Amazon has temporarily suspended its drone delivery operations in the western region of the Phoenix metropolitan area after a troubling incident in which two of its cutting-edge MK30 delivery drones collided with a large construction crane. The accident occurred on Wednesday morning, just after 10 a.m. local time, in the community of Tolleson, Arizona. This location is situated only about two miles from an Amazon distribution hub that has served as a central launching and landing site for the company’s aerial delivery service. While no major physical injuries to bystanders or workers were officially reported, local news outlet ABC15 Arizona noted that one individual required medical attention for smoke inhalation caused by exposure to the crash debris.
Eyewitness accounts have provided further insight into the circumstances of the collision. Gabriel Dahlberg, a diesel mechanic who happened to be parking a truck in a lot near the scene, described to KPNX’s 12 News that at least one of the drones had clipped the cable of a crane that construction workers were actively using to hoist heavy equipment onto a nearby building. His statement aligns with the findings shared by Sergeant Erik Mendez of the Tolleson Police Department. Initial investigative reports indicate that the two MK30 drones were operating in close formation, flying in sequence or “back-to-back,” when they both made unintended contact with the crane structure. Upon impact, the drones fell to the ground, landing apart from one another at distances estimated between 100 to 200 feet away in separate nearby parking areas.
The aftermath of the crash prompted immediate responses from local first responders, including both fire and police departments, who secured the scene and managed any potential hazards linked to the wreckage. However, due to the involvement of unmanned aerial systems and their complex regulatory oversight, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has confirmed that it will conduct an official investigation. Amazon has also pledged its full cooperation. In a formal emailed statement sent to The Verge, Terrence Clark, an Amazon corporate spokesperson, emphasized the company’s awareness of the situation and its ongoing collaboration with government authorities to determine the precise causes of the event.
Amazon’s drone delivery service in Tolleson was first launched in November of the previous year, utilizing the newly designed MK30 drones, which are engineered to deliver packages weighing up to five pounds. The recent suspension of operations has not been given a definitive duration, leaving uncertainty as to when the program will resume. This event marks the second notable disruption since the system began operating less than a year ago. Earlier in January, Amazon had voluntarily grounded its drone fleet in the region to carry out critical software improvements and to complete additional FAA validations following a separate crash involving a test drone at a facility located in Oregon. Taken together, these incidents underscore the immense technical and logistical challenges Amazon faces as it strives to make its vision of routine, large-scale aerial deliveries a consistent and dependable reality.
Sourse: https://www.theverge.com/news/790636/amazon-prime-mk30-drone-delivery-crash-arizona-pause
