London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Monday, Jan 05, 2026

A Tesla crashed into a private jet worth up to $3.5 million while in Smart Summon mode, witness says

A Tesla crashed into a private jet worth up to $3.5 million while in Smart Summon mode, witness says

A witness at Felts Field airport who posted a video on Reddit told Insider the car was in Smart Summon mode when it crashed into a Cirrus Vision Jet.
A Tesla appeared to crash into a private jet valued between $3 million and $3.5 million while in its self-driving Smart Summon mode on Friday, according to a witness.

A Reddit user with the username u/smiteme said they witnessed the event and posted a video of the incident to the platform.

The footage shows a driverless Tesla crashing into a Cirrus Vision Jet at Felt Fields Airport in Spokane, Washington. The airport did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment made outside normal working hours.

Cirrus confirmed to Insider that the plane was a Cirrus Vision Jet priced between $3 million and $3.5 million and belonged to a customer, who it was unable to identify. It is unclear how much damage the car or plane sustained in the incident.

The Reddit user u/smiteme, who asked not to share their real name, told Insider they were at the event, which was put on by Cirrus.

They said: "It was at Felts Field airport in Spokane for an event put on by Cirrus. I'm not sure whose jet it was — it arrived later into the event (there was another Vision jet and several Cirrus planes there as well)."

They added: "I don't know the owners of either vehicle. Just that the Tesla owner was using summon."

Tesla's Smart Summon mode allows its driver to
hail
the car using their phone within a distance of 200 feet. The feature reportedly caused havoc when it was first rolled out in 2019, with some Teslas reportedly driving into foliage or being involved in near-misses.

Tesla did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment outside normal working hours.

Tesla's website carries a number of warnings for its Smart Summon mode. These include the fact that it is a Beta feature and that as such the car should be continually monitored by its owner while in that mode.

"Smart Summon is designed and intended for use only on parking lots and driveways located on private property where the surrounding area is familiar and predictable. Do not use Smart Summon on public roads," one of the warnings states.

Self-driving technology is receiving gradual approval by US regulators. In March, the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration approved the production and deployment of cars without steering wheels or pedals in a landmark ruling.
Comments

Oh ya 4 year ago
If you are too lazy to drive your own car hire a real person to drive it for you. This driverless crap needs to stop

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
HSBC Leads 2026 Mortgage Rate Cuts as UK Lending Costs Ease
US Joint Chiefs Chairman Outlines How Operation Absolute Resolve Was Carried Out in Venezuela
Starmer Welcomes End of Maduro Era While Stressing International Law and UK Non-Involvement
Korean Beauty Turns Viral Skincare Into a Global Export Engine
UK Confirms Non-Involvement in U.S. Military Action Against Venezuela
UK Terror Watchdog Calls for Australian-Style Social Media Ban to Protect Teenagers
Iranian Protests Intensify as Another Revolutionary Guard Member Is Killed and Khamenei Blames the West
Delta Force Identified as Unit Behind U.S. Operation That Captured Venezuela’s President
Europe’s Luxury Sanctions Punish Russian Consumers While a Sanctions-Circumvention Industry Thrives
Berkshire’s Buffett-to-Abel Transition Tests Whether a One-Man Trust Model Can Survive as a System
Fraud in European Central Bank: Lagarde’s Hidden Pay Premium Exposes a Transparency Crisis at the European Central Bank
Trump Announces U.S. Large-Scale Strike on Venezuela, Declares President Maduro and Wife Captured
Tesla Loses EV Crown to China’s BYD After Annual Deliveries Decline in 2025
UK Manufacturing Growth Reaches 15-Month Peak as Output and Orders Improve in December
Beijing Threatened to Scrap UK–China Trade Talks After British Minister’s Taiwan Visit
Newly Released Files Reveal Tony Blair Pressured Officials Over Iraq Death Case Involving UK Soldiers
Top Stocks and Themes to Watch in 2026 as Markets Enter New Year with Fresh Momentum
No UK Curfew Ordered as Deepfake TikTok Falsely Attributes Decree to Prime Minister Starmer
Europe’s Largest Defence Groups Set to Return Nearly Five Billion Dollars to Shareholders in Twenty Twenty-Five
Abu Dhabi ‘Capital of Capital’: How Abu Dhabi Rose as a Sovereign Wealth Power
Diamonds Are Powering a New Quantum Revolution
Trump Threatens Strikes Against Iran if Nuclear Programme Is Restarted
Apple Escalates Legal Fight by Appealing £1.5 Billion UK Ruling Over App Store Fees
UK Debt Levels Sit Mid-Range Among Advanced Economies Despite Rising Pressures
UK Plans Royal Diplomacy with King Charles and Prince William to Reinvigorate Trade Talks with US
King Charles and Prince William Poised for Separate 2026 US Visits to Reinforce UK-US Trade and Diplomatic Ties
Apple Moves to Appeal UK Ruling Ordering £1.5 Billion in Customer Overcharge Damages
King Charles’s 2025 Christmas Message Tops UK Television Ratings on Christmas Day
The Battle Over the Internet Explodes: The United States Bars European Officials and Ignites a Diplomatic Crisis
Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie Join Royal Family at Sandringham Christmas Service
Fine Wine Investors Find Little Cheer in Third Year of Falls
UK Mortgage Rates Edge Lower as Bank of England Base Rate Cut Filters Through Lending Market
U.S. Supermarket Gives Customers Free Groceries for Christmas After Computer Glitch
Air India ‘Finds’ a Plane That Vanished 13 Years Ago
Caviar and Foie Gras? China Is Becoming a Luxury Food Powerhouse
Hong Kong Climbs to Second Globally in 2025 Tourism Rankings Behind Bangkok
From Sunniest Year on Record to Terror Plots and Sports Triumphs: The UK’s Defining Stories of 2025
Greta Thunberg Released on Bail After Arrest at London Pro-Palestinian Demonstration
Banksy Unveils New Winter Mural in London Amid Festive Season Excitement
UK Households Face Rising Financial Strain as Tax Increases Bite and Growth Loses Momentum
UK Government Approves Universal Studios Theme Park in Bedford Poised to Rival Disneyland Paris
UK Gambling Shares Slide as Traders Respond to Steep Tax Rises and Sector Uncertainty
Starmer and Trump Coordinate on Ukraine Peace Efforts in Latest Diplomatic Call
The Pilot Barricaded Himself in the Cockpit and Refused to Take Off: "We Are Not Leaving Until I Receive My Salary"
UK Fashion Label LK Bennett Pursues Accelerated Sale Amid Financial Struggles
U.S. Government Warns UK Over Free Speech in Pro-Life Campaigner Prosecution
Newly Released Files Shed Light on Jeffrey Epstein’s Extensive Links to the United Kingdom
Prince William and Prince George Volunteer Together at UK Homelessness Charity
UK Police Arrest Protesters Chanting ‘Globalise the Intifada’ as Authorities Recalibrate Free Speech Enforcement
Scambodia: The World Owes Thailand’s Military a Profound Debt of Gratitude
×