Amazon Drone Delivery Takes a Dip: Package Plops into Avondale Pool

Hold onto your floaties, DroneXL fans, because Amazon’s Prime Air delivery program just made a splash—and not the good kind! On July 31, 2025, an Avondale, Arizona, resident named Daniel Muniz watched his Amazon drone delivery go from high-tech to high-dive when it dropped his package into his backyard pool. Caught on camera, this soggy mishap has our drone enthusiasts chuckling and scratching their heads. Is Amazon’s drone delivery the future of shopping, or is it still all wet? Let’s dive into the details of this poolside blunder and what it means for the future of drone delivery.

What Happened?

Amazon’s been testing its Prime Air drone delivery in Tolleson and Avondale, promising to zip packages to your doorstep in 60 minutes or less. Their MK30 drones can carry up to 5 pounds of goodies—like batteries, toiletries, or, in Muniz’s case, a bottle of vitamins—within a 7-mile radius of their Tolleson fulfillment center. Muniz, curious about the futuristic service, opted for a drone drop and watched as the MK30 hovered over his backyard, guided by a pre-selected drop zone in the Amazon app.

But here’s where it gets juicy: the drone plopped the shoebox-sized package onto the grass, only for its propellers to kick up a gust that sent the vitamins skidding into Muniz’s swimming pool.

“I didn’t even know how to react,” Muniz said, probably wondering if he should grab a pool net or just order a waterproof drone next time.

Lucky for him, the vitamins weren’t fragile, but the viral video of this aquatic fumble has everyone talking about whether Amazon’s drones are ready to fly—or swim. Maybe they need to start using the new HoverAir Aqua

Not Amazon’s First Drone Oopsie

This pool plunge isn’t Prime Air’s first rodeo with trouble. In May 2025, an MK30 drone “crash-landed” (Amazon prefers “precautionary controlled landing”) in a Tolleson apartment complex, startling residents but causing no harm. Amazon blamed “external factors” for that one, keeping it vague like a politician dodging a question. Earlier, in January 2025, they paused all Arizona drone deliveries after a crash at their Oregon test site, though they insisted it was for software tweaks, not safety. Clearly, these drones are hitting more bumps than a kid on a pogo stick.

Amazon’s response to the pool incident was a textbook mea culpa from spokesperson Steve Kelly: “Incidents like this are rare, and we apologize for the inconvenience this caused Mr. Muniz”. They’re ready to chat with Muniz, but he’s not sold on drone delivery unless he’s home to play catch—or lifeguard.

Posts on X lit up with the video, with users joking about Amazon’s new “pool delivery” option.

How Prime Air Works (or Tries To)

Amazon’s Prime Air is all about speed, aiming to deliver 50,000 everyday items—like Chapstick, AirPods, or vitamins—in under an hour. The MK30 drones, FAA-approved for beyond-visual-line-of-sight flights, operate within a 7-mile radius of Tolleson, covering parts of Avondale, West Phoenix, and Goodyear.

You pick your drop zone via a map in the app, and the drone’s supposed to nail it. But as Muniz learned, “supposed to” doesn’t always mean “will.” The service costs $9.99 for Prime members and $14.99 for non-members, which feels like a lot when your package ends up doing laps in the pool.

How It Compares

Amazon’s not alone in the drone delivery game—Walmart, Wing, and Zipline are all vying for airspace. But while the HoverAir Aqua we recently covered can float and film on water like a pro, Amazon’s MK30 seems to treat pools as target practice. The Aqua’s IP-67 waterproofing and buoyant design make it a natural for aquatic environments, while the MK30’s clearly not ready for a swim. Amazon’s got the edge in scale, with plans for 500 million global drone deliveries by decade’s end, but these mishaps show they’re still fine-tuning.

The Catch

The pool plunge highlights a bigger issue: trust. If your drone delivery lands in the deep end, you’re not just out a package—you’re questioning whether this tech’s worth the hype. The MK30’s 11-minute flight time and weather restrictions (no storms, no high winds) already limit its use. Add in a $9.99-$14.99 fee per delivery, and customers might stick to the old-school delivery truck. Plus, with only a 7-mile radius, Prime Air’s reach is limited, and these public flubs aren’t helping sell the dream.

DroneXL Take

As a drone pilot who’s dodged more than a few backyard hazards, I’m equal parts amused and annoyed by this one. I’ve flown drones over fields and forests, praying for a soft landing, but watching an Amazon drone turn a package into a pool toy is next-level chaos. Prime Air’s got big potential—60-minute delivery is the kind of thing that makes you feel like you’re living in the future. But if my vitamins are doing the doggy paddle, I’m not impressed.

For our 50-year-old drone lovers, this is a classic case of “cool idea, needs work.” The MK30’s got the tech to zip packages to your door, but Amazon needs to tighten up their drop zones—maybe add a “no pools” checkbox in the app. Compared to the HoverAir Aqua, which laughs at water, the MK30’s looking like it needs floaties. I’m rooting for Amazon to get it right, but for now, I’d rather trust my own drone skills than risk a soggy delivery. What do you think—would you give Prime Air a shot, or is this pool party a dealbreaker? Splash your thoughts in the comments!

Photographs courtesy of AZ Family