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Tesla Model X driver shares unbelievable story of DEA plane crashing into car

[Credit: Oniel Kurup/Facebook]

Published

8 years ago

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While driving at west Houston near Sugar Land, TX, Tesla Model X owner and local businessman Oniel Kurup was involved in what could only be described as a very unusual accident — his all-electric SUV was hit by a crashing airplane from the Drug Enforcement Agency.

The unique accident transpired on Wednesday, when a DEA airplane experienced a mechanical problem during a training mission. The pilot of the aircraft attempted to land on the road, and during the daring maneuver, the plane clipped several power lines and struck several vehicles. The pilot escaped harm, but one person involved in the accident was injured nonetheless.

One of the vehicles caught in the path of the crashing airplane was Oniel’s Model X. Describing his experience in a later Facebook post, Oniel noted that he saw his life flash before his eyes for a minute, and it made him realize that all it takes is a second for a potentially deadly accident to happen. While a good part of the Model X’s front was torn off when the airplane crashed into it, Oniel noted that he and his companion were able to escape the accident without a single scratch.

An airplane from the DEA crashes into a Tesla Model X. [Credit: Oniel Kurup/Facebook]

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In a statement to Chron, Fort Bend County Sheriff Troy Nehls stated that the sequence of events prior to the plane crash would have been incredibly frightening to the motorists involved. While there was an injury that resulted from the incident, the sheriff stated that events could have been a lot more catastrophic.

“Imagine you’re just driving down Voss Road in Fort Bend County and all the sudden an aircraft strikes your vehicle. That would be enough to put me in cardiac arrest. We are very fortunate that this was not much more catastrophic than what it was,” Nehls said.

Oniel noted that the unusual nature of the accident caused some disbelief among those he informed after the accident. His wife, for one, thought it was a joke at first, and when he called Tesla to say that a plane crashed into his Model X, a representative from the company reportedly thought it was a prank call.

An airplane from the DEA crashes into a Tesla Model X. [Credit: Oniel Kurup/Facebook]

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Oniel’s account of his Model X’s unusual accident has caught the attention of the greater Tesla community, particularly as the unfortunate event once more highlights just how safe the company’s electric cars are. Elon Musk has expressed his surprise on Twitter as well, while airing his relief that the Model X owner and his passenger were able to come out of the accident unharmed.

The Tesla Model X has earned stellar safety ratings from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), which awarded the vehicle with a full 5-star crash rating for all categories and subcategories. The all-electric SUV has shown some impressive feats of strength and durability in the past; such as this past March, when a parked Model X survived without a scratch after a tree fell on it during a snowstorm. The vehicle is also known for towing incredibly heavy loads, such as 250,000 lbs worth of dirt from a Boring Company tunnel.

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Simon is an experienced automotive reporter with a passion for electric cars and clean energy. Fascinated by the world envisioned by Elon Musk, he hopes to make it to Mars (at least as a tourist) someday. For stories or tips--or even to just say a simple hello--send a message to his email, simon@teslarati.com or his handle on X, @ResidentSponge.

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Tesla just told us twice that Model Y L is coming to the U.S.

Published

29 minutes ago

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July 2, 2026

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Credit: Tesla

Tesla just told us twice that the Model Y L is coming to the U.S., and two social media posts definitely just tipped the company’s hand, as if they wanted it to be any other way.

The two social media posts basically confirm that the slightly longer version of the Model Y will be heading to the United States soon, and many have speculated that the company could launch the vehicle as soon as this weekend.

The first post was directly from Tesla, and it showed an incredibly long Dachshund, with words above that said, “Looking forward to the long weekend.”

Anyone who knows Tesla knows the company loves to troll its fans and have fun, and this is a perfect example of that. While not a direct acknowledgement, Tesla is very involved on social media, especially CEO Elon Musk’s platform X, and the company is well aware of what is being discussed within the community.

With recent sightings of Model Y L test mules in California, peeks of the vehicle at Giga Texas, and a large call for the car to come to the U.S., Tesla is simply stoking conversation with this.

However, the company also made another move that was recognized on social media. Tesla has a large gallery that includes photos of its products so media and others can use them. This gallery applies to the U.S. market specifically, unless otherwise specified.

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Tesla uploaded a Model Y L to the Gallery last night:

This seems to be another indication that the Model Y L is coming to the United States.

