The plane flew into the eye of the hurricane to gather data and release a second uncrewed aircraft system for research purposes.
A plane that flew into Hurricane Helene for scientific research has returned safely, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) said in an update.
One of the weather agency’s Hurricane Hunter aircraft flew into the eye of the hurricane on Thursday.
Observers noted online that the aircraft appeared to be circling inside the eye, and some expressed concern about its safety.
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In a post on X, formerly Twitter, the NOAA Aircraft Operations Center said: “To address rumors – the NOAA WP-3D Orion N42RF #NOAA42 and crew are in good condition and have completed their mission.
“During their second of four eyewall passes in Hurricane #Helene, the crew orbited within the eye to release a second uncrewed aircraft system for research purposes. The crew was also evaluating if landing conditions would allow a return to home base instead of point of origin.
