Seattle’s Space Needle is an icon of the paleo-future, constructed for the futuristic 1962 World’s Fair. But this relic of the past just collided quite violently with the future. And literally too, as you can see from video released this week.




This footage of a drone crashing into the Space Needle was captured on New Year’s Eve by a yet-unnamed drone pilot. The video was released just this week to authorities and instantly went viral because, well, we like to see shit run into other shit.

The Seattle Police Department identified the pilot through the serial number on the drone, presumably through the FAA’s mandatory registry of unmanned aerial vehicles. But that’s too bad for the pilot.


Seattle doesn’t have any specific anti-drone laws, but the city is contemplating charges, according to CNN. The pilot could be charged with reckless endangerment, which has a maximum of a year in prison and a $5,000 fine. It’s not clear if the pilot was alone, nor if they were filming for recreational or commercial purposes.

But you really can’t fault the pilot for trying. The full video really does get some impressive shots before the crash. The Space Needle, thankfully, wasn’t damaged in any way.

“It looks like the drone tractor beam we installed on the Space Needle is working,” Space Needle CEO Ron Sevart jokingly told CNN in a statement. “This is the third time we’ve recovered a drone on our property.”