Two crew members are confirmed dead following an attempted emergency landing of a private jet in the Dominican Republic on Sunday.
The Gulfstream G200 Galaxy departed from La Romana International Airport was en route to pick up former St. Louis Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina, along with his family and some friends, from Texas and transport them to Puerto Rico. Shortly after takeoff, however, the crew reported problems on board, returned to the airport, and tried to perform an emergency landing.
“The U.S.-registered aircraft, registered to an executive aviation company, had its two crew members on board: the pilot and co-pilot. No passengers were reported,” the Dominican Institute of Civil Aviation said.
The two pilots reportedly described an “engine failure&#8221; and the “loss of power in one engine” in a message to the control tower while requesting an immediate return to the airport. 
<div style="max-width: 728px; margin: 0 auto;"><iframe style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; max-width: 100%; width: 100%; margin: 20px auto 5px; border: 0;" src="https://player.mux.com/VzpWbuU5X01tLkajcH4N44VQiVyk7H6cj?metadata-video-content-type=embed_video&amp;metadata-video-id=89bf4828-5b9f-49c7-a87a-8f0cc7f6d2bc&amp;metadata-video-stream-type=on-demand&amp;metadata-video-title=WATCH%3A%20Private%20jet%20bursts%20into%20flames%20during%20emergency%20landi&amp;poster=https%3A%2F%2Fdailywireplus-v2.imgix.net%2Fimages%2Fembedded-videos%2F23be96a4-3c5d-4f1c-bfd7-b1b1d169f0a6.jpg&amp;autoplay=false&amp;accent-color=%23DB3D3B&amp;primary-color=%23ffffff&amp;secondary-color=%23000000" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></div>
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Molina, a two-time World Series champion and 10-time All-Star, wrote on social media, “My condolences to the pilots and their families. This plane was on its way to pick up me, my family, and friends in Texas to bring us back to Puerto Rico.”
Emergency services were quick to arrive at the scene following the crash. Dominican Republic authorities launched an investigation to determine the cause of engine failure as well as the crash during the emergency landing.

DRPrivateJetCrash

WATCH: Private Jet Bursts Into Flames During Emergency Landing

Airplane

Plane Crash

A United Airlines Boeing 767 was forced to turn around Saturday evening when a teenager&#8217;s “joke” turned into a security threat.
Flight UA236 departed from Newark Liberty International Airport at approximately 5:58 p.m. on May 30 destined for Palma de Mallorca, Spain. After an hour and a half, however, crew members and passengers were sent into a frenzy after a Bluetooth device appeared on devices under the name &#8220;BOMB,&#8221; forcing the pilots to signal an emergency landing.
United stated that a passenger, reportedly a 16-year-old boy, named his Bluetooth device “BOMB” as a “prank” and turned it on while on board, prompting the emergency landing.
“We have one passenger that seems to be making a funny joke that isn’t so funny,” a flight attendant announced as shown by a recording from a passenger. “It’s going to be compromising the safety of this flight.”
Passengers explained that they discovered the Bluetooth connection on their devices across numerous social media posts. After flight attendants were informed, they demanded all passengers turn off Bluetooth or the plane would be turned around, as posted by a passenger on <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/unitedairlines/comments/1tsk81w/ua_236_the_bluetooth_flight/?rdt=63906">Reddit</a>. After the one-minute warning, Bluetooth devices remained on, and the plane turned around, according to passengers. 
Individuals on board the aircraft were evacuated as soon as the plane landed back at Newark Liberty International Airport, where they were met with local police and federal agents. Passengers on the flight were forced to go through TSA a second time while their baggage was examined.
“Now we all have to go back through airport security for some reason. Even though all of our bags are still on the plane,” a passenger stated on the <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/unitedairlines/comments/1tsk81w/ua_236_the_bluetooth_flight/?rdt=63906">Reddit thread</a> created for the incident, along with a picture of everyone in security. “The captain and flight attendants implied multiple times that someone was ‘playing a joke’ as if it was someone doing something blatantly stupid/silly with Bluetooth or airdrop.”
Passengers eventually arrived at their final destination nine-and-a-half hours behind schedule. United Airlines has yet to release an official statement on the event as of Monday evening regarding what occurred or any punishments for the passenger who believed they would make people laugh.

