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Oops: Facebook's Internet Drone Crashed

Facebook previously shared some details about the test flight, but this is the first we're hearing about its crash landing.

 & Angela Moscaritolo Managing Editor, Consumer Electronics

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The first flight of Facebook's Internet drone didn't have a very smooth landing.

Bloomberg on Monday reported that the drone, dubbed Aquila, crashed in the Arizona desert as it was coming in for a landing during its first test flight on June 28. The US National Transportation Safety Board is currently investigating the accident, which was the result of a "structural failure."

No one was injured, but the drone reportedly suffered substantial damage.

In a statement to PCMag, the social media giant put a positive spin on the run, saying "we were happy with the successful first test flight and were able to verify several performance models and components including aerodynamics, batteries, control systems and crew training, with no major unexpected results. We have already learned a lot from the results of this flight test and will continue to learn from all the future flight tests we plan to run."

The incident comes after Facebook recently faced another snafu in its efforts to expand Internet access to underserved areas. In September, a SpaceX rocket exploded on a launchpad in Florida, destroying a Facebook satellite intended to expand Internet access in Africa.

Facebook previously shared some details about the June 28 test flight, during which Aquila remained in the air for 96 minutes at an altitude of 2,150 feet and only consumed 2,000 watts of power.

"To prove out the full capacity of the design, we will push Aquila to the limits in a lengthy series of tests in the coming months and years," Facebook said in July. "Failures are expected and sometimes even planned; we learn more when we push the plane to the brink."

The drone has the wingspan of a commercial airliner but the power consumption of a hair dryer. Facebook says it will eventually fly for weeks at a time, beaming Internet signals up to 60 miles away, though a lot of work still needs to be done before Aquila can serve its intended purpose. At cruising speed, it will consume 5,000 watts of power from its solar panels and batteries.

About Our Expert

Angela Moscaritolo

Angela Moscaritolo

Managing Editor, Consumer Electronics

My Experience

I'm PCMag's managing editor for consumer electronics, overseeing an experienced team of analysts covering smart home, home entertainment, wearables, fitness and health tech, and various other product categories. I have been with PCMag for more than 10 years, and in that time have written more than 6,000 articles and reviews for the site. I previously served as an analyst focused on smart home and wearable devices, and before that I was a reporter covering consumer tech news. I'm also a yoga instructor, and have been actively teaching group and private classes for nearly a decade. 

Prior to joining PCMag, I was a reporter for SC Magazine, focusing on hackers and computer security. I earned a BS in journalism from West Virginia University, and started my career writing for newspapers in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia.

The Technology I Use

My little Florida beach bungalow is brimming with smart home tech. I have a smart speaker or display in every room, allowing me to control other connected devices by voice. The Nest Hub on my bedside table lets me set wake-up alarms, control my smart light bulbs, and set the temperature on my smart thermostat. I use the Amazon Echo Show 8 on my kitchen counter to browse recipes, reorder protein powder, check the weather, and watch the news while I do dishes. 

Because I suffer from allergies, air purifiers are essential. My favorite model is the Dyson Purifier Cool TP07, which doubles as a fan and continuously sends indoor pollution data to its companion mobile app. 

My pitbull Bradley sheds, so a good robot vacuum is a must. I currently use a premium Ecovacs Deebot that can both vacuum and mop, empty its own dustbin, and wash its own mop cloth. 

For fitness, I like to mix up my routine with cycling, indoor rowing, running, and strength training in addition to yoga. I take classes on the Tonal 2 smart strength training machine, I row indoors on an Aviron machine, and track my beach runs with an Apple Watch while listening to music on my Apple AirPods Pro. On the weekends, I love riding e-bikes like the rugged, beach-friendly Aventon Aventure for fun and fitness.

My job involves a lot of virtual meetings, so a quality webcam, microphone, and ring light are important. I use the Jabra PanaCast 20 webcam, the Elgato Wave: 3 microphone, and a Yesker tripod ring light. 

As for my preferred phone platform, I'm an iPhone person, but I've also extensively used Android for product testing.

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