HARRAH — Almost a week after one of Google’s high-tech Loon balloons crashed into powerlines along Harrah Road in the Lower Yakima Valley, the technology giant acknowledged the incident Tuesday.
The Federal Aviation Administration said Thursday that Google reported to it that the device had fallen through commercial airspace and that air traffic controllers had kept planes safely out of the way. The crash caused a small power failure, according to Pacific Power.
Google, however, declined to comment at the time.
But a number of other newspapers and television stations eventually picked up the story and, in response, Google offered a statement Tuesday saying:
“Since launching Project Loon in New Zealand last year, we’ve continued to do research flights to improve the technology. We coordinate with local air traffic control authorities and have a team dedicated to recovering the balloons when they land.”
