Hundreds of passengers were forced to evacuate a Delta jet through the emergency slide after an engine caught fire at Orlando International Airport on Monday.
Delta Air Lines Flight 1213, an Airbus 330, was preparing for departure at around 11:15 a.m. for a quick flight to Atlanta and had just pushed back from the gate when one of the engines burst into flames, CBS News <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/delta-plane-engine-fire-orlando-airport-passengers-evacuate/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>. There were 282 passengers, 10 flight attendants, and two pilots onboard, according to the airline.
A <a href="https://x.com/ExxAlerts/status/1914351671611978217" target="_blank" rel="noopener">video</a> on social media showed a large flame shooting out from an engine on the right side of the plane as passengers slid down the emergency slide. According to Delta, the plane&#8217;s crew evacuated the Airbus after they noticed a fire in the tailpipe of one of its two main engines.
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Passengers had to evacuate on emergency slides after a Delta plane caught fire on the tarmac at Orlando International Airport on Monday, the FAA said.
Delta Air Lines Flight 1213, bound for Atlanta, was pushing back from the gate for departure around 11:15 a.m. when an engine… <a href="https://t.co/kLJ1LR7DeF">pic.twitter.com/kLJ1LR7DeF</a>
&mdash; CBS News (@CBSNews) <a href="https://twitter.com/CBSNews/status/1914378120058073479?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 21, 2025</a></blockquote>
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No one was injured, according to initial reports, and the passengers were taken back to the terminal, where they will board another aircraft to take them to Atlanta, according to Delta. The flames were contained by fire crews at the airport.
The cause of the fire was not initially known, and the Federal Aviation Administration said it is investigating the incident.
&#8220;Nothing is more important than safety and Delta teams will work to get our customers to their final destinations as soon as possible,&#8221; Delta said in a statement.
In February, 18 people were injured when a Delta plane flipped upside down after landing at the Toronto Pearson International Airport in Canada. A preliminary report from the Transportation Safety Board of Canada on the crash landing found that the pilot of the Delta passenger jet, which took off from Minneapolis, was descending at twice the speed that qualifies as a &#8220;hard landing,&#8221; The New York Times <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/20/world/canada/delta-plane-crash-toronto-report.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>.

Delta Airlines Airbus

Passengers Forced To Evacuate After Delta Jet Bursts Into Flames

Air and Space

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An air traffic controller at Ronald Reagan National Airport in Arlington, Virginia, was arrested and charged with battery and assault last week after a fight broke out in the control tower.
The Daily Mail <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-14548725/Air-traffic-controllers-fight-Reagan-National-Airport-control-tower.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> last Friday that two air traffic controllers began throwing punches after an argument. At least six air traffic controllers and a supervisor were likely working when the fight broke out. On Monday, POLITICO <a href="https://www.yahoo.com/news/air-traffic-controller-charged-scuffle-202004507.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> that Damon Marsalis Gaines, 39, of Upper Marlboro, Maryland, was arrested by airport authorities and charged in connection with the scuffle.
“The employee is on administrative leave while we investigate the matter,” the Federal Aviation Administration told <a href="https://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/5225741-reagan-airport-controller-arrested/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Hill</a>. The FAA did not provide any further details about the charges or the nature of the fight in the air traffic control tower.
The arrest of an air traffic controller at DCA follows a deadly plane crash near the airport in January when an American Airlines flight with 64 people aboard collided with an Army Black Hawk helicopter over the Potomac River. While the investigation into the crash continues, authorities believe that DCA&#8217;s air traffic controllers properly warned the helicopter pilots about the inbound American Airlines flight.
National Transportation Safety Board Chairwoman Jennifer Homendy <a href="https://apnews.com/article/dc-plane-crash-investigation-ntsb-faa-9da42d267bf44049ecc57763961b0ac4#" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> in February that the helicopter&#8217;s cockpit recorder appeared to indicate that incomplete radio transmission likely prevented the pilots from hearing air traffic controllers telling them to &#8220;pass behind&#8221; the passenger jet seconds before the collision.
Lawmakers have called for the U.S. military to stop conducting helicopter training runs near the busy airport, and the FAA has banned those particular helicopter routes when planes are flying into the shorter runway at DCA. During a Congressional hearing on the crash, both Republicans and Democrats agreed that the tragedy could have been prevented.

