NBC Nightly News with Tom Llamas - Monday, February 17, 2025

Episode Date: February 18, 2025

Delta jet overturns on landing in Toronto; Recent airplane incidents raising traveler concerns; 11 dead in widespread Kentucky flooding; and more on tonight’s broadcast.

Breaking news as we come on the air, the terrifying scene on a runway in Toronto. A Delta Airlines plane from Minneapolis, completely upside down after crash landing with dozens of oar. This airplane just crashed, 23. At least 18 hurt, including a child, critically injured at Canada's busiest airport. Smoke billowing from the fuselage, fire trucks on the snow-covered tarmac as an air ambulance rushes to the scene. Footage from inside the plane showing passengers evacuating. Tonight, questions over how this could have happened.

And the growing concerns about aviation safety as hundreds of FAA employees are let go just weeks after that fatal midair collision in D.C. The deadly flood emergency in Kentucky. At least 11 killed. The mother and daughter swept away. More than 1,000 rescues. Roads washed out. Entire neighborhoods underwater.

Emergency crews racing to reach people still trapped. And the threat isn't over. Plus, we're tracking extreme weather, one of the worst winter cold snaps yet for 67 million Americans. Al Roker standing by. Top American officials head overseas for the highest level meeting between the U.S. and Russia to try and end the war in Ukraine. But President Zelenskyky not invited. Richard Engel reports tonight from the war zone and honoring the black caddies who carried so much on their shoulders on one of golf's greatest courses. This is NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt. And good evening. I'm Tom

Yamas in for Lester tonight. We are coming on the air with breaking news. A Delta passenger jet crashed landing a short time ago in Toronto. Here is the stunning image of how it came to a stop. You see the plane upside down on the runway at Toronto Pearson International Airport. One wing gone and no tail left. Delta Flight 4819, carrying 76 passengers and four crew members, was coming in for a landing from Minneapolis when the accident occurred. Emergency crews were on the scene in those frigid conditions, deep dark marks visible along one of the engines of the plane. The airport says all on board accounted for and there were thankfully no fatalities, but several people are

hurt, including some in critical condition. Tom Costello joins us live with some new reporting. Tom, good evening. Yeah, Tom, this happened at 2.45 p.m. in Toronto. The response from firefighters, immediate. The airport was closed for several hours just opening now, but amazingly, everybody got out of this plane alive. On the runway in Toronto, a terrifying end for Delta Flight 4819. Our plane crashed. It's upside down. Lying upside down on the runway, an Endeavour Air regional jet had just arrived from Minneapolis in gusty winds when something went terribly wrong. This airplane just crashed in two, three. As thick black smoke poured from the plane, firefighters smothered the scene in foam.

The right wing ripped off. The fuselage bearing what appeared to be skid or soot marks. Everything, drop it. All 80 people on board managed to escape through the emergency exits. I was walking to this fence and I could see a CRJ that is possibly crashed on the airport. The airplanes flipped. Eighteen people injured and transported to area hospitals, including two airlifted to trauma centers. One child rushed to Children's Hospital in Toronto.

I've seen a few people on stretchers that we have transported. I have seen one person with a sling on their arm, and I've seen others that are just potentially exposure-type injuries because it is very cold here. The plane, a Bombardier CRJ-900 regional jet made in Canada, is a workhorse for short-haul flights worldwide. At the time of the crash, it was 18 degrees with 20 to 30 mile-per-hour winds and strong crosswinds. The question for investigators, how and why did the plane lose at least one, maybe both wings on landing, then flip over, causing jet fuel to spill onto the runway? I think it's possible the wing may have touched the runway due to a gust. And if that's the case, then the rest of this makes sense.

But the recorders are going to show that. In a statement, Delta says our primary focus is taking care of those impacted. The flight was carrying a total of 80 people, 76 passengers and four crew. The investigation now will be led by the Canadian Transportation Safety Board, with both the U.S. FAA and NTSB assisting. Tom, let's talk about those conditions now. The airport was dealing both with heavy snow and, as you mentioned, winds gusting up to 38 miles per hour. Yeah, it was frigid.

