_Incident · Malfunction_

# Matternet drone falls uncontrolled near children in Zurich; Swiss Post grounds the delivery fleet

Canonical ID: `5a478f31-040f-4c8c-b3bc-42415115ef96`

- **Occurred:** 2019-05-09
- **Kind:** `malfunction`
- **Status (derived):** active
- **Company:** [Matternet](/companies/matternet.md) (id: `4f90a083-f295-4c2a-b333-b571465ed87b`)

During a flight-termination event the drone's parachute cord was severed on a sharp edge, and the roughly 10-to-12 kg Matternet aircraft fell uncontrolled into a wooded area near kindergarten children in Zurich. No one was hurt, but Swiss Post and Matternet grounded the entire fleet; FOCA reviewed mitigations before service resumed in Jan 2020. Source: Swiss Post / Matternet statements; TechCrunch and IEEE Spectrum reporting. (Day recorded as the published mid-May 2019 incident date.)

## Sources (0)

_No sources on file._

## Common questions

### What happened in Matternet drone falls uncontrolled near children in Zurich; Swiss Post grounds the delivery fleet?

During a flight-termination event the drone's parachute cord was severed on a sharp edge, and the roughly 10-to-12 kg Matternet aircraft fell uncontrolled into a wooded area near kindergarten children in Zurich. No one was hurt, but Swiss Post and Matternet grounded the entire fleet; FOCA reviewed mitigations before service resumed in Jan 2020. Source: Swiss Post / Matternet statements; TechCrunch and IEEE Spectrum reporting. (Day recorded as the published mid-May 2019 incident date.)

### When did this incident occur?

The incident is recorded as occurring on May 9, 2019 on the DEPLOY registry. The date reflects the underlying real-world event, not the registry record's creation date.

### Who was involved in Matternet drone falls uncontrolled near children in Zurich; Swiss Post grounds the delivery fleet?

The incident is recorded as involving Matternet on the DEPLOY registry. No specific robot model is linked to this incident in the registry.

### Has anyone responded to Matternet drone falls uncontrolled near children in Zurich; Swiss Post grounds the delivery fleet?

No responses to this incident are recorded on the DEPLOY registry. Operators, manufacturers, or affected parties can submit responses to the editorial team; absence is not a guarantee no response was issued.

### What is the current status of Matternet drone falls uncontrolled near children in Zurich; Swiss Post grounds the delivery fleet?

This incident is an active record on the DEPLOY registry; no retraction or correction has been issued.


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