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Key Points

Howard Hughes was America's first billionaire and lived an extraordinary life as a wealthy film producer, aviator, and businessman
He dated famous actresses like Katharine Hepburn, Bette Davis, Lana Turner, and Ginger Rogers, though his reputation as a great lover may have been exaggerated
Hughes was obsessively private and controlling, demanding detailed records be kept of his every move by his staff
He became increasingly reclusive in his later years, spending time naked in blacked-out rooms conducting business by telephone
His fear of germs and cleanliness obsession likely stemmed from his mother washing him with lye soap and checking him for parasites
On September 11, 2001, two commercial airliners crashed into the World Trade Center towers in New York City in a coordinated terrorist attack
The first plane hit the North Tower around 8:50 AM, followed by a second plane hitting the South Tower about 18 minutes later
Both attacks were witnessed live on television, with the second impact captured on camera as it happened
A third plane crashed into the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, causing significant damage and casualties
All commercial air traffic across the United States was immediately grounded - an unprecedented action in aviation history
Both World Trade Center towers completely collapsed within hours of being struck, creating massive debris clouds
The attacks resulted in the evacuation of major government buildings including the White House, Capitol, and State Department
President Bush, who was reading to schoolchildren in Florida, declared the events an "apparent terrorist attack" on America
Transportation into and out of Manhattan was completely shut down, including bridges, tunnels, and subway systems
Hospitals throughout the city prepared for mass casualties, setting up triage centers and emergency treatment areas
The attacks targeted symbols of American economic and military power, representing a declaration of war against the United States
Emergency responders, including hundreds of firefighters and police officers, rushed to the scene to help with rescue efforts
The events marked a complete intelligence failure, as there had been no advance warning of this coordinated terrorist operation
Full Transcript

Language: en
Howard Hughes lived the American dream
he was wealthy beyond belief dated
beautiful movie stars and made
record-breaking flights but the man who
could have it all for years just wanted
to be left alone because of that much of
his life has remained a mystery until
now author Richard hack uncovers
America's first billionaire in his new
book simply called Hughes Richard hack
good morning good to see you thank you
very much you you said I'm fine thank
you you say this is a different
perspective on Howard Hughes because the
other books have been written based on
stories told by people who knew him you
think this is his point of view how
could that be well I made the effort to
try to get inside his mind
this is a you know he was America's
first million a billionaire and he was a
famous film producer after all he did
you'll recall the outlaw with Jane
Russell in the press and he won the
first Oscar Award for the best comedy
film he also flew around the world
setting records he also bought half of
Las Vegas and he also was America's
number one defense contractor and he
dated all those beautiful women that you
know Katharine Hepburn Davis Lana Turner
but the fact was this is a man that
absolutely was elusive to everyone who
knew he was differently so you interview
someone and they will give you a
different story
each time he demanded his privacy he was
obsessive about it and yet he had the
people who work for him keep detailed
records of every move he made from the
time he ate to the time he went to the
bathroom why this is the this is the
story he did not have that done they did
it so they could keep track and refer to
it because he was so compulsively
controlling that when he would talk to
them they'd have to know exactly what he
was talking about he had no incredible
memory did you know they were keeping
these record no they he did not know
they had the records and when he found
out about it he wanted them all
destroyed as they were going he thought
they were destroyed the fact that they
weren't destroyed would have killed him
if he had not rented it and it's some of
those documents that were kept about him
that you scoured to write this over a
hundred and ten thousand pages i rifled
through you say he was known as a great
ladies man however comma you say perhaps
that was a bit of a
myth that he was not all that great a
lover he dated Katharine Hepburn yes he
certainly did she moved in with them at
one point brought the maid the butler
and the three dogs why did she move out
what happened between the two of them
well she found out that he was dating
Betty Davis that sort of had puts a
crimp on things you know when you think
you're the only one he proposed all
these ladies bind you and then they'd
all find out that he had somebody else
and when Ginger Rogers found out you
threw a bag full of jewelry at him only
to learn the next day that he also
repossessed her station wagon that he
had given her we have a photo that I
think was the last picture ever taken of
Howard Hughes and the weird thing is it
was taken 25 years before he died all
right why did he retreats Oh thoroughly
from the public well for one thing he
didn't have to deal with them he had so
much money that he could lay naked in
the bed blacked-out room talking on the
telephone and do all his business
everybody else was out there doing it
and on top of that he was a sociopath he
didn't like people he didn't like even
his aides who were the only people he
saw he didn't allowed to talk to him you
talk about the cleanliness issue the
fear of germs yes perhaps a result of
the way his mother Oh raised him
indefinitely she would wash him down
with lye soap every morning she would
check his teeth like a horse she looked
in the toilet as a species to see if
there was tapeworms but mind you it was
a time that there were this is a special
report from News Channel four good
morning everybody I am Jane Hansen and
News Channel four studio this morning to
bring you some news we were looking at a
picture now of the World Trade Center
and we have an eyewitness on the
telephone who tells us that he has seen
an airplane crashed into the World Trade
Center his name is Tony Arrigo he is on
East 12th Street Tony can you please
tell us tell you what happened I was
taking the garbage out of the building
when we heard this roaring engines
coming we looked up and there was a
plane next thing you know we heard boom
we ran up to the corner and hit the
World Trade Center
Danny Santa can you tell us what kind of
an airplane is it it had to be a 737 how
to hit their World Trade Center it was a
big big plane okay and what do you see
at this point oh
and screaming and me screaming engines
and all the fire ants and police
departments are all traveling down that
way oh my God Almighty the black smoke
all over the place I hope nobody there's
gotta be somebody killed in a pony we
don't have any confirmation from any
officials of this happening just repeat
again you were walking you were just
going outside the garbage out there the
freight entrance when do you see any
rolling engine we looked up and there
was a plane next thing we know in a
matter of seconds if we heard a boom we
went to the corner and there it was
right in the middle of the World Trade
Center where are you standing right now
tonight in the building right now and
what do you see at this point people are
staring up they're looking at oh no oh
my god the smoke is coming out black
little smoke okay you can see we are we
are physically looking at one of our
skycams right now we can see billowing
smoke from the top of the World Trade
Center Tony are there other people that
are around you at this point is
everybody in pretty much of a state of
shock of course there are people at the
people in the building all right shot
going out my god almighty this is a real
disaster this is just wasting the one
that hit the Empire State Building back
in nineteen thirty nine or 38 whenever
that was okay Tony how long ago did you
witness this happening oh come on come
minutes ago ten minutes ago a bottle
and at and and again we are now we're
putting our camera in we are pushing our
camera into the top of the World Trade
Center and we can see that there appears
to be some fairly significant damage to
the stores that were hit with the plane
Tony you know I'm keeping asking you to
describe this for me because I was
taking the garbage out of the building
to go into the finances to dump it when
we hate when I hate this big woman
Gorman I looked up and there's this
plane zooming right off metal not too
high up
and then the next thing I hear in a few
seconds was boom so we ran up to the
corner narrow was right in the middle of
the World Trade Center
Tony we are looking at the World Trade
Center as we speak I can witness
but there appears to be some things
falling off of the building as we are
looking at it it's got at least 7 8 15
stories that had a bank dental haha oh
and it's helpfully end up in the
building okay
and if again let me reiterate what we
appear to be watching again we have only
an eye witness and only what we are
showing you on our lives Skycam at this
moment but there is does appear to be a
plane of some sort that has crashed into
the World Trade Center if you look it
appears the top right almost on the top
at the top okay yeah at least three
quarters if not you know very close to
the top but we can see that the building
there isms a lot of structural damage
and there is a lot of structure yes
ma'am I just hope nobody got somebody
what's the wallet there oh my god this
is a real business if anybody's got to
work Tony thank you very much we
appreciate your sharing this which is
legit my pleasure thank you sir 31 East
12 Street okay we are now going to go to
another eyewitness Edie Buda Edie can
you please tell us what you witnessed
alright I was there to get on the ferry
and people spotted yelling and screaming
and smoke and flames were coming out
towards the top of the building and I'm
still in a hurry now and I could see it
smoke is coming out of both side so
whatever went into it it looks like it
just went right through it no really
it's really bad a lot of you I just
heard somebody say that they thought it
was a 737 that went through the building
mhm but you at this point happen you
cannot physically see any remnants of an
airplane or any things such as that can
you not Edie Edie are you still on the
telephone with me that was at Buda
another eyewitness who was on a ferry
and apparently we've lost our contact
with edit this hour but take a look at
these pictures they are live pictures
our Skycam that is looking at one of the
World Trade Center buildings from lower
Manhattan you can see that there has
been some sort of damage to this
building at this point we do not know
exactly what happened we have
an eyewitness named Tony Erica who was
on East 12th Street looked up into the
sky and he says it appears to him that
an airplane struck the upper portion of
that building we are now going to go to
Mary korzha on the telephone who is
another eyewitness Mary can you tell us
what you saw
Mary I am here Mary can you please tell
us where you what you saw and where you
are I'm at 14th Street and 5th Avenue
and we saw a plane flying low overhead
which caught all of our attention we
looked up it was making a beeline for
the World Trade Center it was very low
extremely low not a big plane like an
air you know an airliner but not a tiny
propeller plane either small small jet
plane we we can now see flames coming
from the building it appeared to you
that the airplane was directly aimed at
the World Trade Center it did appear
that way to many of us that were here on
the ground yes okay and it hit there was
you know the big boom a big cloud of
smoke and flames and then mostly smoke
it just started flaming now have you
witnessed any people coming out of the
building have they been able to tell you
anything at this point no I'm all the
way up on 14th Street so I can't see the
building down below it was only a maybe
a minute or two before you can hear
sirens coming so they did alert people
right away obviously but are you
probably the better fix on how many
floors were damaged it looks like quite
a few floors yeah from what we're
looking at one two three four five six
seven eight nine ten eleven I would say
15 to 18 stories and there
debris falling off that building as you
see you did see shattered glass raining
down after it hit and you know like I
said a big cloud of smoke but you
couldn't tell much more from 14th Street
no we had an earlier eyewitness that
told us he thought it appeared to be a
737 your what you saw was a small
perhaps twin-engine airplane no not a
twin-engine it was a jet medium the
smallest for fortunes not a big airliner
though okay okay so it appeared to be a
and what what you heard this sound I'm
just trying to understand what happened
you heard a sound that's what compelled
you to look up into the sky I could hear
you could hear a jet coming overhead and
it sounded low so many of us looked up
to see what was attendants of clothes we
all looked up mm-hmm and like I said it
didn't look like it was swerving or
out-of-control that was going steadily
lower you know definitely going steadily
lower but it wasn't dropping like most
births or anything that would make you
think that the plane was in trouble
right which then of course raises the
question exactly what was that airplane
doing and how did this occur Robert the
airplane the airplane did not appear and
to be in trouble to you I don't know I
don't know enough about airplanes to
know what it should look like but it
wasn't snow down or it wasn't were being
up and down or left and right it was
making a straight steady decline towards
the interest rate sensor
Mary I'm hearing what is that or what
sounds to be an awful lot of people that
are either crying or sobbing or
something in the background that's my
baby wondering why I'm still sitting
here but there are a lot of us who are
shaking or in tears coming down our
faces because it's mind-boggling to
think about how many people are up there
who you know aren't anymore
exactly and Mary again thank you very
much I appreciate your comments with us
you know this morning and I'm certain it
was quite a frightening sight to have
watched this let me reiterate what we
think you're looking at it again we have
no confirmation of exactly what happened
but it is obviously clear that something
has hit the World Trade Center
shattering the windows and much of the
building from what appears to be perhaps
the fifth the the top 15 to 20 stories
at the building we can see thick black
smoke we have seen flames erupting from
it we can tell you that we've had a
couple of I we've three eyewitnesses on
the telephone mary Koza who's been on
the phone with us has just told us that
it appeared to be a medium sized jet she
heard a sound a buzzing sound looked up
and saw she saw this airplane going into
the building now Mary said she did not
know if the the airplane did not appear
to her to be in any kind of trouble but
again she obviously said to us she did
not know enough about airplanes to know
exactly what happened
we obviously at this moment are trying
to find out exactly what did happen
there are numerous emergency emergency
