USA: Winter Storm Causes Cancellation Of 1,000 Flights

Holiday travel could be delayed as heavy snow storm has moved across the US.

A blizzard that has already canceled or delayed thousands of airline flights and injured a passenger and crew member on a commercial jet over the Dallas area could dump nearly a foot more snow in some states, forecasters said Friday.

It was not immediately clear how many US-bound flights from the UAE were affected.

At least one fatality has been reported as the snowstorm continues to whip the northern US plains and Upper Midwest.

The combination of increasing wind and the dry, powdery nature of the snow created blizzard conditions at times from western Kansas to central Nebraska during Thursday. Gusts near 60 mph occurred in western Kansas and central Nebraska on Thursday morning.

One fatality was reported by emergency managers near Grinnell, Kansas, after multiple accidents on Interstate 70. Blizzard conditions and icy roads were present at the time of the fatal accident.

The storm, which began late on Wednesday, contributed to the cancellation of more than 1,000 flights and delayed another 4,200. Nearly 400 flights to or from Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport were canceled, with hundreds delayed.

Chenard said the storm system caused heavy rain and thunderstorms with the risk of flash floods in the southeastern United States, including parts of Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama.

Parts of the U.S. Midwest and Southeast were being hit with the first wave of heavy snow and rain expected in the central United States through the weekend, said Marc Chenard, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service.

Through this morning there have already been amounts as high as 6 to 10 inches of snow across those areas and additional snowfall of 10 inches is possible throughout the day and tonight, Chenard said.

Travel is going to be very difficult across the areas under weather and blizzard warnings. A passenger and a flight attendant suffered knee and back pain after an American Eagle flight operated by Mesa Airlines hit turbulence over the Dallas-Fort Worth area, American Airlines said in a statement.

Flight 5781, a Bombardier CRJ-900 aircraft that departed from San Luis Potosi International Airport in Mexico carrying 75 passengers and 4 crew members, was diverted to Austin, Texas.

The plane landed safely and the injured passenger and crew member were treated and released from a local hospital in Austin, the airline said.

In the Midwest, winter storm and blizzard warnings were in effect for parts of Kansas, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota and Minnesota, the National Weather Service said.

The storm, which began late on Wednesday, contributed to the cancellation of more than 1,000 flights and delayed another 4,200. Nearly 400 flights to or from Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport were canceled, with hundreds delayed.

Chenard said the storm system caused heavy rain and thunderstorms with the risk of flash floods in the southeastern United States, including parts of Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama.

A tornado watch for parts of central and southwest Louisiana and southeast Texas were in effect on Thursday.

Kansas Governor Jeff Colyer on Wednesday declared a state of emergency. We hope that travelers will be wise by paying attention to weather alerts and not unnecessarily placing themselves in harm's way as the storm moves through, Colyer said in a statement.

Meanwhile, flights from New York's LaGuardia airport resumed early Friday after they were delayed or diverted overnight by an explosion at an electrical substation that cut off power.

The first services in the early morning were listed to operate as scheduled, including a 5:45 a.m. United Airlines service to Houston and a 5:52 a.m. American Airlines departure to Columbus, Ohio. Three planes that had been due to take off late Thursday were set to depart by 8:15 a.m.

Travelers should still check with their carrier on the status of their flight and allow extra time when coming to the airport, the airport's website advises.

The explosion in Astoria, New York City, illuminated the skyline with a bright blue light.

The glow could be seen from Manhattan shortly after 9 p.m. Thursday following a brief electrical fire at the facility in the Northern Queens neighborhood, said Bob McGee, a spokesman for utility Consolidated Edison Inc.

LaGuardia had to switch to backup generators during the blackout. Power has since been restored but not before Delta Air Lines Inc. and American Airlines diverted some of their flights to nearby airports.

The blue light prompted a wave of commentary on social media, with New Yorkers joking about its origins.

It's '*Not* aliens,' tweeted Eric Phillips, a spokesman for Mayor Bill de Blasio.

"There was a brief electrical fire at our substation on 20th Avenue & 32nd Street in Astoria this evening, which caused a transmission dip," Con Ed tweeted. "All power lines serving the area are in service and the system is stable." The company said it's investigating the cause of the blaze.

Find out more about San Luis Obispo County Regional Airport by clicking here.


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USA: Military Plane Crashes In Mississippi, 16 Dead

A military refueling aircraft crashed Monday afternoon in a soybean field in Leflore County, killing at least 16 and leaving a debris field five miles in radius, officials said.

Mississippi Emergency Management Agency Director Lee Smithson said the plane crashed on the Sunflower-Leflore county line.

“Most of them are gonna be Marines,” he said. He could not confirm whether there were any civilians on the plane.

Leflore County EMA Director Frank Randle confirmed that 16 are dead in the crash.

The U.S. Marine Corps Twitter account posted that “A USMC KC-130 mishap occurred the evening of July 10. Further information will be released as available.”

Marine Corps spokeswoman Lt. Kristine Rascicot confirmed that the plane that crashes was a USMC KC-130, but said she was not able to release any more details.

Capt. Sarah Burns said in a statement that a Marine C-130 “experienced a mishap” Monday evening, echoing almost the exact language of the tweet.

KC-130 aircraft is an extended-range tanker version of the Lockheed C-130 Hercules that has been modified for aerial refueling.

The C-130 Hercules is a four-engine turboprop aircraft used primarily for military transportation. It’s known as a workhorse used in refueling, humanitarian missions, firefighting, search and rescue, and combat missions, according to the Lockheed Martin website.

It wasn’t clear Monday evening where the flight originated or where it was headed.

Leflore County deputy coroner Will Gnemi confirmed that his office was called to the accident scene. He said investigators were looking for other victims at the rural crash site, searching in a soybean field with tall vegetation.

Greenwood Fire Chief Marcus Banks told the Greenwood Commonwealth’s Tim Kalich that the debris field was about five miles in radius.

Banks told the Commonwealth that the call came in around 4 p.m. An aircraft crash truck rushed to the scene, and 4,000 gallons of foam were used in an effort to put out the fire, he said.

Firefighters were driven away by several “high-intensity explosions,” Banks told the Commonwealth, adding that they thought it was possibly some ammunition igniting.

The Commonwealth reported that the flight last contacted air traffic controllers at an elevation of about 20,000 feet.

“Please join Deborah and me in praying for those hurting after this tragedy,” Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant said in a statement on Facebook. “Our men and women in uniform risk themselves every day to secure our freedom.”

National Transportation Safety Board spokesman Peter Knudson said the NTSB was not involved in the investigation because the plane was a military aircraft.