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The Solar Impulse 2 Plane crashed in the Gulf of Mexico after losing electrical power during an autonomous mission.
An aircraft that became world-famous for completing a trip around the planet using only solar energy crashed in the Gulf of Mexico during an uncrewed mission. The accident involving the Solar Impulse 2 plane was confirmed by the company Skydweller Aero, currently responsible for the aircraft’s project.
According to information released by the company, the plane had taken off from Stennis, in the state of Mississippi, on April 26. Days later, on May 4, it crashed into the sea after electrical problems were recorded during severe weather conditions. The company reported that no one was injured because the flight was completely autonomous, with no people on board.
Plane lost power after facing storm
Preliminary information indicates that the aircraft suffered a failure in the electrical system while flying over the Gulf of Mexico.
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According to Skydweller Aero, the plane faced adverse weather before the crash. The company has not yet detailed which systems failed or disclosed other technical aspects of the accident.
The official causes of the incident are still being investigated by the United States National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).
Plane’s history marked by trip around the world
In 2016, the Solar Impulse 2 plane made history by completing the first trip around the Earth made by a fixed-wing aircraft using only energy captured from the sun. The mission was led by Swiss pilots Bertrand Piccard and André Borschberg.
During the historic mission, the aircraft traveled approximately:
- 43,000 kilometers;
- without using fossil fuel;
- only with energy captured by solar panels.
The achievement placed the project among the main technological milestones related to sustainable aviation.
Plane was modified after sale of the aircraft
Years after the round-the-world trip, the Solar Impulse 2 changed ownership.
In the year 2019, the aircraft came to belong to Skydweller Aero, which modified the original design with the aim of converting it into an autonomous platform capable of remaining in continuous operation for long periods.
After the modifications, the plane began to be used in activities such as:
- maritime monitoring;
- telecommunications;
- surveillance missions;
- long-duration operations.
According to the company, the goal was to transform the aircraft into an autonomous platform for military and technical applications.
Plane’s mission set operational record
Before the accident, the most recent flight of the Solar Impulse 2 had reached an important milestone for the version adapted by Skydweller.
The company stated that the operation lasted:
- eight days;
- 14 continuous minutes.
The time was considered an operational record for the aircraft after the modifications made by the company.
According to Skydweller Aero, the mission was part of exercises related to the United States Navy.
Creators lamented loss of the aircraft
After the accident’s repercussion, the company highlighted that the current plane had quite different characteristics from the original model created by the Swiss.
Even so, Bertrand Piccard and André Borschberg commented on the episode and lamented the destruction of the aircraft.
According to a statement reproduced by the magazine “Popular Science,” the creators said they were “saddened by the loss of an important technological symbol.”
Meanwhile, the investigation conducted by the American authorities is expected to analyze the factors that caused the plane to crash in the Gulf of Mexico.
With information from g1
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