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CNN Live Sunday

Comair Plane Crash; National Hurricane Center Downgrades Ernesto Back to Tropical Storm; Anniversary of Hurricane Katrina

Aired August 27, 2006 - 16:59   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: From the CNN Center in Atlanta, I'm Fredricka Whitfield, and this is CNN LIVE SUNDAY.
Incase you're just joining us this afternoon, it's been a very busy Sunday. We're covering the first hurricane of the season, which was just downgraded to a tropical storm status. Also, the deadly crash of a commuter plane in Kentucky.

We're monitoring and awaiting news conferences on both these stories. We'll bring you the very latest as it happens.

But first, let's begin with the deadly commuter plane crash in Lexington, Kentucky. A confirmed 49 people have died on Comair Flight 5191. The plane went down just a half-mile away from the Blue Grass Airport. The only survivor, the flight's first officer.

CNN's David Mattingly is on the scene.

And David, what can you tell us?

DAVID MATTINGLY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Fredricka, no official word exactly on what might have happened here, but sources are telling CNN that it appears that the plane attempted to take off on the wrong runway. It was cleared to take off on a runway that was 7,000 feet long. That happened at 6:05 this morning. But for some reason, apparently the plane took off on a runway that was half that length, some 3,500 feet, and then crashed beyond that runway into a wooded area less than a half-mile or about a half-mile from the airport itself.

I just spoke a short time ago to the county fire department. They are bringing in more personnel at this hour as they are beginning to bring out the bodies of the 49 victims who are still on that aircraft.

Earlier today when they arrived at the scene they were able to determine that all of the victims were still inside the aircraft. They were able to find the one survivor and remove him from the plane, the first officer, who is now listed in critical condition.

But at this hour it is a very grim process. Much of this wreckage is burned, and they will be very careful about taking the remains of the victims out of this aircraft. A temporary morgue will be set up in Frankfurt, Kentucky, so that the county coroner here can work with coroners from the state of Kentucky to help identify the 49 people who were killed on this aircraft -- Fredricka. WHITFIELD: And David, what about the two flight recorder boxes? They were indeed recovered?

MATTINGLY: That is one of the high notes of the day. Both of those have been recovered, and it is hoped that they will provide information that will say exactly what happened here.

Of course, the NTSB will not be very quick in coming out with an answer. They don't deal in speculation. They deal strictly in fact.

They will look at what's on these boxes. They will look at the records from the tower. They will talk to witnesses. They hope they will be able to talk to the survivor of this flight and gather all information they can before releasing, months, possibly a year from now, the official cause of this accident.

WHITFIELD: David Mattingly, thank you so much.

Of course, Comair Flight 5191 never made it to its planned destination of Atlanta.

CNN's Randi Kaye is at the airport with the very latest -- Randi.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RANDI KAYE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Flight 5191 was due to arrive here at Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport at 7:18 a.m. We are now learning from the airport spokespeople that family members are not here. If they had been here, they would have been met by Red Cross, who was here to serve them, and also by care workers whom both Delta and Comair had set up here at the airport, hoping to help these family members deal with this terrible tragedy. But once again, we are learning that family members did not arrive here at Atlanta's airport.

Comair is certainly seeming to make the families of those killed a priority. The president of Comair Airlines saying -- Don Bornhorst saying that the victims will be treated with respect. Also, when asked if he would be going out to the crash seen, he said his first priority is to visit with the families of those lost.

We did speak to the airport's spokesperson, Sterling Paine (ph). She told us that this crash has not disrupted any of the operations here at Atlanta's airport. No impact at all, in fact, on the operations.

She also said that many passengers on this jet were very likely connecting. This was a commuter jet of 50 seats, with 50 passengers on board. Oftentimes it would come here to Atlanta's airport to connect to a larger jet, and passengers would go on from there.

We're still waiting for confirmation of the passenger list, the names on that list. We do now know that at least one passenger was here waiting for Flight 5191 to board that plane and then go on with it. We want to give you an 800 number for families, if they want to call and get some of their questions answered. That number is 1-800- 801-0088. Once again, 1-800-801-0088.

From Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, Randi Kaye, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: So what went wrong with Comair Flight 5191? Later I'll talk with the former inspector general of the Department of Transportation, Mary Schiavo. She wonders if recent runway renovations at Blue Grass Airport could have played a role.

