Return to Transcripts main page
CNN Newsroom
FedEx Cargo Plane Crashes at Narita Airport; 17 Dead in Montana Plane Crash; Fourth Oakland Cop Dies
Aired March 22, 2009 - 19:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, everyone. I'm Don Lemon.
We begin with this hour with some breaking news just out of Butte, Montana where a plane has crashed tonight. CNN affiliate there, but KRTV is reporting a number of fatalities but nothing confirmed as of now.
Details are still coming in on this. Some are very sketchy.
But we can tell you that the plane which took off this morning from Oroville, California was bound for Bozeman, Montana. Something went wrong prompting the pilot to change his flight plan. The Associated Press is reporting the plane went down just a few hundred feet short of the runway of the Butte Air Facility and crashed in a nearby cemetery.
Now as for witness accounts, they say that they saw a fireball shortly after the twin-engine plane plunged to the ground there. Again, a plane crash in Butte, Montana, unknown the number of fatalities here.
We're working with our sources as well as our affiliates to bring you the most updated information on this. And we'll get it to you right here on CNN still developing.
Also still -- ok this one is off Japan. I'm getting some information now. Another plane crash I want to tell you about. This one is in Tokyo's International Airport; brand-new pictures coming in; that's what I'm being told in my ear. And we're hearing that a FedEx cargo plane crashed while landing and burst into flames.
No words yet on any casualties and I'm also being told that these pictures are live. You're looking at live pictures here from Tokyo. Also high winds were in the area at the time and may have contributed to this.
We'll also keep on top of this developing story. I want to stay with this a little bit longer because this is the newest information and the newest thing we have in this broadcast.
We're looking here at a plane crash, a plane that apparently burst into flames in Tokyo on arrival there, we believe, at an airport, the Narita Airport, it is a cargo plane believed to be FedEx plane, I'm not sure the number of injuries or casualties or exactly what caused it, again.
But again, we're being told that high winds may have been a factor in this.
These are the pictures from Japanese TV that you're looking at right there. And you can see that their broadcast was going on as they were doing it. Those were live pictures.
Again, what did you said about this, Jen? Ok, we're trying to get that back because that's Japanese television, and again the only live pictures that we have coming into that.
Also just before that we told you about Butte, Montana. We are working to get pictures on that as well.
All of it should be developing. And as it comes in this broadcast we will bring it all to you.
Right now we want to go to Oakland, California where a fourth police officer has died from a shootout yesterday. For the latest here is CNN's Kara Finnstrom.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RON DELLUMS, OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA MAYOR: It's in these moments that words are extraordinarily inadequate. We come together in shock, in grief, in sadness and sorrow at a set of tragic incidences that have caused the death of several of our police officers.
KARA FINNSTROM, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Oakland's mayor and community are now mourning the deaths of four of their officers. 41-year-old John Hege, 40-year-old Sergeant Mark Dunakin, 43-year-old Ervin Romans and 35-year-old Sergeant Daniel Sakai.
Police say the suspected gunman was also killed, 26-year-old Lovelle Mixon. Investigators say it all started with what it appears to have been a routine traffic stop. That Sergeant Dunakin and Sergeant Hege were on motorcycles and tried to pull over a car.
Immediately afterwards emergency dispatchers received reports of officers down. Other officers then began an intense search for the suspected gunman. Police Chief Howard Jordan says they tracked him to an apartment where he barricaded himself in.
HOWARD JORDAN, CHIEF OF OAKLAND POLICE DEPARTMENT: When officers gained entrance in the apartment they were immediately fired upon by the suspect with an assault weapon.
FINNSTROM: Two more officers were killed. Chief Jordan says officers then returned fire in self-defense killing the suspect. Mixon was wanted on a warrant for violating parole on a conviction of assault with a deadly weapon. And police say he had an extensive criminal history.
Many questions remain for a devastated police force and a community in grief.
BILL FELLS, WITNESS: When I arrived on the scene I noticed two officers laying out there. And they were crying. A lot of these backups came crying and everything. It just was devastating.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
FINNSTROM: And there has been some confusion about Hege's reported death. We want to be perfectly clear. The Alameda County Coroner did pronounce him dead earlier today. But we're also told that his body is being maintained on life support because he wanted to be an organ donor -- Don.
