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Officials Believe Plane Crash Was an Accident
Aired November 12, 2001 - 15:04 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
JUDY WOODRUFF, CNN ANCHOR: At the White House, our John King is there.
John, even though they're not -- they're saying all signs point to an accident, they have to treat this with every bit of seriousness.
JOHN KING, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: They do, in any event they would, Judy, even if it turns out that it is an accident. Strange to say, even if it turns out, as they hope, that it is an accident. That sounds extraordinary to say such a thing, but obviously since September 11, a great heightened sense of alert here at the White House, a great sense of anxiety.
We were told, when President Bush was handed a note moments after this plane crash, indicating that a plane had crashed up in New York. Administration officials, as you just noted, are now saying that there's no evidence of terrorism, that they are treating this as an accident. That is why the National Transportation Safety Board is taking the lead in the investigation.
But the FBI is closely involved, and administration officials say it's too early to rule anything in or out. They assume it was an accident, but they say the information from the investigation is very preliminary at this point. You noted we are waiting to hear from the mayor and the governor up in New York.
We also will hear, we are told now, from the president of the United States, President Bush, at 4:00, about 45 minutes from now. He'll come into the briefing room at the White House, we are told, to make a very brief statement. I just spoke to a senior administration official who says the president wants to offer his condolences to those aboard the flight and their families, and to the people of New York again, and promise the governor and the mayor that the federal government will do all it can, and provide any resources necessary to help in the search and recovery efforts, as well as in the investigation.
Again, we'll hear from the president about 45 minutes from now. As you indicated earlier in the day, the White House press secretary, Ari Fleischer, describing the president's reaction in the White House. He called the mayor. He called the governor, yet again promising them the federal government would do everything it can to help New York deal with the tragedy. And we should underscore the fact that U.S. officials say there's no evidence of terrorism, no evidence of any threats on U.S. commercial airliners before this. And as one indication of where they believe the investigation is heading, there was a brief discussion here at the White House and in other government agencies about closing down the entire air transportation system across the country, but they decided not to do that.
Again, they decided not to do that because they say there is no evidence, in the earliest stages of this investigation, of anything other than perhaps an accident.
WOODRUFF: John, how quickly did they make that decision? It sounded like they had to make it within a matter of minutes after they got the news.
KING: Well, the airports in New York were closed immediately. The three airports in the New York area were shut down immediately. And immediately there were a number of discussions here -- a conference call set up with the key federal agencies. And one proposal was: Should we shut down the rest of the air transportation system as a precaution until we know more? But it was decided not to do that.
The government -- obviously we have had -- were in an extraordinary environment since September 11. We have had these alerts issued twice by the government about the possibility of additional terrorist attacks. But because there was no credible information about a threat on the air traffic system and on the commercial airliner industry, the administration decided that that would be going too far, based on its early indications of the evidence from the New York scene.
So they decided -- the FAA made that decision, we are told, but in close consultation with the White House.
WOODRUFF: And, John, given all this, Ari Fleischer made a point today of saying the president still plans to go ahead with his trip to Texas this week, and the meetings with Russian President Putin.
KING: He does, and they are quite significant meetings, Judy. And I said the president was coming to the briefing room. He's coming to the Rose Garden, not to the briefing room, at the top of the hour.
President Putin coming here -- there's a redefining of U.S.- Russia relations under way. Much of it not getting much attention because of the military campaign in Afghanistan, the response to the domestic terrorism and the threat of additional terrorism here at home, and now this apparent plane crash in New York, the investigation just continuing.
President Putin coming here, hoping for a breakthrough with the president of the United States on the U.S. missile defense program. Both countries hoping for a breakthrough to significantly reduce their nuclear arsenals. A redefining of this relationship taking place, but again, much of it obscured by the fact that there is obviously a military campaign under way in Afghanistan. And now, yet again here in the United States, a tragedy up in the New York area.
WOODRUFF: All right.
John King from the White House, telling us among other things, the president is now meeting with South Africa's former President Nelson Mandela. The two men are expected to step out and talk with reporters very shortly, and we're waiting for that. And of course once it happens, we will go there. It's about -- actually about 4:00, which is about 40 minutes from now.
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