Overview
- NTSB preliminary findings say the uncrewed aircraft lost power and crashed into the Gulf of Mexico on May 4 with no injuries reported.
- Investigators report the power loss occurred shortly after takeoff from Stennis International Airport in Mississippi and the inquiry remains open with no final cause.
- Skydweller says the autonomous system guided a controlled water ditching and the carbon-fiber airframe sank because its composite structure does not float.
- Before the loss, the platform completed a record eight-day, 14-minute solar-powered mission during the U.S. Navy’s FLEX 2026 exercises that showcased maritime sensing and a flying communications hub.
- The airframe began life as Solar Impulse 2, which circled the globe on solar power in 2015–2016, and its sinking ends plans for a museum display in Switzerland while the NTSB outcome could shape future long-endurance solar aircraft work.