A Tesla was caught on video crashing into a $3.5M Cirrus Vision jet after being "summoned" by its owner.
At a Cirrus event at Spokane's Felts Field airport, what appears to be a Tesla Model Y being summoned crashed in a Vision Jet. The video footage, which appears to have been captured by a security camera, went viral after it was shared on social media.
The rogue Model Y kept on going after slamming into the Cirrus Vision at the airfield, believed to be in Spokane. The plane spins around almost in a 360 after being struck by the Tesla, which continues in motion before three unidentified people show up, presumably to stop it. No injuries were reported from the incident. Watch the clip below:
What is Tesla's 'Smart Summon' Mode?
According to social media users, the car was apparently in what Tesla calls "Smart Summon" mode. This feature builds on the company's previous "Summon" feature, which was used by owners to move their cars autonomously for a few feet in their driveway or in tight parking situations.
With the new version, owners are able to Summon their Tesla vehicles from further away, and the cars will navigate more complex parking environments. It is primarily used to have your car drive back "autonomously" to you from where you parked it in a parking lot. In some ways, it was the first truly "self-driving" feature for Tesla, since it could be used without anyone in the car.
But like any of Tesla's Autopilot features or Full Self-Driving Beta, owners need to stay attentive at all times, and be ready to take control. Tesla warns users that: "
"Those using Smart Summon must remain responsible for the car and monitor it and its surroundings at all times."
In order for Smart Summon to work, the owner has to keep their finger on a button in the app. As soon as they lift their finger, the car comes to a stop. In this case, it is particularly concerning that the Tesla vehicle kept moving forward after making contact with the plane.
It's also possible that the owner may not have been paying attention when summoning the vehicle since it looked like there was plenty of time to see that the vehicle was heading straight for the jet.