vehicles and officials that have raced
to this scene we do not know in terms of
injuries or fatalities we have
absolutely no information about that at
this point in time all we can tell you
is that something has obviously crashed
into the World Trade Center and our
eyewitnesses have told us it was an
airplane of some sort there have been
some reports it might have been a set
37 others have told us it could be a
medium-sized jet of some sort and again
we had a gentleman tell us they'd simply
taken out the garbage and and and that
he looked up in the sky and he saw this
happen and of course there was a lot of
shock and a lot of sadness from the
people who looked up into the sky and
witnessed this just a short time ago you
can see we have we have chopper 4 is now
on the scene April Lamonica what can you
tell us from your advantage point
well what form we can see right here as
we were coming up the Hudson River we
can see thick black smoke indicating the
fire is still going on right now in the
World Trade Center for as far as the eye
can see and you can tell right here at
the top of this tower there's a huge
gaping hole flames still inside thick
black smoke still coming out we have not
been able to see what if any kind of an
aircraft is inside the building this is
the best vantage point right here and as
you can see just a huge gaping hole
throughout the entire side of this tower
right now April can you can you see down
to the street to see what might be going
on down there are there signs of the
people that have evacuated the building
what what can you tell can you see
anything down there are you simply not
close enough at this point we are simply
not close enough right at this we are
following the smoke in the air right now
there are several boats and watercraft
as we can see in the river right now
we'll try to get a better vantage point
and see what we can see on
a little difficult from the air because
the buildings kind of shadowed the
streets but no doubt a lot of activity
on the ground right now and in terms of
the firefighting capabilities when you
get up to this high level I assume the
firefighters have got to get up there
and you know to fight it from inside oh
if you're taking a look now you can see
that we've just had another explosion
and that is considerably lower and is
that in the other building is that what
I'm witnessing that that apparently does
look like it is in the other building at
this point and that looks to be lower
which means they're you know obviously
there are considerable numbers of
storeys above that explosion that we
just saw perhaps we can get another look
from one of our skycams that can take a
different angle yes you can tell that it
now appears that both buildings are
suffering some kind of damage this
morning my colleague Glenn Walker has
just joined me here in the studio and
Glen don't receive any other information
but perhaps you can again go over what
we do know at this point which is pretty
much visual and what eyewitnesses have
told us I would speculate but yeah a
completely separate incident right there
I mean that this this building has been
the subject of terrorist attacks in the
past and I certainly want to speculate
at this time but that is a separate
explosion yes it is in the other
building now we have tried to get a hold
of the Port Authority which manages the
building we haven't been able to get an
we did call MTA and the MTA says a
subway service as of right now is
continuing so that's not a problem is
obviously very below but I imagine that
will change very quickly after what we
just witnessed that was a dramatic
explosion again it was in the separate
Tower than the one to where the plane
just crashed into about a half hour ago
yes and again there was no sign of any
airplane close to that explosion nor was
any reason to believe it would be red
that it could have been an after effect
or a repercussion of the original what
we believe was an airplane going into
one of the Twin Towers and both of them
now appear to be on fire we have no word
of casualties injuries fatalities what
you can see is heavy heavy black smoke
you can see flames
how far down do you think that goes on
the second of the world tree would say
that is probably maybe seven eight
floors below from where the plane
crashed into the the original well I was
firing that we saw in this separate
building but that died as I said that
looked like I just look like an
explosion it had nothing to do with the
plane crashing into the you know the
first building exactly and of course
there are thousands of employees in
those buildings it is a regular workday
we have no information about anybody who
is inside there and what kind of shape
they might be in we at this point are
seeking confirmation of exactly what
happened particularly what just happened
with this second it's a parent explosion
and I don't don't even know we're gonna
look at that we're gonna look at the
tape of this last explosion maybe we can
pick up something here we rested we say
we were talking about what was going on
and then suddenly there was a big
explosion in the second building there
it is there it is right there seems to
be completely unrelated to the first one
I didn't catch it but I get it I have to
say it looks like something it looks
like went into the building yes possibly
another airplane well may perhaps from
the other side because we've we've only
got vantage point here what we can tell
you about the building on the right is
that eyewitnesses have told us that I'm
sorry we have another witness on the
phone Arlene Morris are you there can
you tell us what you saw yes I was
sitting at my desk and I heard this big
boom a loud sound and I looked out the
window the top floor on the World Trade
Center there's flames just coming down
crashing down to the ground on the west
side all the cars and they were like
running into each other and the flames
just started coming down real hard then
another sound exploded again whatever
impact what building are you in how far
away in the world Finance Center my my
windows the office opposite sides to the
World Trade Center I'm in the street our
did you just see another explosion I did
because I'm going on the phone with you
so I learned that a big boom again it
just exploded again do you see people
leaving the building everybody left
already I'm the only one here on my
floor right get out but what can you
tell us about the bill can you see
people on the ground from the from the
tuna bottom you
and at the fire of the fire brigade and
they became everything else at that song
stairs there right now do you see people
that are injured what what you know I
can't I'm on the 28th floor okay yeah so
it's minut to my vision I already can't
see too much all right thank you very
much Arlene and please get out of that
building and see QFT in right now thank
you very much okay yeah be safe we have
another another witness Janice Huff on
the telephone I'm not sure if it's our
Janice off but she apparently was a
witness to the second explosion you saw
this where are you no no no listen I'm
watching TV right now yes and you know I
can see the pictures that we have of the
building the first building was the one
with the tower on the top and as I'm
watching it and you're talking I see a
plane flying behind the other Tower and
I see it getting closer and closer to
the building I'm thinking is that a
plane and it was and all of a sudden I
see this explosion in the other Tower so
there was another plane so there was
another plane with a same explosion from
what I am looking at on television from
the angle that I was looking here's a
replay right here I believe when I was
watching just looking at the first tower
I noticed that there was a small boy
coming around the side of the building
you see it there on the right I see it I
see it and then it goes boom right there
watch it you're absolutely right
oh my goodness I don't know if it's a
helicopter or a plane but it was
certainly flying and it went right into
the building it was a plane okay can we
show that again please
ai ai ai ai ai ai I did I clearly did
not notice that the first time right I
think we need to take a look at that
again it's it you know obviously what we
are looking at are the Twin Towers of
the World Trade Center in flames
we know nothing yet about the number of
people what is exactly happened there we
we can only tell you what we have
witnessed and what eyewitnesses have
told us now here we're going to look at
this tape again here it comes
I think weird thing we definitely have
to open us up to speculation this could
definitely could be a deliberate attack
yes there's no up on the right-hand side
of our screen
let's take a look and we will show you
what we what
what Janice has pointed out to us there
it comes let's see that coming in you
can see that it looks it goes between
the two buildings right there yep right
there it is for it obviously we know
nothing more than what we're looking at
we should tell you at this point that
all three New York City airports have
been shut down we know nothing about
what who or what might be responsible if
indeed this was an attack again we've
had eyewitnesses on the telephone
talking about the first explosion we had
two people that told us that they saw an
airplane medium sized airplane going
into the first tower and then we just
showed you what we stood also videotape
yes let's go to April a monic up in
chopper 4 with some more information
April April can you hear us
I guess we'll get to watch in just a
moment I know that they've certainly
made April and any of the other choppers
who are in the area trying to cover this
story back off because obviously what
they want to do is get their work done
in terms of rescue and and getting
people out of there so as you just
mentioned all three airports are closed
and I would imagine after especially
after seeing that second airplane
crashing of the second tower I would
imagine that the the military right now
is up in the skies and I'm sure that
they are certainly scanning the area for
any more aircraft that could possibly be
trying to come into the area you will
remember that the World Trade Towers
were the subject of an attack how many
years ago was it now ten eleven I I
can't even remember for sure
but again there has been a lot of
security there there has been a
obviously they've been very consistent
in keeping those buildings rather secure
so once again we will always secure at
the bottom that's right you know you
can't get it from ground level but
obviously very vulnerable up in the sky
exactly so let us again reiterate what
we know because and what we think we
know because this is something that
happened about 25 minutes ago yes there
were two explosions the first one
happened maybe it was a half an hour ago
and there were eyewitnesses that told us
on the first of the towers the one that
is closest to me our two closest to your
screen I should say we I witnesses told
us they witnessed an airplane that
apparently was making a beeline for that
building and there was an explosion and
you can see the damage then just a
couple of minutes ago we saw in a second
explosion we're back and looked at the
videotape it was very clear that a plane
was coming it was very clear that a
plane was coming from the right over the
over the Hudson River and went between
the two buildings and then slammed into
the second building that was the second
explosion first time we saw it we didn't
really catch the plane but after a call
from Janice off she pointed it out to us
and sure enough a second aircraft looked
like it made a deliberate beeline for
the second tower and we saw that
explosion just a little bit lower than
the the original explosion in the first
Tower obviously this is already having
an effect on the city of New York here
to look at this video let's just look at
this one more time there you see the
plane between the two buildings
and then you see the explosion
unbelievable
let us tell you that all of the airports
in New Year in the New York City
metropolitan area are closed down right
now subway lines 1 2 3 and 9 have all
been the service has been it's been cut
off for the moment and we will continue
to bring you up to date on what is going
on and we actually you know hoping we'll
be able to to talk to somebody from the
mayor's office in just a few minutes to
see what they might ok right now let's
say as you can see the chopper force had
to back off let's go back to April
lamonica up top April
okay what we can tell you right now from
up here in chopper 4 we cannot get any
closer than about five miles to the
scene because we need to keep this far
back but you can see the black smoke as
far as we are away we can zoom in here
for you first you saw the smoke from the
one tower then we witnessed an explosion
on the other tower now we think that
there was a plane that actually headed
into that second tower at some point and
that's what caused that second explosion
we are unable to get close enough to
actually show you or tell you what's
going on at the ground but an
unbelievable sight here from above the
Hudson River at this vantage point back
to you
just looking at the wire service at this
point and it tells us that the FBI is
investigating reports of a plane
hijacking before the World Trade Center
crashes now that's all they're telling
us we know nothing more than that but
again what's been happening here this
morning we have no absolute confirmation
of anything other than what we can see
with our own eyes and now the FBI is
telling us that there has been some sort
of the plane hijacking that they're
investigating we have another witness on
the telephone right now who actually saw
the second explosion Elena
Court Ella Elena can you hear us yes I
hear you clearly where are you tell us
what you saw well actually I was washing
my dishes at my window and I heard a
very low plane which usually does happen
but when I looked up it was like I was
actually gliding with it and I saw it it
actually went straight into one of the
twin towers it was like it was it sunk
right into the floor it just
disintegrated instantly can you tell us
what kind of an airplane it was it
looked like a huge 747 it was a big
airline it wasn't a small jet it was a
big carrier and did you could you you
you couldn't see anybody could you see a
pilot or anything
I actually was it was like side-by-side
it was like I was right behind it it was
huge I couldn't believe how low it was I
was telling my roommate this plane is
very low and I actually saw it go
straight into the twin towers like why
is he going into the building it was
like it was almost deliberately glided
into the building Elena where exactly do
you live what did you see this from
Battery Park City no I'm in the East
Village 113th Street and you then saw
the plane go into the building and I
assume you saw the result in you better
believe it I saw an explosion like I
have never seen and all I can say is
those people I don't know but they're
all definitely disintegrated it was the
most awful thing I've ever seen it was
so sad I was like a nervous wreck well I
don't blame you I I appreciate you it
was awful and all I can say is we should
pray for those people because it looked
to me that
it was deliberate unless the pilot had a
heart attack it was like this big 747
just went right into the floor of the
Twin Towers well Elena yeah we thank you
very much for on
for calling us and giving us this
information you know obviously stick
with us because we are going to find out
what happened we just simply do not know
for sure yet other than the fact that
airplanes ran into both of the twin
