The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) on Friday proposed a new national framework that could make it easier for companies to deploy at scale autonomous vehicles without traditional manual driving controls — like steering wheels, pedals, and sideview mirrors. The guidelines also require AV companies to share a whole lot more safety data with […]
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The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is probing a Cybertruck crash that killed three college students last month in California.
"NHTSA is aware of the crash and is gathering information from the manufacturer and law enforcement," a spokesperson for the agency told Business Insider, adding that an investigation hasn't been opened yet.
The Piedmont Police Department and the California Highway Patrol are looking into the Tesla crash, Piedmont Police Chief Jeremy Bowers said at a media briefing. CFP did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.
The Piedmont Police Department was alerted about the crash at 3:08 a.m. on November 27, according to Bowers. The police arrived at the scene and found the Cybertruck vehicle in flames. Three of the four people in the car were killed, and the fourth sustained serious injuries and was taken to a hospital.
Bowers said at the media briefing that the police officers attempted to extinguish the fire at the crash site, but it was "too intense." The Piedmont Fire Department eventually extinguished the fire, he said.
The cause of the crash still remains unknown, although Bowers said at the briefing that speed was likely a "contributing factor." He also said there was no indication that mechanical issues were the primary cause of the collision, although he said the investigation was still in the early stages.
The Piedmont crash stands as the second fatal Cybertruck crash in the US. The previous fatal crash, which occurred in August, also involved a Cybertruck and a fire after a driver drove off a road in Texas.
Like traditional vehicles with internal combustion engines, electric vehicles can catch fire in crashes. However, EVs have posed challenges with putting out fires in a timely manner because of their large lithium-ion batteries. When an EV battery enters a cycle of overheating and over-pressurizing, it can result in fires or explosions.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk has criticized media coverage of Tesla models that have caught fire and maintained that the automaker's vehicles are some of the safest on the road.
"Considering the odds in the absolute, you are more likely to be struck by lightning in your lifetime than experience even a non-injurious fire in a Tesla," Musk wrote in a 2013 blog post addressing recent Tesla fires.
The "'apocalypse-proof' Cybertruck, as Musk has described it, has faced multiple recalls since the first deliveries about a year ago, many of which were addressed through software updates. The most recent was due to a faulty vehicle part that could cause the vehicle's wheels to lose power.
Prior to that, 27,000 Cybertrucks were recalled because of a rearview camera issue that could increase the risk of accidents when driving in reverse. In addition to the recalls, NHTSA has also received 21 complaints about issues ranging from broken windshield wipers to issues with the electrical system.
The NHTSA has investigated other Tesla vehicles, often regarding the company's Autopilot or Full-Self-Driving technology. In October, the agency opened an investigation covering 2.4 million Tesla vehicles. The investigation followed reports of four crashes involving FSD in areas where road visibility had been reduced.
Andrew Kelly/ Reuters
A woman who boarded a transatlantic flight without a ticket or passport got through security in a special lane for airline staff, court documents say.
Svetlana Dali, 57, was charged with being a stowaway on an aircraft. She faces up to five years in prison if found guilty.
In a criminal complaint filed Thursday in the US District Court for the Eastern District of New York and seen by Business Insider, an FBI special agent set out the evidence against her.
It says Dali admitted in an interview that she flew as a stowaway on board a Delta Air Lines flight from New York to Paris.
The incident is said to have occurred on November 26. The 2.7 million passengers that passed through Transportation Security Administration checkpoints that day was a record for a Tuesday before Thanksgiving.
Thursday's complaint says Dali was first turned away from a checkpoint at John F. Kennedy International Airport's Terminal 4 as she couldn't show a boarding pass.
She tried again five minutes later and was successful, "entering through a special lane for airline employees masked by a large Air Europa flight crew," it adds.
The complaint says that about 90 minutes after being screened by the TSA alongside ticketed passengers, Dali boarded Flight DL264 without presenting a boarding pass.
It adds that Delta agents didn't stop her or ask her to present a boarding pass while they helped other passengers board.
Before the flight landed at Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris, Delta staff realized Dali was on board the plane, and she couldn't show them a boarding pass, the complaint says.
French authorities met Dali at the gate and detained her after determining she didn't have a boarding pass or passport, it adds.
Dali is said to have admitted in an interview with the FBI agent that she intentionally evaded TSA and Delta staff and confirmed she appeared in security video bypassing them.
The New York Times reported that Dali's lawyer, Michael Schneider, said in court that the charge she faced was "akin to theft of services or jumping a turnstile."
In a statement, Delta thanked French and US authorities for their assistance. The airline said a review found its security infrastructure was "sound" and the incident was caused by a "deviation from standard procedures."
"We are thoroughly addressing this matter and will continue to work closely with our regulators, law enforcement and other relevant stakeholders," the statement added. "Nothing is of greater importance than safety and security."
