Amazon revises drone delivery operations in Texas after crash and noise complaints
Amazon has changed its drone delivery operations in Richardson, Texas, after a crash into an apartment building and complaints from nearby residents about noise. The adjustments are designed to reduce disruption in surrounding neighborhoods while allowing Prime Air to keep operating in the Dallas suburb.
Prime Air began service in Richardson in December after the city approved zoning changes last year for deliveries within a 7.5-mile radius of Amazon’s local facility. Within weeks, residents near the site began complaining about noise during takeoff and the volume of flights passing over their homes. On Feb. 4, one of Amazon’s drones struck an apartment building and fell to the ground a few feet from a sidewalk. No one was injured and damage to the building was described as minimal, but the incident intensified concerns about the safety of the newly launched service. Amazon said it investigated the event, shared information with the relevant authorities and apologized to affected community members.
Following discussions with city officials, Amazon agreed to a set of operational changes. Drones will now climb to 225 feet on initial ascent, up from 200 feet, before proceeding over nearby residential areas. The company also agreed to create a no-fly zone over a church next to the operation center and reroute some departing flights so they initially pass over commercial property rather than homes. At a city council meeting in March, Amazon said the February crash involved GPS interference linked to the size of the apartment building. City officials said the drone appeared to have completed a delivery in a confined open space before striking a gutter while ascending. Amazon has since removed larger multifamily buildings from its drone delivery service in Richardson, and the Federal Aviation Administration has investigated the crash.
Richardson officials said community feedback has generally improved since the changes were introduced, although some residents still want the company to raise minimum flight altitude further to cut noise. The city also wants Amazon to keep diversifying flight paths so repeated takeoffs and climbs do not concentrate over the same neighborhoods. Amazon has made more than 15,000 deliveries in Richardson since launching the service, according to figures cited by local officials. That suggests meaningful demand for drone delivery, but it also underlines a broader reality for the industry: expansion will depend not just on technology and regulation, but on proving that routine operations can be safe, quieter and acceptable to the communities below.