DCA Air Traffic Controller Arrested On Assault Charges After Fight In Control Tower

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Global travel was disrupted on Friday as London’s Heathrow Airport shut down due to a fire that broke out at an electrical station. 
Heathrow, one of the world’s busiest airports, announced it would be closed until midnight due to a fire that caused two terminals to lose power. The fire, which broke out Thursday, has already <a href="https://www.foxbusiness.com/lifestyle/londons-heathrow-airport-closed-all-day-friday-after-fire-causes-power-outage" target="_blank" rel="noopener">impacted</a> more than 1,300 flights, with authorities telling travelers not to come to the airport. Reuters <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/uk/uks-heathrow-airport-experiences-power-outage-due-fire-substation-2025-03-21/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> that the closure could impact up to 290,000 travelers.
“Due to a fire at an electrical substation supplying the airport, Heathrow is experiencing a significant power outage. To maintain the safety of our passengers and colleagues, Heathrow will be closed until 23h59 on 21 March,” the airport posted on X. “Passengers are advised not to travel to the airport and should contact their airline for further information. We apologise for the inconvenience.”
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Due to a fire at an electrical substation supplying the airport, Heathrow is experiencing a significant power outage.
To maintain the safety of our passengers and colleagues, Heathrow will be closed until 23h59 on 21 March.
Passengers are advised not to travel to the airport… <a href="https://t.co/7SWNJP8ojd">pic.twitter.com/7SWNJP8ojd</a>
— Heathrow Airport (@HeathrowAirport) <a href="https://twitter.com/HeathrowAirport/status/1902911632679805313?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 21, 2025</a></blockquote>
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The airport later <a href="https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/business/money-report/britains-heathrow-airport-closes-friday-after-substation-fire-causes-significant-power-outage/4140238/?os=io....dbr5yxkr%26ref%3Dapp&amp;ref=app" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> it did not estimate when power would be “reliably restored.” 
&#8220;We expect significant disruption over the coming days and passengers should not travel to the airport under any circumstances until the airport reopens,” a spokesman said. 
The London Fire Brigade <a href="https://www.london-fire.gov.uk/incidents/2025/march/fire-at-electrical-substation-hayes/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> the blaze involved around 6,600 gallons of cooling oil. London Police said it was working with firefighting authorities to determine the cause, saying the investigation was ongoing. 
“While there is currently no indication of foul play we retain an open mind at this time,” the police said in a statement. 
The investigation is being led by London’s Counter Terrorism Command because of the location of the power station and the “impact this incident has had on critical national infrastructure,” the Metropolitan Police <a href="https://x.com/metpoliceuk/status/1903058191736549865" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>.
In addition to the airport disruption, more than 67,000 homes in the area lost power due to the fire, and around 179 people were evacuated from the area by firefighters and police. 
&#8220;I would like to take this opportunity to thank firefighters and Control officers for their courage and professionalism to bring this incident under control in what were very challenging,” said Deputy Commissioner at London Fire Brigade Jonathan Smith.

Fire At Substation Grounds Flights At Heathrow For The Day

Thousands Of Travelers Left In Limbo As Fire Shuts Down One Of World’s Busiest Airports

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Elon Musk&#8217;s Starlink satellite internet service has emerged as a potential solution for the Federal Aviation Administration&#8217;s aging air traffic control systems, with the agency testing the technology even as Democratic lawmakers raised conflict of interest concerns.
Starlink’s internet terminals are being <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/starlink-faa-contract-elon-musk-conflict-of-interest/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">tested</a> at multiple FAA sites for a possible air traffic control upgrade, according to CBS News.
Starlink appears poised to take over the $2 billion contract given to telecom provider Verizon in 2023, with Verizon tasked with implementing fiber optic cables to replace the aging, ground-based communications system currently in place.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has confirmed that the agency is reviewing various proposals, but said no final decisions have been made.
Earlier this week, Elon Musk criticized the existing air traffic control network, posting on X that the “Verizon system is not working and so is putting air travelers at serious risk.”
Soon after, he clarified that the “ancient system” he was referring to was created by defense contractor L3Harris and that Verizon’s new replacement technology is “not yet operational.”
Verizon spokesman Kevin Israel told reporters that the company is “working on building the next generation system for the FAA,” adding that they are “at the beginning of a multiyear contract to replace antiquated, legacy systems.”
Bloomberg News reported that Musk recently approved the shipment of 4,000 Starlink terminals to the FAA for potential testing, citing an individual familiar with the matter.
Some Democrats are concerned that this represents a conflict of interest for the administration, as Musk is heavily involved in the administration and donated more than a quarter billion dollars to the Trump 2024 campaign.
“How much richer will Elon get with an FAA contract to another one of his companies? My ELON MUSK Act would stop this blatant corruption,” Rep. Mark Pocan (D-WI) wrote on X.
However, the FAA clarified in a Monday statement that they have been testing Starlink satellites “since the prior administration to increase reliability at remote sites.”

