Amazon Drone Drops Package Into Customer's Pool During Delivery Test
Amazon's drone delivery service, Prime Air, has encountered an operational difficulty in Richmond, Texas. A customer, Lindsey Austen, reported that a package was dropped into her backyard swimming pool by an Amazon Prime Air drone. The incident occurred as the company is preparing to expand its drone delivery service to nearly 500 US cities.
Amazon uses drones to deliver lightweight packages weighing up to five pounds, with Prime members receiving free delivery and non-members paying $4.99 per delivery. Austen expressed reluctance to use drone deliveries again after the incident.
The mishap highlights some of the challenges Amazon's expanding drone delivery service faces in terms of regulatory requirements and local restrictions, including noise concerns.