The National Transportation Safety Board issued its initial findings on Thursday regarding the incident at a Florida drone exhibition last month, which resulted in several drones malfunctioning and causing a young boy to sustain severe injuries.
The incident occurred during a festive light display organized by Sky Elements at Lake Eola Park in Orlando on December 21, 2024. A large crowd had gathered to watch the drone performance when a number of drones deviated from their intended paths, leading to collisions and subsequent crashes.
One of the malfunctioning drones hit a 7-year-old boy in the face and torso, causing him to lose consciousness upon contact. His parents informed FOX 35 Orlando that he had to undergo emergency heart surgery to address the injuries he sustained.
The preliminary report from the NTSB revealed that “combined errors” right before the show’s start led to a misaligned flight path, causing chaos for a handful of the 500 drones during the performance.
“At liftoff it was noted that the aircraft ‘layers’ did not lift uniformly,” the report stated. “Further investigation revealed that the launch parameter file that contained the final flight paths had not been sent, and that the show center was not completely aligned.”
Several drones malfunctioned during a drone show in Orlando, Florida, on Dec. 21, 2024, sending the unmanned aerial objects crashing to the ground. (Credit – X/MosquitoCoFL)
Because of the misalignment, the drones shifted positions and altitude when moving to the first frame of animation, causing a collision and loss of control. Numerous drones fell from the sky and hit the ground, while one went in the direction of the audience.
The show’s remote pilot in command told the NTSB that he determined the safest course of action was to continue the show based on the steps involved in pausing it and recovering drones from the air. The remaining drones were able to complete the show and land safely.
A review by the pilot of aircraft logs revealed that the show’s position had rotated by 7 degrees, resulting in the “geo hard fence being too close to the audience.” On top of that, the fence was not set to company standards of 1 meter and was instead at 5 meters.
“The combined errors resulted in a reduced safety area that was outside of the company’s standards,” the report noted.
Each drone involved in the show contained an SD card with recorded data. Approximately 42 impacted drones were recovered by the operator, who sent their SD cards to be analyzed at the NTSB’s Vehicle Recorder Lab. Law enforcement personnel also located one drone and sent it to the NTSB. Five drones believed to have fallen into the lake were not recovered.
A handful of the 500 drones involved in the aerial light show crashed to the ground, and five of them went into the lake. (Credit – X/MosquitoCoFL)
While the NTSB is still investigating the incident, additional safety actions were proposed to the Federal Aviation Administration by Sky Elements in order to prevent future problems, including allowing more time on site prior to a show, requiring a chief pilot, or second in command, to verify all steps are completed before the show, and additional training for all pilots.
The FAA placed restrictions on Sky Elements, which puts on shows across the country, by suspending its waiver that allows for drone performances near crowds and at night.
