PLANO, Texas (AP) — Federal authorities have authorized the use of a drone to search for a North Texas woman who disappeared more than a week ago.

An emergency waiver from the Federal Aviation Administration authorizes the nonprofit Texas EquuSearch group to send a drone to look for 23-year-old Christina Marie Morris of Fort Worth.

Police in the Dallas suburb of Plano say Morris was last seen Aug. 30 at a local shopping center.

The FAA has tangled with Texas EquuSearch in the past. A federal appeals court this year ruled that an FAA warning to EquuSearch prohibiting it from using drones had no legal consequences.

The FAA is expected to issue final rules on drone use next year.

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