United Airlines plane at Denver International Airport

Teen ‘Prank’ Triggers United Airlines Emergency Landing

Teenagers

United Airlines

Colorado officials identified the man <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/watch-horrifying-video-shows-moment-plane-strikes-airport-trespasser">killed</a> while walking on the runway of the Denver International Airport last week and said they believe he died by suicide.
Michael Mott, 41, died from multiple blunt and sharp force injuries he sustained when he was struck by a Frontier Airlines Airbus A321 that was speeding down the runway just before takeoff, according to the Denver City and County Medical Examiner’s Office. While authorities said they have not found a suicide note, they believe that Mott wanted to end his life.
“We currently are looking for any notes, computers, anything like that, trying to identify places where he most recently was,” <a href="https://nypost.com/2026/05/12/us-news/officials-reveal-grim-details-in-death-of-trespasser-mutilated-by-frontier-airlines-jet-engine-at-denver-airport/">said</a> Denver Police Chief Ron Thomas.
Mott had run-ins with Denver police in the past, according to a department spokesman, who did not say what led to those encounters.
Mott hopped an eight-foot barbed wire fence before casually strolling onto the runway just after 11:00 p.m. local time last Friday. Video footage showed the 41-year-old man slowly walking into the middle of the runway and directly into the path of the plane before the collision.
<div style="max-width: 728px; margin: 0 auto;"><iframe style="aspect-ratio: 9/16; max-width: 220px; display: flex; justify-content: center; width: 100%; margin: 20px auto 5px; border: 0;" src="https://player.mux.com/565TSHGgG7PqNoEm01D2A00KNy5I8LSfa3?metadata-video-content-type=short&amp;metadata-video-id=a300aedf-aefa-45c4-8d5f-c83194a95540&amp;metadata-video-stream-type=on-demand&amp;metadata-video-title=WATCH%3A%20Moment%20plane%20strikes%20person%20on%20runway%20seen%20in%20horrifying%20new%20video&amp;poster=https%3A%2F%2Fdailywireplus-v2.imgix.net%2Fimages%2Fshorts%2F7bad4735-08f8-4466-97e6-60ee6693ee16.png&amp;autoplay=false&amp;accent-color=%23DB3D3B&amp;primary-color=%23ffffff&amp;secondary-color=%23000000" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></div>
Mott was ingested into one of the engines of the Airbus A321, sparking a fire and causing passengers to evacuate through the plane&#8217;s emergency slides. Twelve passengers were injured in the emergency evacuation, according to officials.
The Denver International Airport said it has alarms set up to alert staff if someone gets past the airport&#8217;s barriers, but last Friday, the operator on duty “reviewed the alarm and identified a herd of deer just outside of the perimeter fence.”
“The camera view was alternating between the wildlife and the individual. There are some ditches in the area, so the person was out of view for a bit as well,&#8221; Denver International Airport CEO Phil Washington said.
Washington said the airport would conduct a review to look into the incident and better prepare for the future.
“Since this incident, we have been asked, ‘Why don’t you electrify the fence, or ‘Why isn’t the fence tall?’ or ‘Why don’t you use razor wire instead of barbed wire?’” the CEO added. “Safety and security, again, is always our top priority. We don’t want our fence to be deadly, and even if the fence was taller, we believe a motivated individual could find a way to penetrate, that is why we have many layers of security.”
The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is a free hotline for individuals in crisis or distress, or for those looking to help someone else. It is available 24/7 by dialing 988.