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A woman who flew from the US to Paris without a ticket caused another disturbance on her way back, CNN reported.
She managed to sneak onto Delta Air Lines flight 264 last Tuesday and avoid being detected until the journey was nearly over.
A Transportation Security Administration representative told Business Insider last week that an individual without a boarding pass completed a security screening and then bypassed two identity verification and boarding status stations.
JonNYC, a popular aviation insider on social media, reported she was believed to have been hiding in a restroom during takeoff.
Citing law enforcement sources, CNN reported the woman was supposed to be flown back to the US on Saturday but was removed from the flight before takeoff.
The woman had been kept in a waiting zone at Paris' Charles de Gaulle Airport because she did not meet the conditions for entering Europe, the outlet previously reported.
Gary Treichler, who sat across the aisle from the woman on Saturday's flight, told CNN, "She kept on saying 'I do not want to go back to the USA. Only a judge can make me go back to the USA."
"She also repeated the Geneva Convention a few times so to me that kind of showed that she was off," he added.
The stowaway is a woman between 55 and 60 years old and has a Russian passport, an airport official told CNN.
Her flight back to the US is yet to be rescheduled, the outlet reported.
"Nothing is of greater importance than matters of safety and security," a Delta spokesperson said in a statement shared with BI after the initial flight.
"That's why Delta is conducting an exhaustive investigation of what may have occurred and will work collaboratively with other aviation stakeholders and law enforcement to that end."
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Air travel in the US has shattered previous records for Thanksgiving — while maintaining unprecedented reliability.
From Sunday, November 24, to Thanksgiving Day, the Federal Aviation Administration documented 232,000 flights across the US - the highest number ever recorded during Thanksgiving week.
This week has already broken several records: roughly 2.7 million passengers passed through TSA each day on Tuesday and Wednesday, setting a record for a Tuesday before Thanksgiving. About 1.6 million passengers passed through on Thursday, Reuters reported.
Industry group Airlines for America estimates that more than 3 million passengers will fly in the US on Sunday. If reached, this would surpass last year's record of 2.9 million passengers screened on the Sunday after Thanksgiving.
So far, Thanksgiving air travel has also never been less chaotic — 0.3% of flights have been canceled and 1.2% have been impacted by delays — fewer than ever this time of year, according to the FAA.
That could change for those flying in and out of the Northeast. Parts of New England may be covered in snow by Friday morning, while a predicted lake-effect storm from Cleveland to Buffalo, New York, could bring five feet of snow this weekend and into next week.
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A person managed to sneak onto a Delta Air Lines service to Paris and avoided being detected until the flight was nearly over.
The incident occurred on DL264 from New York's JFK Airport to Paris Charles de Gaulle on Tuesday.
It was first reported by JonNYC, a popular aviation insider on social media. A source told him the stowaway was believed to have been hiding in a restroom during takeoff.
A Transportation Security Administration representative told Business Insider that an individual without a boarding pass managed to complete a security screening.
The person also bypassed two identity verification and boarding status stations before boarding the aircraft.
.. They believe she was hiding in the lav during takeoff. 100%full flight with 0 open seats. Apparently the FAs became suspicious during the flight because this woman kept leaving one lavatory and then just going into a different one and staying inside for a long time.”
— JonNYC (@xJonNYC) November 27, 2024
A video posted on Bluesky appears to contain audio of the captain telling passengers that police in Paris had asked them to keep everyone on board "until we sort out the extra passenger that's on the plane."
JonNYC also reported that flight attendants became suspicious when the person would move between bathrooms after staying in each for a period of time.
A passenger also told JonNYC that the stowaway "wasn't detected until we were almost" at Paris.
A Delta representative told BI: "Nothing is of greater importance than matters of safety and security. That's why Delta is conducting an exhaustive investigation of what may have occurred and will work collaboratively with other aviation stakeholders and law enforcement to that end." They declined to provide further details.
Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport did not immediately respond to a request for comment from BI.
It's far from the first example of people making it onto flights without boarding passes, but most are discovered before takeoff.
In March, a man was arrested after boarding a Delta flight in Salt Lake City having used a photo of another passenger's boarding pass, prosecutors said.
In August, a man boarded two flights in two days without a ticket at Munich airport. After being caught before takeoff the first time, he then managed to fly to Sweden.
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If you're about to pack up and fly home for the holidays, it's always helpful to know what items you can — and can't — put in your carry-on bag.
The Thanksgiving travel season is expected to set new records this year, with AAA projecting that roughly 80 million people will travel for the holidays, exceeding pre-pandemic levels. However, before you hop on a flight, you might want to check you don't have any items that could slow you down at TSA.
The Transportation Security Administration, or TSA, has a lengthy, searchable online Rolodex of items you can look through before packing your bags, and you might be surprised to learn that everything from large quantities of soup to Magic 8 Balls are prohibited in carry-on luggage on flights.
