Amazon Prime Air drone crash in Texas adds to recent MK30 mishaps

An Amazon Prime Air delivery drone made contact with an apartment building in Richardson, Texas, before breaking apart and crashing to the ground, according to local authorities and shown in video recorded by a nearby resident. 

The incident occurred on February 4, 2026, in a residential area where Amazon has been conducting limited drone delivery operations. Video shared with local media shows the aircraft near the building moments before debris falls to the ground near a sidewalk, followed by smoke from the wreckage below. No injuries were reported, and officials said the building sustained only minor damage. 

The Richardson Fire Department responded to the scene and reported no fire hazard. Amazon confirmed the incident and said it is investigating the cause while coordinating repairs with property managers. 

“We apologize for any inconvenience and are actively investigating the cause of this incident,” an Amazon spokesperson said in a statement to media. 

A resident who witnessed the event told local television station NBC5 that she began filming because she had not previously seen one of Amazon’s delivery drones operating in the area. She said the aircraft appeared to be moving slowly toward the building before fragments fell and the drone came down below. 

The Richardson incident follows several other recent mishaps involving Amazon’s MK30 delivery drones. In November, a Prime Air drone contacted a cable in Waco, Texas. In October, two MK30 drones struck a construction crane within minutes of each other during operations in Tolleson, Arizona. No injuries were reported in those incidents. 

Amazon’s MK30 drone is designed to carry packages weighing up to five pounds and operates within a limited service radius at low altitude. The aircraft is part of Amazon’s effort to scale autonomous aerial delivery in select US markets, operating under Federal Aviation Administration approvals that allow for limited commercial service. 

The FAA has not publicly released details about any ongoing investigation related to the Richardson incident.  

Amazon has continued to expand Prime Air operations while refining the MK30 platform, which replaced earlier drone models used in initial testing. The company has said the new design improves safety, noise performance, and operational reliability, though recent incidents have drawn renewed attention to the challenges of operating autonomous aircraft in complex urban environments. The post Amazon Prime Air drone crash in Texas adds to recent MK30 mishaps appeared first on AeroTime.

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