LEMON: All right, thank you very much for that, Kara Finnstrom.
In the meantime we've got some new information then that I want to tell you about that plane crash in California. We are being told by the FAA; they are confirming now preliminary reports that there are 17 confirmed fatalities here.
The plane, we're being told this new information again from an FAA spokesman. The plane was a Pilatus PC-12 single engine turboprop plane, it left Oroville, California at about 11:00 a.m. local time. The plane's flight plane headed going to Bozeman, Montana.
However, the plane at some point canceled the plan and went to Butte, Montana instead trying to land at Bert Mooney Airport. It crashed 500 feet short of the runway. And the FAA said the plane didn't crash into the cemetery.
The FAA spokesperson says the NTSB is currently at the scene. Says the plane is registered to a company called Eagle Cap Leasing in Enterprise, Oregon, manufactured in 2001. Now all calls should go to the NTSB concerning this plane.
CNN is confirming that getting this information now from the FAA. They have confirmed reports of 17 fatalities, plane crash in Butte, Montana, the very latest on that.
Also working on a plane crash happening in Tokyo, it was a FedEx plane, a FedEx cargo plane crash. There were live pictures that we got in moments ago. And this is new video that we're going to show you of that scene happening.
Again, burst into flames here as it crashed. And also, it is believed that high winds had something to do with this.
As soon as we get more information on both of these stories we'll bring it to you right here in the CNN NEWSROOM. We're working on a reporter from Tokyo who can update us on this story.
There is a massive hunt right now for a kitchen worker, suspected of killing two co-workers last night at a luxury hotel in Virginia. Police in Hot Springs are warning people to keep their doors locked and turn on all outside lights.
59-year-old Beacher Hackney (ph) is suspected of shooting two supervisors about 8 p.m. in the kitchen of the Homestead Motel or Hotel. Guests were eating in the dining room when this all happened. No one else was hurt, though. Police are using dogs, helicopters and road blocks in their search for Hackney. No word on a motive here.
Let's go to Washington, D.C. now, where tomorrow, Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner plans to unveil his plan to get the nation's banks lending again by soaking up their so-called toxic assets primarily blamed for clogging the credit market. It's your money that's on the line here.
And CNN's Kate Bolduan is in D.C. with the very latest for us -- Kate.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KATE BOLDUAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Don, the Obama administration calls this plan a crucial step in stabilizing financial markets and turning around the economy but it may be a tough sell.
The Obama administration hasn't even unveiled its long awaited banking plan and it's already out managing expectations.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I don't think Wall Street is expecting the silver bullet. This is one more piece, it's a crucial piece to get those toxic assets off but it is just part of it and there will be more to come.
BOULDUAN: The plan to be announced Monday is aimed at unloading bad assets from bank balance sheets in order to get financial institutions lending again. How? By the government teaming up with private investment firms to buy the assets with the government putting up most of the money.
Obama advisors insist bringing in private funds will lessen the burden on taxpayers already reeling from bailout fatigue.
AUSTAN GOOLSBEE, WHITE HOUSE ECONOMIC ADVISER: One of the reasons you want to have the partnership is precisely so that, A, the government doesn't massively overpay for these troubled assets that are on the balance sheet and, B, so that everybody has got skin in the game.
BOLDUAN: The idea leaving some Democratic allies uneasy.
REP. CHARLES RANGEL, (D) WAYS & MEANS CHAIRMAN: And I'm really surprised that we have to go to people that come from the fiscal families that caused this problem to try to help us to get out of it.
BOLDUAN: And just as the White House starts promoting the latest element of its economic agenda, the President is facing a battle over another big priority, his budget.
SEN. JUDD GREGG, (R) NEW HAMPSHIRE: If we maintain the proposals which are in this budget over the ten-year period that this budget covers, this country will go bankrupt.
BOLDUAN: Even some key Democrats don't like it, citing a recent report by the Congressional Budget Office projecting a more than $9 trillion deficit over the next decade. SEN. KENT CONRAD, (D) BUDGET CHAIRMAN: I'm especially concerned about the long-term. I believe these new numbers from the Congressional Budget Office tell us that we are going to have to do much more to get this country's fiscal future back on track.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BOLDUAN: As Congress is set to take up the budget, a big question is, how will Wall Street receive the bank plan this week? The last time the Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner offered a broad outline of the plan, the DOW plunged more than four percent that same day -- Don.
