Solar Impulse 2 crashed into the Gulf of Mexico after a US Navy exercise, ending the historic Swiss solar-powered aircraft’s post-2016 life as a drone.
Owner Skydweller Aero said the aircraft took off from Stennis, Mississippi, on April 26 and crashed on May 4.
The company said the converted drone completed a record flight of eight days and 14 minutes before the crash.
Skydweller Aero said the flight showed the potential of long-endurance solar-powered aviation in a military environment.
The aircraft made aviation history in 2016 when Swiss pilots Bertrand Piccard and Andre Borschberg flew it around the world without jet fuel.
Solar Impulse 2 covered 26,700 miles or 43,000 kilometres across four continents, two oceans and three seas.
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Skydweller Aero bought the aircraft in 2019 and converted it for uncrewed flight operations. The US National Transportation Safety Board said it was investigating the crash.
