Following a holiday airshow mishap in Florida where a young boy sustained injuries requiring heart surgery, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has taken action against the responsible drone company. The Texas-based Sky Elements Drones has had its Part 107 Waiver temporarily revoked. This waiver is essential for drone operators, permitting nighttime flights, flights over people, and beyond-visual-line-of-sight operations. Effectively, the suspension grounds Sky Elements Drones from conducting any further shows.

The incident, which occurred on December 21st at Lake Eola Park in downtown Orlando, is currently under investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). During a nighttime aerial light show, several drones malfunctioned and plummeted to the ground, with one striking a 7-year-old boy named Alexander. According to the boy's parents, he was rendered unconscious upon impact and subsequently underwent open-heart surgery. Videos circulating online depict the drones seemingly maneuvering into formation before several unexpectedly lose control and crash. The duration of the FAA's suspension remains undetermined.

Sky Elements, headquartered in Fort Worth and renowned for its synchronized drone light shows and appearances on "America’s Got Talent," is now facing intense scrutiny as the investigation progresses. The NTSB is actively collecting data from both the drone operator and the FAA, seeking to determine the total number of drones involved in the show, as well as the number that malfunctioned and fell into the crowd. Memory cards retrieved from the downed drones are being sent to the NTSB's recorders laboratory in Washington, D.C. for thorough analysis. While a preliminary report is anticipated within 30 days of the incident, the final report is expected to take considerably longer, potentially one to two years.