In the wake of safety concerns surrounding its drone delivery program, the US e-commerce giant Amazon is once again under regulatory scrutiny. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has confirmed that they are investigating an incident involving an Amazon delivery drone that collided with a network cable in Waco, Texas.
The accident occurred around 12:45 p.m. on November 18th when an Amazon MK30 hexacopter drone was departing a customer’s residence after completing a delivery. During takeoff, one of the propellers became entangled with a nearby network cable, causing the cable to be severed.
In response to the incident, Amazon stated to Reuters that the drone “brushed against a slender overhead network cable” and initiated a “Safe Contingent Landing” according to the designed procedures. The company emphasized that no injuries were reported as a result of the accident, and there was no major disruption to the network services.
CNBC, a US financial news outlet, reported that footage obtained at the scene revealed that the drone halted its power after hitting the cable, activated safety procedures, and ultimately landed in a controlled manner with only minor damage to some of its propeller blades.
FAA has launched a formal investigation into the incident, while the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has acknowledged the event but has not opened an investigation at this time.
This incident comes on the heels of a previous accident in Tolleson, Arizona, where two Amazon Prime Air drones collided with a crane’s boom. Both FAA and NTSB had initiated an investigation back in October, resulting in Amazon temporarily halting drone deliveries in the area.
Amazon first introduced the concept of drone delivery in 2013 by its founder Jeff Bezos, and in 2022, the service was launched in College Station, Texas, and Lockeford, California.
In recent months, Amazon has expanded its drone delivery services to cities including Kansas City, Missouri; Pontiac, Michigan; Larkin, Florida; and San Antonio, Texas, with plans for further expansion into Richardson, Texas.
Amazon aims to have drones delivering up to 5 billion packages annually by the end of 2030.