FAA suspends North Texas drone company's license after child injured in show last week
NORTH TEXAS – The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) suspended Sky Elements Drones' license to operate over people on Friday following a mishap during a holiday show in Florida that injured a young boy. The company subsequently canceled its New Year's Eve show at Reunion Tower in Dallas.
Sky Elements drones have been a highlight of the New Year's Eve event at Reunion Tower for the past three years. However, after the incident in Orlando, the company is now under investigation by the FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).
During the holiday show in Orlando, drones collided and fell from the sky, injuring a 7-year-old boy who was taken to the hospital. His mother, Adriana Edgerton, expressed her concern to CBS News Texas, stating, "The biggest thing is him right now and just figuring out what's wrong because he could've stopped breathing."
Sky Elements issued a statement expressing their hope for a full recovery for those affected and emphasized their commitment to safety and cooperation with the FAA and City of Orlando officials to determine the cause of the incident.
Despite the cancellation of the drone show, the Lone Star New Year's Eve celebration at Reunion Tower will proceed. Shawn Miller, vice president of operations at Reunion Tower, announced that the event will feature 15,000 pounds of fireworks, producing 5,000 pyrotechnic effects, and will be streamed on social media.
"We have 15,000 pounds of fireworks that were beginning to load in, and that's going to produce 5,000 pyrotechnic effects during the show," Miller said. "You get a full, fun ten-minute show. There's a great soundtrack, 259 bright LED lights doing crazy fun displays, and the fireworks are just the cherry on top. They're all over the city skyline, and you can see it from everywhere."
Sky Elements also pulled out of a holiday show in Central Park, New York, according to CBS News New York.
