Amazon is under investigation by federal authorities following an incident where one of its delivery drones damaged an internet cable in central Texas last week.
This investigation surfaces as Amazon aims to broaden its drone delivery services across more regions of the U.S., over a decade after launching the aerial distribution initiative, while encountering increased competition from Walmart, which has also commenced drone delivery services.
The event took place on November 18 at approximately 12:45 p.m. Central time in Waco, Texas. After delivering a package, one of Amazon’s MK30 drones was climbing out of a customer’s yard when one of its six rotors became entangled with a nearby internet cable, as per footage of the occurrence verified by CNBC.
The footage captures the Amazon drone severing the cable. The drone’s propulsion system then appeared to deactivate, and the aircraft executed a landing, with its rotors slightly spinning during descent, as depicted in the video. The drone seemed to remain operational aside from some damage to one rotor.
The Federal Aviation Administration is looking into the case, a spokesperson confirmed. The National Transportation Safety Board stated it is aware of the incident but has not initiated an investigation.
Amazon acknowledged the incident to CNBC, asserting that after snagging the internet cable, the drone made a “safe contingent landing,” which is a protocol that enables its drones to land securely under unexpected circumstances.
“There were no injuries or major internet service interruptions. We have covered the repair cost of the cable for the customer and sincerely apologized for the inconvenience this incident caused,” an Amazon representative informed CNBC, mentioning that the drone had successfully finished its package drop-off.
This occurrence follows a federal inquiry initiated last month regarding a collision involving two of Amazon’s Prime Air drones in Arizona. Those two drones collided with a construction crane in Tolleson, a city situated west of Phoenix, leading Amazon to temporarily suspend drone deliveries in that region.
For more than ten years, Amazon has been striving to achieve founder Jeff Bezos’ ambition of utilizing drones to deliver toothpaste, books, and other products to consumers’ doorsteps within 30 minutes or less. The company launched drone deliveries in 2022 in College Station, Texas, and Lockeford, California.
However, progress has been hampered by a combination of regulatory challenges, unmet timelines, and workforce reductions in 2023 that occurred alongside wider cost-cutting measures by Amazon CEO Andy Jassy.
The firm has previously indicated its aim is to deliver 500 million packages annually by drone by the conclusion of the decade.
The MK30, shaped like a hexacopter, represents the newest iteration of Amazon’s Prime Air drone, designed to be quieter, smaller, and lighter than earlier models.
Amazon claims that these drones are equipped with a sense-and-avoid technology that allows them to “identify and avoid obstacles both in the air and on the ground.” The company advises that customers keep “about 10 feet of clear space” on their premises for successful deliveries.
The company commenced drone deliveries in Waco earlier this month for customers within a designated radius of its same-day delivery site who order eligible items weighing 5 pounds or lower. The goal for these drone deliveries is to complete packages in under an hour.
Amazon has launched additional locations in recent months, which include Kansas City, Missouri, Pontiac, Michigan, San Antonio, Texas, and Ruskin, Florida. Plans have also been announced to extend drone deliveries to Richardson, Texas.
Walmart initiated its drone delivery services in 2021 and currently collaborates with Alphabet’s Wing and the venture-backed startup Zipline to facilitate drone deliveries across several states, including Texas.
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