Amazon Halts Drone Deliveries In Arizona After A Pair Crashed Into A Crane

Amazon has paused drone deliveries successful nan West Valley Phoenix Metro Area aft a brace of its MK30 drones collapsed into a crane. The clang happened connected Wednesday greeting astatine astir 10AM section clip successful Tolleson, Arizona, astir 2 miles from an Amazon distribution halfway wherever nan drones motorboat and land. There were nary injuries reported, but according to a study by ABC15 Arizona news successful Phoenix, 1 man was treated for fume inhalation from nan wreckage.

Gabriel Dahlberg, a diesel mechanic who witnessed 1 of nan crashes from a adjacent batch while parking a truck, told KPNX’s 12 News that nan drone clipped nan cablegram of nan crane that was being utilized to assistance instrumentality onto a building. According to Sergeant Erik Mendez of nan Tolleson Police Department, nan preliminary investigation showed that nan 2 Amazon drones were flying backmost to backmost erstwhile some collapsed into nan crane and landed astir 100 to 200 feet isolated successful abstracted parking lots.

Local occurrence and constabulary departments responded to nan incident, but nan Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) says it will analyse nan incident pinch Amazon’s cooperation. “We’re alert of an incident involving 2 Prime Air drones successful Tolleson, Arizona. We’re presently moving pinch nan applicable authorities to investigate,” Amazon spokesperson Terrence Clark told The Verge successful an emailed statement.

Amazon began same-day drone deliveries successful Tolleson past November utilizing its MK30 drones that tin transportation payloads up to 5 pounds. It’s not known really agelong nan work will beryllium paused, but it’s nan 2nd clip nan drones person been grounded successful nan area since opening operations little than a twelvemonth ago. Last January drone deliveries were paused truthful Amazon could complete package updates and FAA validations pursuing a drone clang astatine a testing installation successful Oregon.