Drone Airplane Crashes Into Roof Of Damaged Fukushima Reactor #2

[Ichingcarpenter]

There is nothing to worry about though: according to Tepco, which has a lot of credibility in this sort of thing, it is all under control. From Dow Jones:

The company said there didn't appear to be any damage from the impact of the vehicle, with no fire or smoke observed following the accident. It wasn't known if the vehicle was damaged in any way.

Tepco spokesman Junichi Matsumoto said that due to its small size and weight, the drone is "unlikely to crash through the rooftop and damage the reactor."

Tepco said it may attempt to retrieve the unit using a long crane.

The No. 2 unit is the only one of the four affected reactors to retain its roof following explosions at units 1, 3 and 4 that destroyed much of their outer buildings.

It won't retain its roof for much longer if various airplanes keep crashing into it.

[AlabamaLibrul]

1. link:

http://www.zerohedge.com/article/drone-airplane-crashes-roof-damaged-fukushima-reactor-2

[Ichingcarpenter]

3. Thanks ..... I do wonder if the plane

was affected by radiation..... nay... that couldn't happen
electronics and radiation? nope no correlation.

[GodlessBiker]

2. The drone is being assimilated.

[SpiralHawk]

4. "Down with Drones (R)." - The Droids (R)

[PCIntern]

5. Next time, they'll use a bigger plane...yeah that's the ticket...

WTF...

[SpiralHawk]

6. While you are "not worrying," you can also "not worry" about the flooded Nuke in Nebraska

[Ichingcarpenter]

7. My motto is 'don't panic' not don't worry

that's why I use the depressed robot Marvin the Paranoid Android as my sig.

I've given up after so many disasters and lies.

[Angry Dragon]

11. If they would have put it on floating barges like they wanted

they would not be having this problem

[valerief]

8. Is this from The Onion? nt

[Ichingcarpenter]

9. Nope

but it should be. It is surreal isn't it?

[valerief]

10. Gawd, yeah. nt

[robdogbucky]

12. Plenty of established news sources are carrying this story

Unmanned helicopter crash lands at nuke plant

The operator of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant says it lost control of an unmanned helicopter during a flight near the No. 2 reactor building, forcing the controller to make an emergency landing on a roof there.

Tokyo Electric Power Company says the remote-controlled light helicopter took off from an observatory south of the Fukushima plant just past 6:30 AM on Friday. Its mission was to collect airborne radioactive substances around the No. 2 reactor building.

The utility says its engine failed about 30 minutes later, making it impossible for the aircraft to ascend. The helicopter -- 50 centimeters long and weighing 8 kilograms -- was found lying on its side on the rooftop.

TEPCO says it did not see any smoke or flames coming from the helicopter when it landed, and neither the craft nor the reactor building was damaged. It says it plans to retrieve the helicopter using a mobile crane.

Friday, June 24, 2011 19:16 +0900 (JST)

http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/24_33.html




Robot, Drone Fail On Japan Nuclear-Plant Missions

TOKYO — Two high-tech machines intended to help workers at Japan's tsunami-hit nuclear plant malfunctioned Friday, including a long-awaited Japanese robot making its first attempt to take important measurements in areas too dangerous for humans. The other machine that failed was a drone helicopter that made an emergency landing on a reactor roof at the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant.

Operator Tokyo Electric Power Co. is trying to cool down three molten reactor cores and stop radiation leaks to end a crisis set off when the March 11 earthquake and tsunami crippled the plant. The job is expected to take several more months, and is complicated by massive amounts of radioactive water that could soon leak into the sea.

The Quince robot, developed by Chiba Institute of Technology for nuclear and biological disaster relief activity, had ventured out into the Unit 2 reactor building to set up a gauge to measure the contaminated water pooling in the basement. Radioactivity inside the reactor buildings is too high for workers to take measurements there.

The machine got stuck at a staircase landing and failed to go downstairs, TEPCO spokesman Junichi Matsumoto said. A cable that was supposed to drop a gauge into the basement also malfunctioned. The workers retrieved the robot and were going to make adjustments before sending it back in for another try, Matsumoto said. He did not elaborate...

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/06/24/robot-drone-fail-on-japan-nuclear-plant_n_883920.html