Amazon’s autonomous delivery drone program is set to expand to 500 cities across the United States, but recent incidents have highlighted operational challenges involving water hazards. Video footage released by local news outlet ABC7 News Bay Area on Wednesday documented a Prime Air drone depositing a package directly into a customer’s pool in Texas. The incident represents part of a pattern of similar occurrences that have affected the service.
This marks the latest in a series of water-related delivery mishaps for the company’s drone program. In July of the previous year, an Amazon drone dropped a package near a customer’s pool in Arizona, with the downward air from the aircraft’s propellers pushing the package into the water. The customer involved stated he had authorized Amazon to select the delivery location automatically. An additional incident from May showed a drone dropping a package adjacent to a pond, with the package bouncing and subsequently rolling into the water.
Amazon has experienced other technical difficulties with its drone fleet in recent operations. The company suspended drone deliveries in the West Valley Phoenix Metro Area following two MK30 drone crashes involving a crane structure. Beyond water-related incidents, the aircraft have been involved in other accidents, including damaging an internet cable and striking an apartment building.
Amazon’s current safety protocols indicate that drones will evaluate delivery zones before releasing packages, checking for the presence of people, animals, and vehicles in the area. However, the recurring water incidents suggest that water-based obstructions may not be included in these assessment procedures. The company has not provided a public response to inquiries regarding the incidents and whether safety measures will be updated to account for water features such as pools and ponds.
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