The tower reporting winds from the west at 28 miles per hour, gusting to 38 at the time of the crash. And as we said, 18 degrees and a lot of snow on the ground there, Tom. And Tom, we also have that incredible video, right? Talk to us about the pilot and the crew getting so many out safely. Yeah, the bottom line here, in an emergency, the orders from the flight deck and from the flight attendants are to get out as fast as you can. And of course, you've got a lot of people who are buckled in and they tell them, don't grab your bag, don't grab your suitcase, don't grab your coat, get out, get out, get out. That's the priority for the flight attendants and then help others get out as well. Tom Costello leading us off tonight. Tom, we thank you for that. For more on this breaking story, we're joined tonight by Jeff Guzzetti, an NBC News aviation

analyst and a former FAA and NTSB investigator. So, Jeff, looking at these images of the plane, completely upside down, those markings along one of the engines, no tail, a missing wing. What does all of that tell you? Well, it tells me that something went awry during landing. And just as Captain Cox had indicated earlier, typically whenever an airplane ends up upside down like this, it drags a wing. And the stiff winds were coming from the right, right crosswind, which means you would counter with lowering your right wing. And perhaps it struck something and caused the airplane to cartwheel. But,

you know, commercial airline events like this should not occur during landing. Jeff Guzzetti, as the investigation is underway tonight. Jeff, we thank you for that. And what happened in Toronto is the latest in a string of high profile incidents. Sam Brock tonight takes a closer look. The surreal sight of an overturned plane at Toronto's Pearson International Airport, just the latest aviation disaster, to strike our airways in only the last three weeks. With the horrifying D.C. collision in late January, the first major fatal commercial plane crash in the U.S. since 2009, claiming the lives of 67 people. Then days later, an air ambulance carrying six crashed near a mall in northeast Philadelphia,

killing everyone on board and another person in a car, injuring dozens. Less than a week after that, a sobering image posted by the U.S. Coast Guard from Alaska after a regional flight crashed off the coast, leaving 10 people dead. Then just days ago, the 78-year-old pilot of a private plane died after crashing into another aircraft on a Scottsdale, Arizona runway. Passengers around the country shaken. It is nerve-wracking. I'm not going to be, I'm going to be completely honest. It is nerve-wracking. I really didn't feel safe at all today because there's so much stuff going on. A tragic spate of incidents under investigation at a time air traffic controls nationwide are strained for people and resources.

We need to look at the system and we need to make improvements where the recommendations and the findings suggest they should be made. That doesn't mean it isn't overall a safe system. A deepening air of concern over the state of what's historically been an exceedingly safe industry. Sam Brock, NBC News. And we're also following breaking news back here at home. The catastrophic floods across the South. The death toll from weekend flooding in Kentucky is rising again tonight with a young child among the lives lost. Many are believed still to be trapped and more storms threaten the cleanup effort. NBC's Shaq Brewster is in eastern Kentucky tonight. He joins us live. Shaq, good evening. Good evening, Tom. And just look at what this back road has turned

into. You have rushing water filling the backyards of several of these homes. One neighbor telling me seven feet of water is in her basement. And this is the result not of a swollen river, but instead a mudslide that diverted the water, leaving yet another neighborhood devastated. Tonight, as Kentucky's devastating floodwaters recede, the region is bracing for yet another round of storms. We want to make sure we get all the rescues done before that, that we're not doing boat rescues in a snowstorm. Heavy weekend rainfall leaving communities cut off, claiming 11 lives and prompting more than 1,000 rescues. Nearly 250 airlifted in Martin County today.

Stacey Best in Pikeville said the water came rushing in. I felt like I was going to die, really. We ended up going into the attic. You were trapped here to die, really. We ended up going into the attic. You were trapped here? Yeah, absolutely. In Kentucky's Hart County, a 35-year-old mother and her 7-year-old daughter were killed when police say their vehicle was swept away by water. More than 300 roads are still closed. In Pike County, rescuers are working to reach the many they believe are still trapped.

