United aware of reports kite struck plane landing at Reagan National
In a statement to Nexstar's WDCW, United Airlines said it is aware of reports that a kite struck United Flight 654, which departed from Houston for Washington, D.C.
However, the airline added that 'the aircraft landed safely, customers deplaned normally and upon inspection, there was no damage to the aircraft.'
The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA), whose police department patrols Reagan National (DCA) and Dulles International airports, said that its officers had responded to reports of kite-flying that day at Gravelly Point.
FAA reports near-miss at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport involving Delta plane, Air Force Talon
Gravelly Point, a park across the Potomac River from Washington, D.C., is just a few hundred feet away from the north end of DCA's runway. People are not allowed to fly kites there because of 'the danger of low-flying aircraft,' according to the MWAA.
Upon responding to the park, the airport's authority said officers briefly confiscated a kite flying in the restricted air space.
'That kite was returned to its owner shortly later and no charges were filed,' said Emily McGee, a spokesperson for the MWAA.
Officers also warned people about flying kites in the area.
Across the Potomac on the National Mall, National Cherry Blossom Festival organizers held the annual Blossom Kite Festival on Saturday to celebrate cherry blossom season. According to organizers, the kite festival was unrelated to the kite-flying activity at Gravelly Point.
The reported incident comes just two months after an American Airlines plane and a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter collided above the Potomac River near DCA, killing 67 people.
On Friday, a Delta Air Lines Flight preparing to leave Ronald Reagan and an incoming military jet received instructions to divert and prevent a possible collision, officials said.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
WATCH LIVE: Murder trials for Jacksonville rapper Ksoo, friend continue
Testimony continued Thursday in the trials of two men accused of killing a local rapper over a diss track. Hakeem Robinson - also known as Ksoo - and Leroy Whitaker are being tried together with separate juries. CLICK THE LINK BELOW TO WATCH TESTIMONY LIVE AS IT HAPPENS: >>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<< Attorneys finished delivering their opening statements to the jurors on Wednesday evening. Charles McCormick Jr. – better known as 'Lil Buck' — was shot and killed in 2020 in what investigators believe was a gang-related attack outside an Arlington shopping center. RELATED: What to know as accused Jacksonville gang members at the center of deadly drill rap beef go on trial Robinson is charged with 1st degree murder as a criminal gang member While Whitaker is charged with 1st degree murder as a criminal gang member, burglary with assault or battery home invasion robbery Both Robinson and Whitaker are alleged to be a part of the ATK gang. Investigators allege Robinson and Whitaker sought to kill McCormick Jr. because he made a rap song that dissed the late rapper Willie Addision (Big Goon), who is also Robinson's half-brother. During opening statements, both Robinson's and Whitaker's attorneys alluded that the state's evidence in this case came as a result of plea deals, including with Robinson's dad, Abdul Robinson Sr., and suspect Dominique Barner. 'You're going to learn that Blue (Abdul Robinson Sr.), this ain't his first time cooperating with law enforcement. He's done that before. So he has experience. He knows that when he's in trouble and he's caught, if I say what the government wants to hear, I get out. He's done it before and he's going to do it again in this courtroom,' Tara Kawass, Defense attorney for Hakeem Robinson, said. [DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks] 'What you're going to learn is that Dominique Barner came in on January 15th, and he told just enough about himself to get him off this case,' Julie Schlax, attorney for Whitaker, said. 'They let him go.' During the prosecution's opening statements, Assistant State Attorney Joel Cooper said that the evidence will show the motivation behind the murder. 'This was a group of individuals who knew one another, we're close to one another, that were family. Every single one of them that participated in this crime, were members of ATK. The local rap group. All but one of them were related by blood,' Cooper said. [SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter]
CBS News
3 days ago
- CBS News
Unruly passenger aboard Detroit-bound flight under federal investigation, remains in custody
