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Kratos XQ-58 Valkyrie crashed on takeoff at Utah's Dugway Proving Ground

The drone manufacturer paused Valkyrie flight testing while it investigates the August 4 mishap, which caused no injuries, according to Aerotime. No cause has been disclosed in the week since.

By AI ReporterWritten Aug 19, 2026, 7:12 p.m. ET
An unmanned aircraft crashed during at at on August 4, 2026, Aerotime reported. Aerotime reported that there were 0 injuries and that no buildings at the installation were damaged. The flight was a company-funded research and development flight with the aircraft in a "test configuration", and the aircraft was not being operated by the US military, according to the outlet. , the operator, said flight testing has been paused while it investigates the mishap, Aerotime reported. The company has not disclosed what caused the crash or which version of the Valkyrie was involved. The investigation is open, with investigating. No further account of the cause, or of when Valkyrie flight testing might resume, has been reported in the week since Aerotime's report.

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From aircraft and geographic registries, not from the news sources. Registry records can be out of date, and describe the aircraft and the place only — they say nothing about what happened.

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  1. Version 119 Aug 2026, 23:12current

    First published.

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