For the second time in a week, a Drone has been destroyed at Tyndall Air Force Base in Florida. This morning's crash - and later self-destruction - of the unmanned QF-4 drone ( a modified F-4 Phantom apparently used for target practice) [4] on the east-side of the base caused Highway 98 to be closed "as a precaution," for the next 24 hours due to fires resulting from the crash and a small self-destruct charge carried on board the drone. The charge is used to destroy the drone if it leaves its pre-approved flight plan. The last drone crash was last Wednesday morning when Tyndall destroyed a drone over the Gulf of Mexico south of Cape San Blas in Gulf County.
Via RT.com,
Via WJHQ [5],
For the second time in a week, a Drone has been destroyed at Tyndall Air Force Base.
[6]
Via The News Herald [7],
An unmanned Air Force QF-4 drone, assigned to the 53rd Weapons Evaluation Group, crashed on the drone runway during take-off at 8:25 a.m. today, officials wrote in a news release.
No personnel were injured during the incident.
Base and local police and safety officials have closed Highway 98 and are anticipating that it will remain closed for up to 24 hours, the news release states.
"This closure is being done strictly as a precautionary measure due to fires resulting from the crash and a small self-destruct charge carried on board the drone," the news release states. "
The status of this device is unknown however, it is powered by a short-life battery which will be fully depleted in 24 hours."
The charge is used to destroy the drone if it leaves its pre-approved flight plan, officials added.
More details are coming officials said.