towers about well now about half an hour
ago but 18 minutes apart was was one
attack from the other I shouldn't call
it attack one one ramming into the tower
to the other since you say we are
getting reports at the FBI FBI is
investigating possibly of these two
planes have been hijacked and I would
have to think if she's correct and I was
a commercial airliner that went to the
second building that I I think we've
definitely got a very serious situation
well I was we have a serious situation
anyway but I mean this
I mean without going too much into
speculation I think we're definitely
plus we're looking at terrorist attack
here what we do not know the FBI has not
said where they are investigating the
reports of the planes being hijacked
from obviously it had to be a fairly
recent hijacking if that's indeed what
happened because there were no no
previous reports that would have led to
any kind of speculation about what was
going to happen next if we might could
we take a look at that video one more
time that shows the second explosion the
first explosion happened at about 10
minutes to 9:00 this morning the second
one was about 18 minutes later and here
we were on the air and this is what we
saw look over to you're going to look
over to the right of the screen and in
just a couple of minutes as we widen out
here you will see what it appears to be
a relatively small aircraft moving into
the shots do you see it in the other way
coming in
and there you see it's absolutely
incredible again we have no knowledge of
who was in that airplane who was
piloting it we don't if it was hijacked
we don't know if it was full of
passengers or not we do not know we
simply know at this point that we have
the tops of two towers that are clearly
in flames we are going to continue to
seek out the information for you let's
reiterate what our eye witness as I've
told us well we had a first plane
crashing into the the tower which if
you're looking at your TV screen would
be on your right we had a few phone
calls people said it look like the plane
deliberately went into the building some
people were not too sure and about 18
minutes later right here on live
television the second plane came into
the picture and crashed into the second
tower a little farther down and the
witnesses we just talked to on the
telephone just a few minutes ago
she said that she saw it fly by the
window of her apartment building she
lives on the lower east side as she said
that it looked like a commercial
airliner to her yes she said she said it
looked like a relative a huge airplane
and again the FBI is investigating
reports of at least one plane hijacking
and possibly two let's go to the
telephone and once again we have Kay
Cummings on the phone okay what can you
tell us I was watching the channel 4 and
the World Trade Center of which I can
see really clearly from my window and
there was a big plane that was heading
right straight for the second tower it
looked like a commercial plane not a
small plane and I kept thinking this is
too low it's too low it's too low and
then it went right in you can see it was
headed right for it now was this the
first plane or the second second plane
the second plane I didn't see the first
one and where where exactly are you I'm
on 12th Street in Hudson and I have an
unobstructed view of the World Trade
Center from my bedroom okay and that
airplane appeared to you to be a pretty
good size as well as that Korea it
looked like a commercial airplane it
came from the front from the Jersey side
south south west side coming toward the
World Trade Center very low
that we have now reports on the wires at
the FBI is investigating this as foul
play a crime here obviously it looks
like this is definitely deliberate okay
what can what can you tell us about what
you can see from the neighborhood right
now do you see I mean can you do it can
you see the street at all can you see in
a line I'm much much what I'm doing in
the village okay all I can tell you is
that there are loads of fire engines and
police cars and sirens pet all heading
down and as we are looking at live
pictures our Skycam view I assume you're
seeing somewhat the same view from your
windows you can see it's it still
appears to be burning pretty much out of
control you can see the fire and I can
see the fire in the second building and
the first mm-hmm and you've seen debris
falling off yes no this is the situation
because of the height of the buildings
it's gonna be very hard for the fire
department to get up there laying put
these fires out
absolutely okay we thank you very much I
assume that that you were pretty shocked
when you saw what happened before your
very eyes it was horrible it was just
one of the things you've seen you can't
stop it was just I don't know I've never
seen anything like that horrible okay we
of course have seen something similar to
this back in February of 93 that of
course was when the the terrorist
bombing of the World Trade Center that
was of course a major disaster and a lot
of fatalities there and this is
obviously very frightening to have this
happen eight years later like this well
it is and again they put huge security
measures in play for getting into those
structures but as you pointed out
earlier the most vulnerable apparently
from the sky let's just tell you that we
have no word at this point about
injuries fatalities or anything like
that and we certainly would not want to
speculate at this point emergency crews
are on the scene we will bring you what
information we can get from them as soon
as we get it now as we said in
Washington the FBI is investigating
reports of a plane hijacking before
these crashes are two planes that
apparently have been involved we have
physically witnessed one of them on our
live camera
we do not know exactly what planes they
were what size they were but our
eyewitnesses have told us they appeared
to be pretty good-sized airplanes well
maybe there's a little discrepancy on
the first plane some people are saying
it was a smaller craft some people are
saying as large a craft but definitely
the witnesses we've talked to as far as
the second explosion said it definitely
was a commercial airliner that the
crashing of the second tower again the
FBI is investigating this as foul play
which i think is pretty obvious at this
point and you know we'll just have to
wait and see what happens here but this
is oK we've told you that the airports
in the New York City metropolitan area
are closed down we have told you that
the one two three and nine subway lines
are shut down for the moment let us go
to Katy McGee over at shadow traffic
because there has to be other huge
traffic impacts of this moment Katy Jane
this is enormous right now all your
Hudson River crossings closed no one
moving in or out of town at the Lincoln
the Holland or the GW bridge I'm looking
at the inbound Lincoln live from my
vantage point right now they're starting
to turn buses around I've not seen
anything like this before all bridges
and tunnels you're going to find
closures no one allowed in or out of the
city right now from what we're hearing
you did mention the subways one two
three nine and are suspended Newark
Kennedy LaGuardia airports close to all
air traffic at this point Katie and any
of the sky other sky cams that we have
do you see mass traffic confusion what
do you see on some of those bridges and
tunnels at this moment what I can tell
you right now I'm looking live at the
inbound side of the GW bridge and what
we can see are the tolls everyone
completely stopped there is some traffic
outbound over the span I can also see
from the Cross Bronx heading into there
right now no one allowed into town at
all at the Lincoln Tunnel it is at an
absolute standstill I can see one bus on
the outbound side trying to turn around
and look like he's heading back into New
Jersey from what it looks like okay
thank you very much Katie we stay in
place please because we will be back to
you shortly
okay Jana just something just crossed
the wires a senior government official
speaking on the condition of anonymity
said the agency is pursuing reports that
one or both of the planes were hijacked
and that the crashes may have been the
result of a suicide mission
stress that the reports are preliminary
and officials do not know the cause of
the crashes but this is a quote it
certainly doesn't look like an accident
well again can we reiterate what we do
know because as you can imagine this is
pretty shocking to people in the
metropolitan area to just even look at
these pictures what we have been told by
eyewitnesses is that they saw fairly
apparently a fairly large sized aircraft
going into the first of the World Trade
Center towers the one on your right is
you're looking at the screen that was at
about 10 minutes to 9:00 then about 18
minutes later there was an apparently an
airplane because we could see that from
our own sky cams and our chopper 4 video
that went into the second tower and
there was a resulting explosion there
hey Jane we have another witness on the
Todd Holloman can you hear us yes where
are you and what did you see Todd I'm at
330 West 42nd Street I saw a huge plane
come in from the water and crashed into
the side of the building which water are
you talking crossing the Hudson right
now this would be the second explosion
right and from your vantage point could
you tell what kind of an airplane it is
there seems to be a lot of confusion
about that it looked it looked huge I
couldn't tell exactly what kind it was
it's just tremendous I was just saying
to my co-workers you know look at the
size of this thing I'm looks like
there's some kind of stealth fighter or
something and what you saw was in
deliberately aiming for the building it
didn't appear to be a plane that was in
any kind of trouble anything like that
right I thought I was watching like a
movie scene it was move was moving in
quickly it was moving in close and then
it was just boom did you see any
insignia on that airplane
no I didn't and you then saw it hit the
tower right and I'm just I'm just
did you at that point see any other you
know reaction did you hear anything did
you see anything when you saw that
initial explosion no I'm not close
enough to really hear anything I don't
think but um I'm just looking at my
window right now
in charge watch your finger yeah as we
all are as we all are Todd thank you
very much we appreciate it and we
appreciate your information okay we just
learned that President Bush was in a
classroom in Sarasota Florida reading to
some students his chief of staff Andrew
card said a whispered in ears and told
him what was going on in the the
president will be coming up in just a
couple of minutes and he will give us
his reaction on what is going on in
again we have not heard from emergency
workers on the scene to know the extent
of the damage or the injuries at this
point one would have to assume on a day
like today a normal workday in New York
City nine o'clock in the morning most of
those offices were probably open yes and
there were certainly a lot of people in
those two buildings they to our
knowledge people in the lower levels
have been evacuated but at this point we
simply cannot bring you any information
but what is going on there those Hudson
River crossings again McGee was talking
about you see the George Washington
Bridge traffic has absolutely stopped
traffic going into city you can see on
the bridge there's absolutely no cars
whatsoever let us just tell you that you
really cannot get in or out of this city
at this month actually you can get on
the outbound they were letting cars come
out over to New Jersey right which you
cannot get into the city and get into
the all the airports are shut down the
subway lines 1 2 3 and 9 are shut down
at the moment we do not know when
anything will get back to normal and
again to reiterate the point about the
FBI said to be investigating whether or
not there was some hijacking of a couple
of airplanes involved in all of this
also an anonymous government official
said that it would appear that this was
not one but two suicide bombings that
the pilots deliberately turned the
planes right into each of the towers at
the World Trade Center in and obviously
you can see the disastrous result right
here on our screen let us go to Richard
Thompson on the telephone he is a
licensed pilot and he witnessed this sir
from taking a look at what you saw what
can you tell us as a pilot about those
airplanes well I was sitting in my
office on the 8th floor at 6:30 to
at approximately 947 and at 9:47 give or
take a minute me 847 947 847 this
the plane went by probably 50 to 100
feet above the building
streaking directly towards the World
Trade Center and it was a small business
jet of some type I it was going so fast
and my window view is so short but I
could hear it screaming by at basically
full power
no engine problems going straight for
the building and by the time that I
could get out of my chair open the
window to see what the hell was going on
it had hit the building and that was
probably a total of five to seven eight
seconds so that would have been the
first job that was the first explosion
exactly and it was directly every was
flying the plane with directed stay
tuned we've got the president we're
gonna go to him next but we want to come
back to you okay hey secretary of rod
pace lieutenant governor will take the
podium and discuss education I do want
to thank the folks here at at the Booker
elementary school for their hospitality
of today we've had a national tragedy
two airplanes have crashed into the
World Trade Center in an apparent
terrorist attack on our country I have
spoken to the vice president to the
governor of New York to the director of
the FBI and have ordered that the full
resources of the federal government go
to help the victims and their families
and the and to conduct a full-scale
investigation to hunt down and to find
those folks who committed this act
terrorism against our nation will not
stand and now if you join me in a moment
of silence
may God bless the victims their families
in America thank you very much you you
have just heard President Bush
acknowledging that this was an apparent
terrorist attack today on the twin
towers of the World Trade Center in
lower Manhattan he has ordered a
full-scale investigation and offered of
course his prayers for whatever victims
there might have been of this tragedy
and again we have no information about
who has been hurt who was killed if
anyone we know nothing other than the
fact that there has been this apparent
attack involving two aircraft
let us can we go back to the telephone
and Richard Thompson now are you still
there sir yeah again you are a licensed
pilot you were describing to us that you
saw what appeared to be a small business
jet that was flying that came screaming
by your office window and went right
into the tower exactly is that being a
pilot is the first thing I recognized
that there was no way that a business
jet could be flying at that level at
this time of day over the city without
special permission so that I tried to
Crane my head out the window but within
five seconds before I could open my
window and look out it already had flown
directly into the building I mean a
pilot I know that you could have voided
that at at 99 percent if you were in
trouble flying that plane you could have
avoided that building and so whomever
was at the controls directly flew that
thing right into the side of that
building could you again did you see the
second aircraft apparently might have
come in from the other direction I
couldn't see it I was looking at the