In this photo illustration a Starlink logo of a satellite

FAA Tests Musk’s Starlink Satellites For Air Traffic Control Upgrades

Elon Musk

Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)

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Technology

Authorities said on Friday that there are no survivors after finding a Bering Air Cessna Caravan with 10 people on board that crashed on sea ice after going missing over the Norton Sound in Alaska on Thursday.
According to the U.S. Coast Guard, rescuers looking for the missing aircraft spotted the wreckage from a helicopter, the Associated Press <a href="https://apnews.com/article/missing-aircraft-alaska-search-10-people-eb496188285ed54c9a527f658d4ff70a" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>. The Cessna Caravan, which is a single-engine propeller plane, left Unalakleet, Alaska, at 2:37 p.m. local time and was supposed to land in Nome, Alaska, which is a short flight across the Norton Sound. At around 4:00 p.m., Alaska State troopers received word around 4:00 p.m. that the plane was overdue, and authorities began search operations.
The Coast Guard said that at 3:18, the airplane had “some kind of event which caused them to experience a rapid loss in elevation and a rapid loss in speed.&#8221; Visibility was poor at the time of the crash as the area experienced light snow and fog.
All 10 people onboard the flight, which included nine passengers and one pilot, were adults, Lt. Ben Endres of the Alaska State Troopers said, according to the AP. Bering Air is based in Nome and operates passenger and charter airline services. Since the sea ice is unstable, authorities are trying to move fast to recover the bodies and any parts of the plane that will aid officials in their investigation into the crash.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/UPDATE?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#UPDATE</a> (1/2) <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/USCG?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#USCG</a> has ended its search for the missing plane after the aircraft was located approx. 34 miles southeast of Nome. 3 individuals were found inside and reported to be deceased. <a href="https://t.co/XndzBYHdCE">pic.twitter.com/XndzBYHdCE</a>
&mdash; USCGAlaska (@USCGAlaska) <a href="https://twitter.com/USCGAlaska/status/1888023010877260283?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 8, 2025</a></blockquote>
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“They are on the ice as we speak,” said Nome Volunteer Fire Department Chief Jim West. “The conditions out there are dynamic, and so we’ve got to do it safely and the fastest way we can.”
Alaska Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski addressed the crash during a press conference, saying, “It’s hard to accept the reality of our loss.” Nome Mayor John Handeland added, “Nome is a strong community, and in challenging times we come together and support each other. I expect the outpouring of support to continue in the coming days as we all work to recover from this tragic incident.&#8221;
The crash is the third on U.S. soil in 2025. Last month, an Army Black Hawk helicopter carrying three service members collided with an American Eagle flight that had 64 people on board. The crash sent both aircraft into the Potomac River near Washington, D.C., killing all 67 people involved. Days later, a medical jet carrying a pediatric patient crashed in north Philadelphia, killing all six people on board and one person on the ground and injuring more than 20 others.

