FutureFlight
Bell APT Autonomous Cargo Drone Crashes in Texas
A Bell APT 70 UAV cargo drone crashed last week in Texas.
A Bell Autonomous Pod Transport (APT) cargo drone is pictured in flight
A Bell Autonomous Pod Transport (APT) cargo drone crashed in Texas on March 14. (Photo: Bell)

One of Bell’s Autonomous Pod Transport (APT) cargo drones crashed on March 14 in a field near Mineral Wells, Texas, in what is being categorized as a “loss of control” accident by the FAA. A spokeswoman for Bell said that no injuries resulted from the incident and directed questions to the National Transportation Safety Board.

The APT 70 experimental aircraft, with registration number N314AL, first flew in 2019. The aircraft has a range of 22 miles (35 kilometers) with a 100-pound (45 kilograms) payload and a maximum speed of 86 knots. The battery-powered aircraft is designed to fly in winds up to 30 mph (48 kph) at temperatures up to 125 degrees Fahrenheit (52 degrees Celsius). Damage to the 300-pound (136 kg) vehicle is unknown. 

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