building when it hit and I saw my
colleague Tim Lufkin and I saw it hit
the building but we did not see it fly
into the building we saw the explosion
from it and again I guess we're still
trying to figure out these planes were
hijacked the FBI is said to be
investigating that but the one that you
saw appeared to be a small business jet
yes and the second plane was obviously
a larger plane because the explosion
from the second plane was tenfold larger
than the first plane okay mr. Thompson
we appreciate very much the information
you've given us I say god be with all
those people because there's gonna be a
tough day for all of New York yes and we
thank you we now have reports that the
New York Stock Exchange is being
evacuated in the wake of the disaster
the World Trade Center
they had plan to open as normal so right
now everything of the stock exchanges on
hold and right now let's go down to Joe
Adler who's on the street downtown Joe
all right we're down here in Soho as a
matter of fact you're looking at our
picture from Prince and Worcester Street
and on the ground you can see what has
happened all over Manhattan people are
stopped and they're staring they're
looking up and they're trying to figure
out all of what's happening and talking
to some of these people I met someone
Philip Russo who's actually witnessed
the whole thing you were driving east on
Bleecker Street that's correct
I was driving east on Bleecker Street
have you step around this way I'm sure
in the background I heard what sounded
like a jet flying very low I looked up I
saw a blue and white jet two engines
going obviously in the wrong direction
we're thinking jet you were thinking 737
something like a large jet a large
commercial jet but with no markings that
I could identify other than blue stripes
on a white plane it sounded too low I
looked up it looked too low going in the
wrong direction and I followed it into
the building flew straight into the mill
straight into the building dead-on
disgusting sight then you continue to
look up at the building and you saw the
second jet well then we were looking for
about five minutes just in horror at
what happends saw a second jet coming
from the West that looked identical both
in color and in form and it smashed
right into the second building huge
explosion on this side facing us
now we're all standing out we're staring
at the building all of us in horror yeah
it's a way to describe it horror sadness
disgust you talked about fear and being
scared what next huge planes crash into
you know the World Trade Center what's
gonna happen next
mr. Russo thank you very much for
talking with us as we look back up at
the World Trade Center and I know you
can see it better with helicopters but
you can see it from the ground here as
well the picture that we are looking at
that most of lower Manhattan is looking
at flames inside the World Trade Center
and the huge hole and we can all see how
the flames has spread to upper parts of
the building how it's billowing out of
the building and how the other building
is occluded and everybody from this
vantage point is as mr. Russo is saying
looking at it in horror looking at it in
fear worried about yourself I imagine
where were you sir right underneath it
right underneath the Trade Center when
it hit second one both of him we ran
like hell away up here did you happen to
look up yeah we seen the second run
right into where I'll load in the truck
we got right out of there scariest thing
I ever seen my life the planes never
veered did they the Jets just went right
into it the second one we heard the
first one seen everything flying out of
the building and the second one we
actually seen run right into the
building it came right from behind a
building and ran right into the other
side of the first time so far the one
it's a terrible question but what what
what are you thinking about something
like we talking we ran because stuff was
flying everywhere scary seeing my life
and that's just like it we've never seen
anything like it right and your name sir
Sean oh you still tell my wife am i
right as it is a way for people to let
them know everybody is ok as they stand
and watch this in horror you're just
walking through the area sir and we
heard the explosion
and I'll never forget that explosion
I'll tell you that will you just under
some scaffolding and debris started
falling all over the place now people
here talked about the second explosion
and didn't think it was that loud didn't
feel that it was it was live let me tell
you that we were right there for both of
them and it was loud windows coming down
off the building we just had like rocks
and just all every type of debris giving
it just for all over the place and you
were there when this happened yes we
were right why did you stop up here in
Soho and then turn around and look at no
we're just running from there for safety
yeah yeah and I don't know why a whole
bunch of people driving now for someone
down there just causing blocking the
fire trucks and everything we were
trying to clear the streets and let's
five folks go through and really that's
really a good point two New Yorkers who
may be watching us however they're
watching and listening to us right now
is to try to get out of that area to let
the emergency crews do what they need to
do because there clearly people still
trapped up there and firefighters and
emergency crews still need to do a lot
of work and you can see as we're
standing here that fire is spreading to
different parts of the building
different floors as it continues to
engulf the building and just a horrible
horrible sight from here in Soho it is
sad that is thing everything
it's nothing like I've ever I've ever
seen nothing like anybody here in New
York has ever seen either that's the
scene here from Prince and Wooster
Street we'll talk to some other people
this time goes on to you Joe you are not
close enough to okay
apparently joking out here so thank you
Joe we appreciate that
obviously we are again trying to ferret
out all the information we can about
what exactly what happened in lower
Manhattan this morning it the the
president has said it was a terrorist
attack there were two airplanes involved
dozens of eyewitnesses have told us that
one of them appeared to be bigger than
the other
the second bigger than the other we all
witnessed it right here on live
television caught us all completely
off-guard and in the normal workday here
in Manhattan has come to a standstill
we've been told that the subway lines 1
2 3 and 9 have been shut down all the
Hudson River crossings have been shut
down the New York Stock Exchange has
closed down for the day and right now a
lot of people are just stunned in shock
again two airplanes two separate
incidents minutes apart crashing into
both towers of the World Trade Center
and you certainly see the result as far
as the structural damage I mean it is
major and as you said President Bush
said that this is an apparent terrorist
attack we expect to hear from mayor
Giuliani in just a couple of minutes
governor Pataki is in town a matter of
fact he does have an office in the World
Trade Center but President Bush says
that he has talked with the governor
right so as far as we know the governor
is okay and like I said we should hear
from mayor Giuliani in the next couple
of minutes but again to reiterate we
know nothing about what happened to the
people who work on those in those floors
in those buildings so we are simply
waiting to find out about injuries and
casualties if indeed that's what
so you were looking at a scene that one
would wish you could never witness in a
city like this of course this is the
second major attack on the World Trade
Center there was the bombing back in
1993 and of course that was at the
bottom and the the top of the building
obviously very vulnerable and no witness
that today right with all the security
changes that they did in the bottom so
nobody can get up there without the
right kind of clearance but it's
vulnerable to attack by air absolutely
you can't stop it up there we are going
to once again go to Katie McGee because
as we've been telling you the city is
literally at a standstill no one's being
allowed in from any of the river
crossings and the subway lines have been
shut down in that area and the airports
are all closed Katie what more can you
tell us Jane this is the latest the city
at this point is at a standstill all
three major area airports LaGuardia
Kennedy and Newark are closed at this
point to all incoming and outgoing
traffic all bridges and tunnels no one
is letting any traffic head into town at
this point
outbound you are going to find some
people we just saw some folks that had
been sitting in one of the tubes coming
out of the Lincoln Tunnel they were
allowed out but now everybody being
turned away we also saw a backup down
near Canal Street waiting to get into
the outbound Holland those people also
being turned away at this point again no
one being allowed to head into the city
for all intents and purpose all train
service suspended is what we're hearing
at this point police are saying please
leave the city if you can of course this
is rough because of the way traffic is
right now you really really want to
steer clear of anywhere south of Midtown
and again everyone right now being
turned away we saw traffic trying to get
into the Lincoln Tunnel actually turning
around and backing up buses New Jersey
Transit buses bringing people back into
New Jersey never even making it close to
the entrance to the Lincoln Tunnel Katie
what do you think right now and probably
the best way to get out of Manhattan
probably head up the FDR in the West
Side Highway at this point you're
exactly you're gonna want to try and get
as North as possible I can see from one
of my cameras live right now the
westbound Cross Bronx heading in towards
the outbound George Washington Bridge
traffic it isn't an absolute crawl right
now but they are letting you get on to
the bridge and from what it looks like
come in over it and back into New Jersey
I do see traffic coming outbound George
Washington Bridge inbound again
completely stopped if you were planning
on heading into the city even if you
think you may still have a meeting at
this point again you're being advised to
please stay where you are
well if you lived in New Jersey your
best bet probably would be go through
Westchester County cross the Tappan Zee
Bridge and come back down you may want
to try that out let me take a look right
now and see how my Tappan Zee Bridge
camera looks just bear with me for one
second and I'll tell you actually it
looks like right now traffic heading
into Westchester is moving but it's at a
crawl again at this point you know
are happening so rapidly if you were to
leave home in Westchester right now I
can't tell you you'd definitely be able
to get into town in another half an hour
40 minutes or so well it sounds to me
like Jane we're just getting a report
that there's been an attack on the
Pentagon this is the Pentagon this is
from the network this is the Pentagon in
Arlington Virginia this these are
pictures that have just come in to us
here at News Channel four you are
looking at live pictures of blur appears
to be an attack on the Pentagon we can
tell you nothing more than what you were
looking at this is approximately an hour
that we had one airplane crash into the
northern of the World Trade Center
towers and about 18 minutes later
another airplane crashed into the
southern of the towers and now we have
this we also hear that the the first
plane hit the World Trade Center was
apparently hijacked after takeoff from
Boston that means there's a very good
possibility that that plane did have
some passengers on board do we know what
kind of an airplane is it what is it
this time it does not say just says the
first plane hit the World Trade Center
was hijacked after takeoff from Boston
that now into a US official now
according to the pilot that we had on a
few minutes ago he said that appeared to
be a smaller jet business type of jabus
so perhaps it was some sort of a
commuting airline or something like that
let us go back and listen to what
President Bush had to say a few moments
ago this was before this latest
explosion at the Pentagon today we've
had a national tragedy two airplanes
have crashed into the World Trade Center
in an apparent terrorist attack on our
country I have spoken to the vice
president to the governor of New York to
the director of the FBI and have ordered
that the full resources of the federal
government go to help the victims and
their families and the and to conduct a
full-scale investigation
to hunt down and to find those folks who
committed this act terrorism against our
nation will not stand and now if you
join me in a moment of silence
may God bless the victims their families
in America thank you
this was President Bush about 20 minutes
ago but now let us tell you that since
that statement there has been an
explosion at the Pentagon and we have on
the wire now a story that says an
Associated Press reporter saw the tail
end of a large airliner plunged into the
building and this is a live picture the
White House we understand the West Wing
has been evacuated again the president
is not at the White House in DC he is
down in Sarasota he was reading to a
class of children at a school when he
was told what happened and that's where
he held his press conference but again
we two planes have hit the World Trade
Center and now witnesses say just a few
moments ago in Arlington Virginia
another plane has plunged into the
Pentagon and again we have no
information about exactly what happened
down there other than the fact that some
sort of an aircraft has crashed near or
into the Pentagon
Sarah obviously it is a day that we are
witnessing something we have never seen
before and we don't know we don't know
anything more about who's responsible
for it than we have since the very
beginning which was about an hour ago
which was when the first aircraft as the
president said apparently a terrorist
attack exactly and he has ordered
full-scale investigations and has vowed
to use every effort he can and that this
country can to find out who is
responsible and to bring them to justice
we have had numerous eyewitnesses who
have talked about the airplanes that
they saw literally smash into those two
buildings about 18 minutes apart within
the hour and obviously it was something
that they witnessed was shocked and with
horror and we have nothing to tell you
at this point about the number of
injuries or the fatalities we understand
mayor Giuliani's about to hold a press
conference and perhaps he will be able
to give us some more information about
all of that
this just cost about the Pentagon an
Associated Press reporter said he saw
the tail end of a large airliner plunge
into the building
he says smoke is billowing out of the
so obviously now we're looking at the
hijacking probably of three commercial
airliners here in the United States we
know the first one the plunge into the
World Trade Center came from the airport
in Boston and through a transmission
they learned that that plane was
we should also warn those of you who are
watching us that if you have plans to
come into New York City today you must
cancel them the city city is literally
shut down the stock exchange has been
closed the airports are closed the
bridges of the tunnels closed inbound
and pretty much outbound at this point
the subways all-terrain service has been
stopped so we of course recommend that
you stay put wherever you are and stay
tuned to find out exactly what is