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Musk said last year that the Model Y L could make its way to the United States late this year, but it was not something that was set in stone by Tesla. The company definitely needs to establish something in the SUV market that is larger than the Model Y, and the Model Y L might be the answer.

Even still, there are consumers out there who would love Tesla to develop something even larger, like a competitor to the Tahoe or Expedition. Tesla has not really given much of an indication that it will go in that direction.

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Tesla is using vehicle microphones to improve build quality: here’s how

Published

2 hours ago

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July 2, 2026

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Credit: Tesla

Tesla is using the vehicles’ internal microphones to improve build quality, Vice President of Engineering Lars Moravy revealed recently.

It’s no secret that Tesla is always finding ways to make its manufacturing operations more efficient, accurate, and valuable. Constantly trying to make its cars better, the company has never placed any restrictions on what it will do to improve everything from panel gaps to paint.

As Teslas have been driving autonomously on the property of the Gigafactory Texas plant for a while now, Moravy revealed to Herbert Ong in a new interview that cars rolling off production lines now autonomously navigate themselves through a bumps, squeaks, and rattles (BSR) portion of the line. This helps to identify any loose or improperly installed internal parts.

The cabin’s microphones, which are used for a variety of things in ownership, simultaneously monitor any noises inside the vehicle while it rolls through the BSR portion of the production line. Moravy actually revealed that Tesla is trying to build “Full Self-Hearing,” an AI system that will detect minor imperfections so they can be corrected before delivery.

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It’s no secret that build quality is something that Tesla struggled with as it scaled to a fully massive production operation that manufactures over 1.6 million vehicles per year. However, in recent years, especially, there have not been as many complaints. Tesla has truly improved upon its build quality and paint quality over the past several years, especially in the U.S.

Tesla’s ‘megacasts’ are key to massive build quality improvements

While those improvements have been evident, there are still some complaints; no automaker is perfect with this. But this step will now ensure that every single car that rolls off the production lines at Gigafactory Texas will be void of any creaks, squeaks, or squeals when it leaves the factory.

This measure is one of the most unique we’ve seen in terms of a strategy to avoid build quality issues, but it is not exclusive to Tesla.

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Ford uses acoustic analysis AI to find abnormalities in seat motors, climate control units, and other components. Suppliers and OEMs will also use microphone arrays or particle velocity sensors in end-of-line stations.

The full interview with Lars Moravy is available below:

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Investor's Corner

Tesla crushes Wall Street expectations, beats delivery estimates by over 15 percent

Published

4 hours ago

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July 2, 2026

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Tesla (NASDAQ: TSLA) beat Wall Street expectations of 406,000 vehicles delivered in Q2 by reporting 480,126 deliveries for the three months ending in June.

Tesla reported it delivered 467,762  Model 3 and Model Y units, while 12,364 Model S, Model X, and Cybertrucks switched hands during the quarter. The Model S and Model X were officially sunset this past quarter and will no longer be part of the company’s Production & Delivery reports moving forward.

The quarter is a pleasant surprise and a good rebound from Q1, when Tesla slightly missed the Wall Street consensus of 365,645 cars by reporting 358,023 deliveries for the first three motnhs of the year.

Energy storage deployments also provided some strength in Tesla’s delivery report, hitting 13.5 GWh for Q2. This is a particular division of Tesla’s business that has been overwhelmingly robust over the past few years, truly being a strong point of the company’s overall model.

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For the year, Tesla analysts still predict deliveries to trend in the 1.69 million unit region, a modest 3 to 5 percent increase from the 1.64 million cars the company delivered last year. Tesla will likely return to more sequential and noticeable year-over-year growth as the Cybercab project starts to ramp up considerably in the next few years.

Tesla has some other potential catalysts to spur vehicle deliveries, too. Not only is it expecting Cybercab to truly start making a change in the next few years, but other vehicles could be entering the company’s lineup.

Tesla sends production Cybercab with no steering wheel, pedals to on-road testing

The slightly longer Model Y L has been a highly speculated release candidate in the U.S. It has already done incredibly well in China, and U.S. buyers have been wanting slightly more interior space than the Model Y. Now that the Model X is gone, it is more needed than ever.

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Q2 highlights a pretty stable automotive division within Tesla, and no true concerns arise from these figures, especially considering it managed to beat expectations convincingly.

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