And Florida's governor declares a state of emergency, and tourists are ordered to evacuate the Florida Keys. All of this before Ernesto was downgraded to a tropical storm.

In the meantime, we are monitoring comments from the director of the National Hurricane Center, Max Mayfield. We'll bring those to you as soon as we can. There he is speaking. We'll bring you some of his comments in a moment.

Well, CNN is your hurricane headquarters. Jacqui Jeras is tracking Ernesto's every move, now downgraded to a tropical storm, but still potentially threatening?

JACQUI JERAS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Absolutely potentially threatening.

(WEATHER REPORT)

JERAS: I guess we do have that audio now, so let's go ahead and take Max Mayfield from the hurricane center.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MAX MAYFIELD, DIRECTOR, NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER: People need to be listening to their local officials. And that's why I know a lot of you here from the Miami station (ph), and you're so important, because that's all they have down in the Keys.

Elsewhere in Florida, actually the entire state needs to pay close attention. We may very well be putting up additional watches during the night or very early tomorrow morning.

Right now I want to make absolutely sure that we don't repeat the mistake that some people made with Hurricane Charley in that everybody focused on that skinny black line. I am not going to let that happen this time. And even if it were to come in the Gulf of Mexico, I can assure you that there will be an impact well to the east with the wind and the rains.

QUESTION: Max, when a storm drops down like this, gets (INAUDIBLE), people start to think, "You know what? Same old thing, I don't need to leave." MAYFIELD: The question was, when people see a downgrade to a storm the can't let their guard down. And I have seen some of the wire stories already, and they're focused on that downgrade. That's a mistake.

It still not only has a chance to come back, but it kind of has the chance to come back to be a strong hurricane before it does get -- a healthy Category 1, anyway. By the time it gets to Florida, the Keys, and south Florida, and that can -- you know, we just have to remember Irene or Wilma to know what that can do.

QUESTION: Max, if it impacts our area, what are you really looking at in terms of wind or rain?

MAYFIELD: Well, it really depends on the track. I mean, that's the question that everybody wants answered. But this really depends -- I think, really, to tell you the truth, one of the best things that could happen is for it to remain over Cuba as long as possible, and then actually come up toward the peninsula.

If it does that, it's just not going to have much time to strengthen. It's going to be primarily a rainfall event.

If it takes a tracks a little bit farther to the west, and gets over the open Gulf of Mexico, it will become even stronger. And if it stays well off the coast here -- well, that's not well off the coast, but if it stays far enough off the coast or the peninsula in the Gulf, it's going to have an impact. You know, the storm surge (INAUDIBLE) over much of that Gulf Coast of Florida.

QUESTION: Max, what's your best estimate on when residents in the U.S., residents of Florida will feel the effects?

MAYFIELD: Well, I think we could have tropical storm force winds getting to the Keys on Tuesday morning. But one of the big problems here in the Keys is sometimes those roads -- a few spots in the road of US 1 will go underwater when the winds get near tropical storm force. That's why they have to implement their plan so early. And they're already doing that.

We have been talking to the state of Florida, the Division of Emergency Management in Tallahassee, and the counties in the peninsula since yesterday. And they've already -- and this morning, so they're already taking some actions, it's my understanding, in the Keys. And I've got some tough decisions overnight and early tomorrow morning.

QUESTION: Best prediction on landfall?

JERAS: OK. You've been listening to Max Mayfield, the director of the National Hurricane Center, talking about the projected path of what we can expect from Ernesto. Warning residents not to let down their guard despite the storm weakening today, that it very well could turn back into a hurricane and threaten the Florida Keys first and then the Florida coast.

He also warned that residents on the east side of the Florida peninsula need to be prepared, because the east coast could be vulnerable as well, not to mention west coast landfall will still stay strong across the peninsula, affecting those residents, also. He was talking about some of the uncertainties and the projected path, and I want to show you these computer models that I've been talking about, the spaghetti models.

(WEATHER REPORT)

WHITFIELD: All right, Jacqui. Thanks so much.

And given the storm's projected path, a lot of folks in New Orleans are feeling a bit less nervous today, but emergency officials aren't taking anything for granted. President Bush, by the way, arrives in New Orleans tomorrow to mark the first anniversary of Hurricane Katrina on Tuesday.