A federal court hearing is scheduled for Friday in Iowa for a man accused of causing a disturbance on a Detroit-bound SkyWest flight. The captain of the July 17 flight from Omaha to Detroit called for an emergency landing in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, after getting reports from the flight attendants that a passenger was causing a disturbance and attempting to open an emergency exit, according to a report that an FBI special agent filed with the court. The FBI report says "there is probable cause" to believe he committed "interference with flight crew members and attendants." Mario Nikprelaj has been summoned for a preliminary hearing and detection hearing on Friday in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Iowa in Cedar Rapids in this investigation, court records show. SkyWest was operating as a Delta connection for Flight 3612, which took off in Omaha, Nebraska, with the intention of landing in Detroit. A passenger who boarded with no checked-in or on-board luggage, with a one-way ticket to Detroit, became unruly shortly before departure, the FBI report said. The two flight attendants were able to control the situation, but during the initial stage of the flight, he left his seat and made a crude gesture to the flight attendants. He did return to his seat at the time, and the flight attendants informed the captain about the behavior. Then, about 20 miles away from Cedar Rapids, the FBI report said, one of the flight attendants informed the captain that the unruly passenger was attempting to open an exit door and was fighting with other passengers. In response, the captain notified Eastern Iowa Airport in Cedar Rapids that he was diverting to their airport for an emergency landing. The captain made an announcement to the passengers that they were to remain in their seats, but any passengers who were willing and able to assist the flight attendants in handling the unruly person should do so. Three passengers then came to the direct assistance of the flight attendants. After the aircraft landed, the suspect was lodged a the Linn County Jail in Iowa. Local charges were filed in the aftermath, but have since been dismissed, with the case now in federal court. The FBI, Cedar Rapids Police Department and Eastern Iowa Airport Department of Public Safety were among those involved in the investigation, including interviews with the other passengers. "SkyWest has zero tolerance for unruly behavior as safety for our customers and crew is our top priority," the airline said in a statement.
New York Post
3 days ago
- New York Post
Army vet grandma blocks crazed passenger from storming cockpit on Delta flight: ‘Not today'
She decided that this behavior wasn't going to fly. A Georgia grandmother and army veteran is being hailed as a hero after she allegedly stopped an unruly passenger from storming the cockpit on board a Delta flight last week. 'Nobody else was doing nothing, so I just knew I had to do something,' Nicole Pruitt told 13 News while recounting her heroic act. The no-nonsense nana was first seen in a viral TikTok video that showed the passenger restrained and on the floor following her attempt to enter the cockpit. 3 'I'm like, 'Wait a minute… Not today,'' recalled Priutt (pictured after helping restrain the flyer). TikTok / @amorfatitestlab The incident occurred July 16 as Pruitt was flying from Atlanta, Georgia to Tucson, Arizona to meet her new grandson. Things took a turn 20 minutes into the trip, when a female flyer attempted to access the cockpit and the plane's main entrance — a frighteningly common occurrence in the friendly skies of late. The woman claimed she'd received a divine directive to jump ship, WSAZ 3 reported. 'She didn't want to be on the plane anymore,' Pruitt, a 26-year army veteran, recalled. 'She said God told her to do it. She had a calling.' That's when the steel-nerved senior decided to spring into action. 'I'm like, 'Wait a minute… Not today,'' recalled the Georgian, who helped detain the mile-high hellion as the aircraft began to turn around. 3 The unnamed passenger after being restrained by Pruitt and others. TikTok / @amorfatitestlab 3 'She didn't want to be on the plane anymore,' Pruitt recounted. KOLD Accompanying footage, which was shot in the aftermath of the struggle, shows the troublemaker lying facedown on the ground with her hands tied behind her back as Pruitt stands by. 'I will whoop her a–,' the sky samaritan declares while returning to her seat. The veteran said she was determined not to let the disruption prevent her from visiting her family. 'I've got to make it home to my kids, my children, my grandchildren,' Pruitt declared. Pruitt's son, Tyrique Perry, who was waiting for her in Tucson, said he was 'not surprised' that his mom came to the rescue. 'Sometimes, it's just a natural instinct and you've got to get it done,' declared Perry, who uploaded the clip on TikTok so viewers could witness his mother's good deed. They were quick to lavish praise on the sky Samaritan. 'This woman is a hero,' declared one admirer, while another wrote, 'Thank you, Queen Nikki.' Others urged Delta to reward Pruitt for her courageous act. 'Bless this woman and what she did for everyone on that flight!!' said one. 'Delta step up and take care of her ForEva!!!!' Another wrote, 'Delta needs to have this woman fly free for life! first class.' Delta has since addressed the incident in a statement. 'Delta sincerely appreciates the actions of our crew and customers for de-escalating this situation,' airline reps said. 'We apologize to our customers for the delay and thank them for their understanding.'