Denver International Airport

Police ID Man Hit By Frontier Jet, Reveal Horrifying Final Moments

Death

Denver

Suicide

Newly released footage of Saturday’s airport trespasser captures a puzzling and disturbing scene as a person is shown calmly walking across the tarmac despite a large passenger jet hurtling down the runway.
The trespasser was fatally struck by a Frontier Airlines jet at 11:19 p.m. The person, who has not yet been publicly identified, was ingested into one of the engines of the Airbus A321 as the plane accelerated for departure. 
Airport officials later confirmed that the man was not an airport employee but a trespasser who scaled the perimeter fence. Authorities said he made it onto the runway and was struck by the aircraft two minutes after breaching airport grounds. 
“We just hit a person,” the pilot told air traffic control in the immediate aftermath of the collision. 
<div style="max-width: 728px; margin: 0 auto;">  <iframe style="aspect-ratio: 9/16; max-width: 220px; display: flex; justify-content: center; width: 100%; margin: 20px auto 5px; border: 0;" src="https://player.mux.com/565TSHGgG7PqNoEm01D2A00KNy5I8LSfa3?metadata-video-content-type=short&amp;metadata-video-id=a300aedf-aefa-45c4-8d5f-c83194a95540&amp;metadata-video-stream-type=on-demand&amp;metadata-video-title=WATCH%3A%20Moment%20plane%20strikes%20person%20on%20runway%20seen%20in%20horrifying%20new%20video&amp;poster=https%3A%2F%2Fdailywireplus-v2.imgix.net%2Fimages%2Fshorts%2F7bad4735-08f8-4466-97e6-60ee6693ee16.png&amp;autoplay=false&amp;accent-color=%23DB3D3B&amp;primary-color=%23ffffff&amp;secondary-color=%23000000" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></div>
Following the impact, one of the plane’s engines immediately caught fire, and all 224 passengers were evacuated from the aircraft’s emergency slides. First responders arriving at the scene described the severity of the incident. 
“I do have limbs on the runway. I believe the aircraft struck an individual,” a Denver firefighter said over emergency radio.
Twelve passengers reportedly sustained non-life-threatening injuries during the evacuation, and five were transported to a nearby hospital. Travelers onboard described a chaotic and frightening scene, with smoke filling the cabin and passengers screaming as they rushed to exit the aircraft.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy addressed the incident, emphasizing the dangers of unauthorized access to airport property. “No one should ever trespass on an airport,” he said. 
A video of an airline pilot at Los Angeles International Airport, where the plane was scheduled to land, went viral after the pilot shared his blunt take on the incident. 
“People are going to say aviation isn’t safe,” said the pilot. “No it’s none of that. There’s dumb people out there and you can’t stop crazy and you can’t stop stupid and that’s exactly what happened in Denver.” 
Like Secretary Duffy, he recommended not running onto an airport tarmac. “Don’t go near those big engines that produce thrust that allow thousands of pounds of machinery to fly 600 miles an hour through the sky,” he added, “You won’t be able to tell the tale.”

Frontier Airlines Ahead of Spirit Airlines Stockholders Vote On Proposed Merger

WATCH: Horrifying Video Shows Moment Plane Strikes Airport Trespasser

Airports

Longtime NASCAR driver Greg Biffle and his family were among those killed in a plane crash on Thursday morning in Statesville, North Carolina, about 45 miles outside of Charlotte.
Representative Richard Hudson confirmed the news.
&#8220;I am devastated by the loss of Greg, Cristina, and their children, and my heart is with all who loved them,&#8221; Rep. Hudson said.
Biffle&#8217;s close friend, Garrett Mitchell <a href="https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1AMbpQWYR7/">said</a> the Biffles were flying to visit him when the plane crashed.
&#8220;Unfortunately, I can confirm Greg Biffle, his wife Cristina, daughter Emma, and son Ryder were on that plane &#8230; because they were on their way to spend the afternoon with us. We are devastated. I&#8217;m so sorry to share this,&#8221; Mitchell said.
Biffle&#8217;s daughter was a teenager, and their son had just turned five.
A source with knowledge of the situation told The Daily Wire there were a total of six passengers on board.
According to airport officials, the Cessna C550 airplane crashed while landing at <a href="https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1DkbX45b4h/">Statesville Regional Airport</a> around 10:15 a.m. <a href="https://x.com/Breaking911/status/2001696669822284016?s=20">Video</a> from witnesses showed the aircraft engulfed in flames near the runway. The crash caused a multi-agency response.
Flight tracking records showed a Cessna C550, registered to GB Aviation Leasing LLC, that took off from Statesville Regional Airport at 10:06 a.m. before turning around shortly after takeoff to head back to the airport. GB Aviation Leasing LLC is a private company linked to Biffle.
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Biffle was a longtime NASCAR driver, becoming one of only three drivers to win the Busch Series and Craftsman Truck Series. He was a nominee for the 2025 NASCAR Hall of Fame.
Biffle was known for more than just his skills on the track. He was a humanitarian who helped out greatly when North Carolina was devastated by Hurricane Helene. Biffle used his personal helicopter to take generators, chainsaws, water, and essential supplies needed to those in the impossible-to-reach regions devastated by the storm. He even helped raise more than $60,000 from t-shirt sales for western North Carolina relief efforts.
&#8220;They were friends who lived their lives focused on helping others,&#8221; Rep. Hudson said. &#8220;He was an extraordinary person as well, and will be remembered for his service to others as much as for his fearlessness on the track.
Biffle said he loved anything with gas and wheels — it was evident in his love for aviation.
The private pilot flew out of the Statesville airport often. According to the city of Statesville’s website, the airport is city-owned and provides corporate aviation facilities for Fortune 500 companies and several NASCAR teams.
Airport officials said in a press conference Thursday that the airport is shut down while debris is cleaned up. The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating the crash. At this time, there is no official cause of the crash.

