NBC Nightly News with Tom Llamas - Saturday, May 9, 2026

Episode Date: May 10, 2026

Dramatic video shows moment Frontier Airlines flight hits trespasser on runway; Spanish island braces for hantavirus cruise ship as WHO urges calm; 11 hospitalized after possible boat explosion near Miami Beach; and more on tonight’s broadcast. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

This is NBC Nightly News with Jose Diaz Ballard. Good evening. We begin with that terrifying strike on the runway at Denver International Airport. The airport confirming that a trespasser somehow jumped the fence and then was killed after being hit by a jet during takeoff. A warning, what you're about to see is disturbing. This is what it looked like on board the Frontier Airlines flight to Los Angeles, a passenger capturing the moment of impact on camera. The collision triggering an engine fire, which filled the cabin with smoke, and then this, chaos, as hundreds of passengers on board evacuated the plane.

Here you can see some of them escaping on emergency slides, and this is what it looked like on the ground after the plane came to a stop. The Denver airport says a dozen passengers on the plane were hurt, including five who were taken to local hospitals. And tonight, an investigation is underway into how that person was in. able to get onto the runway. Arlis Kreutz starts us off near the scene in Denver. This dramatic video appearing to capture the moment a Frontier Airlines flight hit a trespasser on the runway as it was about to take off for Los Angeles. I heard like a loud boom. People started screaming. The collision happening last night just after 11 p.m. Frontier flight 4345 was on the runway at Denver International in the process of taking off when according to the airport, a pedestrian jumped the perimeter

fence and was hit just two minutes later while crossing the runway. We just hit somebody. We have an engine fire. According to the airline, smoke was reported in the cabin and the pilots aborted takeoff. There does for the human remains on the runway. Pilots deploying emergency slides to evacuate the plane. They love to help. Videos from on board showing the chaotic aftermath, passengers sliding down. People were just crying and grabbing on their loved ones and hugging their loved ones.

The Airbus A-321 was carrying 224. for passengers and seven crew members, 12 people reporting minor injuries, and five people were transported to local hospitals. It's unclear how this person made it through, but this is what the perimeter looks like, a fence with barbed wire and still more than half a mile away from the nearest runway. To have them walk out onto a runway, it's exceedingly rare. It happens in some countries more frequently, but not here in the U.S. Back in 2020, a man managed to walk on the wing of a passenger jet. And in 2024, authorities found a passenger dead inside a plane engine in Salt Lake City after he breached an emergency exit onto the airfield. While the remaining passengers finally

made it to LAX on a new frontier flight, tonight the affected runway now back in operation. As Transportation Secretary Duffy warns no one should ever trespass on an airport. I mean, it's just bonkers. I don't know why anybody would actually do that. And Liz Croyce joins live from Denver International Airport. Liz, any update? on the injured passengers? Yeah, Jose, officials say that four of the five passengers hospitalized have been released. We don't know the condition of that fifth person. Authorities have also not released the identity of that trespasser or said anything at this point

about a potential motive. Jose. Liz Kreutz in Denver, thank you. Overseas now, the cruise ship at the center of that deadly outbreak is just hours away from reaching its destination at the Canary Islands. and that's where the remaining passengers will be able to finally get off the boat. Danielle Hamamjian is there with more

and where the American passengers are heading next. Tonight, final preparations underway before an evacuation, Spanish officials say, has never been done before. The expedition cruise ship hit by the deadly hanta virus won't dock, but anchor, very close to shore, in a remote and rarely used port on the island of Tenerife. In just a few hours now, that ship will anchor in this bay with small boats ferrying the passengers and the Americans expected to be some of the first to disembark.

Authorities say passengers will only be allowed to take basic belongings and only leave the boat once their plane is ready at a nearby airport. The 17 Americans on board will be met by a team from the CDC before flying to the U.S. on a repatriation flight arranged by the State Department. They'll need to be monitored for 42 days, and part of that time will be at a quarantine unit at Nebraska Medicine in Omaha. The recommendation from the World Health Organization... What we do recommend is the active monitoring and follow-up of all of the passengers and crew who disembark for a 42-day period. That doesn't mean 42 days from now or from tomorrow. It actually means 42 days from the last point of exposure. Meanwhile, the head of the WHO arrived in Spain today to overhaul to overhaul.

oversee the safe transfer of passengers and try to reassure residents of the island. This disease is not COVID. The risk to the population, to the local population is low. But with bad weather on the horizon, this complex last-minute operation is also now a race against time to get everyone out by Monday. Now, Jose, it's still unclear what will happen to those passengers once they reach that facility in Nebraska. We asked a spokesperson if they'll have to quarantine for how long or if they'll be able to leave if they choose to. All that, we're told, is still being worked out with federal partners. Jose.

