Drone maker accused of covering up bomb in bag on Delta flight, going after whistleblower

NEW YORK – AeroVironment Inc. was accused of trying to conceal that employees transported a drone rigged with explosives on a commercial flight and retaliating against a manager who told the government. In April 2015, AeroVironment workers traveled to Los Angeles from Salt Lake City on a Delta Air Lines Inc. There were about 230 civilian passengers aboard, the lawsuit states. The plaintiff, Mark Anderson, who oversaw security for the drone-maker's top-secret government programs, learned of the incident in May 2015, according to the complaint. After reporting it to the U.S. Department of Defense, he was reprimanded, stripped of his responsibilities and ultimately fired without severance, Anderson alleges.