Our Gulf Coast correspondent, Susan Roesgen, has the very latest.

Are so, are people excited about his arrival?

SUSAN ROESGEN, CNN GULF COAST CORRESPONDENT: I don't think they are thinking so much about his arrival right now, Fredricka. They are thinking about recovery still from Hurricane Katrina.

President Bush will be here tomorrow, of course. The Homeland Security chief, Michael Chertoff, will be here as well. And most people here are hoping that Ernesto will not be coming this way.

In fact, even a tropical storm now, Fredricka, could be very dangerous for this city. New Orleans own director of homeland security, Colonel Terry Ebbert, today reminded people that you have to remember that this is a crippled city.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

COL. TERRY EBBERT, NEW ORLEANS HOMELAND SEC. DIR.: I am worried, but not about this city's ability to get people out of harm's way. I am worried that -- that we have infrastructure shortfalls that still impact this city if we were to take a major strike.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROESGEN: And, in fact, the critical hour here, tomorrow, in New Orleans, the critical time for the Department of Homeland Security locally, is going to be noon, Fredricka, because that's when the city will have to make some decisions. If Ernesto changes course the way Katrina did, and does head this way, the city has got to have enough lead time to get ready. And at noon tomorrow, if Ernesto changes course, even as a tropical storm, the city would have to begin preparing its evacuation procedures.

But most people, as I mentioned, here tonight, Fredricka, are not thinking about Ernesto. They are simply trying to clean up after Katrina.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I am being very optimistic. I'm not even thinking about it, to be honest. It's too far away.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I won't speculate.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Too far away. It's too far in the Gulf.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: If it comes, we'll deal with it. But for now, we are continuing to do the fix-up process, and it's been a long time coming.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROESGEN: We don't wish this on Florida, we don't wish this on anyone, but it looks tonight, Fredricka, as if New Orleans is very, very relieved.

WHITFIELD: All right. Susan Roesgen, thanks so much.

And later on this hour we're going to talk to another Hurricane Katrina victim, a well-known musician who is making his way back to the city in time for that one-year mark as well.

And stay with CNN all day today and next week as we take you back to the scene of destruction, hear stories from other people affected, and see how their lives have changed forever.

"Katrina: Storm of a Lifetime," one year later, live extensive coverage beginning on Monday.

And coming up, held hostage for 13 days, now finally free. Two FOX News journalists are released. Now they will tell the tale of being held captive.

Plus, space shuttle Atlantis ready for takeoff, but is Mother Nature ready to let it happen?

And he says he saw John Mark Karr in Boulder, Colorado, 10 years ago, but do you believe him?

Here his story later this hour.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Relief for two FOX journalists today after being held hostage for nearly two weeks in Gaza. They are now enjoying their freedom.

Reporter Steve Centanni and photographer Olaf Wiig were dropped off at a beach hotel, a popular spot with journalists. They had emotional reunions with their families there.

Both men have been describing their captivity. They were blindfolded, bound, even forced at gunpoint to say they converted to Islam.

Our Chris Lawrence is live in Jerusalem with more on their nightmare of an ordeal.

CHRIS LAWRENCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Fredricka, right now both of the journalists are back here safely in Jerusalem. They have made it out of Gaza through the border crossing and back here to Jerusalem.

I saw them earlier today as they were coming through the Erez Crossing. That's the border between Gaza and Israel. And really, for the first time them making it back over onto the Israeli side.

Steve Centanni looked utterly exhausted, surrounded by photographers. Olaf Wiig looked slightly relaxed for the 13-day ordeal that they had gone through. He had waved to some of his friends as he was coming out. And both say they hope that what happened to them doesn't stop journalists in Gaza.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

STEVE CENTANNI, FOX NEWS CORRESPONDENT: I just hope this never scares a single journalist away from coming to Gaza to cover this story.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LAWRENCE: Yes, earlier they were released and then escorted by Palestinian security forces to the beach hotel. There, they met with the Palestinian prime minister, who confirmed that this was not the work of the al Qaeda terrorist group, although he was more vague when talking about whether he would actively try to find and arrest the group responsible for this kidnapping -- Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: Chris Lawrence, thanks so much for that update out of Jerusalem.