LEMON: All right Kate, thank you very much for that.
And CNN's your place to see and hear the President's news conference. It is set for Tuesday night, the best political team on television will be covering all the angles for you. It'll start at 7:45 p.m. Eastern. Of course, CNN the most trusted name in news.
We're following breaking news here on CNN today.
Our first breaking news story is out of Butte, Montana where a plane has crashed tonight. Here is what CNN has learned, learned very recently from the FAA. They are confirming reports that there are 17 confirmed fatalities.
This plane had taken off from Oroville, California 11:00 a.m. local time. According to the flight plan and the FAA it was going to Bozeman, Montana. However, the plane canceled the plan and then went to Butte, Montana instead trying to land at Bert Mooney Airport and then it crashed 500 feet short of the runway there.
The plane did not crash, as first reported, into a cemetery. The NTSB currently on the scene and according to the FAA this plane was registered to Eagle Cap Leasing in Enterprise, Oregon.
This is what the plane looks like. This plane was manufactured in 2001. Again, it is a Pilatus PC-12, a single engine turboprop plane, one that looks like this.
We're getting reports, confirmation from the FAA, 17 people, no survivors onboard. We're working for new information on that.
I want to take you now to Tokyo and we have new pictures of what happened here. That's where a plane burst into flames after it crashed. It is a cargo plane. A plane believed to be a FedEx plane. And there you see the actual video of the plane.
I didn't realize that's the actual video of the plane. So let's go through this again. And Roger, if you can re-rack that, that's very important. New information here, the actual video actually obviously from a surveillance cam or an airport camera. There it is.
And it is unclear at this point, and I can't tell from that angle if the plane was taking off or landing, but you saw it bounce a number of times -- it is a crash landing -- it bounced a number of times and then flipped and then burst into flames.
One more time, Roger, if you will, if you can get that. There you can see the aftermath of that. Just -- and emergency workers on the scene; we have live pictures here, here it is again. So the plane landing, you see it bounce once, twice and then it flips to the left on the left wing and you see the flames there start almost immediately when this plane started to flip over.
Again, we don't know how many people were on board this cargo plane believed to be owned by FedEx. We don't know about fatalities or injuries. But we do know that high winds may have had something to do with it. We're working two developing stories here, two plane crashes.
This one we're working on getting a reporter for you from Tokyo just as soon as we can get it. But that video that you saw there, very interesting, the actual video of the crash, and then we have live pictures of the scene also as well.
We'll update you on both of these stories and try to get to the bottom of what happened to both of them.
Plus we're trying to get to the bottom of this AIG mess as well. New information on that, right after the break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) LEMON: Ok. We want to get you back to Tokyo where some unbelievable video just came into the CNN NEWSROOM as we were watching television there, our affiliate there. This video of the actual plane crash; on landing it bounces once, twice there. You see it flip over into the left wing, burst into flames. That is a cargo plane believed to be owned by FedEx as it was landing at Narita Airport in Tokyo.
We're being told initially by initial reports that high winds may have had something to do with this plane. I want to get our Kyung Lah who joins us from Tokyo.
Kyung, are you witnessing any of these high winds. Is that a correct assessment?
KYUNG LAH, CNN AFFILIATE, TOKYO: I'm in downtown Tokyo, which is about an hour away from Narita International Airport. It appears to be just a normal warning here, but the weather conditions, as we understand it, at Narita, at the time this plane was making its approach, wind -- it was very, very, very windy.
Here is what we can confirm to you from Narita Airport, Don.
This plane as it was approaching -- and you saw those dramatic pictures -- slid off the runway. There was some sort of problem. At this point the airport is looking at strong wind as the main factor. You can see the rear of the plane hit, hit again and then flipped over and burst into flames.
FedEx has confirmed that there has been an incident with one of its planes. This is an MD 11 plane. We are still waiting to hear what the status of the crew flying this cargo plane is.
