Drone malfunctions, hits U.S. Navy ship during training

[Sugarcane]

(Reuters) - An aerial target drone malfunctioned and crashed into a United States Navy ship off the coast of southern California on Saturday, leaving two sailors with minor burns, a Navy spokeswoman said.

Two Navy ships were involved in tracking the unmanned drone as part of a training exercise on Saturday afternoon when the drone malfunctioned and collided with the USS Chancellorsville, a guided-missile cruiser, the spokeswoman said on Sunday.

"No person was seriously injured," according to Lieutenant Lenaya Rotklein, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Third Fleet.

About 300 people were aboard the ship at the time, she said. The ship was returning to the Naval Base San Diego for repairs and an investigation into the mishap.

(Refiles to correct spelling to guided-missile, not guide-missile, in second paragraph)

(Reporting by Jonathan Allen; Editing by Scott Malone and Maureen Bavdek)

Drone malfunctions, hits U.S. Navy ship during training| Reuters