Fighter jets, flash floods, royal tension and one very good deed
NBC Nightly News with Tom Llamas had plenty to move through on September 17, beginning with a dramatic military jet crash in Michigan before shifting through a frightening commercial-flight emergency, destructive flooding, royal-family tension and, thankfully, one very sweet school-community surprise before signing off.
The broadcast opened with breaking news from northern Michigan after a Texas Air National Guard F-16 fighter jet crashed during a routine training mission. The pilot successfully ejected and was hospitalized in stable condition, while homes and businesses within roughly a mile of the crash site were evacuated amid concerns over a hazardous chemical spill connected to the aircraft. NBC also reported that another pilot told air traffic control the F-16 may have struck a bird before going down.
NBC Nightly News
September 17 Full Broadcast
Tom Llamas anchors a fast-moving edition covering an F-16 crash, a frightening airline emergency, flash flooding, royal-family tension and one uplifting school-community surprise.
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Then came another airborne scare. A Volaris flight bound from Las Vegas to Guadalajara, Mexico was forced to turn around after its right-side engine began spitting bursts of fire shortly after takeoff. The FAA said the pilots reported a possible engine fire before returning safely to Las Vegas. Aviation experts interviewed by NBC said the frightening bursts appeared consistent with a compressor stall, potentially after the engine ingested one or more birds.
Weather was no calmer. Flooding rains inundated neighborhoods across parts of the country, with life-threatening flash flooding washing through communities in Indiana while first responders in Arizona used helicopters to rescue drivers trapped in rushing water. With millions of Americans under flood alerts, NBC News correspondent Morgan Chesky tracked the sprawling storm threat.
The broadcast also followed the investigation into a deadly news-helicopter crash in Los Angeles, along with newly released video tied to the deadly crash the chopper had been covering. Elsewhere, NBC reported on an alarming IVF mix-up involving a Florida couple who said they learned their child has the wrong biological father, and on a growing fight over a massive data-center project in West Virginia that residents say has worsened flooding around their homes.
Then came the royal drama. Princess Diana’s brother, Charles Spencer, is preparing a new memoir reflecting on Diana’s life and the turbulent period after her death. Early excerpts published by the Daily Mail included allegations involving King Charles and prompted an unusually pointed response from Buckingham Palace, giving the story the kind of tension that was never going to stay tucked quietly inside the book pages.
Images: NBC News / video featured below.
And after all of that, “Good News Tonight” landed exactly where it needed to. At Candy’s Creek Cherokee Elementary School in Tennessee, custodian Ronald Harrison helps keep the classrooms clean and ready for students every day. When his truck broke down, the school community stepped in, raising money to get him back on the road with a replacement vehicle. A simple reminder that after a broadcast filled with crashes, rescues and arguments, people can still show up for each other.
NBC Nightly News with Tom Llamas Full Episode — September 17, 2026
Watch the September 17 full broadcast, including the F-16 crash in Michigan, the Volaris flight emergency, widespread flash flooding, the latest Princess Diana-related royal story and “Good News Tonight.”
Source: NBC News.
