Drone collides with the Space Needle in Seattle

Seattle police are in possession of a drone that crashed into the Space Needle as pyrotechnicians prepared for a fireworks show there on New Year’s Eve.

A video that was posted to YouTube by tech news site GeekWire on Tuesday shows a drone’s eye view of the observation tower from various angles before it crashes into a platform where the technicians are working.

READ MORE: New tools launched to educate Canadians about drones, report misuse

“It looks like the drone tractor beam we installed on the Space Needle is working,” Space Needle CEO and president Ron Sevart said in a statement quoted by GeekWire.

Get daily National news

Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day.

Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up

By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy.

The drone is a DJI Inspire 1, a version of which retails online for as much as US$1,999.

1:58 Meet the 1.5 tonne unmanned drone capable of flying a human being at nearly 200 kph

• Meet the 1.5 tonne unmanned drone capable of flying a human being at nearly 200 kph
• Halifax Fire drone training
• Edmonton police lay first drone-related charge
• Drone footage shows utter devastation of east Aleppo
• Humpback whale drone research

Previous Video

Next Video

Space Needle staff took until Jan. 9 to report the incident to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) because of the effort involved in putting on the annual New Year’s Eve fireworks show, representative Dave Mandapat told Ars Technica.

Staff subsequently informed the police and officers have since placed the drone in evidence.

READ MORE: B.C. gives OK to drone pilot project for searchers

The Space Needle didn’t sustain any damage but the drone did, according to Kiro 7, a CBS-affiliated Seattle network.