Rogue military drone lands in Springs man’s backyard

A rogue military drone landed in a Colorado Springs man’s backyard Tuesday afternoon.

Ronald Fisk told KRDO NewsChannel 13 that he was working in his backyard on the east side of Colorado Springs when he noticed a strange object on the ground.

“It was like a remote-control airplane with a 3-foot wingspan,” Fisk said. “There were lights flashing on it and a big camera on the front.”

Fisk said a few minutes later the tail section of the drone fell out of a tree in his yard.

“It looked very expensive and I couldn’t figure out who owned it,” Fisk said. “So I wrote my telephone number on a piece of paper because the camera was moving and held it in front of the camera thinking someone would call me if they wanted it back.”

When that didn’t work, Fisk called police. Officers took the drone, and later Fort Carson officials claimed responsibility for the mishap.

In a written statement, Fort Carson officials told KRDO NewsChannel 13 that the drone was flying in support of increased security measures on Fort Carson when the operator lost communication with it. The drone did not cause any damage or injuries and was flying in compliance with all FAA regulations, according to Fort Carson. The Mountain Post said it is conducting an investigation into the incident.

The drone traveled approximately 10 miles to reach Fisk’s home.