The remote “pilot” of an unmanned Navy MQ-8B Fire Scout helicopter lost his datalink to the aircraft on August 2, setting the aircraft free to roam. It wandered toward Washington, D.C., from its Patuxent River base before contact was re-established and it was commanded to land at Webster Field, an element of the Naval Air Station. The UAV’s software is programmed to command the copter to land if control is lost, but that did not happen. It flew about 23 miles at 2,000 feet, busting the outer ring of the D.C. Flight Restricted Zone before command was restored. There were no reported conflicts with manned aircraft traffic. The Navy reports the software glitch has been identified and rectified, but Fire Scouts remain grounded pending completion of the investigation.
Unmanned Navy Copter Goes Rogue in D.C. Airspace
Key Takeaways:
- An unmanned Navy MQ-8B Fire Scout helicopter lost its datalink and flew uncontrolled for 23 miles towards Washington, D.C., breaching the D.C. Flight Restricted Zone.
- The aircraft's programmed safety protocol to land upon loss of control failed due to an identified software glitch.
- Contact was re-established, and the helicopter was successfully commanded to land at Webster Field without incident with manned aircraft.
- The software glitch has been rectified, but Fire Scout helicopters remain grounded pending a full investigation.
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