NBC Nightly News with Tom Llamas - Thursday, September 17, 2026

Episode Date: September 18, 2026

F-16 jet crash triggers evacuations; Takeoff scare for Mexico bound flight; Torrential rain creating havoc across the country; 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.

Tonight, the fiery F-16 fighter jet crash in Michigan, and now the homes around it evacuated. Flames and thick black smoke pouring from the crash jet, just feet from a home. The pilot ejecting just before going down. The urgent evacuations over concerns of a hazardous chemical leak. Mid-air emergency, the fire shooting out from a plane engine, the passenger flight forced to turn back to Las Vegas. Life-threatening flash floods, neighborhoods washed out in Indiana, first responders in Arizona using a helicopter to rescue drivers trapped in those rushing waters. Right now, investigators piecing together how this news chopper suddenly went down, killing

the beloved crew inside. Plus, new video of the deadly crash that the helicopter was covering at the time, that driver now charged with murder. Alarming IVF mixup, a devastated couple speaking out after learning their child has the wrong biological father. The bombshell accusations against King Charles involving Princess Diana, her brother said he sounded elated soon after her death, how the palace is firing back. Data Center divide, a massive site to power artificial intelligence, moving into this neighborhood and pushing floodwaters onto homeowners' properties. The retirees who say their dream home is now ruined. And there's good news tonight, the beloved school custodian whose car broke down,

getting surprised with the new ride. Nightly News starts right now. This is NBC Nightly News with Tom Yamas. And good evening. We thank you for joining us on this Thursday. We begin with that fiery F-16 crash in Michigan. And now the urgent evacuation of homes nearby. because of the danger. This was the scene in the moments after that crash. You can see the huge fire,

sending a thick plume of smoke into the sky right next to a home in northern Michigan outside of Traverse City. Miraculously, the pilot managed to make it out alive. But now the crash has also sparked a race against time to evacuate homes and businesses nearby due to concerns about a hazardous chemical spill. That incident comes as we're learning more about this separate incident. Look closely. You can see passengers playing there flying over Las Vegas and the flames just shooting out from the engine. This is a slowed down video now inside, and you see the terrifying images. Passengers saw the sparks forcing the pilot to turn around. We'll get to that with Tom Costell in a moment, but we begin with Courtney Kuby on that fighter jet crash in Michigan.

Tonight, new video showing the fiery aftermath, an F-16 fighter jet crashing just feet from a house, the jet still in flames with pieces of wreckage strewn across someone. yard. It was going down. I mean, there was no doubt about that. The authorities tonight ordering an evacuation around the crash zone. And I was like, I need to get my girls like out of here. Nicole Conrad shooting this video saying the kids first noticed the military jet above them. I hear a big boom. And then I see a colorful parachute and the sky floating down from the sky. Tonight, Texas military officials saying an F-16 jet from the Texas Air National Guard crashed during a routine training mission. and that the pilots successfully ejected.

Michigan officials saying the pilot is in stable condition in the hospital. His shoot never fully opened. It was like a mushroom. While tonight, authorities ordering everyone within one mile of the crash site to evacuate due to a hazardous chemical spill related to the plane crash. All as new audio reveals another pilot telling air traffic control that the F-16 may have hit a bird. Courtney Cuby joins us now live. Courtney, do we know more about?

about why they're evacuating that one-mile zone around the crash site? Yeah, authorities have not publicly released more information, but jets like F-16s, in addition to fuel, contain a hazardous chemical called hydrazine. It can be both toxic and flammable, and it often leads authorities to take extra precautions in the case of a crash. Tom? Courtney Cube, leading us off.

Now to those scary moments for passengers on board of flight taking off from Las Vegas when flames began spitting out of one of those engines. Tom Costello joins us now. This was all caught on tape. Yeah, that's right. This was a Valeris flight from Las Vegas to Guadalajara, Mexico. The plane had just taken off when the right-side engine began spitting bursts of fire. The FAA says the pilots reported a possible engine fire, then returned safely back to Vegas.

Aviation experts say this looks like a classic case of a compressor's stall shortly after takeoff, almost like a car backfiring when the airflow is disrupted. And in this case, it may have happened after the engine ingested one or more. birds. It can be very scary for passengers looking out the window who see those flames. Typically, pilots shut down the affected engine, then they return to the airport. In this case, the FAA says it will investigate, Tom. Tom Costello for us, Tom, thank you. In the Midwest, flooding rains are inundating neighborhoods as we speak. And in the southwest, first responders used helicopters to have rescue people trapped in their vehicles. Millions of Americans are now under flood alerts.

Our Morgan Teske is tracking it all. Tonight, torrential rain creating havoc across the country. In Indiana, the Wabash River swelling to flood stage. This aerial view showing a neighborhood south of Fort Wayne underwater. People working together to push this vehicle to dry land. Rosanna stands daughter's basement inundated. She probably lost everything in her basement, her furnace, water heater, all the things. To the west.

