Amazon Drone's Unplanned Detour: Internet Blackout After Cable Snag
In a bizarre turn of events that reads like a scene from a science fiction cautionary tale, an Amazon Prime Air drone inadvertently plunged a customer into an internet blackout. The incident, which occurred on November 18th in Waco, Texas, has prompted an investigation and cast a shadow of doubt over the future of Amazon's aerial delivery ambitions. While the drone itself escaped with only minor damage to its rotors, the unintended consequence was a severed internet cable, leaving the customer disconnected from the digital world.
A High-Flying Mishap: The Anatomy of the Incident
Footage shared by CNBC vividly illustrates the moment the Amazon MK30 drone, after completing its delivery, began its ascent. In a startling twist of fate, one of its six propulsion blades became ensnared in an overhead internet cable. The entanglement proved catastrophic, severing the line and causing the drone's engine to power down. Fortunately, the sophisticated onboard systems recognized the anomaly and initiated a "safe, backup landing," allowing the drone to touch down without further incident. Amazon confirmed the drone's controlled descent, emphasizing its designed redundancy for unexpected aerial challenges.
Amazon's Response and Regulatory Scrutiny
A spokesperson for Amazon downplayed the severity of the outage, stating, "There were no injuries and no significant internet disruption." The company acknowledged responsibility, stating they would cover the cost of repairing the customer's cable line and offered apologies for the inconvenience. However, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has not taken such a relaxed view. The agency has launched a full investigation into the incident. This latest mishap follows another concerning event last month where two Amazon Prime Air drones collided with a construction crane in Tolleson, Arizona, leading Amazon to temporarily suspend drone deliveries in that region.
The Ambitious, Yet Stumbling, Drone Delivery Dream
Amazon's pursuit of a 30-minute drone delivery service, a vision championed by Jeff Bezos, has been a decade-long endeavor. The company officially launched its drone delivery program in 2022, targeting two U.S. cities. Yet, progress has been hampered by a complex regulatory landscape and cost-cutting measures that have included significant layoffs. The company has set an audacious goal of delivering 500 million packages annually by drones by the end of this decade. The MK30, the drone involved in the Waco incident, represents the latest generation, touted as quieter, smaller, and lighter than its predecessors. Despite these advancements, the drone's touted "detect and avoid" system, designed to navigate around aerial obstacles, evidently failed to prevent this unfortunate entanglement. Customers are advised to maintain at least 3 meters of clear overhead space to facilitate safe drone arrivals. The drone delivery service in Waco, which only commenced this month and is limited to packages weighing no more than 2.5 kg, now faces an uncertain future.
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