Credit: Jared Tilton/SRX/Getty Images

NASCAR Driver, Family Dead After Plane Crashes Near Charlotte

Air Travel

General

NASCAR

North Carolina

U.S.

US-AVIATION-FAA-TRAVEL

I Did A Deep Dive Into The Air Traffic Control Subreddit And What I Found Is Disturbing

Air Force One

air traffic controllers

Airlines

airport

Government Shutdown

Leftists

Opinion

Reddit

Trump Derangement Syndrome

U.S. airports reported more than 20 incidents of air traffic controller shortages on Saturday, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said, in the latest sign of the government shutdown&#8217;s impact.
Some 13,000 air traffic controllers and about 50,000 Transportation Security Administration officers must work even if they are not being paid during the shutdown, which started on October 1 as lawmakers deadlocked over the federal budget.
The Trump administration has warned that flight disruptions will increase as controllers miss their first full paycheck on Tuesday.
The Federal Aviation Administration on Saturday had 22 &#8220;triggers&#8221; that indicated shortages of air traffic controllers, Duffy told Fox News&#8217; &#8220;Sunday Morning Futures&#8221; program. He called that figure &#8220;one of the highest that we&#8217;ve seen in the system&#8221; since October 1.
&#8220;That&#8217;s a sign that the controllers are wearing thin,&#8221; Duffy said.
The state of air safety has been closely watched for signs of an increase in delays or cancellations, as observers look for anything that shows the shutdown is making life harder for Americans, which in turn could pressure lawmakers to break the deadlock.
According to FlightAware, a flight tracking website, there were more than 5,300 U.S. flight delays on Saturday and more than 2,500 by 12 p.m. ET on Sunday. Delays have often been above average since the shutdown began.
Join us now during our exclusive Deal of the Decade. Get everything for $7 a month. Not as fans. As fighters. Go to <a href="https://get.dailywire.com/subscribe/plus/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">DailyWire.com/Subscribe</a> to join now.
With no end in sight for the federal shutdown, Duffy predicted more traffic controller shortages that would lead to more flight delays and cancellations over the next few days.
The FAA said air traffic control staffing issues had already been reported on Sunday for Chicago and Newark flights. The agency issued a ground stop at Los Angeles International Airport due to traffic controller staffing shortages at around 11:30 a.m. ET (1530 GMT).
By noon ET on Sunday, the agency had recorded shortfalls in air traffic controllers at six U.S. airports.
Air traffic controllers received a paycheck two weeks ago at 90% of their regular pay. But Tuesday&#8217;s payday would have been for their first pay period solely for work in October.
Controllers facing the prospect of missing a federal paycheck are looking for other sources of income, Duffy said.
&#8220;They&#8217;re taking second jobs, they&#8217;re out there looking,&#8221; he said.
The FAA is about 3,500 air traffic controllers short of targeted staffing levels and many had been working mandatory overtime and six-day weeks even before the shutdown.
In 2019, during a 35-day shutdown, the number of absences by controllers and TSA officers rose as workers missed paychecks, extending wait times at some airport check points. Authorities were forced to slow air traffic in New York and Washington.
Duffy and other Republicans have criticized Democrats for opposing a &#8220;clean&#8221; short-term funding bill with no strings attached.
(Reporting by Idrees Ali and David Shepardson; Editing by Sergio Non and Nia Williams)