Danielle Hammamgin and Terevi, Tenerife, thank you. Here at home, more than a dozen people were reportedly injured in a boat explosion north of Miami Beach. Kathy Park has the latest. Tonight, a popular South Florida tourist destination rocked by an apparent explosion. More than a dozen injured as emergency responders rushed in. The blast occurring just after noon local time at the haulover sandbar in the northern tip of Miami Beach, a shallow area known for lively parties. Authorities say that crews found multiple victims with a range of burn and traumatic injuries. 11 were transported to a local

hospital. The call upgraded to a level two mass casualty incident. Taking one patient right now to the fuel dock. Bye. We can have 21 standby at the fuel dock. Local business owner, Patrick Lee, witness the emergency nearby. Somebody pulled up

and dropped a bunch of people on that boat, and when we looked back out, we saw three people flying off of the boat and a puff of smoke. And it was pretty obvious what it was.

How many people did you see? Was it pretty packed? I saw 12 stretchers league with people very badly burnt. You know, just gasoline exposure. It's just quick and it's just terrible. Tonight, local, state and federal agencies on scene,

appearing to comb through the boat in question, looking for any potential clues as to how this disaster unfolded. And Kathy Park joins us live from the scene of the incident. Kathy, what's the latest thing? Yeah, Jose, within the past hour, the boat has been towed, and now the investigation is just beginning. But when you look around, things are pretty much back to normal, and officials are urging boaters to have those fire extinguishers on board

and do those safety checks before you get on the water. Jose? Kathy Park in Hallover Beach, Florida. Thank you. And now to the Middle East, where there are going questions about a deal to potentially end the war with Iran. Julie, Cirkin joins us live from the White House tonight. Julie, there's been no word from Iran about the latest U.S. peace proposal? No word yet, Jose. Tonight, the White House is still waiting to hear back from Iran on that peace plan to end the two-and-a-half-month war between the two countries. look on Friday's Secretary of State Mark Arrubio said a response was expected within hours,

and President Trump agreed. But a day later, no word from Tehran. The president said the ceasefire is still in effect, but threatened to escalate military action in Iran unless the country's leaders agree to key demands, like ending their nuclear program and reopening the straight of Ramusu keep hearing about. Now, Trump is also preparing to meet with President Xi Jinping in Asia early next week. The timing is key as China buys most of Iran's exported oil, and a lot of it has been stuck in that passageway since February. Jose? Julie Sirkin at the White House, thank you. And don't miss Kristen Welker's big lineup on Meet the Press tomorrow morning right here on NBC. We're following a wild story of an American accused of murder fleeing to Italy, and now a battle is shaping up to bring him

back to the U.S. to stand trial. Molly Hunter is tracking it all for us. Molly, what happened here? Jose, American Lee Gilly, who is charged with capital murder, is requesting to seek asylum in Italy just weeks before he was scheduled to stand trial back home in Texas. Now, the father of two is accused of murdering his 38-year-old pregnant wife, Christina Bauer Gilly, back in October of 2024. He was arrested last week at Milan's airport traveling on a fake passport, according to a federal complaint. Now, the complaint also says

Gilly cut off his court-ordered ankle monitor on Friday, May 1st before flying to Italy. And the ankle monitor company failed to immediately notify authorities. Now, Italy doesn't have the death penalty, which could complicate any deal to send him back to the U.S.

Gilly will face an extradition hearing in turn on Monday. Back now with an NBC news investigation and the California wildfire recovery. But some have questions about what was left behind. Here's Steve Patterson. In Burn Baddered Ultedina,

homes are beginning to rise from the ashes. When I look at our property is so home. Caroline Chaconne plans to rebuild too, but worries about what's been left behind. It looks like you can still see the fire damage left on the pavement. Absolutely. Chaconne says that her lot was never properly cleaned by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and points to a fire charred patio,

a sinkhole that formed after her lot was cleared, and parts of her home's foundation as proof. She says she'll have to pay for the debris removal herself and worries about toxins potentially leaching from them that could be lingering in the soil. There's always going to be the concern of what is left behind. At the end of the day, they did not do a good job. Chaconne is one of hundreds of residents

who submitted cleanup complaints to an Army Corps hotline according to documents obtained by NBC News. Many of them critical of the agency for failing to remove the remnants of what's now when playing sight, fire-singed driveways, walls, and foundations. I've covered nearly every major wildfire in California over the last 10 years, and following a cleanup effort, I have not seen this much concrete debris still intact. It's something workers we spoke to say they find shocking here as well. How atypical is that amount of material left behind compared to what you've seen before?

