Drone plunging into erupting volcano keeps recording until its fiery end, video shows

A malfunctioning drone has inadvertently given the world a good idea of what it’s like to fall face first into an erupting volcano.

The 30-second video, shared on YouTube, was recorded at the summit of Iceland’s new Fagradalsfjall volcano, which began erupting in March, Volcano Discovery reports.

Filmmaker Joey Helms says his drone was providing a first person view (FPV) as it traced the volcano’s turbulent river of lava.

But when the drone reached the summit, things quickly went wrong. Lava geysers in the caldera are first seen coming dangerously close to the lens, then are recorded shooting directly at the drone.

The final view is of a growing black stain on the lens, possibly caused by the camera’s melting plastic.

Helms posted the video May 26 and said he was using a “brand new DJI FPV drone” when it crashed into the volcano. The drone retails for about $1,300, according to the DJI Store.

“FPV drones are notorious for crashing, it is part of the hobby,” he wrote.

“So in an effort to get a unique vantage point and perspective into the crater, we flew this remarkably capable drone as close to the lava river and caldera as possible. ... Was it worth it? You tell me! People crash and loose FPV drones all the time, at least we got an epic final view.”

The consensus on social media is the video — which has more than 700,000 views — was worth the sacrifice.

“Freaking yes, it was. Nobody has been closer than you,” one man posted on YouTube.

“If there was ever a time where we could jump back 3 billion years or so to see what our Earth was like in (its) infancy, that time is now. Stunning shots,” another wrote.

“Is it just me who felt that spewing lava through the screen?” James Wagner asked.

This story was originally published June 3, 2021 at 8:32 AM with the headline "Drone plunging into erupting volcano keeps recording until its fiery end, video shows."