Another top story we're following for you out of this country. A deadly crash, only one survivor. What happened to this Comair plane in Kentucky, and why did it go down?

That's coming up.

And is the coast clear for the Gulf or does Tropical Storm Ernesto have a surprise in store?

We're tracking its path next on CNN LIVE SUNDAY.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: CNN has learned the commuter jet that crashed today in Lexington, Kentucky, apparently took off from the wrong runway. Forty-nine people were killed in the crash. There is a single survivor, still listed in critical condition. Sources say radar records indicate the plane took off from the shorter of two runways before crashing about a half-mile away.

Joining us now from Charleston, South Carolina, Mary Schiavo, former inspector general of the U.S. Department of Transportation. Good to see you, Mary.

How is it that a wrong runway could be a factor here?

MARY SCHIAVO, FMR. DOT INSPECTOR GENERAL: Well, actually, the same kind of event, a series of events, happened in November of 1993. And the cause there -- and unfortunately the air traffic controller spotted the mistake and stopped the takeoff roll (ph) in that instance. But what happens is, when -- particularly when you've had construction, the runway lighting has changed, the instrument markings and systems are changed.

For example, this morning at this runway the center line lights were out, some of the end lights on the runway were out. There were four different systems that were out. And with a close intersecting runway, it gets very confusing. In fact, in 1993 it was suggested that this airport have special instructions because of the intersecting and conflicting -- confusing information about the runway configuration.

WHITFIELD: So wouldn't there be some updated charts or maps or something to help pilots, especially in a situation where you've got airports that are doing construction?

SCHIAVO: Yes. I pulled that information down off of a Web service and Web sites that are readily available to pilots, but the problem is -- and this is a situation that happened in 1993. There was rain in that instance. It was daylight and they still got confused. And one of the turn-on points to the correct runway is after -- or was after the actual marker on the runway.

So you have to turn on at a place that it doesn't make it apparent. And airports have had these problems, and it's an ongoing process to mark them better and to avoid runway occursions or a mistake in runways.

WHITFIELD: So, the two flight recorders have been recovered. What exactly will these flight recorders be able to tell investigators?

SCHIAVO: In this case, they will tell the investigators everything. They will tell them what most likely happened is, once they did turn on to the wrong runway -- and the flight data recorder will show that. They will show that the heading is for 26 rather than 22.

It will be -- it will clearly contained on the black box information. Once they have the takeoff roll (ph), then probably the information will be on the cockpit voice recorder, which will show once they reached V-1 (ph), which is the point they must take off, they can't stop, most likely the end of the runway, the other end of the runway was looming right in front of them.

They rolled back, they put the nose up too high. And on this aircraft, you've got to be careful, because the positioning of the engines and the wings, you can encounter what's called a dual compressor stall, meaning you lose the air flow through those engines and you lose those engines. At that point the plane takes over. There's a stick shaker warning and then a stick pusher which would push the nose down to try to save the flight, but there was no altitude left to restart.

That might be what they show on the voice recorder.

WHITFIELD: And so even if the pilot had made an observation that, you know, we're on the wrong runway or this runway is just simply not long enough for this kind of plane, there really is no time left to kind of try to compensate or overcompensate?

SCHIAVO: Most likely in this instance -- and I have seen this in other accidents -- in fact, I worked the only other crash of a CRJ, a commercial CRJ in this country. And, you know, it's a -- it's fast plane, it's a -- you know, it's a very wonderful plane. But once you pass that point at which you cannot abort the takeoff, you have got to keep the air flowing over those engines, and you don't have any choice if you have no altitude.

WHITFIELD: So sad all the way around.

SCHIAVO: It is.

WHITFIELD: Mary Schiavo, former inspector general of the U.S. Department of Transportation, joining us from Charleston, South Carolina, this evening.

Thanks so much.

SCHIAVO: Thank you.

WHITFIELD: Well, just look at the map. He's big and getting closer to the U.S. So where might Ernesto's eye land? Even though it's been downgraded to a tropical storm, it's still potentially threatening. We are tracking that storm.

DANIEL SIEBERG, CNN TECHNOLOGY CORRESPONDENT: I'm Daniel Sieberg at the Kennedy Space Center. Go or go back? That is the question for the launch of shuttle Atlantis.

Coming up in about 12 minutes, we'll tell you what NASA is considering as part of their answer.

