MW2 DMZ Observatory crash site hard drive: How to find & extract

Are you struggling to find and extract the hard drive near the crash site in DMZ? Locating and securing a missing hard drive is the primary objective of one of the DMZ Faction Missions for the White Lotus. This primer contains step-by-step instructions on how to find and extract the hard drive near the crash site in DMZ.
Where to find the hard drive near the Observatory crash site in DMZ

The crash site in question is at Zaya Observatory in Al Mazrah. At the south-most end of Zaya Observatory, near the E6 coordinates, there is a winding dirt road leading up to the observatory. On the side of the road, you will find a burning car flipped upside down, indicating that you have arrived at the crash site.
Underneath the blistering automobile sits an Ashika security hard drive. Only one of these hard drives spawns each match of DMZ, so if you're not the first player to visit the crash site, it might not be there. If this is the case, you must either find and eliminate the player that holds the hard drive or boot up a fresh instance of Al Mazrah and try again.
- Equipping the different MW2 DMZ Plate Carriers will boost your chances of successfully extracting with the hard drive.
How to extract the hard drive near the Observatory crash site in DMZ

With the hard drive secured, make your way toward an exfil point and call in a helicopter. Safely escape in the chopper with the hard drive on your person to complete the second step of the Break Check Faction Mission.
After escaping Al Mazrah with the hard drive, the final objective tasks you with travelling to Ashika Island and dropping the hard drive off in the MW2 DMZ Waterways dead drop. Leave the hard drive in the Waterways dead drop to complete the Break Check Mission for the White Lotus Faction.
This multi-step DMZ Faction Mission is a tough one, as its objectives require you to venture to Al Mazrah and Ashika Island. Furthermore, if you die at any point, you must start the mission over again from the beginning. With that, follow the instructions outlined in this guide carefully to find and extract the hard drive near the crash site in DMZ and impress the White Lotus.
The Waterways dead drop is right next to the secret bunker on Ashika Island.