Mysterious drone that led two helicopters on a 100mph chase for an hour has vanished without a trace

A mysterious drone that led authorities on a high-speed chase through the skies of Arizona is now under investigation by the FBI.

The incident saw a Customers and Border Protection Helicopter alert the Tucson Police Department that a drone was flying too close to their vehicle after it orbited the chopper several times.

This then escalated into an hour-long chase between the drone and two helicopters with the drone reportedly reaching speeds of up to 100 mph.

The drone at one point was said to have entered restricted military airspace at the David-Monthan Air Force Base. It soon vanished northwest out of the city and into the night and the authorities have been unable to locate who was operating the drone although officials now believe it was launched five miles south of Tuscon.

In a report obtained by The Drive, the officers flying the helicopters at the time said the drone maneuvered in a way that managed to “hamper [the Tucson Police Department crew’s] ability to track it visually” adding that it “appeared to move in an erratic pattern as if the signal with its home station was getting weaker” as it moved northwest.

The police were using night vision goggles but were still unable to see the drone properly due to a large green light on the bottom of the gadget. It was said to be between four and six feet in diameter and was described as “high-powered” and “highly-modified.”

Similar incidents are said to have happened in the area in both 2018 and 2019 but this particular event appears unrelated. In a statement, the FBI said: “While the drone did not come into direct contact with an airplane or cause a pilot to make an evasive maneuver, the actions are illegal and extremely dangerous.”

The pilot is like to face federal criminal charges if ever identified.