US 375-pound military drone crashes near elementary school in Pennsylvania
5 April 2014, 11:55 -- Military officials say an unmanned aerial vehicle, commonly known as a drone, crashed near a central Pennsylvania school and a hotel. Mass media identified the 375-pound drone as a RQ-7 Shadow, operated by the Pennsylvania Army National Guard. A military official called Wednesday afternoon's incident a hard landing, but the drone was apparently run over by a car.
Department of Military and Veterans Affairs spokeswoman Joan Nissley said no one was injured when the RQ-7 Shadow drone crashed in Lebanon County around 3:30 pm Thursday and was run over by a civilian vehicle.
Nissley said the aircraft crashed during training operations at nearby Fort Indiantown Gap. It came down on Fischer Avenue, between Lickdale Elementary School and a Comfort Inn.
The drone was destroyed and cost $125,000, Daily Mail reports. The car that hit the drone suffered minor damage.
The drone weighs 375 pounds and has a 15-foot wingspan. The cause of the crash is under investigation.
The Pennsylvania National Guard trains three brigades on the use of 12 drones at Fort Indiantown Gap.
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