Amazon faces FAA probe after delivery drone incident in Texas

Amazon It faces a federal investigation after one of its delivery drones shot down an internet cable in central Texas last week.

The investigation comes as Amazon faces stiffer competition from the United States as it races to expand drone deliveries to more parts of the United States, more than a decade after it first envisioned its aerial delivery program. WalmartIt also started drone deliveries.

The incident occurred around 12:45 p.m. in Waco, Texas, on November 18. One of Amazon’s MK30 drones was leaving a customer’s yard after dropping off a package when one of its six rotors became entangled in a nearby internet cable, according to a video of the incident viewed and verified by CNBC.

In the video, the Amazon drone is seen cutting the cable line. In the video, the drone’s engine is then seen turning off and its propellers shaking slightly and landing on its own. The drone appeared to remain intact except for some damage to one of its propellers.

The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating the incident, a spokesman confirmed. The National Transportation Safety Board said the agency was aware of the incident but did not launch an investigation into the matter.

Amazon confirmed the incident to CNBC, saying the drone made a “safe conditional landing” after cutting its internet cable, referring to the process that allows its drones to land safely in unexpected conditions.

In a statement to CNBC, an Amazon spokesperson stated that the drone completed the package delivery and said, “There were no injuries or widespread internet service outages. We paid the repair costs of the cable line on behalf of the customer and apologized for the inconvenience this caused them.”

The incident comes after federal investigators opened a separate investigation into a crash involving two Amazon Prime Air planes in Arizona last month. Two planes collided with a construction crane in Tolleson, a city west of Phoenix, causing Amazon to temporarily halt drone deliveries in the area.

Amazon has been working to make this happen for over a decade founder Jeff Bezos Image of drones delivering toothpaste, books and other items to customers’ doors in 30 minutes or less. The company began drone deliveries in College Station, Texas, and Lockeford, California, in 2022.

But progress has been slowed by regulatory hurdles, missed deadlines and layoffs in 2023 that coincide with broader cost-cutting efforts by Amazon CEO Andy Jassy.

The company had previously announced that its goal was to deliver 500 million packages a year by drone by the end of the decade.

The hexacopter-shaped MK30, the newest generation of Amazon’s Prime Air drone, is intended to be quieter, smaller and lighter than previous versions.

Amazon says drones have hardware detect and avoid system This allows them to “detect and avoid obstacles in the air and on the ground.” company recommends Customers must maintain “approximately 10 feet of open space” on their properties so drones can complete deliveries.

Company begins drone deliveries in Waco earlier this month for customers who order eligible items that weigh 5 pounds or less and are within a certain radius of the same-day delivery area. Drone deliveries are expected to drop off packages in under an hour.

Amazon has brought other locations online in recent months, including Kansas City, Missouri, Pontiac, Michigan, San Antonio, Texas and Ruskin, Florida. Amazon also announced plans to expand drone deliveries to Richardson, Texas.

Walmart started offering drone deliveries in 2021 and is now alphabet Wing and venture-backed startup Zipline will offer drone deliveries in several states, including Texas.

WRISTWATCH: Amazon announces satellite terminal for enterprise customers – but Starlink still dominates