ASRS 2276731

An autonomous 2D mapping mission was being conducted over a campus, to include the park immediately to the south of the campus, by the drone unit of the Local Police Department. The mapping route was set up in the control software, FreeFlight 7 for single pass 2D mapping. The drone passed preflight checks and was operating normally upon launch. The drone launched upon command, rose to 150' AGL, then flew to the furthest point away to begin gathering data. The drone flew 4 passes of the planned 14 and was lost. Visual contact was lost and the link with the controller, which had been showing the camera view and GPS location of the drone, was lost at the same time. No anomalies were observed in the drone's flight path or camera operation. The controller had a solid link to the drone, and no warnings displayed at any time. The controller and drone batteries were both over 90% of full at the time of the incident. The drone has not been located or recovered to date. It is believed the drone experienced a catastrophic failure of a critical system such as the battery, control circuitry, or a motor causing the loss. No damage or injuries are believed to have been caused by this incident.