Concerning Air Traffic Controller Shortage Emerging, Transportation Secretary Says

Executive

Politics

Sean Duffy

In a TikTok <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-14889717/fight-breaks-plane-female-lawyer-skips-line.html">video</a> posted on Tuesday, an argument erupted among airplane passengers when a woman attempted to skip ahead in the exit line.
The woman, who is a lawyer, first said “shut your mouth” to a passenger after he complained that she hadn&#8217;t waited her turn. 
“You’re all whining for no reason. Just get up when you want to — just deal with it, people, my God,” she drawled, rolling her eyes as other passengers jumped in to condemn her. 
“You’re just a Karen and that’s just the way it is,” said one man before beginning to chant: “Karen! Karen!” 
“You guys are so funny!” the woman mocked. “You’re the Karens about it because you’re the ones — you’re the ones who are making noise.”
Eventually, a baby began crying in the background as the argument grew more heated.
“Why don’t you all shut up? It’s not affecting any of you!” the woman retorted over disgruntled voices. 
She soon noticed the camera recording her, then sarcastically asked the person behind it if he had her permission to record, falling into a common stereotype of so-called “Karen” behavior. 
“It’s public,” one man answered calmly.
“Shut the f**k up!” the woman exclaimed. 
After the passengers protested her use of the “f-bomb,” she pointed to a man behind her and said, “given your accent I can tell you’ve said the f-bomb.” 
A woman in a pink jacket then stepped in.
“We’re not doing that,” she declared. “You can be a jerk … you’re not going to insult someone because of an accent.” 

A boy beside her grinned as though he were witnessing something exotic and accused the attorney of being a “racist.”
“Do you even know what the word racist means?” she asked. “You’re white. Maybe it’s xenophobic if you’re talking about accents.” 
The baby in the background continued to cry, and the video ended when the woman told another passenger she would meet him with her bar card after they got off the plane.
The now-viral TikTok had racked up nearly 15,000 likes by Wednesday.

rear view of a group of people seated in the seats inside an airplane traveling by plane.

‘Karen’ Lawyer Tries To Push Her Way Off Plane First, Other Passengers Object

Karen

Many people are believed to be dead after an Air India plane carrying 242 people crashed just after taking off from an airport in Ahmedabad, India, on Thursday.
The plane, a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, was headed to the Gatwick Airport in Britain, Reuters <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/india/plane-crashes-indias-ahmedabad-airport-tv-channels-report-2025-06-12/">reported</a>. According to Indian authorities, the aircraft crashed into a civilian area near the airport in Ahmedabad, striking a doctors&#8217; hostel at a medical college.
&#8220;At this moment, we are ascertaining the details and will share further updates,&#8221; Air India <a href="https://x.com/airindia/status/1933100970399166759">said</a>. &#8220;The injured are being taken to the nearest hospitals.&#8221;
Of the 242 people on board, 11 were children. Most of the passengers were Indian, while there were 53 British citizens, seven Portuguese, and one Canadian, according to Air India.
Videos circulating on X show the Boeing plane slowly descending over a residential area before it disappears, and then a massive fireball is seen.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
BREAKING:
A London-bound Air India Flight 171 has crashed into a residential area minutes after taking off from Ahmedabad, India.
The Boeing 787-8 was carrying 242 passengers and crew <a href="https://t.co/3BEOCmXLXd">pic.twitter.com/3BEOCmXLXd</a>
&mdash; Visegrád 24 (@visegrad24) <a href="https://twitter.com/visegrad24/status/1933096124208013786?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 12, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Ahmedabad Airport air traffic control said that the plane transmitted a &#8220;Mayday&#8221; call shortly after takeoff at 1:39 p.m. local time, but there was no response from the aircraft after the emergency signal, according to Reuters. More videos from a hospital in the city showed injured people being wheeled in on stretchers after the crash, according to <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/live/2025/06/12/world/india-plane-crash-ahmedabad/81db752f-d478-524a-97a0-8cd92518b600?smid=url-share">The New York Times</a>.
While the Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft has experienced issues in the past, including forcing passengers to evacuate and suspending flights, there have been no fatal crashes reported until Thursday&#8217;s tragedy in India, according to the Times. Boeing has faced increased scrutiny recently over safety issues and deadly plane crashes. Last month, Boeing <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2025/05/23/boeing-737-max-crashes-doj.html">reached</a> a deal with the U.S. government, agreeing to pay around $1 billion to avoid prosecution over two crashes involving Boeing’s 737 MAX 8s that killed a total of 346 people.
One of the <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/live/2025/06/12/world/india-plane-crash-ahmedabad/268968e1-e8c8-5168-a4a9-78787ed911e3?smid=url-share">passengers</a> on the Air India flight was Vijay Rupani, the former chief minister of Gujarat, the state where Ahmedabad is located. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is from Gujarat, <a href="https://x.com/narendramodi/status/1933110947553681853">said</a>, &#8220;The tragedy in Ahmedabad has stunned and saddened us. It is heartbreaking beyond words. In this sad hour, my thoughts are with everyone affected by it. Have been in touch with Ministers and authorities who are working to assist those affected.&#8221;