Here are 12 carry-on items you'd be surprised aren't allowed through airport security.
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According to the TSA, snow globes are allowed through if they are approximately tennis-ball size or less, and appear to contain less than 3.4 ounces of liquid. However, if you're bringing back a travel memento from a trip, it's usually a safe idea to pack it in your checked bag.
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When it comes to Magic 8 Balls, the future is clear: Leave them at home, or put them in your checked bag.
"For carry-on bags: We asked the Magic 8 Ball and it told us… Outlook not so good," TSA wrote on its official website. "For checked bags: We asked the Magic 8 Ball and it told us… It is certain!"
Monkey Business Images/Shutterstock
If you're traveling to or from the UK around the holidays, you might want to avoid packing this traditional British Christmas item. TSA guidelines state that "English Christmas crackers" are not allowed in carry-on or checked bags.
Made from a cardboard tube wrapped in brightly colored paper, crackers contain small gifts that come out when pulled on either end. When both ends of the cracker are pulled, there is a bang.
That's because, inside, there are two strips of card, attached to each end of the cracker. The two pieces of card have a slight overlap that is treated with gunpowder. When each end of the cracker is pulled, friction is generated where the card overlaps, creating a small explosion on the part containing gunpowder.
A US Transportation Security Administration spokesman told Airport Parking and Hotels that these items are prohibited from flying in checked or carry-on bags.
"They are flammable and should not be brought on airplanes. They fall in the same category as sparklers and fireworks," they said.
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Soup is allowed on flights if you are carrying less than or equal to 3.4 fluid ounces, but any amount larger than that is prohibited in carry-on bags, the TSA reported.
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Cast-iron cookware, such as skillets and pans, are not allowed in carry-on luggage. While the TSA website does not expand on why these items are prohibited, heavy cast-iron items could cause serious injuries or damage if used as a weapon.
Other types of pots and pans are allowed in carry-on and checked bags.
Vicky Gosselin/Shutterstock
Alcoholic beverages with more than 70% alcohol, or over 140 proof, are also prohibited from both carry-on and checked bags.
Some high-percentage alcohols that would be affected by this ban include Hapsburg Absinthe XC, Sunset Very Strong Rum, Devil's Springs Vodka 160, and Golden Grain 190, which contains 95% alcohol by volume.
Alcoholic beverages that contain more than 24% but not more than 70% alcohol are limited in checked bags to no more than 5 liters and no more than 3.4 liquid ounces in carry-on bags.
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The TSA prohibits foam toy swords from being brought on planes in carry-on bags, but they can be packed in checked bags.
That being said, lightsabers are allowed to be brought on board, per TSA guidelines.
Tom Vickers/MOVI Inc
The TSA recommends that you pack these items in your checked bags, instead. The agency also notes that "replicas of explosives, such as hand grenades, are prohibited in checked and carry-on baggage."
Water guns packed in a carry-on should be emptied of all liquid, or contain less than the 3.4 ounces allowed through security.
TSA officers also have the option to prohibit or confiscate any item that goes through the security screening checkpoint "if they believe it poses a security threat," TSA guidelines state.
Fiskars
Anything that could be used as a weapon is usually banned from carry-on bags, and full-sized scissors are no exception.
TSA's website states that scissors are allowed in your carry-on, but must be less than 4 inches in length from the pivot point and wrapped or sheathed securely "to prevent injury to baggage handlers and inspectors."
Associated Press/Ross Dettman
TSA guidelines explain that fertilizer is not allowed in carry-on or checked bags. The Street reported that this is because fertilizer is deemed a hazardous material, as it can be flammable and could be a risk for explosion.
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TSA guidelines state that gel-filled heating pads are not permitted in carry-on bags but can be checked. Electric heating pads that do not contain gel or liquid are not restricted in any way.
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After a series of dangerous incidents in which the phones overheated, Samsung recalled the devices on September 15, 2016, and again on October 13, 2016. The Department of Transportation issued a 2016 statement banning both recalled Galaxy Note 7 phones and refurbished versions.
"We recognize that banning these phones from airlines will inconvenience some passengers, but the safety of all those aboard an aircraft must take priority," then-Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx said in 2016. "We are taking this additional step because even one fire incident inflight poses a high risk of severe personal injury and puts many lives at risk."
"The fire hazard with the original Note 7 and with the replacement Note 7 is simply too great for anyone to risk it and not respond to this official recall," said US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) chairman Elliot F. Kaye. "I would like to remind consumers once again to take advantage of the remedies offered, including a full refund. It's the right thing to do and the safest thing to do."
In a December 2016 statement, Samsung said 93% of recalled Galaxy Note 7 phones had been returned, but that the company was rolling out a software update that month that would render the phones unusable.
"Consumer safety remains our highest priority," it said in the statement.