This is crazy. Parts of the Phoenix area receiving more than a third of their yearly rain in just a few hours Wednesday. In Maricopa County, flash floods trapping two people in their 80s inside their vehicle. First responders on the ground unable to reach them. A sheriff's helicopter finally swooping in to bring them to safety. Rising waters hitting the Phoenix metro area so hard. First responders even use their vehicles to push stranded drivers out of the floodwaters.

And in northern California, a different kind of battle. Cruise racing to contain a growing wildfire near Lake Tahoe. The Florist in fire prompting officials to issue evacuation warnings for families in parts of two California counties. And authorities shutting down part of Interstate 80. Tonight, the California Highway Patrol saying there is no estimate on when it may be safe enough to reopen. Morgan Chesky, NBC News. Out of that deadly helicopter crash in L.A., federal investigators are on the ground looking into the news helicopter accident that killed two beloved members of our NBC Los Angeles family, as well as a pedestrian on the ground. And late today, the NTSB, talking to Steve Patterson about the investigation so far.

Tonight, piece by piece, federal investigators slowly removing the wreckage of News Chopper 4, hauling it to a secure facility in Phoenix. We just spoke to NTSB spokesman Peter Knutzen. What specifically would help you when you're looking at the physical aftermath of the wreckage? Sometimes even, you know, small things like a bolt or a cable that's overstressed or. or, you know, show some wear. All of these can be important data points. This dash cam video showing the chopper falling, with the NTSB asking the public for any new images they might have.

The accident happened Tuesday during breaking news coverage in L.A. Photojournalist Eliana Moreno and pilot George Marinoo were in the air covering this deadly accident where a car ran into a bus. Avoid the intersection of Nordoff and Soto for the next several hours. when something suddenly went wrong. The NTSB says this video shot in the chopper before the crash will be key evidence. We're going to be able to get a lot of information with that sound spectrum analysis and all that video information to determine just what kind of emergency the pilot was dealing with.

A third victim, 29-year-old Eddie Gutierrez-Mahia, was killed on the ground. His family telling Telemundo, he was just visiting for a couple of days from Guatemala when tragedy struck. And tonight, there's new video of that deadly accident that preceded the chopper crash. You can see a driver speeding toward the intersection before slamming into the bus. Two people on the bus were killed. Now prosecutors charging the driver of the car, 36-year-old Bailey Rios, with murder. And tonight, new tributes for our colleagues, including Moreno, who is just engaged. Her family writing, we find comfort in knowing that Eliana left this world doing the very thing she loved.

We are infinitely proud of her. That alarm inside the cockpit, so terrifying to hear, Steve. And now we know when the NTSB should have a preliminary investigation and the report done. Tom, we expect an initial report in about the next 30 days. We watched that chopper being hauled away. I can tell you the damage is immense. The NTSB tells me, though, they are confident they will come to a conclusion. Tom.

Steve Patterson for us, Steve, thank you for that. We want to tell you now about an alarming story out of Florida, with there's been another IVF mix-up. This time, a couple learning soon after their daughter was born that her biological father was a different man. Kate Snow has this story. Natalie and Joshua Strong were thrilled when their second round of IVF worked, but what happened the day after their daughter, Ava, was born, was devastating.

I mean, this is going to affect us for the rest of our lives. We got to figure out how we're going to tell Ava one day. A nurse told them Ava's blood type was B-positive, but her parents' blood types are both negative. It was the best day of my life, and then when that hit us, it took all the happiness away. A DNA test later confirming there was a probability of 0% that Joshua was the biological father. The Strongs say they've heard nothing from their clinic, Brown fertility, in Jacksonville. They don't know who the biological father of their child is. They're now suing that clinic.

We just wanted answers. We wanted to figure out how this could possibly happen. NBC News has reached out to the clinic for comment but has not heard back. The Strong's attorney says this is happening more than anyone knows. There are more laws and regulations at the local hair salon than there are in these fertility clinics. And something has to change. This law firm also part of a high-profile case involving a different fertility clinic in Orlando, where a couple gave birth to a baby who was not biologically theirs.

The Strong's daughter is 15 months old now, walking and running. running. Joshua, breaking down at the press conference today, he says every day he struggles with emotions. You do have sadness and anger, and in the same day you also have joy and love. It's just a lot to deal with, but we love her very much. Kate Snow, NBC News. We head overseas now in the new allegations today from Princess Diana's brother, claiming that King Charles soon after Diana's death sounded, quote, elated. palace firing back at the book's claim in uncharacteristically harsh language. Here's Kelly O'Donnell.