Live pictures have shown that one person was taken off this plane. And you can see there, very little left of this plane. This plane completely burst into flames.
LEMON: Hey, Kyung, let me read some of the information that we're getting here. And again, this is according to news reports and also to the Associated Press.
And you can help me with -- as we look at this dramatic video of this plane bouncing and then bursting into flames and really listing there to the left onto its wing, to the left wing. And then now you see the aftermath there.
The latest information I'm getting, Kyung, here is that the FedEx cargo plane crash landed, Tokyo's International Airport. Obviously we see that burst into a ball of flames. A pilot and copilot were aboard but their safety is not immediately confirmed. We're being told that the plane, Kyung, was a regular flight from -- am I pronouncing this -- Guangzhou, China.
LAH: Guangzhou, yes.
LEMON: Guangzhou, China. It landed under heavy winds, they're still saying that. It appeared to bounce -- yes, it did -- and then it burst into flames and it skidded to a halt.
Fire trucks, obviously, you can were there no more than 30 minutes after the crash. As Kyung reported an MD 11 here. A lot of this information is coming from Japan's Kyoto News and the Associated Press, India 11 (ph).
A pilot and co-pilot on board this plane and I say all of this, Kyung, real quickly because as this happens we also have a plane crash here in the United States. We're going to get to -- we'll get someone who can talk to us about that real quickly after Kyung.
So Kyung, go ahead with your reporting.
LAH: We're still waiting to hear a few more details about the status of the crew but we can tell you that live pictures are showing at least one person has been taken off that plane. We don't know if there was a, quote, "co-pilot aboard." You have to assume on a cargo plane like this that there must be a co-pilot flying with a pilot.
But again, we are going to have to ask the question of the strong wind. Wind conditions must have been extremely severe for this to happen.
LEMON: Ok.
LAH: And you can see those dramatic pictures as the plane bursts into flames.
LEMON: Kyung, I'm getting a lot of information in my ear here as you were speaking. Did you say a pilot was taken off the plane? LAH: Yes, the pilot, at least one person. We don't know if this was the pilot or co-pilot, but at least one person just on live pictures, we're seeing that person was at least taken off the plane and emergency crews were trying to resuscitate that person.
LEMON: We're going to move on. Kyung, stand by because I want to move on to our next crash. But I want to alert our viewers if you're just tuning. These dramatic pictures that you are seeing are coming to us from Tokyo, Japan.
This is the site of a crash at the International Airport there; a cargo plane crashing upon landing, the dramatic video into CNN. We'll show it for you now.
As that plane comes in it bounces a few times. It bounces once, there it is, and then it bounces twice -- from the video that we have here -- lists to the left, bursts into flames and then crashes to a halt.
We're being told there was a pilot or at least a co-pilot -- and at least a co-pilot on board according to our Kyung Lah, who's reporting from Tokyo. One person was taken off that plane believed to be the pilot. We're not sure of that yet. We can only report that the plane has crashed. We're trying to check on injuries and possible fatalities here.
We will update on this story. We're watching the video and the information coming in on this one.
Meantime, we want to turn to a plane crash happening right here in the United States. This is breaking news from Butte, Montana.
It is a plane that crashed just a couple of minutes ago, 3:00 local time there. We are told it was a single-engine plane. The plane was a Pilatus PC 12 single engine turboprop plane.
New video now into the CNN NEWSROOM courtesy of our affiliate KRTV. First pictures in to our NEWSROOM here.
This crash very near a cemetery, we're told within some 500 feet short of the runway but very close to a cemetery. According to the FAA, the FAA is saying to us that it did not crash in the cemetery but what it did was crash several hundred feet short of the runway.
The original flight plan for this plane was from Oroville, California, 11:00 a.m. local time en route to Bozeman, Montana. It left Oroville but then had to change its flight plan, cancel it for some reason to Butte, Montana and then tried to land at Bert Mooney Airport; 500 feet short of the runway, did not crash into the cemetery there.
According to FAA, NTSB already on the scene investigating this; they are forwarding all of our calls, all the media calls and anyone with inquiries to the NTSB, the National Transportation and Safety Board.
Joining me now is Gerry O'Brien. He is very familiar with this area because he reports for the "Montana Standard." He is on the phone.
