HARRAH, Wash. — A high-tech, high-altitude balloon belonging to Google crashed in a mint field not far from the intersection of Harrah and Fort roads, where it got tangled in power lines early Thursday.
It knocked out power to a small number of homes in the area when it crashed, around 1 a.m., according to Bob Gravely, a spokesman for Pacific Power. A utility employee responded to the area, he said.
“There was what appeared to be a weather balloon with blinking lights entangled in the power lines off Harrah Road,” Gravely said.
Everything was cleared by 6 a.m. he added.
The Federal Aviation Administration confirmed to the Yakima Herald-Republic on Thursday that Google had notified the agency that their device was descending Wednesday night, so that it could ensure that all aircraft stayed safely out of its path.
Google declined to provide details.
But, the company is developing solar-powered balloons that can be used to broadcast a wireless Internet signal in regions that lack traditional access. Known as Project Loon, the balloons are designed to float high in the atmosphere, above commercial air space.
Robert Smith, a Vancouver resident who alerted the Herald-Republic about the falling balloon, has been tracking several of the devices floating over the northwest region via radar, just for fun, since he learned about the technology.
He said that on the radar at 11 p.m., it appear that the balloon was falling about 2,000 feet per minute.
According to the project’s website, each balloon is equipped with a parachute to slow its descent in case of an unexpected landing. Project technicians try to recover the devices, so the electronic parts can be reused, but it remains unknown whether Google staffers drove to Harrah to recover these remains.
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