WHITFIELD: And could this man help crack the JonBenet Ramsey case, or is his story a little farfetched?

That's coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: "Now in the News," a commuter flight crashed this morning just after taking off from a Lexington, Kentucky, airport. Forty-nine of 50 people on board the Comair flight were killed.

In just a few moments we'll have complete coverage of the crash and the investigation.

Hurricane Ernesto downgraded to a tropical storm about an hour ago as it heads for the Gulf of Mexico but evacuations are still in effect if Cuba and the Florida keys. Stay with us we will have a live update from CNN's hurricane headquarters trade ahead.

Two Fox journalists released in Gaza City today two weeks after they had been kidnapped at gunpoint. American Steve Centanni and Olaf Wiig from New Zealand were let go noon Gaza time. A group calling itself the Holy Jihad Brigades claimed responsibility for the kidnapping.

The launch of the space shuttle is delayed until Tuesday or longer. NASA is worried about the path of Hurricane Ernesto, or Tropical Storm Ernesto which could force them to move Atlantis into the vehicle assembly building.

And at New York City's Riverside Church, Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton attend tended a special service. The church was part of a national commemorative day of worship in honor of the upcoming first anniversary of Hurricane Katrina.

A warning, tourists in the Florida Keys, get out now, a tropical storm is on the way. Ernesto the first hurricane of the Atlantic season now downgraded to a tropical storm is pushing northwest through the Caribbean. In the storm's path, Haiti, Cuba and possibly the keys by Tuesday. Let's check in with Jacqui Jeras downgraded but still important for people to take heed. Any evacuation orders -- listen up and follow directions.

JACQUI JERAS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Absolutely. We need to take this storm seriously for some many reasons. And Fredricka, what a changeable day we have had. We started out with rapid intensification this morning, it blossomed into a hurricane then we saw weakening and it's been downgraded now back to a tropical storm but the forecast is still bringing this back up to hurricane strength so even though we have seen that little bit of a drop doesn't necessarily mean this is not a threat. Take note what's happening on the west decide of the storm.

We saw this thing weaken throughout the day, interacting with Hispaniola and some of the rugged terrain, that's been helping to knock the storm down a little bit.

But look at this, we're seeing a nice blossom of convection here, indicating that the storm may be ramping right back up. So something you really want to stay tuned to today, CNN your hurricane headquarters for all the changes.

Right now the wind 60 miles per hour is moving to the north and west at eight miles per hour. The forecast track has the storm intensifying back into a hurricane before making landfall on Cuba's south coast tomorrow sometime in the morning or early afternoon hours. Moving to the north and west and then approaching the Florida Keys.

We think your first impact we think will be felt on Tuesday morning with tropical storm force wind gusts and then intensifying beyond that. The official forecast track is bringing it to Florida's west coast. However, look at the white area, this is our cone of uncertainty, meaning the entire state of Florida needs to be on high alert.

The watches have been posted from the Florida Keys from Ocean Reef extending down through the Dry Tortugas. That means hurricane conditions are possible within 36 ours.

We may see more watches posted as we progress throughout the rest of the evening farther north along Florida's peninsula. Evacuation orders, as you mentioned Fredricak, at 1:00 for visitors. Tomorrow at 6:00 a.m. for people with special medical needs. 10:00 tomorrow morning for mobile home residents and tropical storm for winds arriving some time on Tuesday morning. Stay tuned to your hurricane headquarters for any more changes, we will bring them to you.

Fred?

WHITFIELD: All right, Jacqui, thanks so much.

Back to our other big story, a deadly commuter plane crash in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49 people on Comair flight 5991. The plane went down a half mile away from the Blue Grass airport. The only survivor, the flight's first office.

CNN's David Mattingly is on the scene. David, now that they have the two flight recorders in hand, the investigators do, what else are they looking for?

DAVID MATTINGLY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, those two black boxes will certainly provide some important answers but they are answers that ever not come through just yet.

Sources are telling CNN that it appears when this flight was given permission to take off from this airport, it was given permission to leave on a runway that was 7,000 feet long. But for some unknown reason, it seems this flight took off on a runway that was half that size. You can hear some of the jet traffic going on over my head right now. We are standing just outside of the airport.

