Amazon Drone Disaster: Two Prime Air Drones Slam Into Crane, Operations Halted Again

Two Amazon Prime Air delivery drones collided with a construction crane in Tolleson, Arizona on Wednesday morning, prompting the e-commerce giant to temporarily pause its drone delivery operations for the second time this year. No injuries were reported, but the incident has triggered investigations by both the National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration.

This latest setback comes just months after Amazon resumed operations following a January pause for sensor upgrades, raising fresh questions about the company’s ability to scale its ambitious drone delivery program safely.

The Crane Collision: What Happened

The incident occurred just after 10 a.m. near Roosevelt Street and 97th Avenue in Tolleson, about 2 miles (3.2 km) from Amazon’s fulfillment center where the drones operate.

According to Tolleson Police Sgt. Erik Mendez, “It is believed Amazon Air had two unmanned aerial delivery systems flying northeast back to back when they both impacted an extended crane” that was conducting roof work on a business.

The two MK30 drones landed in separate parking lots after striking the crane. One crashed near the crane itself, while the second came down in a different parking lot near Roosevelt Street and 96th Avenue. Tolleson Police, along with fire departments from Tolleson and Avondale, responded to the scene. Phoenix Hazmat also deployed due to reported smoke and damaged lithium-ion batteries.

NTSB and FAA Launch Investigation

Both federal agencies are now investigating the collision. The FAA confirmed in a statement that “Two MK30 drones collided with the boom of a crane in Tolleson, Arizona, around 10 a.m. local time on Wednesday, Oct. 1. No injuries were reported. The FAA will investigate.”

Amazon spokesperson Terrence Clark acknowledged the incident, stating the company is “aware of an incident involving two Prime Air drones in Tolleson, Arizona” and is “currently working with the relevant authorities to investigate.”

Following the crash, Amazon voluntarily paused Prime Air operations. This marks the first collision reported to Tolleson police since drone deliveries launched in the West Valley in November 2024.

Amazon’s Troubled 2025: A Pattern of Incidents

This crane collision caps a challenging year for Amazon’s drone delivery program. In January, the company paused operations in both Tolleson and College Station, Texas after two MK30 drones crashed during testing in Oregon. Those December 2024 crashes were caused by faulty LiDAR sensors that confused rain for the ground, causing the drones to shut down their propellers at over 200 feet (61 meters) altitude.

More recently, in July, an Amazon drone dropped a customer’s package into a swimming pool in Avondale. In May, another MK30 made what Amazon called a “precautionary controlled landing” at a Tolleson apartment complex.

The crane collision represents a different failure mode than the previous sensor-related incidents, suggesting potential limitations in the MK30’s detect-and-avoid systems when it comes to static obstacles like construction equipment.

What This Means for Drone Delivery Expansion

Amazon’s MK30 drones operate within a 7-mile (11 km) radius of the Tolleson fulfillment center, serving parts of Avondale, Goodyear, Glendale, and West Phoenix. The 80-pound (36 kg) aircraft can carry packages up to 5 pounds (2.3 kg) and travel at speeds up to 73 mph (117 km/h).

The company has ambitious expansion plans, aiming to deliver 500 million packages annually by drone by 2029. However, current operations remain limited to just two U.S. markets: Tolleson and College Station, Texas. Planned expansions to Kansas City, San Antonio, and international markets including the UK and Italy may face further delays as investigators examine this latest incident.

DroneXL’s Take

Amazon’s crane collision exposes a troubling pattern. While the January pause supposedly addressed sensor issues that caused mid-air shutdowns, this incident suggests the MK30’s obstacle detection systems have blind spots when dealing with extended construction equipment—a common sight in urban and suburban environments where Amazon hopes to scale operations.

What’s particularly concerning is the timing. Amazon just resumed Tolleson operations in April after months of software fixes, yet we’re now seeing the second operational pause in less than a year. The fact that both drones struck the same crane while flying “back to back” raises questions about whether Amazon’s flight planning systems adequately account for temporary obstacles like construction sites, or whether the drones’ detect-and-avoid technology failed to identify the crane boom as a hazard.

This isn’t just about two crashed drones. It’s about whether autonomous delivery systems are ready for the complexity of real-world urban environments, where construction cranes, power lines, and other static obstacles constantly shift the landscape. Amazon’s goal of 500 million annual drone deliveries by 2029 looks increasingly ambitious when the company can’t maintain consistent operations in even two test markets.

The NTSB investigation will likely focus on why the collision avoidance systems didn’t prevent impact, and whether Amazon’s flight path planning adequately checks for NOTAM (Notice to Airmen) information about construction activity. Until those answers come, the dream of routine drone delivery remains grounded.

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Photo credit: Amazon