The most urgent concern right now is making sure that people who need help, that we get to those people. How many people are we talking about? We have no idea at this point. In places where the water has moved on, the daunting future now visible. NBC's Kathy Park is in Hazard, Kentucky. At one point, downtown was completely underwater, forcing businesses to evacuate. Now the community is cleaning up, pushing mud out of these buildings, and trying to save anything they can. Across Kentucky, some 10,000 remain without power,

and nearly 17,000 without safe drinking water. This weekend, storms also spawned tornadoes in Tennessee, damaging cars and ripping off roofs. In Atlanta, a tree collapsed into a bedroom, killing a resident inside. The mounting toll of a severe winter storm with yet another on its way. Shaquille Brewster, NBC News, Fleming, Neon, Kentucky. All right, let's get right to Al Roker. And Al, as we just heard from Shaq there, that same area is in a massive section of the country about to face wind,

snow and bone chilling cold. That's right, Tom. We are looking coast to coast at these winter weather advisories for 42 million people, literally from coast to coast. We're expecting this system now to dive into the plains for tomorrow. Gusty storms near the Gulf Coast on Wednesday. The storm tracks quickly across the Tennessee River Valley by Thursday off the coast. While not a lot of snow in the northeast, heaviest snow will be along the mid-Atlantic coast and also in the mid-plains, anywhere from six to eight inches of snow. And as far as that bone-chilling cold, from the Dakotas all the way down into Texas, we're talking 67 million people under brutal cold watches and advisories. In fact, we're talking about wind chills that are anywhere from 10 to 20 degrees below zero. Complete details coming up

tomorrow morning on Today. Tom. All right. And we'll stay tracking it all week as well. Al, we thank you for that. We want to head overseas now to the battle for the future of Ukraine. Top officials from the U.S. and Russia will hold talks this week about ending that war. But Ukrainian leaders aren't part of the discussions. And President Zelensky says no deal can be reached without them. Richard Engel tonight reports from inside Ukraine. President Trump dispatched his top foreign policy team today to Saudi Arabia to begin the most intense negotiations yet to end the war in Ukraine.

The talks, which could redraw the map of Ukraine and have major implications for the security of Europe and NATO, begin with the Russian side. Ukraine is not invited. Ukrainian officials tell NBC News that's a troubling sign. There's an old expression in peace talks. If you're not at the table, you're on it. Russian troops currently occupy about 20 percent of Ukraine's territory in the east and south. Ukrainian officials fear President Trump could carve off those areas and cede them to President Vladimir Putin. President Zelensky told NBC News' Kristen Welker,

Ukraine will not accept a deal it is not part of. Do you feel like you have a seat at the table right now? I not only count on it. I'm sure that we have to be there. Otherwise, it's not acceptable. European nations are also shut out of the talks. So today they convened a last minute emergency summit among themselves. In Ukraine's frontline city of Kherson this morning, volunteers held a belated Valentine's Day party in a shelter for children here who, after three years, are still hiding underground, not going to school and hardly ever playing and socializing. Yulia Izchuk is an organizer and says, of course, Ukrainians want peace, but they also want their leaders to have an input in the negotiations. This initiative by President Trump, do you support it or are you

nervous about it? I'm nervous about it. It's confusing. It's going quickly and you don't see where it's going. President Trump says that Ukraine will not be excluded from negotiations and an administration envoy is expected here in Ukraine later this week. But talks with Russia do appear to be the priority. And President Trump says he plans to meet with Vladimir Putin soon. Tom. All right, Richard Engel for us. Richard, we thank you for that. And in 60 seconds, as we continue to track that breaking news on the Delta plane crash, there's new concern here at home as the Trump administration lays off hundreds of FAA workers. Why some are worried those cuts could be too deep. That's next. We're back now with growing questions tonight about air safety. The Trump

administration has fired hundreds of FAA employees, part of its effort to reshape the federal workforce. Here's Kelly O'Donnell. With alarming real-world incidents, the crucial mission of public safety faces an internal test, as the federal workforce is under scrutiny and hit with job cuts. President Trump's Department of Government Efficiency and Elon Musk's Doge team continue to make cuts, including at the Federal Aviation Administration. Close to 300 FAA employees terminated this weekend, according to a union that represents

