Drone Crashes on Ninilchik Beach
NTSB is investigating a drone crash that occurred Wednesday.
An ultra-endurance drone registered to Vanilla Unmanned crashed on the beach near Ninilchik, Alaska, on Wednesday, Aug. 20, 2025, according to a preliminary report from the FAA.
The drone, participating in the Arctic Edge 2025 defense exercise, lost power while returning to Kenai Airport and collided with a bluff, sustaining substantial damage. The exercise, conducted by NORAD and USNORTHCOM, is ongoing in Alaska until Aug. 31.
Clint Johnson, chief of the National Transportation Safety Board's Alaska Regional Office, confirmed the drone is approximately the size of a single-engine Super Cub. The NTSB is currently investigating the incident.
Vanilla Unmanned, operated by Maryland-based Platform Aerospace, claims its drones have world-record endurance capabilities, allowing for multi-day flights with significant payload capacity. Platform Aerospace has not commented on the crash.