Plane crashes in western India’s Gujarat after takeoff

Plane With 242 People On Board Crashes After Takeoff, ‘Many Killed’

Air and Space

Boeing

India

World

On April 28, air traffic controllers lost all radar and radio contact with planes headed into one of the nation’s largest airports.
For nearly 90 seconds, air traffic controllers couldn’t see, hear, or communicate with flights inbound to <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2025/05/05/air-traffic-controllers-newark-airport-delays.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Newark Liberty International Airport</a> — a horrifying blackout that underscores the urgent need for a complete overhaul of our air traffic control system.
The culprits were a fried copper wire transmitter and a failed backup communications line — symptoms of an antiquated air traffic control infrastructure that faces mounting pressure with every passing day.
Although flight remains the safest form of commercial travel, we shouldn’t tempt fate. It’s foolish and negligent to continue standard operating procedures amid the aviation sector’s rapid deterioration.
At present, <a href="https://www.gao.gov/products/gao-25-108162" target="_blank" rel="noopener">76%</a> of all functioning air traffic control systems are “unsustainable” or “potentially unsustainable.” Moreover, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/01/31/business/air-traffic-controllers-understaffed.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">90% of towers nationwide</a> are significantly understaffed amid glaring failures in recruitment and training.
But these visible failures signal a deeper problem with American aviation: consistent obstruction of necessary investments in America’s aviation infrastructure.
Congress has repeatedly failed to allocate enough funding for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Even when it does provide funding, it is often distributed by agencies in an inefficient manner due to burdensome regulatory processes. At times, these bureaucratic hurdles block funding altogether.
With all the wasteful spending and other non-essential things American taxpayers fund, upgrading the nation&#8217;s air traffic control system is, correctly, a top priority for President Donald Trump and Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy.
But if we expect to keep our airways safe and secure, and ensure that America has the best air traffic control system in the world, it also needs to be a top priority for Congress.
To make matters worse, the FAA is presently without clear, stable leadership. Nearly two months after the president’s nomination of Bryan Bedford to lead the FAA, Congress has yet to schedule his confirmation hearing. Bedford’s nomination has received overwhelming support from airline industry leaders, and his swift confirmation would expedite the implementation of necessary reforms in American aviation.
Recently, Secretary Duffy reiterated the urgency of enacting such reforms, unveiling a comprehensive plan to realize Trump’s vision to restore safety and excellence to the industry. The plan includes immediate emergency funding for the most critical system updates, multi-year budgets so the FAA can prioritize innovation, and supercharging the air traffic controller training and hiring pipeline.
Cooperation from enforcement and budgeting agencies and their leaders is critical for implementing this ambitious and necessary plan and ensuring that funding is directed toward the most acute areas of concern. Once Congress moves to provide funding, swift action and coordination from departments like the Office of Management and Budget, where I once served, is paramount to seamless air travel and this plan’s success.
The funding approval and regulatory enforcement processes must be expedited so that funds can easily and efficiently reach air traffic control towers, operators, and training centers. We cannot allow these urgent reforms to be derailed by bureaucratic backlogs, red tape, and delays in leadership appointments.
Frugality to the extreme can quickly become recklessness — especially when it means gambling with the lives of pilots and passengers. There is no badge of honor for continuing to push off essential upgrades to ensure safety in the skies. We must ensure that the funding Congress allocates is distributed in a rational, efficient manner.
Once implemented, Secretary Duffy’s proposals will radically overhaul our air traffic control infrastructure by building six new control towers, replacing antiquated radars and communications systems — including WWII-era radar monitoring platforms and 1980s technologies like floppy disks — with updated wireless and satellite technologies, and streamlining hardware and software systems for a common national platform.
The American people have entrusted their safety to the government. President Trump and Secretary Duffy have answered that call with a plan of action. Once congressional funding is secured, it will be our agency leaders’ duty to steward taxpayer dollars toward this end in an efficient and responsible manner.
Overhauling our air traffic control systems will be a joint effort between Congress, the president, and our executive agencies. Together, their regulatory and enforcement work must be a catalyst, not a speed bump, in making the president’s vision a reality.
Once a paragon of innovation and excellence, America’s air traffic system has descended into atrophy. But this administration finally has a chance to enact the change we so desperately need — a chance to restore American ingenuity and maintain safety in flight in perpetuity.
Joe Grogan served as Assistant to President Donald Trump for Domestic Policy from 2019-2020 and Associate Director of the Office of Management and Budget from 2017-2019.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