happening and we've just learned that
after what it's happened at the Pentagon
that the West Wing of the White House
has been evacuated as well as the US
Capitol now so I'm sure all government
buildings are being shut down in in the
nation's capital and pretty much around
the country and I'm sure that we are now
on we're on terrorist alert probably
nationwide I would think and there's
another report this just came over that
says the White House was threatened with
a terrorist attack a source says we have
another report from an eyewitness that
the Pentagon says it was a huge fireball
a huge orange fireball and another
witness said that it might have been a
helicopter that exploded we've had an AP
reporter who says it appears to him to
been a large airliner of some sort and
we do have reports that of course the
FBI is investigating reports that it
could have been a hijacked aircraft
vanished as a matter of fact the the FAA
has just now halted all air traffic
throughout the United States so as of
right now there are no commercial
airliners in the air I doubt that that
has ever happened before in this country
I don't think so so again we do have a
bulletin that I see here that says a
palace two Palestinian DF LP official
denies any kind of responsibility for
the World Trade Center crash
and you know again everybody is trying
to find out exactly what it is that
that's happened here we we simply do not
know who is responsible if we might
could we see the video again that showed
us the second airliner crashing into the
southern of the buildings now as you see
you will see in a couple of moments here
a plane will come into the picture from
the upper right hand corner of your
screen if you're watching at home coming
down here in just a few seconds as our
camera backs up from chopper 4 there you
see the plane coming into the picture it
will dip down below the first building
we don't suit for a couple of seconds
and then it comes back out and slams
into the other tower at the World Trade
Center again this has all happened
within the past hour and five minutes or
so we are witnessing things that we've
never seen anything like it before the
obviously there was a terrorist attack
back in 1993 about eight years ago on
the twin towers at that point six people
were killed a thousand people were
injured major security measures were put
into effect after that mmm
making sure that people did not get into
that building unless they had the proper
clearance but obviously the buildings
today were vulnerable to air we do not
know anything about the people who were
working inside those buildings obviously
it's a full workday in New York City but
a Tuesday in September and it's us a
primary day so people were going to work
as usual now it happened a few minutes
before 9:00 in one of the buildings yes
well one would assume that maybe some of
those offices weren't quite open yet I
would think so a lot of people had not
arrived the work out we certainly hope
that is the case as you said the first
the first explosion the first plane
slamming into the the first building a
plane that was hijacked from Boston
happened the bout was about 8:50
somewhere between 8:50 and nine o'clock
this morning mm-hmm and it was 18
minutes later we saw right here on our
live picture from chopper 4 the second
plane which witnesses have described as
a full commercial airliner slamming into
the second tower and you saw the
dramatic explosion and of course just a
couple of minutes ago witnesses say that
another commercial airliner has slammed
into the Pentagon down in Arlington
Virginia the US Capitol and the White
House have both been evacuated and we
understand that the White House had
received a threat of a terrorist attack
now we're looking back at the Pentagon
again you can see the smoke billowing
from there we have no other information
at this point about casualties or
injuries or exactly what it was that
smashed into the Pentagon earlier today
that happened what 25 minutes ago 20
minutes or something of that sort what
are the other pictures we saw where she
saw a member of the military in full
fatigue outside the white house side the
white house you know fully loaded and
ready to go for anything we expect that
Mayor Giuliani is going to be speaking
shortly as you can imagine I'm sure
there is a scene of much confusion now
at downtown in lower Manhattan doubt
side the World Trade Center towers we
have just been told that the Pentagon is
being evacuated at this point and we're
looking back at the World Trade Center
towers here the smoke continues to
billow well the fire is clearly not
under control yet Jan we have another
witness on the telephone of the the
second plane slamming in a second towers
name is Robert Thomas from Brooklyn
Heights can you hear me Robert yes I can
can you tell us exactly what you saw I
was on the roof deck of my building
watching the fire from the first
explosion and I was on the phone with my
parents in Florida and I watched the
second plane coming in from Staten
Island ish area and I was thinking him I
was telling my mom on the phone that
plane is too low I can't believe it's
that close to the building after the
first one hit and it was a gray on the
top plane it was about the size of one
of the shuttles maybe coming from DC
area it was not a small plane was like a
737 or something and whatever airline is
gray on the top and I saw it hit the
building I have a very good friend who
works at windows in the world's pastry
chef Heather Howe and I hope to god
she's okay to die have you have you
attempted to reach her I tried to call
her at home the work number is busy of
course and I tried to call her at home
we got her message okay um again we've
been talking about how the FBI is
reporting or is investigating reports
that at least one aircraft if not two
were hijacked earlier today so from your
vantage point what you could see
appeared to be the size of perhaps a
shuttle aircraft right it was not a
small plane it was a big plane okay I
know people have been saying a small
commuter but it wasn't small it was
definitely a you know definitely held
it's a good group of people mm-hmm could
you see could you see anybody through
the windows of the cockpit of that
aircraft oh you do far away it wasn't
that close but I could clearly see the
plane coming in I could clearly see it
aiming straight for the building it was
in a long swooping motion it wasn't a
jerky flight it went straight into it oh
my and it was way I mean it was so low
was unbelievable to watch
okay what I'm hearing right now yeah
Thank You V appreciate your comments and
we thank you very much for for giving us
this information because of course we
are we are trying to find out exactly
what happened on this Tuesday morning
Jane we're learning the State Department
has also been evacuated The Associated
Press has learned that the white house
was evacuated after the Secret Service
did receive a credible threat of a
terrorist act against the White House
does it say what time that it's a vet
that threat came in no it does not so we
don't know if we don't know the planes
crash into the World Trade Center or
after what we're seeing now is that is
there's information that the aircraft at
the Pentagon crashed in a helicopter
landing pad near the Pentagon again the
west wing of the White House evacuated
amid threats of terrorism as well as the
US Capitol and the State Department
exactly one of the planes we're also
being told that one of the planes the
crashing of the World Trade Center had
been hijacked after takeoff from Boston
as you've just said citing a
transmission from that airplane let's go
and review for you exactly what has
happened as a result of all of this all
airplane traffic across this cross
country yes that's been grounded there
are no airplanes leaving or land I was
soon that can land those over there but
there are no aircraft that are going to
be leaving any of the airports around
the country for at least the time being
we do not know how long it is virtually
impossible to get in up into this city
right now the bridges the subways the
tunnels everything is shut down there
are major traffic jams from people who
were trying to leave or trying to get in
obviously it is a good day to stay put
wherever you are obviously the airports
here are all closed the stock exchange
has been closed closed down Subway's the
one two three and nine all train service
in and out of the city is now shut down
and you know not that in the big picture
this is really not that important at
this moment but you have to wonder if
maybe the primary election will be
possibly to be suspended because of this
well people can't get their polling
place they're absolutely right and and
and you know and I'm sure that's
something that they will
sort out later actually because I'm sure
not a single one of these candidates is
worrying about that at this moment
we heard the president call this a
terrorist attack that was before the
explosion of the Pentagon so the
president is being fully briefed he said
he had talked to the governor now the
governor has an office in the World
Trade Center he was in Manhattan but we
do not know where he is President Bush
has said he has talked to the governor
so we assume that he is safe at this
point we are waiting for the mayor to
give us some kind of information about
casualties or injuries this morning okay
we have another reporter out on a street
Walter Perez can you hear us Walter here
we are about two blocks away from ok two
blocks away from where the whole thing
happened and this entire area has been
cordoned off and people that happen to
working in nearby buildings have been
told to evacuate that's what this mass
exodus is to my left-hand side to my
right we have two witnesses and as we
speak with you two we're going to pan up
and show a shot of what we see from this
vantage point first a mourner Ringel and
Lorna you work across the street tell me
exactly what you saw on the street and
as you looked up what you saw because
you said you saw the second one am I
correct no I didn't see the second one
actually was coming out of the building
and there was maybe about 30 or 40
people at the bottom of one world
financial covered in blood I did not
expect that at all and I work for Lehman
and one right here and a gentleman that
I work with was on the telephone he said
what was that I said I'm you know he
thought it was thunder I looked over a
scream it's a bomb because I saw a piece
of the building flow down and I think I
scared my entire floor because I can
scream pretty loud and it was
you mentioned that you saw people on the
road outside of the building explaining
that scene I saw there's maybe about 30
or 40 people covered with bandages and
blood it looks like a lot of them were
either on the floor of one of the
exchanges oh my god
we're not sure exactly what happened but
it was another explosion on the far side
of one of the buildings from where we're
standing divert the reverberation and
another explosion on the right-hand side
another building has gone another
building has gone up on the right-hand
side of the road people are not running
down the street we're not sure if that
was another explosion or if that was
advanced debris joining me also is Jim
plant Jim you're also a witness of what
happened tell me exactly what you saw
from your vantage point across the
just across Liberty in an West here and
I saw the second plane hit the tower two
looked like a 737 it hit a glancing blow
it in hit direct I don't know where the
rest of the plane went but it went in
fireball came out and it hit lower than
the first plane which hit the upper
floors Jim thank you very much at this
point as you could tell there's absolute
pandemonium in this area because of what
had just happened exactly what I can't
confirm but on the far side of the
building there seemed to be another
explosion and also on the right-hand
side there was also another explosion
when I served that was extra verb
eration from what happened at the World
Trade Center if that was an added
explosion at this point there's a lot of
smoke massive plumes of smoke falling
from the building across the street
people that were running down the street
or walking are now running away we don't
have any information as far as what the
most recent reverberations wore but from
two blocks away you could feel what
happened you'll get more information and
pass it along to you all right thank you
very much falter again one or two more
explosions again around the World Trade
Center we don't know if it was in the
same building or adjacent buildings can
we react that video that we were looking
at as Walter was interviewing those
people because perhaps that will give us
some indication of what this was
obviously there are buildings
nose-to-nose down there we have no idea
if this was a third explosion or if it
might have been something from the
debris raining down from one of the
World Trade Center towers it appears to
be to the south of those buildings but
take a look at those pictures and that
is quite an incredible sight again this
all started this morning what about
about ten minutes to nine o'clock we
understand that a commercial airliner
maybe a small commercial airliner was
apparently
highjacked leaving the airport in Boston
Logan Airport in Boston and slammed into
one of the towers about 18 minutes later
a second commercial airliner which the
witnesses tell us was much bigger
slammed into the second tower soon after
that we heard for President Bush they
said this was an apparent terrorist
attack not long after he talked a plane
crashed very close to the Pentagon over
here stand down in the nation's capitol
the White House the US Capitol and the
State Department have all been evacuated
and that the Secret Service did receive
a very real threat that the White House
would also suffer the same fate as the
World Trade Center in the Pentagon which
has not happened yet and we hope it
doesn't end of course all commercial
traffic around the United States has
been shut down air traffic yes
electronic commercial air joining us now
is Jim Rosenfield who's been up in the
newsroom do you have anything you can
add to all it's just you know in getting
here to Rockefeller Center this morning
to share with you because you've been
here in the studio just the scenes on
the street people on their cell phones
trying to find out what's going on
people calling loved ones trying to find
out if they're okay as you walk into
this building a lot of people out on the
street not being permitted to go up and
down through most of the elevators for
security reasons obviously as we think
about the landmarks in Manhattan people
are taking very serious security
precautions just for that reason a lot
of emotions I should share with you up
in the newsroom too is we hear these
just gut-wrenching eyewitness accounts
of what these people must be going
through especially in the Twin Towers
right now just amazing we have just been
told that this what we thought was
another explosion was indeed according
to the Associated Press another building
that has either been attacked or
exploded so it appears to be separate
from the two that we have already
witnessed this morning and if you take a
look at this scene right now the smoke
that is billowing over inlet over lower
Manhattan is truly a frightening sight
to see again the part that I think
concerns all of us is that we have no
knowledge of what happened to the people
who might have been inside any of those
buildings it's a normal workday and
although the first explosion came early
might have meant some people weren't
there yet but I guarantee you that there