The flight, when it took off from that shorter runway was only able to go less than a half mile from the airport before it crashed into a wooded area here into the surrounding farmlands, of Bluegrass Country. At the moment the task at hand is recovering the bodies, the 49 victims who were not able to get out alive on that flight.

Extra personnel has been brought in to remove them from the burned wreckage, a special morgue has been set up where the slow identification of these bodies will begin. And for the aircraft company right now, for Comair, their attention is going to, right now all of the family members who were involved.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DON BORNHOST, COMAIR PRESIDENT: This is obviously a very significant tragedy for all of us. And certainly, the family members, my heart, my prayers, all my best wishes go out to them and that is the reason I want to be with them at this point.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MATTINGLY: No word on how or why such a tragic mistake could have been made on those runways and no official confirmation that that is what happened. Again sources telling CNN that this plane took the wrong runway, one-half the size of the one it was cleared to take. There are special volunteers from Delta and Comair who are trained to assist families in situations like that and the needs of those families are being attended to. Providing them with whatever they need, including the important thing right now, Fredricka, is information.

WHITFIELD: David Mattingly, thanks so much from Lexington.

The space shuttle scheduled takeoff already delayed twice could be put on hold again, all depending on what Ernesto does. NASA may decide to roll Atlantis back into the vehicle assembly building. Here with the very latest, technology correspondent Daniel Sieberg live at the Kennedy Space Center. Well, it looks like a clear sky now, but it's still pretty volatile for this shuttle?

DANIEL SIEBERG, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Yeah, if it had gone off as according to plan, the shuttle Atlantis actually would be heading for the space station. It was scheduled for launch at 4:30 this afternoon. Mother Nature, though, had something to say though, at Friday at 2:00 p.m. in the afternoon, violent lightning strikes here at Kennedy Space Center.

In fact they believe the largest one ever to hit the launch pad, 39B. The protective wiring that grounded that energy did its job. They are still concerned possibly about some remaining electrical concerns with the solid rocket boosters, those are on the outside of the shuttle itself, on the external fuel tank. They help to provide the thrust as shuttle Atlantis leaves the ground.

They pretty much cleared the shuttle and the external fuel tanks for any sort of damage. But of course they are also keeping their eye on a sort of perfect storm, Tropical Storm Ernesto, they're following the path of it as it moved towards Florida. They are looking at whether that will be a serious concern for them and whether they will have to roll back the shuttle.

What we are seeing here now is the crawler transporter. They have actually just within the last few minutes, they have rolled it out of the giant vehicle assembly building. That is what they would need to roll Atlantis back from the launch pad 39B which is about three miles away into the vehicle assembly building at some point.

They have not made that decision yet. It goes very slow. In fact, it's not moving right now. But it moves so slow. It's slower than one mile per hour. And because there's nothing on it it could be moving faster. It takes about six hours to eight hours to move the shuttle back from launch pad 39b. If and when they get to that point there are preparations they have to do before that even happens. So they have about a 40 to 48-hour window before they move the shuttle off the launch pad. So, Fred, a lot of things to consider in the meantime.

WHITFIELD: Yeah and all this talk about weather and delays seems to overshadowing what the mission is about. So what is the mission going to be about if it ever gets off the ground?

SIEBERG: We have kind of forgotten that along the way here, but eventually when they get off the ground of course the point is to hook up with the international space station and to continue with the assembly there and part of that will be unfurling these massive solar panels, this will provide about a quarter of the power to the International Space Station. About a $372 million payload that's all ready on board the shuttle, ready to go.

It needs to get out there. It's going to be quite a site and even the commander Brent Jett says when these solar panels unfurl, he hopes to have a front row seat.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BRENT JETT, ATLANTIS COMMANDER: Professionally, you know, when those arrays come out. That's going to be the highlight of the mission for me. That's why we're going, when you get those arrays out without any problems, I will be very happy at that point.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SIEBERG: No earlier than 4:04 in the afternoon on Tuesday. And we will know sometime tonight probably before midnight what will happen Fred. Back to you.

WHITFIELD: Fingers crossed for NASA. Thanks so much, Daniel.

SIEBERG: You bet.

WHITFIELD: Christmas night, 1996 and a midnight bus trip through Boulder, Colorado? This man says a fellow rider might have been John Mark Karr a suspect in the murder of JonBenet Ramsey. Details on that straight ahead.