workers there. 28-year-old Jason King was at FAA for eight months. When you were doing your job at FAA, did you believe you were helping to make the public safer? I truly did. King, an Army veteran with a service-related disability, says he worries cuts could be too deep. Even for the people that are still there, their workload has drastically increased. And I think that's where a big part of my concern for public safety comes in. Other federal job cuts may also be linked to public safety. 400 layoffs at Homeland Security, including 200 positions at FEMA, the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Hundreds fired from the Centers for Disease Control, including about two dozen who support outbreak response, according to

agency sources. Protests across the country, turning this President's Day holiday into a day of action. From the winter chill of Albany to sunshine in Orlando. The West Coast to the nation's capital. But the people are going to feel it eventually. Meanwhile, an employee affiliated with Doge is expected to seek access to an IRS system that holds sensitive information. Today, Trump advisor Stephen Miller insisted

Americans' personal financial data will be secure. I give you complete and total assurance on that point. We are talking about performing a basic anti-fraud review to ensure that people are not engaging in large scale theft of federal taxpayer benefits. And Kelly, is there a new reaction tonight to the firings at the FAA with this new plane crash? We've heard from a Democratic senator who said today that these cuts have injected unnecessary risk. But a spokesperson for the Department of Transportation says the FAA is continuing to hire air traffic controllers and has retained employees who perform critical safety functions. Tom.

All right. Kelly O'Donnell at the White House for us. Kelly, thank you. Still ahead tonight, a major case that could be the first Supreme Court test of its kind. The big question, who can President Trump fire as he reshapes the federal government? Coming up. Welcome back. The U.S. Justice Department is asking the Supreme Court to intervene in a case involving the firing of a government ethics watchdog by President Trump. NBC News senior legal correspondent Laura Jarrett joins us now with more. So, Laura, how likely is it that the Supreme Court agrees to hear this? Well, Tom, the president only needs four justices to agree to

hear it. But I'd be surprised if they weigh in at this early stage, given that the case is still working its way through the lower courts. Now, the watchdog that was fired says he should be able to keep his job because of a federal law that shields leaders of these independent agencies, except in limited circumstances. But the broader question of whether Mr. Trump has the authority to push him out could be an early test of how the Supreme Court's conservative majority views the president's efforts to reshape the government. And given just how many federal workers have been fired at this point, the justices are likely to take up this issue one way or another at some point soon, Tom. All right, Laura Jarrett for us tonight. Laura, we thank you for that. When we come back, a story you will not want to miss. The black caddies who spent nearly 50 years working for some of the best golfers in history.

Their tradition, unlike any other, at the Masters. That's next. In the city of Augusta, Georgia, home to that legendary golf club, a mural is about to be unveiled dedicated to the men of golf whose story you may not know. NBC's Priscilla Thompson has more on their enduring legacy still felt on the course today. I'm going to be your caddy for the day. For years, it was Jim Dent who carried the bags of golf legends. I've got your club here. Choosing the clubs.

Thank you, caddy. That might lead them to a master's win. We're at Forest Hills Golf Club today. Wow. But as a teen in the 1950s, Dent joined Augusta National's all-black caddy corps that players were required to use and began learning the game of golf on a course he wasn't allowed to play. Racism and discrimination. Did you experience any of that? Oh, sure. But I didn't care what you said to me. Long, it didn't bother me. It didn't bother me. Instead, many local black caddies focused on reading the greens, becoming experts of the course

and the secret weapon for golfers like Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus. Inspired by it all, Dent decided to take his swing. It was a long journey. It was hard. Turning pro in 1966, going on to win a dozen senior PGA Tour tournaments. What do you feel like that first job as a caddy gave you? It gave me everything I wanted. If I didn't know how to do caddies, I never would have been in golf and never would have made the little money I made, you know? In the 1980s, after nearly 50 years, Augusta National began allowing outside caddies, and the black caddies all but vanished. Now 85, Dent reflects on the irony of that original rule rooted in racism.

And so you all learned. By caddy. And when the time came. It was easy. You're ready to take your place out there. Yeah. Claiming their spot in a story tradition as masters of the green in their own right. Priscilla Thompson, NBC News, Augusta, Georgia.

We thank Priscilla for that story. We thank you for watching Nightly News on this Monday. Thanks so much. I'm Tom Yamas. Have a great night.