Amazon suspends US drone deliveries following crash at testing facility

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Amazon has paused testing of its delivery drones following a crash involving two of its models, according to Bloomberg. It’s the latest setback for Amazon’s beleaguered Prime Air program, which aims to deliver around 500 million packages a year to customers by the end of the decade.

Bloomberg reports two Amazon drones crashed in rainy weather at a testing facility in Pendleton, Oregon, in December. In another incident in September, drone operators employed by the company were testing how the drones would perform if one of their propellers failed, according to Bloomberg, and accidentally launched two test flights at once — causing the drones to collide.

Amazon said it would suspend drone deliveries in Texas and Arizona, where it has commercial drone operations, pending a software update to its drone fleet, according to Bloomberg.

Amazon’s drone program has faced numerous setbacks, including the departure of key executives. Last April, Amazon ended Prime Air drone delivery operations in California, although the company plans to expand its drone delivery tests overseas.