In a stunning, real-world test of the idiom “when pigs fly,” an attempt to transport livestock via drone in China’s Sichuan province went spectacularly offline, taking the local power grid down with it. The ambitious plan involved airlifting multiple “year-end pigs”—livestock destined for slaughter for Lunar New Year feasts—from a remote mountain farm. Unfortunately, the inaugural flight on January 24th ended with the first pig and its drone chariot tangled in high-voltage power lines.
The incident, which occurred before dawn in Tiefozhen village, Tongjiang County, was blamed on low visibility. The drone and its porcine passenger became suspended mid-air, causing a short circuit that plunged the entire village into darkness. After the villager’s own attempts to resolve the precarious situation failed, power crews were called in. It took a 12-person team 10 hours to clear the entanglement and repair the damaged infrastructure, with repair costs estimated at nearly 10,000 yuan (about $1,400).
Local police are investigating the incident, noting the farmer is suspected of operating the drone in a no-fly zone. The fate of the high-flying pig has not been officially confirmed, though some reports suggest it survived the ordeal, albeit “a bit shaken up.”
Why is this important?
This incident, while darkly comical, serves as a stark, bacon-scented reminder of the logistical hurdles facing the drone delivery industry. While agricultural drones are increasingly common in China for tasks like crop spraying, using them for heavy-lift cargo in complex, rural environments presents a different level of risk. The episode underscores the critical need for rigorous planning, risk assessment, and adherence to aviation regulations—especially when your payload is a live animal and your flight path crosses critical infrastructure. It proves that even the most innovative solution is only as strong as its weakest link, which in this case was the unfortunate intersection of a pig, a power line, and a pre-dawn flight plan.
