FAA investigates Amazon after a drone delivery goes wrong

The Federal Aviation Administration is examining an incident in which an Amazon delivery drone struck an overhead internet cable in central Texas.

The agency said the event occurred in Waco on Nov. 18 at about 12:45 p.m. local time. It said a MK30 drone hit a wire line and that regulators have opened a probe into the matter.

The National Transportation Safety Board said it is not investigating the case.

Amazon said the drone had completed a delivery when it made contact with a thin internet cable. The company said the aircraft then carried out a “Safe Contingent Landing,” a procedure built into the system for handling unexpected situations. Amazon said no one was hurt and there were no broad service outages.

Video reviewed by CNBC showed the MK30 rising from a customer’s yard when one of its propellers became caught in a utility line. The footage showed the motors shutting down and the drone descending in a controlled manner.

The incident followed a separate case in October involving Amazon Prime Air aircraft in Arizona. In that event, two drones collided with a crane boom. Both the FAA and the NTSB said at the time that they would examine the Arizona collision.

Amazon has expanded its drone delivery program in recent years. The company launched prescription drug deliveries with Amazon Pharmacy in College Station, Texas, in 2023. The service is part of a broader plan to increase the use of unmanned aircraft in its logistics network.

The company has set a goal of delivering 500 million packages per year by drone by the end of 2030. It has said the MK30 model is designed to handle a range of suburban conditions, including short distances and variable obstacles.

Operations in Texas have played a central role in the program. Amazon facilities at AllianceTexas in Fort Worth anchor some of the firm’s freight activity and support ongoing work on automated delivery technologies.