday, June 21, 2017, from Edwards to its usual home at Beale Air Force Base when it crashed for unknown reasons. (Chris Kaufman/The Appeal-Democrat via AP, File)

BISHOP, Calif. – A U.S. Air Force drone the size of a small airliner crashed in a remote section of California near Mt. Whitney.

Edwards Air Force Base said in a statement that the RQ-4 Global Hawk, an unmanned surveillance aircraft, was making a routine trip Wednesday afternoon from Edwards to its usual home at Beale Air Force Base when it crashed for unknown reasons.

The Inyo County Sheriff’s Department said the crash caused a small wildfire that was quickly under control.

The aircraft with a 130-foot wingspan is designed to fly at high altitudes for long distances. It’s slowly replacing the manned U-2 spy planes used for decades by the Air Force.

The cause of the crash is under investigation.

News from © iNFOnews.ca, . All rights reserved.
This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Join the Conversation!

Want to share your thoughts, add context, or connect with others in your community?

Create a free account

Abbey Westbury

Related Articles