USCG Alaska

Missing Alaska Plane Found; Authorities Say There Are No Survivors

Airplane crash

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A plane with 10 people aboard went missing while flying from Unalakleet to Nome, Alaska, on Thursday, sparking a search and rescue operation from state and federal authorities.
The Bering Air Caravan airplane with one pilot and nine passengers left Unalakleet at 2:37 p.m. local time, and Alaska State troopers received word around 4:00 p.m. that the plane was overdue in Nome, CBS News <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/plane-missing-alaska-10-on-board-nome/?ftag=CNM-00-10aab7e&amp;linkId=740695350" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>. The plane appeared to be traveling over the Norton Sound when it potentially encountered near-whiteout fog. FlightRadar <a href="https://www.flightradar24.com/data/aircraft/n321ba#39086384" target="_blank" rel="noopener">data</a> showed a Bering Air Caravan plane last reporting data at 3:16 p.m.
&#8220;U.S. Coast Guard District 17 responded to an aircraft emergency notification from Alaska Rescue Coordination Center at 4:30 p.m. today for a Cessna Caravan that reported to have 10 people aboard,&#8221; U.S. Coast Guard Alaska <a href="https://x.com/USCGAlaska/status/1887733606472388886" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> in a statement. &#8220;An HC-130 Hercules airplane crew from Air Station Kodiak to search their last known position. The aircraft was 12 miles offshore transiting from Unalakleet to Nome when its position was lost. More information to follow as it becomes available.&#8221;
The Bering Air Cessna Caravan is a single-engine propeller plane. Bering Air is based in Nome and operates passenger and charter airline services.
Due to low visibility, the search plane flew over the water and along the shoreline with equipment that could help locate the missing aircraft. Authorities told people not to form their own search parties due to the weather. The Nome Volunteer Fire Department said, &#8220;We continue to expand search efforts to as many avenues as possible until the plane is located.&#8221;
In an update at 12:30 a.m. local time on Friday, the fire department said the plane was still missing.
&#8220;We do not have any updated information on the location of the missing aircraft. Crews are still searching on the ground, canvassing as much area as possible,&#8221; the fire department <a href="https://www.facebook.com/NVFDAlaska" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a> added. &#8220;The National Guard C-130 reported they found nothing found so far. The Airforce also sent a C-130 resumed the search and also have reported no visuals, and have one hour of flight search time remaining. If nothing further is reported, the next update will be at 9am.&#8221;
The incident comes after an Army Black Hawk helicopter with three service members collided with an American Eagle flight that had 64 people on board. The crash sent both aircraft into the Potomac River near Washington, D.C., killing all 67 people involved. Days later, a medical jet carrying a pediatric patient crashed in north Philadelphia, killing all six people on board and one person on the ground and injuring more than 20 others.

