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Tesla Model 3 Delivery Push In Full Ramp Mode
SEP 19 2018
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Tesla Model X Hit By Plane, Occupants Not Injured
11 H BY DOMENICK YONEY 18
Tesla versus Cessna
An airplane operated by the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) crash landed yesterday, hitting a couple cars in the process, including a Tesla Model X. Perhaps surprisingly, only one of the three occupants of the Cessna, the pilot, sustained an injury in the bizarre incident and those are said to be non-life threatening. To be clear, the all-electric SUV, which has upward-opening rear passenger portals referred to as “falcon-wing doors” was not itself airborne at the time of the incident.
More about Tesla Model X safety
According to the Houston Chronicle, the aircraft clipped some power lines on its way down, interrupting electricity service in the area. It then came down onto Voss Road, to the west of Highway 6 in Sugarland, Texas, which is on the outskirts of Houston. Major Chad Norvell of the Fort Bend County Sheriff’s Office tweeted out that the plane was leaking fuel, though luckily a fire did not beak out. Besides the Model X, a Toyota Corolla was also impacted.
The Tesla was driven by Oniel Kurup, who credits God and his car for keeping him safe in a post on Facebook accompanied by photos from the scene. We’ve embedded those below, along with a tweet from Major Norvell that contains additional images from the scene. The incident caught the attention of Tesla CEO Elon Musk who responded to news of the incident with a tweet (embedded below) simply saying “Wow, glad they’re ok!”
While we have to acknowledge the role both of the vehicles involved played in protecting their occupants, when it comes freakish incidents like airplanes falling from the sky, all bets are off when it comes to positive outcomes. In any case, we are very happy that the damage incurred here was mostly material. Vehicles can be replaced, people can’t. We’ve reached out to Mr. Kurup and will update this post if we learn anything further.
UPDATE: OK to use pics. pic.twitter.com/kY8JxmEApZ
— Major Chad Norvell (@chad_norvell) September 19, 2018
Wow, glad they’re ok!
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) September 20, 2018
Source: Houston Chronicle, Twitter, Facebook
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18 Comments on "Tesla Model X Hit By Plane, Occupants Not Injured"
Maybe once Tesla gets autopilot perfected, they can then start working on a TCAS interface (joking!)
Wow, glad they are ok!
Aint nobody got time for planes crashing into their car. WTH. Of all the bad luck. I assume all (most) car insurance plans cover planes crashing into you.
I’m going to start looking for the headline “Tesla with autopilot crashes into DEA vehicle”
*changes headline
Do NOT aim for roads when in emergency, this is the second most dangerous spot to crash, just after ditching. You should choose, in order of decreasing preferences, a runway, a field, canopy (yes, I mean forest tree-tops), and only then roads and water.
https://www.faa.gov/regulations_policies/handbooks_manuals/aviation/airplane_handbook/media/19_afh_ch17.pdf
God don’t have anything to do with it
We are not making that assertion, only reporting the response of the person involved, who is free to interpret that aspect of the event as he chooses.
It was clearly autopilot’s fault. CLEARLY.
Blame Autopilot! If it rains on your birthday, or you get pregnant without intending to, just blame Autopilot!
http://blameautopilot.com/
Yeah, that POS autopilot is just designed to detect Antonov An-225 Mriya, Airbus A380-800 and if lucky the Boeing 747-8
😉
“To be clear, the all-electric SUV, which has upward-opening rear passenger portals referred to as “falcon-wing doors” was not itself airborne at the time of the incident.”
Ah, that’s the sort of snark that we used to get from Jay Cole! Thanks for bringing back a bit of that, Domenick. 🙂
Oh, and why doesn’t the NHTSA include being attacked by a small (General Aviation) plane among its crash tests? Clearly it needs to! 😉
New for 2020: the “High velocity vertical offset crash test.”
Maybe Tesla will now get an optional Air-Defense package like it did with the Bio-Defense option?
This air-defense will only come with the Kalashnikov EV.
That Tesla done sucked the plane gosh golly straight to it with it’s electro-magnetism. Those EV’s aint fit for Cleatus.
Was the pilot of the DEA Cessna drug tested?
Why the NHTSA won’t test for this, has always been a mystery to me.