It was able to “initiate a controlled emergency landing and landed on Lake Zurich, according to a statement released by Swiss Post on FridayExternal link. Nobody was hurt, and the drone was later recovered by city of Zurich police, as can be seen here.
However, all drone flights on the scheme were stopped temporarily.
The cause is now known: the Swiss Transportation Safety Investigation Board (STSB) has given the cause of the accident as a short circuit, Swiss Post said.
MatternetExternal link, the American manufacturer, has made several modifications to the drones, which have been approved by officials at the Federal Office of Civil Aviation.
Safety a priority
“Swiss Post and Matternet will now resume flights for their customers in Zurich and Lugano [in southern Switzerland] from 15 April 2019,” the statement said. Swiss Post stressed that safety was “the highest priority”.
“Postal drones” have so far carried out more than 3,000 flights without accident in Lugano, Zurich and Bern. Swiss Post describes itself as a pioneer in Switzerland for autonomous and commercial drones, in the medical domain, saying the service is faster, more flexible and environmentally friendly than ground transportation.
Rescue drones
Also on Friday, Swiss air rescue service Rega announcedExternal link that it had developed a special drone that can search for missing people across large areas. It is equipped with various sensors, such as a thermal camera.
The drone will be used in addition to conventional rescue methods and, for example, be used in cases where the helicopter is grounded due to poor visibility, Rega said.
Rega CEO Ernst Kohle said that Rega had “continually used cutting-edge technology” to further improve air rescue and help people in distress.
Popular Stories
More
Multinational companies
Azeri fossil-fuel cash cow brings controversy to Switzerland
Is artificial intelligence an advantage or a disadvantage for workers?
What is your experience with AI at work? Have you already used it? Has it helped you work better? Or has it caused you more stress, more work or caused you to lose your job? Tell us about your experiences!
Swiss price watchdog slams excessive prices for generic medicines
This content was published on
The cheapest generic medicines available in Switzerland are more than twice as expensive as in other countries, according to a study by the Swiss price watchdog.
Nature should not figure in net zero calculations: academic study
This content was published on
The natural removal of CO2 from the atmosphere by forests or oceans should not be included in the net-zero balance of climate protection measures, argue researchers.
This content was published on
None of the 15 major Swiss retail banks is meeting international climate and biodiversity targets, according to a ranking by WWF Switzerland.
This content was published on
Nestlé's new CEO Laurent Freixe, has presented plans for the future of the world's largest food company, after his first few weeks in office.
Swiss foreign minister calls on Moscow to end Ukraine war
This content was published on
It's high time Moscow ended its war against Ukraine, Swiss foreign minister Ignazio Cassis tells the UN Security Council.
This content was published on
The only alternative to the UN Palestinian agency’s work in Gaza is to allow Israel to run services there, Philippe Lazzarini, UNRWA Commissioner-General, told reporters in Geneva on Monday.
Study reveals food culture differences between Switzerland and neighbours
This content was published on
Three-quarters of Swiss people consider eating to be a pleasurable, social activity, a new survey reveals. Healthy eating, however, plays a much less important role, it found.
This content was published on
Switzerland's "Drone Valley" is home to 80 startups in the field. What are the factors driving their success? And how can we avoid chaos in the skies?
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.