Also a song and a certain city in his heart, Henry Butler talks about returning to New Orleans after Katrina and all that jazz.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: News across America now. Ernesto has been downgraded to a tropical storm but that Floridians are still preparing for the worst as the storm moves toward the state. Forecasters say it could regain hurricane status before hitting Florida's west coast on Wednesday. Governor Jeb Bush has ordered a state of emergency and we will have storm updates throughout today and this week on CNN your hurricane headquarters. A fire at a 99 cent store in New York has injured several firefighters. Exactly how many is still unclear. Hundreds of firefighters are on the scene and smoke continues to billow out of the building. We are following the story and will bring you the latest developments as they become available.

U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld visited with family members of an Alaska-based army brigade that recently got some disappointing news, the soldiers' one-year tour in Iraq was extended an extra four months, spoiling plans for homecomings this month. Rumsfeld says he doesn't think families have a reason to be mad at him. In his words, quote, they are volunteers and they are proud of what they do.

A new twist in the John Mark Karr case, there may be a witness who can place Karr in Boulder, Colorado the night six-year-old JonBenet Ramsey was killed. CNN's national correspondent Susan Candiotti has the story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Did this man see John Mark Karr in Boulder the night of JonBenet Ramsey's murder December 26th, 1996? Daniel Pride who arguably has unusual theories of the world says he might have seen Karr and told the story to a Boulder district attorney investigator last week.

DANIEL PRIDE, CLAIMS TO HAVE SEEN KARR: In 1996 I was a software developer at US West. A co-worker James Mack Reed (ph), another fourth dimension data base designer invited me to his house to have Christmas dinner with him and his family.

CANDIOTTI: Pride says after dinner he got dropped off at the Boulder bus terminal and at 12:30 a.m.

PRIDE: I cam in -- The 12:30 arrived. I was trying to get a light for a cigarette. I was trying to bum a light from virtually everybody in the station and nobody in Boulder smokes.

I was afraid of missing this bus as well. As I walked towards the bus, there was a crowd of people over here and a single lone figure standing there and as I walked up to him with a cigarette, his eyes sort of expanded and you know how sometimes you are in motion and I went -- you got a light? And he goes oh, no.

CANDIOTTI: On the bus, pride claims he kept an eye on the man.

PRIDE: And I sit about halfway back on the right hand side. He starts to do this over his shoulder with those eyes, you know, this. And as he catches my gaze, he averts his, but he kept doing it every few, every 15 seconds or so for the first two stops of the bus with a sort of very panicked look.

CANDIOTTI: Pride says the man got off the bus after a few stops. Pride claims he made a heavy-hearted attempt to tell police the story a few years ago. He says he wrote about the alleged counter on his Web site in 2002 -- quote, "he was wearing a western fleece vest with a shiny red spot in the area just over his heart."

After Karr's arrest in Thailand, Pride said he e-mailed the Boulder D.A.'s office several times and then called a Boulder newspaper with his story.

He showed CNN this e-mail that appears to from be from a Boulder D.A.'s investigator who asks Pride for a phone number. He says the investigator called him and Pride told him he was only 85 percent sure the man he saw was Karr.

Pride claims the investigator told him he would get back to him. Pride admits he has credibility issues. He authors a Web sites that suggest a biblical connection to the Ramsey case. CNN measured the distance from the Ramsey's house to Boulder's downtown bus terminal, a mile and a half.

Police say the Ramseys put their daughter to bed at about 10:00 p.m. And Pride says he saw the man an hour and a half later. The D.A. spokesman declined to comment on Pride's claims, citing a court imposed gag order.

(on camera): Did this bus encounter really take place? And if it did, could John Mark Karr have been the man allegedly seen. It's one of the possible leads police will have to accept or reject this as they try to place Karr in Boulder the night of the murder.

Susan Candiotti, CNN, Boulder, Colorado.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: So much more ahead on our top stories of the day, Carol Lin is here with a preview of what's ahead.

CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: That's right. We are going to have a news conference by the NTSB on the scene in Lexington, Kentucky. We are going to be hearing from the spokesperson and presumably some investigators looking into that Comair crash and also I am going to be talking with a former NTSB vice chairman, Bob Francis, who was one of the lead investigators of the TWA Flight 800 air crash as well as the ValuJet air crash back in the Florida Everglades. About the nature of this investigation, how soon will we have some more immediate answers?

