Amazon is set to resume drone deliveries in Arizona after a recent crash, implementing new safety measures to enhance the Prime Air delivery program.
Amazon is moving forward with its drone delivery service, which was temporarily suspended following a crash that occurred earlier this week in Arizona. The incident took place on Wednesday when two drones collided with a crane.
Gabriel Dahlberg, a diesel mechanic who witnessed the crash while parking nearby, reported to KPNX’s 12 News that one of the drones clipped the crane’s cable, which was being used to lift equipment onto a building. According to Sergeant Erik Mendez of the Tolleson Police Department, preliminary investigations revealed that the two Amazon drones were flying in close proximity to each other when they struck the crane, landing approximately 100 to 200 feet apart in separate parking lots.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has announced that it will conduct an investigation into the incident, with Amazon’s cooperation. “We’re aware of an incident involving two Prime Air drones in Tolleson, Arizona. We’re currently working with the relevant authorities to investigate,” stated Amazon spokesperson Terrence Clark in a comment to The Verge.
Following the crash, Clark emphasized that safety remains Amazon’s top priority. “We’ve completed our own internal review of this incident and are confident that there wasn’t an issue with the drones or the technology that supports them,” he said. To enhance safety, Amazon has introduced additional measures, including improved visual landscape inspections to monitor for moving obstructions like cranes.
The drone delivery program has encountered several challenges over the years, including the departure of key executives. Despite these setbacks, Amazon is steadfast in its ambition to utilize drones for delivering 500 million packages annually by the end of the decade.
Amazon began its drone delivery operations in 2022, launching a dedicated drone delivery center in Tolleson. Residents in the area can receive purchases weighing less than five pounds delivered within an hour.
The MK30 drones used by Amazon are approved by the FAA to operate beyond the visual line of sight of their operators. These drones are equipped with a “sophisticated on-board detect and avoid system” designed to prevent collisions, as outlined on the company’s website.
In August, the U.S. Department of Transportation proposed new regulations aimed at expediting the deployment of drones beyond the visual line of sight, a crucial requirement for commercial deliveries. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy remarked at the time, “It’s going to change the way that people and products move throughout our airspace… so you may change the way you get your Amazon package, you may get a Starbucks cup of coffee from a drone.”
As Amazon resumes its drone delivery service, the company is hopeful that these new safety measures will help mitigate risks and enhance the reliability of its Prime Air program.
Source: Original article