are a lot of people who were already in
those bills sure that went in between
Trade Towers a lot of state workers in
those buildings who get there well
before 9 o'clock and as you come down
some of the major arteries in Manhattan
you can just see this smoke from miles
away a very eerie sight as as I was
coming towards Midtown you look up and
there's the smoke coming out of the
world how did you how did you come to
worked it I actually walked most of the
way because traffic is as you would
imagine a complete mess emergency
vehicles trying to make their way all
down to downtown to lower Manhattan so
it's difficult for anybody who's trying
to get around bridges and tunnels as
you've been mentioning are closed so
getting on and off the island isn't
going to happen right now
hey Jim right now we have a terrorism
expert on the telephone Harvey cushion
or Harvey can you hear me I could hear
you very well
Harvey this obviously has all the
earmarks of terrorism yes unfortunately
it does and you know I've been in this
exists almost 40 years and quite frankly
I couldn't have written a scenario like
this if I would have come forward with
something like possibility like this and
they would have last I mean this has all
of the worst case scenarios put together
into one this is monumental this will be
something that you know you know you get
Gary Condit in the news have hojae this
is something that we're going to be
looking at for the next couple of years
unfortunately and not just my media
perspective but from the people who've
witnessed this I mean when you think of
the psychological trauma this is gonna
question we look as an two Americans
it's monumental
you see this is the scope of this and
the methodical way in which it appears
to have been planned and happened and
again we don't know what truly occurred
but there's there's there's talk of
aircraft being hijacked of second
explosions of etc etc what if there are
signals you can read in that as an
expert on all of this what what what can
you tell us about that well it shows
that you know in the last couple of
years and I just got off of the Embassy
bombing trial I was involved in that
and I've seen a picture painted of Osama
bin Laden not to say that he's involved
in this necessarily but of his network
and his ability to try to do damage the
United States and over the last couple
of years a lot of terrorism experts
worldwide have been talking about the
day of the freelancer for those not
familiar with the term individuals who
do things by themselves obviously this
type of event which occurred today is
something that costs a lot of money a
lot of planning such as what happened in
the Embassy bombing trial had to blow up
two embassies and obviously they have
the will and the desire many people to
be able to pull something like this off
I mean think about hijacking a plane the
difficulties involved in that but yet to
have it flown into a building
it's just monumental in terms of timing
in terms of the ability of the number of
people on that plane I mean if had a
surmise I would think it wasn't just one
individual or had to be groups of
individuals to be able to control
something like that to pull something
like this look and if the reports are
true that were having a coordinated
attack at other American targets such as
the Pentagon or the White House or other
buildings this indicates that we're
facing a new era we're back to the old
state sponsorship a large groups being
involved in having the wheel with all
and intelligence and the ability to pull
something like this off I mean this is
this is this is very very serious you
know I've been involved throughout the
years and these various different
exercises that we played where we would
talk about an event such as this such as
a biological attack or some other type
of thing occurring but this type of
scenario never really was painted
because the type of planning to go into
something like this was just what to be
not is possible as the launching of a
chemical or a biological even a small
nuclear weapon I mean that this is just
something that you know brings
goosebumps to me and and I've seen
everything that's into everything and
and this one tops tops at all in terms
of the temerity in terms of the planning
in terms of what the anthem at is and if
the shock to the American psyche in
American public I mean think about this
we try to calm people down by telling
them you know the chances of you being
involved in a terrorist act is very very
small what do we tell people now when
they walk around New York City and look
up and see the tree take the towers on
fire we see other buildings exploding
you see people crying in the street I
mean this is this is a horrific event
and it's a very very sad day in American
dr. Kushner I don't know if you're
watching television but what are now
showing our very first pictures of some
of the victims of of this today and we
can see some horrific but it appears to
be burns yes some some serious injuries
again this is video that we have just
gotten in we've also been told that the
second tower that was hit by the second
plane which is One World Trade Center
winter Stannah that tower is actually
collapsed at this point I'm just I'm
looking at this picture right now and
you cannot see the top of the second
tower so a few moments ago if you
remember there were just billowing smoke
what does that know what that area was
completely evacuated you know if I might
just interject this uh I was at this
awful Fault in a civil litigation
against the Port Authority of New York
and New Jersey Oh
because oh hi I'm Brent was representing
with the team of attorneys who
represented two clients who were in the
b2 level and the Trade Towers was born
many years in advance that as a
possibility of having a bomb place in
the bottom of the building and my report
showed that the construction of that
building was in such beyond the code
that even that such a powerful bomb
couldn't do the damage but now looking
at these pictures as we speak
it just I'm choked up looking at it
thinking that this type of risk
assessment wasn't there and we didn't
have but how do you got against
something like this this means that you
have to put a you know a perimeter
around New York in terms of a flight
pattern or in terms of having jets ready
to shoot down planes that's looking that
they're going into buildings I mean this
this opens up a new a new level this is
ratcheted up a new level in the annals
of terrorism and what we face here as a
country and as a civilization worldwide
I mean people were looking what was
going on in the Middle East and and not
understanding the nature of the fear
that people were going through on both
sides and now to this to be visited here
in the United States you know the
capitol of the world the crossroads of
the world with a symbol of American
capitalism an American might just in
brings a tear to an eye I mean think of
humanity that's lost in this type of
thing but think in terms of what it's
going to do to us as a country I mean
what type of procedures will we have to
put into place what protocols we have to
put into place at our airports at our
borders to protect against this there'll
be a human outcry about security that
has never existed before in this country
this is just monumental this is
something that happens and you're in
history and you don't realize that the
world is going to change after the
events such as this I can't see America
going back to where it was in terms of
not looking at security not looking at
the telogen scattering not looking at
our ability to protect ourselves this
now is on the front page it removes
everything wolf every other story is
gone this is something that is going to
be with us in the decades to come dr.
Kushner if I might interrupt you thank
you very much please will you stand by
because I I want to ask you some more
questions but we need for those please
stay on the line the people that are
just tuning in we need to to just
reiterate and give them a bit more
information here because there have been
a couple of recent developments that we
need to tell people about one of the
most startling is the fact that we now
only see one Tower of the World Trade
Center Twin Towers standing we've gotten
word that one World Trade Center is
either partially or fully collapsed so
it's like a partial collapse I think we
can still see below this is actually
this is actually
however and this is you're now
witnessing a class where it is obviously
that structure weakened by the aircraft
that we saw fly into it what over an
hour ago
now the second that was the second tower
it was hit much lower it was a good 30
stories down to something like that it
was about double that the waist down
from the from the other from the first
of the world towers which the lower it
is obviously the more vulnerable is to
have a well you were I don't know if
you've seen this Jim this is alright we
are looking once again earlier this is
about the point where I to tuned into to
news channel for if you look up in your
right hand side you will see an aircraft
coming into the picture it'll be there
any moment once there it is now watch
this actually dip behind the first
and there it is so goes around behind
that building and comes in from the left
side it appears it crossed over the
Hudson right and we have had
eyewitnesses who have watched that
aircraft they told us it appeared to be
a good size they compared it to the size
of a shuttle you know like the Boston or
Washington shuttle and indeed an
aircraft was hijacked in Boston earlier
this morning and the FBI knew that
because of some radio transmissions that
that came to them so if you think about
this theoretically that may have been
the aircraft that then went into that
and this isn't this isn't only New York
that's just the first the you know not
long after that the another commercial
airliner crashed into the Pentagon or
right next to the Pentagon that
buildings had evacuated of course in the
nation's capital the US Capitol the
State Department and the White House
have all been evacuated the Secret
Service says that they receive a very
real threat on the White House today and
that we understand that the the federal
buildings in Newark have been evacuated
I would imagine that that is taking
place pretty much around the country all
planes have also been grounded
nationwide by the FAA planes are still
are a lot of planes are still being
diverted into Westchester Airport right
now and into Syracuse to make up for to
keep the planes out of the New York area
obviously but once those people who were
headed for New York land in one of those
airports they are not going to get into
the city any time for the next few hours
that is certain because virtually all
traffic coming into the city has been
shut off the bridges the tunnels are all
closed to incoming traffic and to a lot
of outbound traffic I don't know if
anybody is getting out of the city at
this point did you get a report that New
Jersey Transit trains are still running
under the river so okay and again if you
can get out of town that probably would
be the advises advise that at this point
most of lower Manhattan most of lower
Manhattan has been evacuated at this
point and again the subways are shut
down look at that the Lincoln Tunnel at
10:15 in the morning over in Weehawken
never looks like that this nowadays it's
completely empty
so again let us bring you up to date on
on the fact that we know nothing about
the number of casualties the number of
people who have been injured we've seen
photographs of some of the injuries
recent photographs what we could see
were appear to be a lot of burns a lot
of lacerations that sort of thing we're
waiting for the mayor to hold a press
conference so he can bring us up to date
on the extent of the human damage so to
speak in all of this during this the
period that followed the initial impact
on World Trade Center the FBI did get
word as I understand it in some sort of
coded message perhaps that there had
been a hijacking at least those the
reports from the plane involved one of
the two planes involved we presume that
then made its way directly into the
World Trade Center tower and of course
we heard President Bush a short time ago
called this a terrorist attack that was
before the attack in the Pentagon yes
call this a terrorist attack and
promised a full-scale investigation to
find out who is responsible and to bring
them to justice Jane right now we have
our governor of affairs reporter Melissa
Russo on the telephone Melissa are you
there I'm standing outside st. Vincent's
Hospital right now where the scene is
absolutely unbelievable when I arrived
here it was just as the second building
explosions happened and there is what I
could describe as chaos in the streets
here there are hundreds of people just
in shock police officers telling people
to go home obviously worried about crowd
control but at the hospital there has
not been much activity in terms of
ambulances arriving here though you
might expect there would be after that
last explosion some hospital ambulances
took off and headed down seventh Avenue
which is otherwise closed to traffic but
st. Vincent's is obviously preparing for
the possibility of many many people
arriving at their emergency room they
have what looks like a trauma center set
up on the street on the sidewalk of 7th
dozens of stretchers hospital personnel
nurses with hospital equipment I
he's out on the street awaiting the
inevitable people in need of medical
care it's so very disturbing it's so
Melissa what you're telling us is that
you have not seen the number of people
that you might expect to be there after
an explosion of this magnitude that's
I've only been here for about I would
say 20 minutes 25 minutes but we've seen
a couple of ambulances come in as I said
after that last explosion I saw some
more ambulances raced out of here and
head down seventh Avenue but they're
obviously preparing for people to be
brought here on you know on full alert
they have as I said dozens of nurses
nurses aides out on the street outside
the ER on 7th Avenue and 12th Street
stretchers lined up on the street
they're just waiting for for people as
we come coming in obviously an in need
of treatment and we're looking right now
Melissa at some tape that we saw earlier
of a woman being taken for medical
treatment it did appear that she had
some burns this is some very and we are
told that that there have been some
patients brought here they probably
arrived before I got here we don't have
numbers we're waiting for a briefing
from the hospital the public relations
person from st. Vincent's Hospital did
come downstairs and alert the members of
the press who are here that as soon as
they have an update they'll they'll
bring it to us but obviously they are
overwhelmed with preparing for you know
an all-hands situation or at the
no sir isn't it isn't it true that the
emergency management office of the city
of New York is located in the World
Trade Center located at 7 World Trade
Center not in one of those two buildings
but of course it crossed my mind is
across yours that this is the place that
was set up
you know the nickname for it was the
bunker it was supposed to be a place
that would be shielded from any kind of
emergency situation where the mayor and
top emergency workers would be able to
get together in case of this type of
emergency I have not spoken to the
mayor's office yet this morning I don't
know where they're working
but it is in seven World Trade Center
which is on the north side of VC Street
on the other side however it's very