U.S. Coast Guard Helicopter

Authorities Begin Search And Rescue Operation After Plane Goes Missing In Alaska

Frontier Airlines says they’re all about “inclusion,” but that inclusion wasn’t very evident in the airline’s treatment of Russian mixed-martial artist Khabib Nurmagomedov.
Khabib was escorted off a flight by Frontier Airlines after a dispute over whether he could stay in his emergency row exit seat. The all-time great fighter was on his way to Southern California to help train his cousin for a fight on Saturday — a fight that Jeremy’s Razors is sponsoring. 
While sitting in his seat on the emergency exit row awaiting takeoff, Khabib <a href="https://x.com/TeamKhabib/status/1878562981296165094" target="_blank" rel="noopener">alleged</a> that he was approached by a woman “who comes to me with questions was very rude from the very beginning, even though I speak very decent English and can understand everything and agreed to assist, she still insists on removing me from my seat.”
Khabib added, “What was the base for that, racial, national or other one, I&#8217;m not sure.
But after 2 minutes of conversation, she called security and I was deplaned from this aircraft, after 1.5 hour I boarded another airline one and left to my destination. I did my best to stay calm and respectful as you can see on the video. But those crew members could do better next time and just be nice with clients.” 
According to a statement Frontier Airlines gave to <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2025/01/13/sport/khabib-nurmagomedov-frontier-airlines-plane-spt-intl/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CNN</a>, “a flight attendant initiated the customary briefing for exit row passengers” and Khabib, “who was seated in an exit row, was asked multiple times if he was willing and able to assist in the event of an emergency.”
“According to the flight attendant, Mr. Nurmagomedov did not respond, despite repeated attempts, which placed him in non-compliance with FAA requirements. As a result, he was asked to move to a different upgraded seat which he refused to do,” the statement added. “Therefore, in accordance with airline and FAA policy, he was asked to deplane. The decision to deplane the customer was in no way related to his ethnicity and we have refunded him and his traveling companions for their flights.”
Frontier Airlines — which has gone out of its way to preach the diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI message, saying that “The Sky is for Everyone” — apparently didn’t believe the sky was for Khabib, at least not on that plane. 
A video on social media shows part of the interaction between Khabib and a gate agent who came on the plane to confront the fighter after a flight attendant complained. In the video, Khabib tells the gate agent that he knows English and can help assist in the emergency exit row. He added that the flight attendant “doesn’t understand what she’s talking about.” 
“It’s not about the language,” the agent said, adding, “So what we’re going to do is we’re either gonna have you switch your seat or because my flight attendants are not allowing you to sit in the exit row or you’re gonna have to get off this plane and then we’ll have to re-book you.” 
“Because of what?” Khabib asked. 
“Because they’re not comfortable with you sitting in the emergency exit row.” 
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Khabib Nurmagomedov was removed from his flight last night after a dispute over sitting in the emergency exit row <a href="https://t.co/WBRpm7gWiu">pic.twitter.com/WBRpm7gWiu</a>
&mdash; Happy Punch (@HappyPunch) <a href="https://twitter.com/HappyPunch/status/1878465696771780666?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 12, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Frontier sent a statement to MMA Junkie on Monday, <a href="https://mmajunkie.usatoday.com/2025/01/frontier-airlines-khabib-nurmagomedov-statement" target="_blank" rel="noopener">saying</a>, that the videos on social media do not “capture” the entire interaction “and instead show a subsequent interaction after a gate agent entered the plane and reiterated the option to be reseated.”
As a result of the customer’s initial unresponsiveness and repeated declinations of a seat change, he was asked to deplane per airline and FAA policy. The decision to deplane the customer was in no way related to his ethnicity, and we have refunded him and his traveling companions for their flights,” Frontier stated.  
Frontier Airlines is a major supporter of woke causes such as <a href="https://www.flyfrontier.com/diversity-equity-inclusion/?mobile=true" target="_blank" rel="noopener">DEI</a> and LGBTQ “Pride Month,” <a href="https://www.flyfrontier.com/travel-tails/posts/2024/our-people/the-sky-is-for-everyone/?mobile=true#:~:text=Lesbian%2C%20Gay%2C%20Bisexual%2C%20Transgender%2C%20and%20Queer%20(LGBTQ+),Daniel%20Gilbert%20has%20worked%20for%20Frontier%20for" target="_blank" rel="noopener">writing</a> in 2022, “Every June we celebrate Pride Month, which commemorates the triumphs and challenges of the LGBTQIA+ community.” 
Khabib will coach his cousin, Umar Nurmagomedov, for his upcoming fight against Merab Dvalishvili for gold in UFC 311 on Saturday in Inglewood, California, sponsored by <a href="https://www.jeremysrazors.com/collections/bestsellers/products/precision-5-trial-kit-2?selling_plan=3820880085" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jeremy’s Razors. Shave Boldly, Live Freely. Order a Jeremy’s Razors starter set today</a>.
<div id="attachment_858331" style="width: 668px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="https://www.jeremysrazors.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-858331" class="wp-image-858331 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/01/300x600_UFCXJR-658x576.jpg" alt="UFC/Jeremy's Razors" width="658" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/01/300x600_UFCXJR-658x576.jpg 658w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/01/300x600_UFCXJR-300x263.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/01/300x600_UFCXJR.jpg 685w" sizes="(max-width: 658px) 100vw, 658px" /></a>UFC/Jeremy&#8217;s Razors</div>
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‘Very Rude’: UFC Champion Khabib Removed From Flight By Woke Airline After Emergency Row Dispute

