Hundreds of spectators gathered at Lake Eola Park in downtown Orlando on December 21, expecting a dazzling holiday-themed drone show. Instead, they witnessed chaos as drones crashed midair, plunged into the lake, and veered off course. The worst of it? A 7-year-old boy was struck by one of the falling drones, suffering serious injuries that led to open-heart surgery. Now, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has released its preliminary report detailing what went wrong, and the findings are alarming.
What happened during the show?
Sky Elements, the Texas-based company hired to put on the event, deployed 500 drones for the show. However, within minutes of the first performance, disaster struck. According to the NTSB’s findings, multiple failures led to a catastrophic breakdown in drone control including pre-show technical issues, software misalignment, and geofence failure. As such, when the drones lifted off, they did not ascend uniformly, leading to in-air crashes. Some drones flew in unintended directions, falling into the lake or dangerously close to spectators.
Nonetheless, several drones remained on course and completed the show, leaving many in the audience unaware of the full extent of the problem — until news of Alezander Edgerton’s injury emerged.
As the drones malfunctioned, one plummeted from the sky, striking Alezander. His parents report their son was knocked unconscious by the impact. He was rushed to a hospital, where doctors performed open-heart surgery to repair his injuries.
The family spent Christmas in the hospital, an ordeal they never expected from what was supposed to be a festive outing. A GoFundMe campaign was set up to support the boy’s recovery, raising over $35,000. Thankfully, he has since been discharged and is now recuperating at home.
Sky Elements: A record-breaking drone show company under scrutiny
Sky Elements is well-known in the drone show industry, having set multiple Guinness World Records for its aerial displays. Days before the Orlando incident, the company had set a record for the “Longest Animation Performed by Drones” using around 2,500 drones.
However, this holiday show tragedy has put the company under intense scrutiny. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has since suspended Sky Elements’ Part 107 Waiver, which allowed them to conduct drone shows near crowds and at night. This means all their future drone events are on hold until the investigation concludes.
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Key errors that led to disaster
The NTSB’s preliminary findings highlight a series of avoidable mistakes that ultimately resulted in the Orlando mishap:
1. Misaligned show center: The entire drone formation was off by 7 degrees, shifting the show position. This seemingly small error meant that the geofence — a virtual boundary meant to keep drones away from the crowd — was incorrectly placed, putting spectators at risk.
2. Safety zone too close to the audience: The safety buffer zone was supposed to be 5 meters, but the company had programmed it at just 1 meter — a drastic reduction in safety margins. This left little room for error if something went wrong, which it did.
3. Incomplete flight data transmission: The crucial “launch parameter file”, containing the final flight paths and show instructions, was never sent to the drones. Without it, the drones were operating with incomplete data, increasing the likelihood of unpredictable movements and collisions.
4. Poor pre-show troubleshooting: Five drones initially failed to accept launch data, leading to last-minute troubleshooting. A “soft reboot” was performed, resolving the issue for most drones, but two had to be removed. Despite this, the launch proceeded without full confidence in system stability.
5. Lack of efficacious emergency protocols: Once the drones started malfunctioning, the pilot in charge chose to let the show continue rather than immediately pausing it. The NTSB noted that the process for stopping a show mid-performance was complex, requiring multiple steps, which may have contributed to the decision to let it play out.
What happens next?
With the FAA suspending Sky Elements’ waiver, the company is now under intense pressure to prove it can safely operate future shows. Sky Elements has proposed several safety measures to prevent similar incidents:
- Longer setup times before showtime to reduce last-minute troubleshooting.
- Mandatory verification by a chief pilot or second-in-command before launch.
- Additional training for all remote pilots in command of the drones.
However, the FAA has not indicated when, or if, the company will be allowed to resume performances.
The NTSB has recovered 42 drone data cards and is analyzing them in Washington, DC. It is also looking into the drone flight software and operator protocols to determine all contributing factors to the failure.
Final reports from the NTSB typically take up to two years, meaning the full picture of what went wrong may not be known for some time.
Overall, this incident has raised broader questions about the safety of drone shows, especially in crowded public spaces. While drone performances have become a popular alternative to fireworks, this disaster underscores the importance of rigorous safety protocols.
As drone technology advances and shows become larger and more complex, companies like Sky Elements — and regulators like the FAA — will need to ensure that spectacular visuals don’t come at the cost of public safety.
For now, the skies over Orlando remain quiet.
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