close I mean right across the street
from from those towers I would be almost
surprised if they felt safe to be there
although I don't know what it looks like
on the ground that's at that part of the
city right now and Melissa we would
assume that what you are seeing the way
of preparedness at st. Vincent's is
being repeated at hospitals throughout
Manhattan I would imagine it I would
imagine it is I mean you can only think
the worst in this kind of situation
obviously hope for the best but there's
certainly you know I'm sort of surprised
that we're not seeing more ambulances
arriving we are one of the closer
hospitals I mean there's New York
downtown Hospital which is right across
the street from City Hall
essentially in lower Manhattan and then
we have st. Vincent's which is here on
on West 12th Street I am you're hearing
some sirens behind me those are some
additional police vehicles heading down
7th Avenue right now Melissa yeah if I
can interrupt you for a second I've just
they're so urgent on the wire that
something has happened at the State
Department the source says we don't know
yet we hear it might have been a plane
so there's a possibility now that a
plane may have slammed into the State
Department in the nation's capital that
of course was evacuated about 48 minutes
ago so hopefully the people who were
inside that building have safely left
there's also information Jayne on the
plane involved perhaps in this incident
it appears it might have been an
American Airlines flight that was
leaving Boston heading to Los Angeles
I'm you know we're still making dirt you
know what a way to describe that is a
great plane on top and that would be
American Airlines exactly so again let's
go outdoors now - Joe Abelardo avalor
because he is on this
in lower Manhattan we're standing here
is we're in Soho at the corner of
Princeton Worcester Street and what
we're seeing is a lot of what's
happening around Manhattan right now in
lower Manhattan people were in that area
and they ran ran as far as they could as
fast as they couldn't I've got a group
of people right here they were all in
offices right close to World Trade
that's right right across the street at
1:00 1:30 Liberty Street you heard the
explosion and then what did you do we
heard the explosion and we didn't know
if it was a earthquake or whatever and
they came on PA system and said it was a
bomb but then we heard it was a plane so
then we went back upstairs because we
thought everything was okay
and then we heard we actually didn't see
the second plane but we saw the
explosion hit the other Tower and planes
just came flying towards us and that's
when you ran that's why we went the
other side of the building and then
waited to hear from the PA system then
they said they're evacuating everybody
and then we just walked all the way up
Broadway and glad we did because uh the
whole building came down just got out of
the area's horsemen you've been trying
to get through in a cell phone - that's
been the other thing people were trying
to write have you gotten out no no no
some of us have if some of you have got
you just managed to get a call out yeah
just wanted to call my husband and let
him know that I was all right
this is terribly frightening oh my god
it's it's so upsetting to know that
there are all those people that you know
people come in to work early down here
and it's it's really horrifying
you and work today you're still in your
work clothes you evacuated along with
all your friends yeah I was with these
guys we were by the glass we saw huge
pieces of flaming debris fall and
building shook
and then like he said before we looped
around we went downstairs went back up
and then we saw the second plane hit and
then shortly thereafter we evacuated the
building you stopped here
you turned it's what everybody's doing
all over the city they get to a spot
they turn and they watch and you almost
have to watch it's surreal it's like
watching a movie it's surreal and it's
and it's horrifying at the same time
look what was that yeah that it's for
the building when we turned around we
just saw a big pile in the road because
it just fallen down the whole thing is
and now of course number two World Trade
Center we're looking at it's been around
we can see the picture from this is from
where we're standing we're a good goal
20 blocks or more from the World Trade
Center as we're standing here and you
can see the flames you see where the
hole is and you can see how the hole the
original hole is which is in the middle
of the building and if you look at it
you can see how the hole is grown also
the flames below maybe 10 floors below
now those flames have spread from the
original fire we've seen with binoculars
have been people out here with
binoculars they've seen people in the
buildings there are still people in that
ambulance screaming through the area you
were now you were in that you were in
that area I was I'm turnin on Broadway
when I felt the huge vibration but it
was the earthquake didn't know what it
was people were running across the
street barefooted some crying on the
floor almost like a stampede was
occuring everybody's just ran this is
where I'm at now I don't know how many
blocks I ran almost Kozma by the time I
stopped lost my cell phone I can't even
call my family right now and and that's
the big thing of course all the New
Yorkers are trying to do everybody who
was in that area everybody was in the
city today is trying to get through in a
cell phone or finding a store something
I did the same thing trying to call the
family trying to call a loved one
telling them that you're okay talk to
someone who was in the building in had
just gone into one of the World Trade
Towers when it all happened he said from
where he was in the lobby there was a
flush of debris and a flush of fire down
one of the elevator shafts he actually
was singed and he was in the lobby this
gentleman here where are you coming from
the John I was in the century 21
building you were downtown to our office
points right at the buildings were so
accustomed to seeing people of all walks
of life down in the down in the lobby
and everything and every day and then
all of a sudden this happens at 9:00 in
the morning and fire came out from all
sides of the building and to us we
thought bombs wouldn't offer something
but apparently planes went but it's a
sad very sad time for America what we're
gonna do is we're going to turn back to
the to the tower right here we're going
to send it back to you and of course
what everybody is thinking is that our
prayers with the people who were in that
tower back to you okay thank you Joe an
update on the State Department real
quick apparently was a car bomb that
exploded outside the State Department
that's according to senior US law
enforcement officers the State
Department had been evacuated previous
apparently to this bomb so one can only
assume that the people that were in that
building got out on safe and sound we
certainly hope that they did let's go to
Walter Perez Walter is downtown in lower
Manhattan imagine Ralph
as you can imagine it is a pretty
frenzied scene out here just a few
moments ago I'd say about 20 minutes ago
we're not sure exactly what it was we
have not confirmed it but something
either exploded or fell off the side of
the one building that was it
and cause a massive plume of smoke as we
turn left you can see the trucks go by
that they are spitting off smoke these
were the emergency trucks and ambulances
that were near the building at the time
that that had happened at that point it
wasn't so much of a frenzied scenario
because people were walking away from
the building this entire region has been
cordoned off and people who are working
in nearby buildings we're told to leave
and evacuate the area for obvious
reasons for safety concerns when that
second plume of smoke came up from the
ground area people started running
people were covered in soot there were
people with blood on his shirts rips in
their shirts and at this point looking
up at the top of the building at a rate
of about one every five minutes you see
people that are jumping from the top of
the building it is an absolutely
harrowing scene harrowing scene at this
point police officials told us we
evacuate the area that we were in
removed about two blocks further but the
scene is very very similar plumes of
smoke all around the area and people not
exactly sure what's going on all the
telephone lines are jammed up as people
trying to communicate not just police to
other people but folks who saw what
happened trying to communicate loved
ones and let them know that they're safe
so it's a very hectic situation at this
point as we gather more information and
we're sure we're settled where we're
supposed to stop we'll get back to you
because at this point police are still
not sure where we should be and as you
can see a lot of police activity they're
trying to move the media to a safe area
so we can do proper reporting let
everybody know exactly what's going on
for now back to you Walter have they
given you any indication I'm sorry he
can't hear me all right we just we
simply do not know who has been hurt and
what casualties might have occurred
which is the information that we are I
want you to take a look at what's
happening right now that is a live
picture that's what's a live picture -
that's World Trade Center - has just
collapsed that's the second oh my god -
collapse we are now looking at the
collapse of the second of the World
Trade Towers World Trade Center towers
again this is something that we never
dreamed we would witness in our lifetime
let us tell you that to come into this
city right now you will not be able to
the bridges the tunnels shut down subway
lines trains
pretty much closed
the New York Stock Exchange no just a
moment ago the entire top of the
building collapsed you can see a massive
plume of smoke people are running away
from the area there are plyer fighters
and there are police trying to evacuate
the area as quickly as possible people
who are near the area are an absolute
frenzy situation the entire top of a
building just collapsed you can see the
plume of smoke is coming in our
direction let's get out of here Ralph
we're going to leave because of smoke is
coming right at us obviously this is a
devastating their own district they're
gone the World Trade Center is is no
more what do you do not know at this
point the extent of injuries or
casualties how many people were in these
buildings trying to get out we've seen
some gut-wrenching descriptions witness
accounts of people hanging out of
jumping trying to get to safety you see
the obvious look at all right let's go
to NBC News right now we are back at
10:30 Eastern Time on this Tuesday
morning this horrific incredible not to
be believed Tuesday morning you are
looking at live pictures of the World
Trade Center where just a few minutes
ago within the last minute actually the
second twin tower collapsed just to
recap if you're just joining us around
8:40 - Eastern Time this morning here in
New York City a plane crashed into the
right twin Tower of the World Trade
Center about two-thirds of the way up
the building leaving a huge gaping hole
of huge fire and tons of billowing smoke
about 25 minutes later a second jet
believed to be a 720 737 - 757 even then
crashed in the second twin tower the
first plane incidentally was enroute
from Boston Massachusetts to Los Angeles
here's the video I think of the second
plane striking the tower that's right
we're not sure the origin of that plane
is my understanding the first plane that
caused that hole on the right hand side
and the other twin tower was from Boston
to LAX to Los Angeles that was flight 11
American airline
we have confirmed that that plane was
hijacked what happened following the
hijack hi Jackie rather is unclear we
should note that about an hour after the
first collision at the Pentagon
reportedly another plane crashed into
the Pentagon which is just outside
Washington DC in Northern Virginia all
air traffic has been stopped government
buildings have been evacuated as have
other buildings across the country the
Sears Tower in Chicago was evacuated you
can imagine that other buildings in
major cities and small cities around the
country are probably being evacuated as
well there's a nun confirmed report of a
car bomb at the State Department we have
a net not been able to pin that down
there is also Jim miklaszewski was told
that there was an unconfirmed report of
another Air hijacking we share this with
you not in an attempt to in any way
exacerbate what is already a terrible
situation but so much has come true
based on these early reports that we
want you to have as much information as
we can possibly get at the Pentagon all
people outside were told to take cover
just moments ago but Jim miklaszewski
said the skies were clear there was a no
time report of another hijacking with a
plane headed towards Washington again we
don't want to sound alarmist but that is
something that Mick heard while he was
at the Pentagon we also want to mention
that the president is enroute from
Longboat Key Florida where he was there
to visit an elementary school to talk
about literacy obviously clearly his
agenda has changed dramatically he will
convene a meeting of the National
Security Council as soon as he gets home
: Powell is also on his way back from
Lima Peru he was scheduled to be in
Bogota Colombia and probably not at the
White House they'll probably take him to
a safe location there a number of them
some of the hills of Virginia as you
know and my guess is that Air Force One
is in the unusual situation of having a
fighter plane escort on its way back in
Florida today that's where we stand
think about the the the loss of life
that we could have seen this morning if
you think about the fact that when full
the World Trade Centers pulled about
50,000 people no telling how many people
were at work before 9:00 o'clock this
morning and then shortly after 9 o'clock
in the other tower but if you look at
this picture here thomandkatie at lower
hatten it appears that terrorists have
succeeded this time in in doing what
terrorists tried to do back in 1993 this
is war this is a declaration and an
execution of an attack on the United
States two of our most conspicuous
symbols of the American system of
capitalism the Pentagon which of course
is the headquarters of the most mighty
military in the world was attacked today
as well
the White House has been evacuated the
State Department has been evacuated
financial markets have been immobilized
all flights taking off after these
attacks were grounded international
flights have been as transatlantic
flights only
going to Canada now so there has been
great chaos visited upon this country to
say nothing if you pointed out in that
so importantly of a still untold loss of
life and it's going to be horrendous we
don't know yet what the exact numbers
are but we can only tell you by looking
at those pictures that you can guess as
well as that weekend that there are
gonna be a lot of people who are not
going to be able to escape back in 1993
when the bomb blew up in the basement of
the World Trade Center so many survivors
talked about how long it took them with
no power and the elevators to get to
walk down the smoke-filled stairways and
you think about how many people were
still trying to escape those buildings
when first one and then the second tower
collapsed and of course the triage unit
that has been set up area hospitals are
all receiving victims and as matt said
50,000 capacity when everybody is in the
building but many people at 8:42 a.m.
