Amazon Prime Air drone crashes in Darlington garden

An Amazon Prime Air MK30 delivery drone crashed into a residential garden on Beaumont Hill in Darlington, County Durham, on Wednesday. The unmanned aircraft struck an object extending above a moving vehicle’s roof, causing it to descend rapidly and land with its motors still running. No injuries were reported; the impact damaged a privet hedge and a paved driveway.

Amazon has opened an investigation and is working with the UK Air Accidents Investigation Branch and the Civil Aviation Authority. The company said the drone’s onboard sensors and machine‑learning‑based perception system are designed to avoid obstacles such as clothes lines and trampolines and that the noise level is comparable to a traditional van delivery. The incident follows Amazon’s launch of limited Prime Air flights from its Darlington fulfillment centre earlier this year as part of its UK airborne parcel‑delivery service.

Authorities will assess whether regulatory or technical changes are needed for the wider rollout of drone deliveries in the UK.