ORLANDO, Fla. — The Federal Aviation Administration said Monday that it has launched an investigation into why several drones collided and fell from the sky during a holiday show over the weekend in downtown Orlando, Florida, injuring a 7-year-old boy who required surgery.
The drones fell into a crowd of thousands of people watching the show at the city’s Lake Eola Park Saturday night. The show was permitted through the FAA.
“Our thoughts are with the family and all those impacted by the outcome of this event,” the city of Orlando said in a statement. “The city remains in contact with the vendor and FAA who will conduct a thorough investigation.”
Adriana Edgerton told Orlando television station WESH that her son, Alexander, required surgery after being hit in the chest with a drone.
“The blade cut his mouth, but there’s an actual imprint of the drone on his chest,” Edgerton said.
Sky Elements Drone Shows, the Fort Worth, Texas vendor that put on the show, didn’t immediately respond to an emailed inquiry on Monday. On the company’s website, it said, “Every step of the way, we put accuracy, execution, and compliance first.”
Drone shows typically require a waiver to operate more than one drone at a time, and the FAA reviews each drone-show application to make sure “the flying public and people on the ground will be safe,” the agency said.