here in New York are at their desks
working in their offices one young man
or one man was reached by phone and was
asked what is happening there and he
said we are blanking dying here
not to Mary screaming and yelling and
pure chaos understandably going on in
the background there's a picture of
lower Manhattan ladies and gentlemen the
most important city in the world in so
many ways and now it has been attacked
by terrorists at the World Trade Center
and the damage is beyond our ability to
tell you in great detail but you mention
that oh I was going to say here's what
the president said he cancelled an
education appearance in Florida here's
what he said just a short time ago
ladies and gentlemen this is a
difficult moment for America I
unfortunately will be going back to
Washington after my remarks Secretary of
Rodd pace and lieutenant governor will
take the podium and discuss education I
do want to thank the folks here at at
the Booker elementary school for their
hospitality of today we've had a
national tragedy two airplanes have
crashed into the World Trade Center in
an apparent terrorist attack on our
country I have spoken to the vice
president to the governor of New York to
the director of the FBI and have ordered
that the full resources of the federal
government go to help the victims and
their families and the and to conduct a
full-scale investigation to hunt down
and to find those folks who committed
this act terrorism against our nation
will not stand and now if you join me in
a moment of silence
that was George W Bush about an hour ago
speaking from Longboat Key Florida he is
enroute to Washington DC we're looking
at some pictures on the ground or we
were of apparently some of the victim us
he is on the ground
extraordinary this these are the
emergency workers who are coming back it
was just about ten minutes ago that we
describe to you the possibility of that
North Tower collapsing about five
minutes after we went off the air it did
collapse once again we have no idea at
this point the loss of life I can only
tell you there were hundreds of
emergency workers down there about five
or six blocks it took probably about I
would say no more than 50 or 60 seconds
for that dust cloud dust and smoke to
literally make it the five or six blocks
up here and begin to envelop us at which
point we started to move out of the way
there were literally dozens and dozens
of firemen who were trying to run past
us in fact our cameraman even put one of
the captain's in his car and drove him
down to a command post the people who
you see here are pretty much all
emergency workers many of them that I
have seen in the last two to three
minutes quite frankly are coming out of
here and remember this these are
professionals they're coming out of
there looking literally stunned in shock
many of them struggling for breath
obviously in serious distress breathing
problems are the biggest problem for
those who managed to make it safely out
of that area down below us you can't see
much more than a block south of me right
now and the World Trade Center probably
stands about ten blocks south of where I
am at this moment and as you can see now
the dust is beginning to pick up here it
really depends on which way the wind
blows as to whether or not we get heavy
dust or not but at this point I can tell
you that in the first few minutes
emergency workers were trying just
basically to get out of there to survive
you could see that written in their
faces the situation was so desperate
they just wanted to get out of there now
many of them are beginning to regroup a
couple of them asked me
their commander might be there trying to
get together and go back in there and
try to take care of the people who
obviously are in serious trouble there's
no other way to describe it the language
here at times if I slip into language
which seems a little melodramatic
forgive me but this is a circumstance
which is very very difficult to describe
in many ways without sounding
melodramatic certainly in more than 20
years of of covering horrific events
this is something that I've never seen
before as we say the emergency workers
now beginning to try to gather
themselves over there you can see a
police emergency service unit they are
trying basically now to re-establish
some kind of a safe perimeter and many
as a emergency workers basically just
happy to be alive
certainly that picture tells it all many
of them just happy to be alive at this
point having survived what is an
extraordinary event the collapse of two
towers as we said earlier in our report
110 stories each I will tell you that
what fell what I saw fall had to be at
least 40 50 stories of that building at
first the skeleton was left at about I
would say the 50 or 60 a--the floor
after the shell after the structure of
the building fell down the the skeleton
the steel skeleton was literally shaved
off and it took probably about another
30 seconds before the skeleton collapsed
into the street that was the last we saw
of the World Trade Center and that was
maybe 10 minutes ago when those that
final skeleton the metal skeleton steel
skeleton collapsed into the street that
was NBC's Pat Dawson again he's standing
about ten blocks from where the World
Trade Center towers used to stand you're
looking at the collapse of one of those
towers right now we now have an AP news
alert out of Pittsburgh officials at
Somerset County Airport are confirming
the crash of a large plane just north of
the airport that's about 80 miles
southeast of Pittsburgh again officials
at Somerset County Airport confirmed the
crash of a large plane north of that
airport which is located about 80 miles
to the southeast of the city of
Pittsburgh we do not know whether that
crash of that plane is related to what
has become an obvious terrorist
attack both here in New York City and in
Washington DC at the Pentagon but now we
just got a late word that State
Department security officials are
denying those reports of a car Obama at
the State Department
Betsy Stewart is that the C Street
entrance and also says there's no sign
of a car bomb Betsy Stewart is one of
our producers who's very familiar with
the State Department the building has
been evacuated top officials are still
believed to be in the operation center
however those are highly secured areas
in terms of penetration physically and
otherwise : Powell as Andrew a reported
earlier was headed for Lima Peru but
he's done a u-turn and he's coming back
the president is on his way back he'll
have a National Security Council meeting
we think probably at around 11:30 or
perhaps around noon that is likely to
take place either at Andrews Air Force
Base or in some more secure location the
White House has been evacuated
especially with this report of another
plane going down this time in the
Pittsburgh area there were planes in the
air when the order went out that there
would be no more takeoffs so we don't
know how much more damage these
terrorists had in line let's go to Bob
Hager who is of course NBC's aviation
expert Bob what kind of information are
you getting from your sources not a lot
Katie from the FAA for instance they are
not talking about any possible hijacks
that normally they can tell when there's
a hijack in progress because the the
pilot the original pilot of the plane
has various buttons that he can push
that set off a code and and tell them
that there were hijacks but maybe as a
matter of security they're not saying
anything about that they did stop all
takeoffs in the u.s. at 9:25 this
morning and then for pilots that were in
the air the question came up what to do
about them and they were given some
discretion to continue on to their
destination as so long as it was not the
New York or Washington area or divert to
an airport if that's what they wanted to
do I personally I saw the blast at the
Pentagon that the blast take place but
moments after it had been at National
Airport trying to get up to New York and
you could see that smoke billowing out
of the Pentagon I can give you a little
description of what it's like on the
streets of Washington because it was
quite crowded trying to work my way back
here to NBC they have now given a nod
only the white house and those key
buildings like the US Capitol but at
this point they've given all federal
employees the word to leave their
offices and get home so there are
traffic jams in Washington Bob I'm sure
you're gonna get more information for us
momentarily but first we want to go to
Jim miklaszewski at the Pentagon who has
some more information Mick Katie they're
still clearing people away from the
Pentagon still security forces believe
that there may be an another incoming
plane headed in in the Washington region
but there was a very telling dramatic
moment just a second ago when a US Air
Force f-16 through very low-level did a
wide sweeping turn around the Pentagon
and back over the over Washington and as
one Air Force officer standing near me
said my god they're now flying air cover
over Washington a very dramatic moment a
milestone in what tom is already
described as a as a declaration of war
terrorist war against the u.s. let's go
back and show you the pictures of lower
Manhattan where the situation only gets
worse not better
that is the financial district of the
world it's also a residential area and a
great commercial area both twin trade
tower buildings now have collapsed onto
the ground there is an untold loss of
life the ripple effect goes on with all
the smoke and dust that is spread out
across that very densely populated area
it goes down below ground as well as in
the high-rise building there there are
many residential structures in that area
as well some heroic rescue workers were
down there trying to get people out of
the building when first the first
building came down and then the second
building did as well without any sound
and looking at this there is a kind of a
surreal quality but that is the
epicenter of a great great national
tragedy and a great loss of life no
question about it this morning we're
talking about people who were hurt
perhaps killed in this blast many of
them have been brought to area hospitals
including st. Vincent's Hospital Bob
Bozell is there Bob what's the latest
well okay the ambulances continue to
stream in several New York City streets
have been closed major avenues have been
closed off so that ambulances can
continue to come in in addition the New
York City subway system has now been
closed down and seven
buildings that were not involved in the
World Trade Center area have been shut
down and people have been told to go
home but a lot of them are just
wandering aimlessly on the street many
people openly weeping and hugging each
other this is clearly is a time that as
Tom described is very close to the
beginning of a war and the but the
casualties do keep coming in burns smoke
inhalation very severe and again all the
medical people that I've talked to say
this is just the tip of the iceberg we
expect casualties to be coming in all
through the night and weigh in it
tomorrow and beyond Bob if you could
just stand by for a moment because we
have this report from AP that I'm just
simply going to read a large plane
crashed Tuesday morning just north of
the Somerset County Airport about 80
miles southeast of Pittsburgh Airport
officials said the plane believed to be
a Boeing 767 crashed around 10:00 a.m.
about eight miles east of jennerstown
according to county 911 dispatchers WPXI
TV reported the crash came the same
morning that terrorists crashed two
planes in the World Trade Center in New
York City and the twin 110 storey towers
collapsed explosions also rocked the
Pentagon and the State Department
although that was refuted moments ago
and spread fear across the nation there
was no other immediate details on the
Pennsylvania crash and it was not clear
whether the crash was related to the
others again that was in a report a
bulletin that was just issued by The
Associated Press you know what is so
stunning about all this Matt and Katie
is that there has been no no indication
whatsoever that this very carefully
coordinated massive attack was going to
occur there's been a complete
intelligence failure here and there will
be obviously down the road a price to
pay for that well that's actually not
all that surprising Tom because we've
often talked in the past following every
terrorist event about how vulnerable the
United States is and many terrorists
experts say how unprepared they are and
the question of course is can you ever
prepare for an attack like this well
that's true but we also have people out
there who are in listening posts and
we've penetrated these kinds of Steve
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