Amazon Drones Collide With Crane in Arizona, Deliveries Paused
Two Amazon Prime Air delivery drones collided with a crane in Tolleson, Arizona, on Wednesday. The incident has prompted investigations by the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration. Amazon has paused deliveries in the area but plans to resume on Friday.
The collision occurred at Amazon's same-day delivery site in Tolleson, which began operations in November 2024. Amazon Pharmacy customers in College Station, Texas, have been receiving prescription medications by drone since 2023. Amazon aims to deliver 500 million packages annually by drone by the end of 2030.
Following the incident, Amazon introduced additional safety measures, including enhanced visual landscape inspections to better monitor for moving obstructions like cranes. The U.S. Transportation Department proposed new rules in August to speed the deployment of drones beyond the visual line of sight of operators, which could help prevent such incidents in the future.
Amazon has assured that there were no issues with the drones or supporting technology, and safety remains their top priority. Deliveries in Arizona were paused on Thursday but are set to resume on Friday. The investigations into the collision are ongoing, and Amazon is cooperating with the relevant authorities.
