The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has suspended certain operations of a Texas-based aircraft Drone company after a Florida boy was injured during a holiday air show last week and had to undergo heart surgery.
The FAA confirmed to Fox News Digital that it has suspended the Part 107 waiver for Sky Elements drones. The exemption allows drone operators to fly at night, fly over people and operate drones beyond line of sight. As this waiver is suspended, Sky Elements Drones is therefore legally unable to conduct its shows.
It is not clear how long the pause will last. The move came as part of a National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigation into a Dec. 21 incident in which a malfunction occurred during an aerial light show at Lake Eola Park in downtown Orlando.
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Alexander, a 7-year-old boy, underwent heart surgery after he was hit by a falling drone during a holiday air show in Orlando, his parents said. The FAA has suspended some operations of drone operator Sky Elements. (Fox Orlando)
Multiple drones glowing red and green hit a 7-year-old boy, knocking him unconscious on impact, his parents said earlier Fox Orlando. The boy, Alexander, had undergone open-heart surgery, it was said.
Hundreds of drones used as part of a nighttime aerial light show appeared to fly into position before several fell from the sky and then slammed into the ground, according to videos posted online.
Fox News Digital has reached out to Sky Elements.
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During a drone show in Orlando, Florida, on Saturday, several drones malfunctioned and the unmanned aerial objects fell to the ground. (Source: X/MosquitoCoFL)
Sky Elements, based in Forth-Worth, known for its synchronized drones Light shows and appearances on “America’s Got Talent” are now under scrutiny as part of the investigation, the news agency reported.
The NTSB told Fox News Digital that investigators were seeking information from the drone operator and the Federal Aviation Administration about the number of planes in the show, as well as the number of planes that fell to the ground and into the crowd.
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Memory cards from the drones will be sent to the NTSB record lab in Washington, D.C., for analysis, the agency said. A preliminary report is expected within 30 days of the incident, the NTSB said.
During a drone show in Orlando, Florida, on Saturday, several drones malfunctioned and the unmanned aerial objects fell to the ground. (Source: X/MosquitoCoFL)
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However, a final report is expected in one to two years.