Tonight, Royal Revelations. Harry, how are you feeling about your uncle's book? New family drama exposing nearly 30-year-old wounds, early excerpts in the Daily Mail, from a new book by the brother of Princess Diana that paints an unflattering portrait of King Charles. Charles Spencer writes about the dark days around Diana's death in that 1997 car. crash, recounting a phone call with then Prince Charles. He sounded giddily elated, like a lottery winner, I remember thinking at the time, and claims tempers flared over funeral planning. And this poignant procession, William and Harry, just boys, walked behind their mother's coffin. Spencer writes that Diana would not have approved, claiming Charles went nuts and said,

that's the problem with your family. They've got no bloody sense of duty. Diana's brother described Charles' reaction to the tragedy, calling it pent-up contempt for Diana, and claiming Charles had said this. Rest assured, we'll forget her soon enough. The palace usually ignores tell-all books, but not this time. His Majesty is mindful that the pain of fraternal grief can cloud reason, affect judgment, and color memory in ways others do not. recognize. The memoir, due out next Tuesday. Kelly O'Donnell, NBC News. When we return in 60 seconds, the data center next door, the massive facility moving in that some people say is ruining their neighborhood and bringing massive flooding with it.

Back now with our new series, the data center debate, the facilities that fuel the artificial intelligence boom have become a lightning rod for politicians and big tech companies behind them. Tonight, our Stephanie Goss travels to West Virginia to see up close why some people there say a new data center is destroying their neighborhood. Project Monarch broke ground in Mason County, West Virginia back in April. It's said to be one of the largest data centers in the country. Just feet from Randy and Marsha Frames's backyard, construction equipment rolling right through the view from their porch. It used to be a soybean field. What has this done to your neighborhood?

Destroyed it. It is basically destroyed it. I'm looking at you, Randy, and your heart looks broken in me. Oh, yeah. It is. Mm-hmm. Yeah. The first phase of this project will generate two gigawatts of power, but the company says it will have the potential to expand to four times that amount.

So what does that mean practically? That's enough electricity to power the entire city of Los Angeles in the middle of the summer. The neighbors started leaving after the first. flood in May. Nearly five inches of rain in two days, submerging yards and crawl spaces. The data center company, Enscale, says their fencing on the construction site failed. Did you have water come through here? It came through at silk fence. Enscale paid for the flood damage and has bought or is offering to buy the 56 homes in this neighborhood at more than their market value. But the frames who have lived here for 42 years don't want the deal. Why are you still here? Because it's our

home? You know, they look at it as a house. We're going to buy your house. It's not a house. But this is a home. Jason Bechtel is from this county, too. He was raised here and now works for N-scale as the Data Center site manager. To be able to stay home and to work on a project of significance like this, it's a great thing to be a part of. N-scale says the project will boost West Virginia's economy with more than $80 million in tax revenue, create hundreds of of jobs, and electric bills won't go up because the data center will generate all of its own power. Why should the people who live in this neighborhood be happy about this? Can we look at those benefits from a community perspective, from what we are going to bring to

this area? Nscale says it is spending over a million dollars in community outreach, including donating money to the county sheriff's department, ambulance service, and school system. But the distrust in tech companies and AI runs deep. A recent NBC News poll found that 69% of Americans opposed data center construction in their local area. Empty, empty, empty. All of these houses are empty. Empty.

Jim Pio lives down the street from the frames. Yeah, the company said, we want to be good neighbors to you. Well, I had a whole lot of good neighbors already, and they're gone. This small neighborhood is caught in the middle of a global race to master AI. Those who are still here say they feel like the collateral damage. Stephanie Gosk, NBC News, Mason County, West Virginia. All right. We're back in a moment with the scary school bus crash in Texas with more than a dozen people on board.

Stay with us. Back down with this scary doorbell camp capturing an out of control school bus in Odessa, Texas. a man walks out just in time to see the bus with about 14 people aboard, slam into a van, and keep going. The bus driver was hurt and cited for failing to control speed, but luckily nobody else was badly hurt. All right, just ahead. When a beloved janitor's truck broke down, the school that loves him got him back on the road with a bow and all. There's good news. That's next. Finally, there's good news tonight.

He's a janitor at an elementary school whose truck broke down. getting to work was tough. Once he had to walk five miles. So the parents, kids, and faculty came together and took care of a man who was always taking care of them. It pulled up with a red bow, a truck ready for its new owner. A surprise for beloved school janitor, Ronald Harrison. To the kids at this elementary school in Cleveland, Tennessee,

he's known as Mr. Ron. You can hear them, cheering him on as he takes in the, emotional surprise. Two weeks ago, his 30-year-old truck broke down. He started asking for rides, and once even walked five miles to work. So his school community stepped in, rallying to get him back on the road, raising the money for a new ride. That moment right there, that just to know that everybody pulled together the way they did

and they thought enough about me to do that for me. a huge moment. His colleagues say he goes above and beyond for the job, and that he's one of the kids' favorite faces at school. I told the children, as soon as you get home, the moment you're around, your parents, please tell them, from the bottom of my art, tell them, Mr. Ron says, thank you. I'm indebted to you. Thank you so much.

You didn't have to do that, but you did. And I'm so grateful for that. Nice ride, Mr. Ron. That's nightly news for this Thursday. I'm Tom Yamas. We thank you so much for watching tonight and always. We're here for you. Good night.