The FAB (Brazilian Air Force) lost its first drone on a real mission this Wednesday morning (8), during Operation Taquari 2, which rescues flood victims in Rio Grande do Sul.
The Israeli aircraft Elbit Hermes 900 (RQ-900) was being used to fly over and locate victims who have not yet been rescued and are isolated.
The plane can fly for 36 hours without needing to refuel and reaches altitudes of up to 9,000 meters (30,000 feet), and had helped rescue 36 people in just 24 hours of flight.
However, this morning, the aircraft had a technical problem and crashed in an uninhabited region, without hitting people or buildings. The exact location of the crash has not been reported by the FAB so far.
In a note, the FAB states that “a FAB Remotely Piloted Aircraft (ARP), which is used in missions to support those affected by the floods in Rio Grande do Sul, presented a technical problem during its operation and collided with the ground , in an uninhabited region, this Tuesday (7)”.
The Air Force also informs that CENIPA (Aeronautical Accident Investigation and Prevention Center) will investigate the contributing factors of the aeronautical occurrence.
Tags: FAB drone crashes flight support flood victims Daily Life