Jeremy's Razors

Multiple unauthorized drones flew above the Palisades fire in Santa Monica, California, on Friday afternoon, forcing important firefighting aircraft to leave the area for safety, The Los Angeles Times <a href="https://www.yahoo.com/news/incredibly-dangerous-more-unauthorized-drones-043914110.html?guccounter=1&amp;guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&amp;guce_referrer_sig=AQAAADfuVX9LTvTCkrvYKXFQUr71ziMLT9b2r3ZM46qkPRV-apjCPc1oNv65InftuEQT3bE16A5-fvb4OtRCtbXgPKdk7yPnxb-6lOmB7wTifw5LNgmLIUdwXMD23NIDdbD0nN_EGkB5tVycHa7JT07XmSD5NVEVhlIvO0MW0xgoPzbG" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>.
Authorities decided to move the firefighting aircraft out of the area after a drone collided with a Super Scooper aircraft on Thursday. That plane was grounded for several days to be repaired, taking away a key asset for firefighters as the Palisades fire continues to burn. Authorities said that the drones were spotted near the southeastern portion of the fire around 4:40 p.m. on Friday, according to the Times.
“Because of safety, we have to get all the aircraft out of the area until we know the drones are gone,” said Chris Thomas, the public information officer for the Palisades fire. “So that is very dangerous, because it takes water-dropping capability away from the fire.”
“If we have to take helicopters out of an area and the wind catches one of those cinders in that area and lifts it up, we could ignite a whole other area,” Thomas added.
The Palisades fire, which has already blazed through over 22,000 acres in Los Angeles County, is only at 11% containment as of the latest update from the Cal Fire on Saturday morning. New evacuation orders were issued in Brentwood and Encino on Friday evening as the fire moved toward Mandeville Canyon, the Times <a href="https://www.fire.ca.gov/incidents/2025/1/7/palisades-fire" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>. At least two people have <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2025/01/10/los-angeles-fires-updates-california-palisades-eaton/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">died</a> in the Palisades fire, while at least five people have been reported dead from the Eaton fire on L.A.&#8217;s east side.
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As the fires continue to rage in Southern California, airplanes and helicopters are vital for firefighters seeking to protect communities from the flames. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) released a statement on Thursday warning drone operators of the consequences of interfering with firefighting efforts.
&#8220;It&#8217;s a federal crime, punishable by up to 12 months in prison, to interfere with firefighting efforts on public lands,&#8221; the FAA said. &#8220;Additionally, the FAA can impose a civil penalty of up to $75,000 against any drone pilot who interferes with wildfire suppression, law enforcement or emergency response operations when temporary flight restrictions are in place.&#8221;
L.A. County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone said that the FBI is planning to come to the area to assist in ensuring that no more drones are endangering firefighting efforts.
“This is not just harmless fun. This is incredibly dangerous,” Thomas, the Palisades fire spokesman, added. “Seriously, what if that plane had gone down? It could have taken out a row of homes. It could have taken out a school.”

Palisades fire

Unauthorized Drones Threaten Safety Of Firefighting Aircraft Above Palisades Fire

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More than 200 passengers on a Delta flight had to evacuate the plane after an &#8220;engine issue&#8221; forced pilots to avert takeoff at the last second Friday morning.
Photos and videos shared on social media showed people walking away from the Boeing 757-300 on the snow-covered Atlanta tarmac. The plane, which was supposed to fly to Minneapolis, deployed its emergency slides for people to exit, CNN <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2025/01/10/travel/delta-evacuation-atlanta-airport/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>. Four people were injured in the incident.
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About 200 people were evacuated from a Delta plane at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport
FULL STORY HERE&gt;&gt;&gt; <a href="https://t.co/SW1pHI7qpN">https://t.co/SW1pHI7qpN</a> <a href="https://t.co/6u7MNiriXT">pic.twitter.com/6u7MNiriXT</a>
&mdash; Atlanta News First (@ATLNewsFirst) <a href="https://twitter.com/ATLNewsFirst/status/1877762928335602028?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 10, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Curtis James, a passenger who spoke to CNN, said that the engine burst into flames as the plane was getting ready to take off, but officials have not said whether the plane&#8217;s engine caught fire. Delta said in a statement, &#8220;Delta’s flight crew followed established procedures to suspend the takeoff of flight 2668 from Atlanta (ATL) to Minneapolis-St. Paul (MSP) after an indication of an engine issue.”
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One person was transported to a local hospital, and three others were treated for minor injuries at the scene, according to the airport. After the pilots aborted takeoff, passengers were transported from the tarmac to the airport. The Federal Aviation Administration said it is investigating the incident. A ground stop for all Delta flights was issued until at least 2:00 p.m., according to <a href="https://www.11alive.com/article/weather/winter-storm/four-injured-atlanta-airport-delta-flight-aborts-takeoff/85-c46be660-4a1a-4f2f-ab4e-3a066c6c0bf7" target="_blank" rel="noopener">11 Alive</a>.
Severe winter weather moving across parts of the South on Friday hammered Atlanta, causing hundreds of flight cancellations on Friday morning. As of 11:00 a.m. ET, more than 400 flights at the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport had been canceled, according to FlightAware.

