ORLANDO, Fla. – The lighted drones that fell from the sky during a holiday show in Downtown Orlando and injured a 7-year-old boy were supposed to fly above Lake Eola at a safe distance away from crowds, documents obtained by News 6 reveal.
“At no point are drones permitted to fly over areas where people are present,” states a document published by Sky Elements, the company contracted by the city of Orlando to perform two drone shows on Dec. 21. “Similar to fireworks displays, drone shows have designated exclusion zones to prevent people from being underneath.”
According to a preliminary site plan produced by the Texas-based company, the 500 drones were to be flown in a “performance area” almost entirely over the waters of Lake Eola.
An even larger “exclusion zone” extended beyond the performance area boundaries to encompass the entire northeast corner of Lake Eola Park at the intersection of East Robinson Street and North Eola Drive, the diagram shows.
It was not immediately known if any changes were made to that preliminary site plan prior to the drone show.
During the first scheduled performance at 6:30 p.m., spectators reported seeing multiple drones crash into each other and fall to the ground. The second show was cancelled due to “technical difficulties”, city officials said at the time.
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Seven-year-old Alezander Edgerton was injured after being struck in the stomach by one of the drones, according to his mother.
As the Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board investigate the incident, similar drone shows produced by Sky Elements at Universal Orlando Resort and other locations nationwide were cancelled.
The city of Orlando’s Downtown Development Board agreed to pay Sky Elements $75,000 for two 15-minute drone shows, a copy of the contract obtained by News 6 shows. A 50% deposit was due when the contract was signed in June, with the remaining payment to be invoiced after the final display.
To read the contract between Sky Elements and the city of Orlando, see below:
The city of Orlando is covered by $18 million in liability and other insurance maintained by Sky Elements, according to the contract.
The written agreement does not specifically address drone shows that abruptly end mid-performance.
If the drone shows were cancelled due to weather conditions, Sky Elements had the right to reschedule the performances within 13 months without issuing a refund, the contract shows.
The drones could fly in winds exceeding 30 miles per hour, according to promotional materials Sky Elements provided to city officials. On the night of the drone shows, the National Weather Service reported wind speed and wind gusts well below that figure in the Orlando area.
If the drone shows were cancelled due to safety or security concerns, the contract required the city of Orlando to pay up to 99% of the agreed price.
The city of Orlando has no legal liability for “intentional misconduct or negligent acts” committed by Sky Elements personnel, the agreement states, while the drone company was not liable for issues caused by unauthorized people entering a “secure area” that was to be maintained by the city.
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