Orlando drone show errors led to Lake Eola crash that seriously injured 7-year-old: NTSB

ORLANDO, Fla. - The National Transportation Safety Board has concluded that multiple preventable errors before and during a 2024 holiday drone show over Lake Eola led to a drone crashing into a 7-year-old boy, causing severe injuries that required open-heart surgery.

What they're saying:

The NTSB's final report (PDF) found the show began with its flight area misaligned by 59 feet, moving the operation closer to spectators. Investigators also determined the show's pilot failed to update the drones' virtual flight boundary, or geofence, before takeoff, reducing the safety buffer below the company's own standards.

The drone that struck Alexander Edgerton was airborne for less than a minute. According to the report, it climbed to about 138 feet, hovered briefly, then descended after a falling impact was detected. 

Flight data showed it reached speeds of up to 66 mph before violating the geofence, with a final recorded speed of about 45 mph at the time of impact.

The boy's mother has sued the City of Orlando and Sky Elements, the company that produced the show, alleging her son suffered severe and permanent injuries. 

Court records indicate the parties have reached a confidential proposed settlement that still requires judicial approval.

The other side:

Investigators said the pilot, who had worked approximately 300 drone shows over three years, chose to continue the performance despite losing control of 43 drones. In interviews with investigators, the pilot said intervening during the malfunction could have created additional hazards but later acknowledged that "maybe another 5–10 minutes of pushback and running through my checklist one more time would have made the difference." He added, "I feel horrible about it for so many different reasons."

In a statement, Sky Elements said it agrees with the NTSB's findings and acknowledged that its established procedures "were not followed that night." The company said it has since changed its operations by requiring two certified pilots at every show, signed preflight checklists, independent verification of show parameters, larger safety zones and locked flight settings.