Atlanta Airport

Delta Flight Aborts Takeoff Over ‘Engine Issue,’ Passengers Forced To Evacuate Plane

Delta Flight Aborts Takeoff Over 'Engine Issue,' Passengers Forced To Evacuate Plane

Atlanta

Georgia

Azerbaijan Airlines said in its first statement since <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/plane-crash" target="_blank" rel="noopener">flight J2-8243 crashed</a> on Christmas that the incident was caused by &#8220;external interference.&#8221;
The <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/dozens-killed-after-russia-shoots-down-passenger-jet-report" target="_blank" rel="noopener">crash</a> of the Embraer 190 aircraft operating the Baku-Grozny flight was caused by &#8220;physical and technical external interference,&#8221; the airline said.
The company suspended flights to several Russian cities following the crash due to safety risks.
&#8220;The bodies of passengers and crew members who lost their lives in the crash of the Azerbaijan Airlines aircraft near Aktau, Kazakhstan, will be delivered to Azerbaijan in the near future,&#8221; the country said in a joint statement with the airline.
Of the 62 passengers and 5 crew members on board, 38 were killed and the rest were injured, many of whom are listed in critical condition.
White House national security spokesman John Kirby said that there were “some early indications that would certainly point to the possibility that this jet was brought down by Russian air defense systems.”
“That said, there’s an ongoing investigation right now,” he added. “Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan are conducting this jointly. We have offered our assistance to that investigation.”
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Rasim Musabayov, a member of the National Assembly of Azerbaijan, said on Friday that the evidence pointing to Russia shooting down the plane was overwhelming.
“If someone thinks that we are allies with Russia and therefore we would close our eyes on everything, then they are mistaken,” he told The New York Times. “There aren’t that many countries that are on good terms with Russia now,” he added. “If Moscow doesn’t make the right steps in this situation the list might get shorter.”
He also demanded that Russia explain why the plane diverted out of Russian air space and was not allowed to land.
Sources familiar with the investigation told The Wall Street Journal that Russia not only refused to allow the plane to land on its soil, it intentionally jammed the plane&#8217;s GPS.
A local Azerbaijani publication said that the plane was redirected to land in the Kazakh city of Aktau.
&#8220;It can be assumed that this recommendation was given with one goal: to have the aircraft crash into the Caspian Sea, where all witnesses would perish and the aircraft would sink,&#8221; the publication said.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Kill and hide. Azerbaijani officials tell local media that Russia hit flight J2-8243 with an anti-aircraft missile and then jammed electronics and denied permission to land in three airports, steering the damaged plane into the Caspian Sea so that it would crash there and… <a href="https://t.co/BuXePAteTJ">pic.twitter.com/BuXePAteTJ</a>
— Yaroslav Trofimov (@yarotrof) <a href="https://twitter.com/yarotrof/status/1872277323254268292?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 26, 2024</a></blockquote>
Because the plane had been targeted with GPS jammers, it stopped sending radar information about its location, which would have made it difficult to find had it crashed in the Caspian Sea.
Officials do not believe that Russia intentionally shot down the aircraft as it was flying in an area where Russia has been shooting down Ukrainian drones.

PhotoFlash | Azerbaijan Airlines plane from Baku crashes near Kazakhstan’s Aktau

Azerbaijan Airlines Says ‘External Interference’ Caused Plane Crash

General

Plane Crash

Russia

A body was found in the wheel well of a United Airlines flight that landed in Maui after taking off from Chicago on Christmas Eve.
The body was found when a Boeing 787-10 from United Airlines arrived in Hawaii at 2:12 p.m. local time on Tuesday after taking off from Chicago O’Hare International Airport at 9:31 a.m., The New York Times <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/12/25/us/body-found-united-airlines-wheel-well-maui-hawaii.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>. United said in a statement that the body was found &#8220;in the wheel well of one of the main landing gears on a United aircraft.&#8221; The Maui Police Department said the person, who has not been identified, was discovered dead.
“The wheel well was only accessible from outside of the aircraft,” United Airlines added, according to <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2024/12/25/us/united-airlines-plane-body-found-hawaii/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CNN</a>. “At this time, it is not clear how or when the person accessed the wheel well.”
The wheel well is a compartment under an aircraft that stores the landing gear and is usually a tight space — often smaller than the trunk of a car. In the past, people attempting to hitch a ride on an airplane have been crushed in the wheel well when the landing gear retracts, CNN reported.
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It remains unclear how the person on the United flight to Maui got onto the tarmac and into the wheel well. Dozens of stowaways have attempted to hitch illegal rides on airplanes by climbing into the wheel well, but multiple factors make it nearly impossible for a stowaway to survive a ride in the wheel well. As a plane reaches higher altitudes, oxygen levels drop and stowaways lose consciousness. Temperatures can also reach 75 degrees below zero. Nearly 80% of the roughly 130 people who have attempted to catch a ride on the outside of an airplane since 1947 have died, <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2019/07/06/us/airplane-stowaways/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to the Federal Aviation Administration.
Some people have survived the extreme conditions after hitching a ride on an airplane, and one person survived a brutal journey sitting in the wheel well of a plane that took off from the continental U.S. and landed in Hawaii. In 2014, a 15-year-old boy was <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/usanow/2014/04/21/stow-away-flight/7953325/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">found alive</a> in the wheel well of a Boeing 767 after a five-hour flight from San Jose to Maui. The FBI said the teen&#8217;s survival was a &#8220;miracle.&#8221;

