NORAD blimp breaks free, knocks out power before landing

Thursday, October 29, 2015, 9:25 AM - A military surveillance blimp that broke free of its tethers Wednesday amid windy conditions in Maryland landed safely and securely on the ground Wednesday.

The blimp was mostly deflated when it landed safely in the vicinity of Moreland Township, Pennsylvania Wednesday afternoon, according to NORAD officials. 

This video above shows the blimp floating at low altitude before grounding near Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania.

The blimp detached from its tethers at the Aberdeen Proving Ground just before noon and drifted at an altitude of 4,876 metres over New Wilmington, Pennsylvania for approximately three hours, sending U.S. officials scrambling to retrieve the rogue air craft.

It did not pose a threat to populated areas, and no injuries were reported.

By 3:15 p.m., NORAD confirmed the air craft was on the ground. Additional reports suggest there is a 2-km line of damage from a steel tether dragging on the ground as the blimp descended.

The tether damaged several power lines, resulting in widespread outages and nearly 15,000 customers without electricity.

Bloomsburg University was forced to cancel classes for the remainder of the day due to a lack of power.

Two F-16 fighter jets were closely monitoring the unmanned craft as it drifted, while the North American Aerospace Defense Command worked with the Federal Aviation Agency to maintain air traffic safety.

While it's not clear how the blimp got loose, Defence Secretary Ash Carter told reporters “this happens in bad weather” at a Wednesday afternoon press conference.

According to The Weather Channel, it was rainy and gusty in Maryland at the time of the incident.

Sources: Baltimore Sun | Weather Channel | CNN