TYNDALL AIR FORCE BASE – 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.
Motorist traveling from Panama City to Mexico Beach, should use State 22 east to State 71 south, and from Mexico Beach to Panama City State 71 north to State 22 west.
More details are coming officials said.
Another drone could be seen flying over the base this morning after the crash. Tyndall officials confirmed to The News Herald that drone was destroyed over the Gulf of Mexico in a planned event. The training excercise ended when a fighter pilot shot a missile at it and destroyed it, officials said. That is what the drone is for and it was destroyed correctly, officials said.
The News Herald is requesting that those with photos or videos of the incident can email them to pcnhnews@pcnh.com