Amazon’s Prime Air delivery drone program has faced several safety incidents as the company works to expand its autonomous delivery network. In October 2025, two Amazon delivery drones collided with a stationary construction crane in Tolleson, Arizona. In another incident, a delivery drone struck and removed overhead internet cables in Texas. Federal investigations into both incidents remain ongoing.
“We trained the algorithm. We got a pretty good feel, but found that the performance wasn’t good enough in the real world. Let me tell you, it was a humbling experience,” David Carbone, Amazon’s vice president of Prime Air, said during an internal staff meeting in March, according to a recording obtained by CNBC.
Amazon’s drone safety concerns continued in February 2026, when a delivery drone reportedly climbed vertically, crashed into an apartment, and then fell to the ground in Richardson, Texas.
Other drone delivery companies have also experienced safety problems. Alphabet-owned Wing, which operates food delivery drones, was involved in a notable incident in Australia when one of its drones landed on overhead power lines and caught fire. The incident forced energy provider Energex to temporarily cut electricity to approximately 2,000 people.
A Wing delivery drone used for Walmart orders also crashed and caught fire on a grassy field in Kemah, Texas, in March 2026.
Delivery drone noise becomes a growing concern
For many residents, the most common complaints about delivery drones involve persistent noise rather than safety. Some homeowners say they hear drones flying over their properties several times a day, raising concerns about noise pollution and neighborhood disruption.
“That’s the equivalent of having a lawnmower or a leaf blower flying 20 feet over my house 50 times a day,” said Joshua Brent of Hazel Park, Michigan, in an interview with TV station WDIV. “My dog is losing his mind and becoming distraught.”
Numerous discussions about delivery drone noise have also appeared on community-focused Reddit forums. While Wing and Zipline drones are occasionally mentioned, many residents’ complaints focus specifically on the sound produced by Amazon’s Prime Air delivery drones.
Source: arstechnica.com