It’s Time For Congress To Stop Gambling With Airline Safety

Airline Crash

Congress

Donald Trump

Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)

Office of Management and Budget (OMB)

Dozens of commercial aircraft were left virtually flying blind after a Monday outage at Denver airport’s air traffic control left pilots unable to communicate with controllers for 90 seconds.
The incident occurred Monday afternoon at the Denver Air Route Traffic Control Center in Longmont, which oversees aircraft movement across nine states.
Between 15 and 20 commercial aircraft approaching Denver International Airport lost all communication with controllers when multiple radio transmitters failed.
While initial reports indicated an outage of up to six minutes, the FAA has since clarified that the outage was approximately 90 seconds, and that it is &#8220;investigating&#8221; the cause.
According to ABC7, controllers were already <a href="https://www.denver7.com/news/investigations/outage-leaves-up-to-20-pilots-headed-to-denver-airport-unable-to-contact-air-traffic-control-on-monday">operating</a> on a backup fifth frequency when the system crashed, as four of the other frequencies had already crashed.
When the final frequency went down, a controller eventually reached one pilot using a seldom-used distress channel, who then relayed instructions to other aircraft.
David Riley, a retired air traffic controller with 32 years of experience, said this incident was a sign that the FAA’s equipment was “getting old” and is no longer a risk that should be tolerated.
“The biggest risk is you have airplanes that you&#8217;re not talking to. And then, therefore, the pilots have to try to figure it out themselves,” Riley said. &#8220;They still had radar coverage, but that&#8217;s like watching a car crash happen and not be able to do anything about it.&#8221;
&#8220;It&#8217;s not acceptable. And the biggest problem is the fact that the FAA does not have stable funding to replace this equipment and maintain it in an appropriate fashion.&#8221;
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy recently acknowledged the outdated infrastructure problem.
“We should be using fiber, but it&#8217;s copper. We use radar from the 1970s. Some of them are from the 80s, but most of them are from the 70s,” Duffy said. “So, this technology is 50 years old that our controllers use to scan the skies and keep airplanes separated from one another.”
The Transportation Department now <a href="https://nypost.com/2025/05/08/us-news/transportation-secretary-sean-duffy-calls-for-multi-billion-dollar-overhaul-of-failing-air-traffic-control-system-by-2028/">plans</a> to ask Congress for billions to overhaul the system, including replacing 618 radars and upgrading all FAA computers that controllers use.
The FAA has experienced severe staffing shortages, with Newark Liberty International Airport recently <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/12/business/newark-airport-delays-staffing-shortage.html">operating</a> with just three controllers when 14 were needed.
In a statement to Fox Business on Thursday, the FAA <a href="https://www.foxbusiness.com/lifestyle/denver-air-traffic-controllers-temporarily-lose-radio-communications-aircraft">admitted</a> that the Denver outage was partially due to how the &#8220;antiquated air traffic control system is affecting our workforce.&#8221;
The incident comes amid growing concerns about air safety following several high-profile aviation <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/small-plane-crashes-on-busy-florida-road-killing-all-three-on-board?author=Nathan+Gay&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=10&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Small+Plane+Crashes+On+Busy+Florida+Road%2C+Killing+All+Three+On+Board">accidents</a> and <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/passengers-forced-to-evacuate-after-delta-jet-bursts-into-flames?author=Zach+Jewell&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=6&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Passengers+Forced+To+Evacuate+After+Delta+Jet+Bursts+Into+Flames">near-misses</a> across the United States in recent months.

