RICHARDSON, TEXAS — Amazon increased its minimum drone flight altitude to 225 feet and rerouted flights from Jonathan Pace's neighborhood in Richardson, Texas. These actions follow residents' reports of excessive noise and a drone crash in early February 2024.

Amazon initially informed residents to expect drone flights at or above 150 feet. Some flights appeared to occur as low as 135 feet. Amazon later raised the minimum flight altitude in the Richardson area first to 200 feet, and then to 225 feet. Pace, who works from home as a chief operating officer, purchased a Bluetooth-based drone tracker to measure Amazon drone flights over his residence. Screenshots he shared showed nearly nine drones per hour passing over his neighborhood between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. on one day in January.

"There are always planes flying overhead, and they're loud," Pace said. "But the drone noise is higher-pitched. It's like a mosquito buzzing near your ear. It's frustrating." He also expressed skepticism regarding Amazon's adjustments, saying, "I don't believe it."

An Amazon delivery drone crashed into an apartment building in Richardson in early February. Video of the incident depicted the drone colliding with the building at low speed before falling onto a grassy area. Smoke was observed rising from the drone after the crash, though no fire was visible, and no injuries were reported. The drone weighed approximately 80 pounds.

Amazon resumed drone service in Richardson the day after the accident. Don Magner, the Richardson City Manager, said Amazon did not provide the city with an incident report before resuming service. The National Transportation Safety Board did not investigate the crash. "Because it is the FAA who controls the airspace, these drones are going to fly over our community anyway," Magner said. "What we can control is whether or not to approve their building plan on our land."

Amazon began its drone program in Richardson in December. An Amazon representative indicated the Richardson site had completed over 13,000 deliveries within three months of its launch. Sam Bailey, a senior manager of economic development policy at Amazon, told residents at a March 9 meeting that the company was making adjustments in response to community concerns.

Why It Matters

Amazon's adjustments to its drone delivery operations in Richardson, Texas, represent a response to local community feedback and an incident. The company's decision to increase minimum flight altitudes and reroute flight paths addresses concerns about noise pollution and safety raised by residents, including Jonathan Pace. The drone crash in early February, while resulting in no injuries, prompted questions from city officials like Don Magner regarding incident reporting and operational transparency.

These developments occur as Amazon expands its drone delivery program, which an Amazon representative reported had completed thousands of deliveries in Richardson. Drone delivery has become a recurring topic at Richardson City Council meetings.