United Airlines Boeing 787-10 Dreamleaner

Body Found In Wheel Well Of Plane After 9-Hour Flight To Hawaii

Chicago

Hawaii

United Airlines

Two Delta Airlines planes collided while taxiing at the Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport in Atlanta on Tuesday morning with one plane&#8217;s tail nearly getting ripped off.
A Delta Airbus A350&#8217;s wing tip “came into contact” with a Delta CRJ 900 regional jet&#8217;s tail while both planes were taxiing to get in position for departure, CNN <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2024/09/10/travel/delta-planes-collide-taxiing-atlanta-airport/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>. The Delta CRJ 900 was being operated by Endeavor Airlines. No one was injured in the collision, according to Delta Air Lines spokesman Anthony Black.
Video and photos taken after the collision show the damage to the CRJ 900&#8217;s tail.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Two Delta Airlines aircraft were involved in a collision on the taxiway at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport in Atlanta, Georgia.
A Delta airlines Airbus A350-941 aircraft (N503DN) clips vertical stabilizer off the Delta Connection Bombardier CRJ-900LR plane (N302PQ),… <a href="https://t.co/lscFm6T7vu">pic.twitter.com/lscFm6T7vu</a>
— FL360aero (@fl360aero) <a href="https://twitter.com/fl360aero/status/1833547022479081745?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 10, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> 
“While Delta Air Lines Flight 295 was taxiing for departure at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, its wingtip struck the tail of Endeavor Air Flight 5526. The Delta Airbus A350 was headed to Tokyo. The Endeavor Bombardier CRJ900 was headed to Lafayette, Louisiana,” the Federal Aviation Administration said in a statement.
Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, considered the busiest in the world, also released a <a href="https://x.com/ATLairport/status/1833532469972504960" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a>, saying, &#8220;At 10:07AM, two aircraft made contact at the intersection of taxiways E and H on the north airfield. No injuries are reported. Passengers from one aircraft are being bussed to concourse B; the other aircraft taxied on its own power to its gate. There is minimal impact to ops.&#8221;
According to Delta, there were 221 passengers on the Airbus and 56 passengers on the CRJ 900.
Retired aviation expert Ira Astrachan told The Daily Wire that the collision appears to be the pilots&#8217; fault and not an issue with the ground crew or air traffic control. He said the CRJ 900 turned onto a taxiway and should have pulled up farther to the &#8220;hold short&#8221; line &#8220;so that its nose is as close to that line as possible.&#8221; The CRJ, however, appeared to stop 20 to 30 feet short of the line, meaning its tail was &#8220;still sticking part way into the main taxiway, which is where the Airbus was,&#8221; according to the aviation expert.
&#8220;The co-pilot of the Airbus should have notified the captain, &#8216;Hey, doesn&#8217;t look like we&#8217;re going to clear the tail of that CRJ. We need to stop and have the CRJ pull up,'&#8221; Astrachan said. &#8220;It&#8217;s too bad. That stuff shouldn&#8217;t happen. It&#8217;s two pilots taxiing airplanes; it&#8217;s on them.&#8221;
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Tuesday&#8217;s collision marks the second accident in the past month involving Delta planes at the Atlanta airport. Last month, a Delta employee and a contractor were killed, and a third person was seriously injured when a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/2-killed-after-delta-plane-tire-explodes-at-atlanta-airport" target="_blank" rel="noopener">plane tire exploded</a> in a maintenance area.
The workers had removed the tire from the Delta plane and taken it to the wheel and brake shop when the tire exploded, sending a piece of metal “flying like a missile.” The deadly incident is still being investigated.
This article has been updated to provide additional comments and expert analysis.

Delta

Delta Planes Collide On Atlanta Airport Tarmac

Air &amp; Space

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