It's been well over two years since monthly drone updates have been shared online covering the construction progress of Apple's second campus in California, called Apple Park. Over the weekend, drone videographer Matthew Roberts posted his latest video on YouTube, but instead of covering the newest updates to the campus, the video captured a drone that malfunctioned and crashed over Apple Park.


Roberts said the crashed drone's operator got in touch with him, asking for help in locating the downed drone on Apple's new campus and sharing the footage from the crash with Roberts. The drone that crashed is said to be one of DJI's devices, so the owner was able to review a cached version of the video on the DJI app on their phone/tablet following the incident. "There were no signs of premature failure," the owner said, and it's still unclear why the drone malfunctioned.

Roberts eventually discovered the drone crashed among the solar panels on the roof of the main Apple Park building. The drone's owner has contacted Apple and notified them of the incident, and Roberts said that "it remains to be seen" if Apple will return the drone back to its owner. In the video, it appears that the drone has remained mostly intact following the crash.

apple park drone crash video
In the latest monthly update of Apple Park shared by Roberts earlier in February, the new campus was described as seeing increased activity from employees now that more have moved in, with bicycles appearing throughout parking lots and on walkways. The maintenance facility has also been completed, but Apple is still working on landscaping in a large area located between the main building and Steve Jobs Theater.

Top Rated Comments

djeeyore25 Avatar
94 months ago
An unknown error caused the drone to crash. The drone should be named High Sierra.
Score: 33 Votes (Like | Disagree)
triton100 Avatar
94 months ago
Hopefully Apple will reply to him with an invoice for repair of damage to solar panels.
Just like if someone had crashed their drone on his house.
Score: 23 Votes (Like | Disagree)
tardegrade Avatar
94 months ago
... it's still unclear why the drone malfunctioned.
Apple HQ Lazer Defence Shield, primary test - successful.
Score: 20 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jav6454 Avatar
94 months ago
Why not use another drone to lift and take the “crashed” drone away? I don’t know much of drones, but seems logical since many of these devices can lift themselves twice over now.
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
chriscrk Avatar
94 months ago
Are there laws for drones flying over private property like that, especially for such a secretive company?
This seems dangerous, it could have broken one of the solar panels or even hit someone if it fell in the park area.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
whooleytoo Avatar
94 months ago
Why not use another drone to lift and take the “crashed” drone away? I don’t know much of drones, but seems logical since many of these devices can lift themselves twice over now.
...and if that one crashes, get an even bigger drone to lift the first two off.

It's drones, all the way up...
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iphone 16 display

iPhone 17's Scratch Resistant Anti-Reflective Display Coating Canceled

Monday April 28, 2025 12:48 pm PDT by
Apple may have canceled the super scratch resistant anti-reflective display coating that it planned to use for the iPhone 17 Pro models, according to a source with reliable information that spoke to MacRumors. Last spring, Weibo leaker Instant Digital suggested Apple was working on a new anti-reflective display layer that was more scratch resistant than the Ceramic Shield. We haven't heard...
iPhone 17 Air Pastel Feature

iPhone 17 Reaches Key Milestone Ahead of Mass Production

Monday April 28, 2025 8:44 am PDT by
Apple has completed Engineering Validation Testing (EVT) for at least one iPhone 17 model, according to a paywalled preview of an upcoming DigiTimes report. iPhone 17 Air mockup based on rumored design The EVT stage involves Apple testing iPhone 17 prototypes to ensure the hardware works as expected. There are still DVT (Design Validation Test) and PVT (Production Validation Test) stages to...
Beyond iPhone 13 Better Blue

20th Anniversary iPhone Likely to Be Made in China Due to 'Extraordinarily Complex' Design

Monday April 28, 2025 4:29 am PDT by
Apple will likely manufacture its 20th anniversary iPhone models in China, despite broader efforts to shift production to India, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. In 2027, Apple is planning a "major shake-up" for the iPhone lineup to mark two decades since the original model launched. Gurman's previous reporting indicates the company will introduce a foldable iPhone alongside a "bold"...
iphone 17 air iphone 16 pro

iPhone 17 Air USB-C Port May Have This Unusual Design Quirk

Wednesday April 30, 2025 3:59 am PDT by
Apple is preparing to launch a dramatically thinner iPhone this September, and if recent leaks are anything to go by, the so-called iPhone 17 Air could boast one of the most radical design shifts in recent years. iPhone 17 Air dummy model alongside iPhone 16 Pro (credit: AppleTrack) At just 5.5mm thick (excluding a slightly raised camera bump), the 6.6-inch iPhone 17 Air is expected to become ...
apple watch ultra yellow

What's Next for the Apple Watch Ultra 3 and Apple Watch SE 3

Friday April 25, 2025 2:44 pm PDT by
This week marks the 10th anniversary of the Apple Watch, which launched on April 24, 2015. Yesterday, we recapped features rumored for the Apple Watch Series 11, but since 2015, the Apple Watch has also branched out into the Apple Watch Ultra and the Apple Watch SE, so we thought we'd take a look at what's next for those product lines, too. 2025 Apple Watch Ultra 3 Apple didn't update the...
iPhone 17 Pro Blue Feature Tighter Crop

iPhone 17 Pro Launching Later This Year With These 13 New Features

Wednesday April 23, 2025 8:31 am PDT by
While the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of April 2025: Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro models have a titanium frame, and the iPhone ...
AirPods Pro 3 Mock Feature

AirPods Pro 3 Just Months Away – Here's What We Know

Tuesday April 29, 2025 1:30 am PDT by
Despite being more than two years old, Apple's AirPods Pro 2 still dominate the premium wireless‑earbud space, thanks to a potent mix of top‑tier audio, class‑leading noise cancellation, and Apple's habit of delivering major new features through software updates. With AirPods Pro 3 widely expected to arrive in 2025, prospective buyers now face a familiar dilemma: snap up the proven...
iPhone 17 Pro on Desk Feature

All iPhone 17 Models Again Rumored to Feature 12GB of RAM

Tuesday April 29, 2025 3:36 am PDT by
All upcoming iPhone 17 models will come equipped with 12GB of RAM to support Apple Intelligence, according to the Weibo-based leaker Digital Chat Station. The claim from the Chinese leaker, who has sources within Apple's supply chain, comes a few days after industry analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said that the iPhone 17 Air, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max will all be equipped with 12GB of RAM. ...