An Amazon delivery drone caused a major fire

Amazon has promised drone deliveries and even conducted some tests in some regions, but other companies have already managed to surpass the plans of the online giant. The drone delivery project seems to be behind, affected by internal conflicts, delays and a rapid change of staff, something we also heard about its smart home robot division last year. Apparently, in 2021, an Amazon drone accident created a large fire in Oregon, further delaying the company’s plans.

Amazon Prime Air drone had problems with one of the engines

According to Business Insider, the engine of an Amazon “Prime Air” MK27 drone stopped during the flight, and the drone could be seen falling from an altitude of 50 meters. Following the crash, the drone’s battery burst into flames, and the drone burned completely. However, the fire spread as the drone fell over a field during the summer, spreading over an area of ​​several hectares on a wheat plantation.

These data were recorded by the FAA, the US aviation agency. Another FAA report talks about another Amazon drone that had a similar problem to an engine that crashed. Fortunately, it did not catch fire, and there were no casualties in any of the incidents. However, Prime Air MK27 drones are quite dangerous, compared to other recreational drones, which you can buy in the store, as they weigh 40 kg each.

The company promises to adhere to all safety rules

Amazon also provided an official statement based on these incidents:

“The number one priority for Prime Air is safety. We conduct extensive testing to gather data that continually improves the security and reliability of our systems and operations. During these tests, drones fly over sterile areas to ensure that our employees are safe from possible hazards. We strictly follow the procedures in the way these flights are conducted and how we respond to any incident. In this court, we conducted a test with the utmost care, as is normal in the aviation industry. No employees or community members were at risk, and the team followed all necessary security procedures and reporting regulations. ”said company representatives.

The Prime Air project, announced in 2013, has not yet been officially launched and has not yet made any commercial deliveries. Meanwhile, competing Google Wing has already delivered 100,000 drone deliveries, despite the fact that it was set up long after the Amazon solution.

source: Business Insider