An Amazon Prime Air delivery drone crashed into an apartment building in Richardson, Texas, on February 4. This incident raised new concerns about the safety of the company’s drone delivery program.
The incident occurred when an MK30 drone collided with the side of an apartment building before falling to the ground. Resident Cessy Johnson, who was working from home, captured the crash on video after hearing the drone flying nearby; something she had never witnessed before.
“The propellers on the thing were still moving, and you could smell it was starting to burn,” Johnson told FOX 4 KDFW.
She reported seeing sparks and falling debris, though fortunately no fire erupted. Firefighters were called to the scene as a precautionary measure.
Amazon personnel arrived shortly after to dismantle and remove the damaged drone. The company confirmed that the drone was in vertical flight when it struck the building.
Amazon spokesperson Terrence Clark issued an apology, stating, “We apologize for any inconvenience and are actively investigating the cause of this incident.” The company is working to repair minor damage to the building, and no injuries were reported.
The crash happened weeks after Amazon launched its drone delivery service in Richardson in December. It comes after a temporary halt of operations in Texas and Arizona because of earlier testing crashes.
This latest incident adds to a troubling pattern of Amazon drone failures. The company’s drones crashed at least eight times during a 13-month period around 2021, including one that caused a large fire. Two drone accidents occurred in Oregon in December 2024, and two Prime Air drones collided with a crane in Arizona in October 2025, prompting FAA and NTSB investigations.
Despite years of work, Amazon’s drone delivery program is still limited. As of February 2026, the service is available in only seven U.S. markets. This includes Kansas City, where service started just days after the Richardson crash. This falls short of the company’s goal to deliver 500 million packages annually via drone by 2029.
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