Salvaging The Aircraft Reportedly Cost Nearly $35,000

A UAV tangled in power lines might not normally be a huge problem, but for Seattle City Light, getting the aircraft untangled came at a price of nearly $35,000.

That's because the aircraft was hanging from a 115,000 volt transmission line 120 feet in the air over Mallard Cove at Lake Union.

The aircraft had been up there for about a week, and houseboat residents of the cove were complaining about a loud buzzing it created. So the utility cut the power to the lines, and then workers riding in a basket pulled themselves about 100 yards from shore to where the UAV was hanging. The entire operation, from setup through a safety briefing to the power being restored, took about two and a half hours, according to The Seattle Times.

Seattle police appropriated the UAV, and hope to find its owner. A police department spokesman said that they will be checking to see if any FAA regulations have been violated. If the owner is found, it's not clear if he or she will be presented with a $35,000 bill for getting it unstuck.

(Image from file. Not stuck UAV)

FMI: www.seattle.gov/light