It's so excessive. For the first time, we're hearing from two workers directly. involved with the cleanup effort. Subcontractors who took orders from the Corps agreeing to speak to us as long as we hid their identities. We left cracked walls, cracked driveways that had contaminants left in them or even plastic. Those are all still contaminants that should have not been left behind. The workers tell us that agency orders about what they could remove changed multiple times. One property, you're doing one thing, and then they change things, and then it's something totally different. They say those sudden shifts contributed to an inconsistent and substandard cleanup. Were corners cut?

I would say corners were cut as far as the higher-ups who would give me the direct, and I think they were trying to just rush the job. Recent data from researchers at UCLA appears to support what the workers and many people there fear. That cleanup was done hastily without quality control, and that lead levels on nearly 20% of cleared lots in Altadena still exceeds state safety standards. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers tells us soil testing was not part of the mission assigned by FEMA, and its mission evolved based on what was learned in the field. Adding, the integrity and safety of our fire debris removal operations was the highest priority,

and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers addressed every reported concern throughout the process. The unknown of what remains still weighs heavily on these workers. It's important that the community knows what they're coming back to. If it's not good enough for my family, it's not good enough for anyone else. You wouldn't let your family move back to this. Nope. If I didn't clean this property myself, absolutely not. Regret for a job that felt unfinished and concern for what might come next.

Steve Patterson, NBC News, Altadena, California. Yeah. We're back in a moment with the new comments from Russian leader Vladimir Putin about the war in Ukraine that's raising eyebrows. Next. Back now with new comments from Russia's leader on the war in Ukraine, Vladimir Putin saying he thinks the war there is, quote, coming to an end. Putin making those comments after attending a scales-back victory day parade, celebrating the Soviet Union's role in defeating Nazi Germany. His parade appearance coming during a three-day ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine. Also tonight an update on that explosive volcano eruption in Indonesia. We showed you this stunning video, tourists seen running away. Today, Indonesian authorities confirming the death of one woman

and saying they've located two missing people from Singapore. It's not clear whether they are alive. And in the San Francisco Bay Area, an off-duty police officer rescuing this adult adorable young sea lion after spotting it heading toward a highway. The officer slowed down traffic until animal control arrived. They're now treating the pup, and they're hoping to release it back to its natural habitat. When we come back, there's good news tonight. About making memories and the special prom surprise that made this girl feel like a queen. There's good news tonight. So often the good news doesn't get as much attention as the bad,

So every Saturday we highlight the many people who spread joy and love. And with prom season in full swing, we're shining a light on the special moments that made us smile. In Gilbert, Texas, a picture perfect start to prom night. That's junior exchange student Emma and her mom, Gina, who flew all the way from Norway to surprise her. Emma and Gina sharing happy tears and creating an unforgettable. memory at Emma's very first prom. Queen Jane, Your Majesty. In Salt Lake City, a promposedal

fit for a queen. That's Jane Adamson, accepting her classmate Carter's request to attend their school's unified prom for students with special needs and their peer mentors. For Jane's mom's summer, that gesture of love and inclusion meant the world. I'm just so,

incredibly grateful that these kids were seeing Jane and got to see what a beautiful, kind, amazing girl that she is. I just feel special with my own way. And Jane had a great time, later telling her mom it was the best night ever. I think there's still so much good, and there's so much kindness still out there in the world. And if we just try and look for that and try and help other people to also feel joy and hope, then I think we'll find more of it. And at Covenant Living Homestown in Batavia, Illinois,

a different take on senior prom. These women picking out their own outfits and flaunting them at a generation-themed dance hosted by their living community. A lot of fun. Yeah. From archived prom photos and dresses to the music.

And a lot of dancing. These seniors are proving it's never too late to dance the night away. And these patients at St. Jude's Children's Hospital? Getting ready for their very own teen form. Kids like 16-year-old Presley and 17-year-old Dalton walking the red carpet strut into a night of friendship and fun. But the magic of the night went beyond the dance floor. What's the bigger message?

No matter what you're going through, there's always a way to push through. It gives us all the hope to just be normal and to just have an amazing time. And for their moms, a testament to their children's strength. It's just overwhelming with just seeing her coming out of that limo and walking that red carpet. She had so much confidence. The formal doing what all good dances should, bringing out the fun in everyone who was there. To me, it represents hope. It's something that we can look forward.

and know that each year they can forget about all their words and they can just be children like they should be. I see nightly news for this Saturday. Hallie Jackson will be here tomorrow night. I'm Jose Diaz-Balart. Thank you for the privilege of your time. And good night.