The June 2020 video shows a Hoversurf Scorpion-3, a four-rotor electric hoverbike, losing lift and falling roughly 30 meters in Dubai. Reporting at the time linked the craft to a Dubai Police test program. The rider was reported to be unhurt. Coverage did not establish that the rider was a police officer, and the cause of the fall was never settled in the reporting available.
What the footage shows
The clip circulated in June 2020. Coverage dated June 11 and 12, 2020 described the craft as a Dubai Police-associated test vehicle that lost lift and descended before striking the ground. InsideEVs reported that the pilot’s identity was unclear, and that is still the position of the reporting available today.
The headline’s word “cop” describes the story’s intended framing, not a confirmed fact. What the sources support is narrower: the craft was associated with Dubai Police, and the rider’s role within the force is unverified.
Who said what about the cause
Two explanations appeared in June 2020, and they do not agree.
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The manufacturer’s barometer explanation
InsideEVs quoted Hoversurf, the craft’s manufacturer, as saying:
“The barometer in Dubai refused and an accident occurred – a down from a height of 30 meters. All safety systems worked well, and the pilot was not injured. Safety is our main concern. It is thanks to such incidents that our designs are becoming more safe.”
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This is the company’s own account. The quote does not name an individual speaker, and no independent investigator is cited as confirming it.
The mechanical-failure account
A second June 2020 report from webBikeWorld said the rider was not hurt in the 30-meter fall. It also noted that the original official video had been deleted. The article cited a mechanical-failure explanation carried by another outlet. That explanation differs from the barometer account, and the reporting does not resolve the difference or identify a technical investigation behind either version.
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Until an independent finding is published, the cause should be treated as unresolved. Neither account can be presented as established fact.
Why a Dubai Police link exists
The craft’s association with the force goes back several years before the crash. The sources below show what was announced and when, and what they leave unproven.
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| Date | Outlet | What it reports | What it does not establish |
|---|---|---|---|
| October 2017 | The National | Dubai Police unveiled a flying bike at GITEX. Launch footage showed a stunt rider at police headquarters. | Does not set a date for operational use. |
| November 2018 | Khaleej Times | Dubai Media Office footage showed officers training on a Hoversurf Scorpion-3. The report described plans for police service by 2020 and attributed a rapid-response rationale to Brigadier Khalid Al Razzouqi, Director of the Directorate General of Artificial Intelligence at Dubai Police. | Does not show the craft in regular service. Plans are not deployment. |
| June 11–12, 2020 | InsideEVs | The craft lost lift and descended about 30 meters before hitting the ground. Hoversurf’s barometer statement was quoted. | Does not identify the pilot or give an independent cause. |
| June 2020 | webBikeWorld | The rider was not hurt. The original official video had been deleted. A mechanical-failure explanation was cited via another outlet. | Does not resolve the conflict with the barometer account. |
In describing the 2018 plans, Khaleej Times quoted Brigadier Al Razzouqi as saying the craft would strengthen the force’s rapid-response capability. The English wording of that remark is not reliably preserved in the reporting, so it should be read as a paraphrase rather than a direct quote.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Published specifications
Khaleej Times relayed two figures from Hoversurf in 2018. These describe the period model and should not be read as current specifications for any Hoversurf product:
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- Weight: 114 kg, as reported by Khaleej Times in 2018 from Hoversurf figures.
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The fall height of about 30 meters comes from Hoversurf’s description of the incident as reported by InsideEVs in 2020. No crash statistics or independently verified injury data for hoverbikes were found in the coverage.
What remains unknown
- The rider’s identity and whether the rider was a police officer.
- The technical cause of the fall, including whether the barometer or a mechanical fault was responsible.
- Whether the Scorpion-3 entered regular Dubai Police service after the 2018 training footage.
- Whether the original official video is available from an official source.
Readers searching for the clip should treat unofficial reposts with caution. The original was reported as deleted, and the reporting does not establish which copies, if any, are authentic.
The full sequence is clear: a 2017 unveiling, a 2018 training record, and a 2020 fall that the manufacturer blamed on a sensor and a second report attributed to mechanical failure. The cause of that fall remains unresolved.
For more on how aviation-style vehicle incidents are investigated, see carcody.com.
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