When are they going to get the results from the black box?

WHITFIELD: So many questions, real perplexing and so sad all the way around. All right, Carol, thanks so much.

Well, coming up, they met through music and survived through tragedy now they are heading home to New Orleans, musicians who made harmony out of heartache. That's next.

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WHITFIELD: A group of musicians, Dr. John one of them, getting together a year since Hurricane Katrina, the music that served to sustain the soul of New Orleans remains largely silent but on the first anniversary some noted New Orleans musicians will make a triumphant return, among them famed jazz pianist, right there, Henry Butler.

He's to take the stage Tuesday with his New Orleans Social Club and a show being produced by jazz legend Wynton Marsalis. Right now Mr. Butler joins us from Denver, Colorado where you have taken up residence since Katrina.

But I wonder, Mr. Butler this is a tough week going to into the week marking the anniversary of Katrina and now you have a tropical storm by the name of Ernesto getting ready to churn in the Gulf of Mexico, how frightening is it for your friends and colleagues still living along the Gulf Coast?

HENRY BUTLER, NEW ORLEANS RESIDENT: Well, I feel very badly for people living in New Orleans right now, because every time a storm comes here the city, it stresses people out and, you know, they feel they need to find a place of refuge at least temporarily. So, you know, I'm going to go down there tomorrow and spend two or three days.

Of course, we are doing the concert, on the 29th. But, you know, it's got to be, it's got to be pretty stressful being down there during hurricane season. I remember when I lived down there, and, you now, each time a storm was pretty close, you know we always wanted to try to get out, you know.

WHITFIELD: And so now, you know, you speak as if it's past tense, "lived there," you are now living in Colorado. Any plans on moving back to New Orleans?

I know there have been other musicians, and New Orleans really does, or the lifeblood of New Orleans really is in music. We have heard from Cyril Neville among others who said they don't have any intention of moving back to New Orleans. How about for you?

BUTLER: I am keeping my options open. But in saying that, I wish they would make it easier for people who owned houses and people who had roots there, to come back. Maybe they will get that kind of thing together. I love New Orleans. I really think that it's -- at least it was, a special place. It was a special praise for a lot of great musicians. And, you know, it was the reason why a lot of tourists came to New Orleans.

WHITFIELD: And a special place for you, too, we have a lot of pictures of the damage of your home and your possessions sustained. And now that you make your way back to New Orleans, you know, one year later where these pictures originate, the mold up to the ceiling, your prized piano ruined, and as all of these musicians from across the country come together on Tuesday to mark this one-year anniversary, you know, how important is it for the city of New Orleans to kind of be revived, again, musically by this gesture. Will that happen?

BUTLER: Well, I know it's going to be a good concert. I know that part. I hope that the city does revive itself. I would love to see New Orleans offer more incentives for some of the musicians who were really treasures of that city, for some of those people to come back. You know, it's really difficult for everybody. It's ...

WHITFIELD: And among those treasures, you being one of them and many others who are members of the New Orleans Social Club and others converging on Tuesday in commemoration of the one-year mark. Hopefully, Tropical Storm Ernesto doesn't rain on your parade, Henry Butler, thanks so much.

BUTLER: My pleasure.

WHITFIELD: Still much more ahead on CNN.

We are keeping an eye on several developing stories right now. In the Caribbean, as I mentioned Tropical Storm Ernesto make it's way to the gulf, where and when will it make landfall?

And in Kentucky a deadly commuter plane crash. We're awaiting a news conference with the latest on the investigation. I am Fredricka Whitfield, Carol Lin is up next.

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LIN: This is CNN SUNDAY and I'm Carol Lin. Straight ahead in this hour. Loss of life, now lack of sympathy? Family members not being handled with care?

We're going to take you live to the scene where an NTSB press conference is scheduled for this hour.

So did the pilot take the wrong runway and if so why? Well, a former NTSB vice chairman answers our questions.

And just days before its wrath slammed into the Gulf Coast, we are going to look back one year after Katrina. Is the region making any progress? Louisiana Senator Mary Landrieu made some promises just eight months ago. We're going to have her give her assessment again.

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