On 1 July this year, a ScanEagle 2 unmanned reconnaissance aircraft belonging to the 5th Brigade of the Japan Ground Self-Defence Force crashed into a pasture in the town of Shihoro in Tokachi.
At the time, the drone was conducting flight training on the grounds of the Shikaribetsu Training Area in the town of Kaoi.
It was scheduled to fly along a pre-programmed route, but for some reason communication was lost and when searched, the drone was found to have crashed in a meadow approximately 80 metres east of the training ground.
No one was injured.
The drone was 1.7 metres long, with a wingspan of 3.1 metres and a weight of 26.5 kg.
Immediately after the accident, the JGSDF reported the incident to local authorities, police and the owner of the land on which the aircraft crashed, but did not make a public announcement.
It also stated that the decision not to make a public announcement was an ‘appropriate response’.
Investigations to date have shown that there was nothing wrong with the aircraft, but flight training of the same type of aircraft has been suspended until the detailed cause of the crash is determined.
The Japan Ground Self-Defence Force continues to investigate the weather conditions at the time.
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On 1 July this year, a ScanEagle 2 unmanned reconnaissance aircraft belonging to the 5th Brigade of the Japan Ground Self-Defence Force crashed into a pasture in the town of Shihoro in Tokachi.
At the time, the drone was conducting flight training on the grounds of the Shikaribetsu Training Area in the town of Kaoi.
It was scheduled to fly along a pre-programmed route, but for some reason communication was lost and when searched, the drone was found to have crashed in a meadow approximately 80 metres east of the training ground.
No one was injured.
The drone was 1.7 metres long, with a wingspan of 3.1 metres and a weight of 26.5 kg.
Immediately after the accident, the JGSDF reported the incident to local authorities, police and the owner of the land on which the aircraft crashed, but did not make a public announcement.
It also stated that the decision not to make a public announcement was an ‘appropriate response’.
Investigations to date have shown that there was nothing wrong with the aircraft, but flight training of the same type of aircraft has been suspended until the detailed cause of the crash is determined.
The Japan Ground Self-Defence Force continues to investigate the weather conditions at the time.