(Reuters) -The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration is probing Amazon after one of its delivery drones downed an internet cable in central Texas last week, CNBC reported on Tuesday, citing a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) spokesperson. The e-commerce major confirmed the incident to CNBC, saying that after clipping the internet cable, the drone performed a “safe […]
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FAA probes Amazon after delivery drone snaps internet cable in Texas, CNBC reports
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(Reuters) -The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration is probing Amazon after one of its delivery drones downed an internet cable in central Texas last week, CNBC reported on Tuesday, citing a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) spokesperson.
The e-commerce major confirmed the incident to CNBC, saying that after clipping the internet cable, the drone performed a “safe contingent landing”, adding that there were no injuries.
Video footage reviewed by the network showed one of Amazon’s MK30 drones ascending from a customer’s yard when one of its six propellers became entangled in a utility line. The drone’s motors subsequently shut down, resulting in a controlled descent.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said the agency is not investigating the incident. Amazon and FAA did not immediately respond to Reuters’ requests for comment.
This comes after NTSB and FAA said in October that they would investigate a separate incident where two Amazon Prime Air drones collided with a crane boom in Arizona.
Amazon began delivering prescription medications by drones in partnership with Amazon Pharmacy to customers in College Station, Texas in 2023.
The e-commerce firm has a goal of delivering 500 million packages annually by drone by the end of 2030.
(Reporting by Preetika Parashuraman in Bengaluru; Editing by Rashmi Aich)