Denver Air Traffic Goes Dark, Leaving Nearly 20 Planes Stranded Mid-Air In Latest Scare

A Spirit Airlines passenger posted a video which has since gone viral showing cockroaches crawling around on the inside of the aircraft, which prompted a response from airline reps.
Symoné Beez originally shared the post to X on May 11. “Never again will I fly [Spirit Airlines],” she wrote in the video caption. “I&#8217;ve flown over 500,000 miles on Delta and have never in my life seen roaches on a plane this is crazy.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Never again will I fly <a href="https://twitter.com/SpiritAirlines?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SpiritAirlines</a> . I&#39;ve flown over 500,000 miles on Delta and have never in my life seen roaches on a plane this is crazy. <a href="https://t.co/gIIMHpsOG9">pic.twitter.com/gIIMHpsOG9</a>
&mdash; Symoné B. Beez (@SymoneBeez) <a href="https://twitter.com/SymoneBeez/status/1921526062887936034?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 11, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
One video showed a brown roach crawling up the back of a chair from the back seat pocket as another airline passenger murmured in the background. Another clip showed a roach crawling up the plane’s wall.
The next day, Beez posted a follow up that said, “Update I was given a $60 [Spirit Airlines] credit… I won&#8217;t be flying Spirit again one and done for me lol.”
The airline passenger posted a photo of the letter she received with the voucher. It said, “We sincerely apologize for what happened on your recent trip. We care about your satisfaction and want to make this right. Please accept our apologies along with this voucher for future travel to any of our destinations.”
She also responded to commenters who said cockroaches were commonly seen on planes.
“All the people saying roaches are common on planes are lying LMAO I&#8217;ve flown 550,000 miles with  Delta. I&#8217;ve never even seen an ant on Delta let alone two big a** roaches in first class,” Beez wrote.
Spirit Airlines responded to the video by issuing a statement saying the company was &#8220;aware of the video&#8221; and their &#8220;maintenance team thoroughly inspected the aircraft involved and addressed the issue.&#8221;
&#8220;We maintain high standards of cleanliness across our fleet and want all of our guests to feel comfortable when traveling with us,&#8221; a spokesperson told <a href="https://people.com/cockroaches-captured-on-video-crawling-up-the-walls-of-spirit-airlines-cabin-to-trapped-passenger-s-horror-11734815">People</a>.
The clip of the crawling roaches has 8 million views on X as of Thursday. Many commenters weighed in on the situation, including those who stated they were airline employees.
“I’ve deada** never seen a roach on a plane and been on all different kind of planes except Spirit,” one person <a href="https://x.com/camperry21/status/1921982318488559677">noted</a>.
“[I]t’s not common, but it’s not unheard of,” another person <a href="https://x.com/nonamerising/status/1922047588716388837">replied</a>. “I worked for a major airline for years. those planes don’t get deep cleaned like you’d think, and people (travelers and employees) can bring from home all kinds of stuff. roaches, bedbugs, etc. I’ve seen roaches in both DCA and PHL.”
“I used to work for a major airline and have flown internationally and domestically. I have never seen so much as an ant on a plane. Spirit is just ridiculous. They’re so awful that I forfeited my return ticket on them. I ate it &amp; paid another carrier more because, NO,” someone else <a href="https://x.com/alloydesq/status/1922003862367465490">wrote</a>.

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Video Of Roaches Crawling Walls Of Spirit Airlines Flight Goes Viral; Airline Responds

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