Solar drone with jumbo jet wingspan broke a flight record—then it crashed

The solar-powered Skydweller drone flew for 8 days and 14 minutes, setting a new endurance record for a drone or crewed aircraft.

It then made a controlled ditching north of Mexico and sank because the aircraft was not designed to float.

Skydweller Aero called the flight a successful prototype test for persistent medium-altitude operations.

The crash ended plans to display the aircraft at Switzerland’s Museum of Transport.