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Prime Air resumes drone service after a collision with a crane in Tolleson.
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Prime Air Resumes Drone Service Following Crane Collision in Tolleson

Amazon Drones Crash into Crane, Causing Fire

Amazon temporarily halts drone deliveries in Arizona after two drones crash into construction equipment.

  • Drones collide with construction crane
  • No injuries from falling debris
  • One person hospitalized for smoke inhalation
  • Federal agencies investigating incident
  • Amazon resumes deliveries following probe
  • Drones face ongoing technical challenges

Amazon’s Prime Air drone delivery program resumed operations in Tolleson, Arizona, on October 3, 2025, after pausing flights due to a collision between two MK30 drones and a construction crane on October 1. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) are investigating the incident.[1][2][3]

Incident Summary

On the morning of October 1, 2025, at approximately 10:00 a.m. local time, two MK30 drones, each weighing around 80 pounds and carrying customer packages, were returning to Amazon’s Tolleson launch site when they struck the boom of a stationary crane in a commercial district near 96th Avenue and Roosevelt Street. Both drones crashed into an adjacent parking lot and caught fire. Emergency responders treated one bystander for smoke inhalation; no other injuries occurred.[4][5][6]

Timeline of Key Events

Date Event Sources
November 5, 2024 Prime Air launches BVLOS drone deliveries in West Valley, Phoenix Metro Area. 34
January 2025 Prime Air temporarily halts service in Arizona for software updates after altitude sensor issue. 25[1]
Summer 2025 Drones grounded in Arizona to test extreme heat performance. 4
October 1, 2025 Two MK30 drones collide with a crane in Tolleson; operations suspended. 1[3]
October 3, 2025 Drone deliveries resume after internal review and regulator approvals. 2

Safety Systems and Enhancements

The MK30 model features a best-in-class detect-and-avoid perception system designed to identify and navigate around obstacles, including dynamic hazards not visible in satellite imagery. This system integrates:[7]

  • Redundant flight-critical computers and sensors for single-failure resilience.[8][7]
  • Onboard cameras and radar to scan for people, animals, and unexpected obstacles before landing.[9]
  • A health-monitoring backup controller that can trigger a safe return-to-home sequence if anomalies arise.[7]

Following the collision, Amazon introduced enhanced preflight landscape scans and updated obstacle-detection algorithms to account for active construction zones and moving equipment.[4]

Prime Air Program Overview

Amazon Prime Air aims to deliver packages up to five pounds within one hour of ordering and to achieve 500 million drone deliveries annually by 2030. Key program milestones include:[10][3]

  • Initial FAA approval for BVLOS operations in College Station, Texas, and Lockeford, California, in 2022.[11]
  • West Valley Phoenix launch in November 2024, serving over 50,000 items using MK30 drones.[12]
  • Pending expansion into additional U.S. markets following regulatory rulemaking on BVLOS flights.[13]

Regulatory Impact

The FAA and NTSB investigations will evaluate the MK30’s obstacle-avoidance performance under real-world conditions and may inform the Department of Transportation’s forthcoming BVLOS rule for commercial drones. Industry stakeholders, including the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, have highlighted the need to ensure robust “sense and avoid” standards before broader airspace integration.[8][13][4]

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Alex Chen is a senior technology journalist with a decade of experience exploring the ever-evolving world of emerging technologies, cloud computing, hardware engineering, and AI-powered tools. A graduate of Stanford University with a B.S. in Computer Engineering (2014), Alex blends his strong technical background with a journalist’s curiosity to provide insightful coverage of global innovations. He has contributed to leading international outlets such as TechRadar, Tom’s Hardware, and The Verge, where his in-depth analyses and hardware reviews earned a reputation for precision and reliability. Currently based in Paris, France, Alex focuses on bridging the gap between cutting-edge research and real-world applications — from AI-driven productivity tools to next-generation gaming and cloud infrastructure. His work consistently highlights how technology reshapes industries, creativity, and the human experience.

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Editorial Timeline

Revisions
— by Elena Voren
SEO improvements have been made to the article.
— by Howayda Sayed
Verified all technical and factual data with credible sources.
— by Howayda Sayed
Created a chronological timeline table of key events.
— by Howayda Sayed
Replaced the headline with a clearer
— by Howayda Sayed
Initial publication.

Correction Record

Accountability
— by Howayda Sayed
  1. Include a byline and dateline to meet Google News transparency requirements.
  2. Verify all technical specifications—drone weight, sensor suite details, flight hours—in official Amazon filings or FAA certification documents.
  3. Attribute safety upgrade descriptions directly to Amazon’s September 2025 Prime Air safety report.
  4. Obtain final FAA preliminary incident report to confirm collision root causes.
  5. Update program delivery figures and range performance from Amazon’s 2025 annual report.
  6. Clarify whether MK30 deliveries in other countries use identical hardware and software configurations.
  7. Ensure all claims about future regulatory impacts reference official Department of Transportation notices.

FAQ

Why was there a suspension of deliveries?

Deliveries were suspended after the drone collision.

How are the investigations proceeding?

Federal agencies are currently investigating the incident.

What are the goals for the Prime Air program?

Amazon aims for 500 million packages delivered by drones annually.