The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating an accident in which a 7-year-old Florida kid was injured by at least one drone at a Christmas airshow over the weekend, necessitating open-heart surgery.
On Wednesday, the NTSB announced that it was examining a Saturday night breakdown at an aerial light show at Lake Eola Park in downtown Orlando.
Alexander’s parents, Adriana Edgerton and Jessica Lumsden told Fox Orlando that one of the red and green-lit drones struck him and knocked him out, inflicting a chest injury.
“Before they fell, the green one came right at us. I moved to the left. My son moved to the right, and it struck him,” Lumsden told the news source.
Fox News Digital reached out to the boy’s parents.
The city called off the show after the drones crashed. “The Lake Eola Holiday Drone Show at 8 p.m. has been canceled due to technical difficulties.” “We apologize for any inconvenience,” the city wrote on X.
It was unclear what caused the drone troubles.
Sky Elements Drones, the drone event’s vendor, informed the news outlet that they wished to express “our sincere hope for the full and speedy recovery of those impacted” at the expo.
“The well-being of our audience is of the utmost priority, and we regret any distress or inconvenience caused,” the business declared. “We are working together with the FAA and City of Orlando officials to determine the cause and are dedicated to providing a clear picture of what happened. Every year, millions of people attend our concerts, and we are dedicated to adhering to the FAA’s strictest safety standards.”
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is looking into the problem.
Drone arrays and light shows are subject to FAA regulations, and often necessitate a waiver of a rule that forbids operating more than one drone at the same time, the agency stated.