Amazon's Prime Air Drones Collide with Crane in Arizona
Amazon's Prime Air drone delivery service faced an unexpected incident on Wednesday in Tolleson, Arizona. Two delivery drones collided with a crane boom, raising safety concerns. Despite the mishap, Amazon has swiftly addressed the issue and resumed operations.
The incident occurred as Amazon's drone delivery service continues to expand. The company began operations in the Phoenix metro area's West Valley in November. Amazon's Prime Air drones can deliver eligible items weighing 5 pounds or less in under an hour.
Amazon has been proactive in enhancing safety measures. It introduced additional processes, such as enhanced visual landscape inspections, to monitor for moving obstructions like cranes. Despite these measures, the collision with the crane boom occurred. The National Transportation Safety Board and Federal Aviation Administration are now investigating the incident.
Amazon has also been at the forefront of drone delivery innovation. In 2023, it started delivering prescription medications by drone in partnership with Amazon Pharmacy, first in College Station, Texas, and later in the U.S. Virgin Islands' Christiansted. The company aims to deliver 500 million packages annually by drone by the end of 2030.
Following the incident, Amazon paused drone deliveries in Arizona on Thursday but resumed them on Friday after conducting an internal review. The company's top priority remains safety, and it is cooperating with authorities to determine the cause of the collision. Meanwhile, the U.S. Transportation Department has proposed new rules to speed the deployment of drones beyond the visual line of sight of operators, indicating a broader push for drone integration into daily life.