What are you hearing about the scene around the plane crash? Has it been closed off? What do you know?
GERRY O'BRIEN, "MONTANA STANDARD": That's exactly true. It's been closed off to anybody that's trying to get in there. There is a lot of safety personnel surrounding the cemetery.
We had a couple of witnesses that actually went into the cemetery right after the crash. And they took some photos and they tried to help any way possible but they said there were no survivors.
It did look like the plane crashed in the cemetery itself. Let's see if there was -- we believe the plane was loaded with young children that were on a ski vacation on the way to Bozeman, Montana.
LEMON: Oh, man.
And that where are you getting that information from, Gerry?
O'BRIEN: That's from one of the firemen out there at the scene.
LEMON: Young children you were being told?
O'BRIEN: Young children, yes.
We don't know why it diverted from Bozeman. But we have that same information. One of the eyewitnesses, a young kid, he's about 14, who's with the civil air patrol, so he's a trainer for a pilot. He's training to be a pilot.
He said that it looked like a stunt plane. The pilot was kind of weaving back and forth before he went into a nosedive and then didn't seem to be able to pull out of it.
LEMON: Ok. Gerry we're getting the best information that we've gotten from you. I want you to stay on the line. Don't go anywhere.
This is a picture of the plane. If we can get that picture back, Roger and the scene of the cemetery near the crash. That is what is called a Pilatus PC-12. At first I said a Pilates but it's called Pilatus. It's Pilates or Pilatus. So if you know, let me know. Sorry, it's either Pilates or Pilatus. I'm getting two different things here.
But it's a single engine turboprop plane; left Oroville, California 11:00 a.m. local time. The original flight plan was going to Bozeman, Montana. The plane and the pilot canceled that plan, went to Butte, Montana instead trying to land at Bert Mooney Airport just 500 feet short of the runway, that's according to the FAA.
It did not crash into the cemetery. But you can see the pictures; the new video that we're getting in here CNN shows that if it's not in that cemetery, it is very close.
According to Gerry O'Brien who works with the "Montana Standard;" he is on the line with us. Tell us who -- hang on one second, Gerry -- this picture that we're looking at is from the "Montana Standard" newspaper, the Web site where Gerry works. So Gerry, according to the information that you're getting and that you're reporting, tell us who is believed to be on this plane and what those witnesses saw. You said it looks like a stunt plane.
O'BRIEN: Yes.
From what we understand I guess that it was kind of a passenger plane -- a small passenger plane. We believe it was filled with young children that were going on a ski vacation in landing Bozeman, Montana. I don't know why they got diverted from Bozeman to here. The weather conditions really aren't that bad but that storm front that everyone's been talking about has been coming through here. But like I said, the weather is not that bad.
One of the eyewitnesses was out across from the airport, had noticed that the plane was weaving back and forth.
LEMON: Hey, Gerry, can you hang on one second.
O'BRIEN: Sure.
LEMON: Our Jacqui Jeras -- Jacqui, if you're listening to this, I would like to you pay attention. Gerry is talking about the weather here and what people were saying may have contributed to that. Jeras...
JACQUI JERAS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes, Don. I'm here.
LEMON: Go ahead, Gerry. Tell Jacqui what you just said.
O'BRIEN: You know, there was a storm front coming through and it was cloudy but it was not -- the other side of the divide here, it was raining and snowing, very lightly, though. On the Butte side it didn't look very bad.
They may have caught that weather front that was coming through the northwest. Maybe that could have affected them. I'm not sure.
JERAS: You know, I'm doubting that weather was a factor here overall mostly because the weather conditions -- they were kind variable in terms of cloud cover.
O'BRIEN: Right.
JERAS: There was some virga for the most part, a little bit of rain and you probably saw a little snow or ice on the higher levels.
O'BRIEN: Right.
JERAS: But where they saw the icing it shouldn't have made a difference from where they were in the atmosphere.
O'BRIEN: So it's not -- it didn't have to do with it.
JERAS: Yes.
LEMON: Yes, Jacqui, you said it was sunny and -- what is it -- 40 degrees.
JERAS: Well, it was like Fair skies; so it's kind of variable cloudiness. And temperature on the surface was about 42 degrees. We did have some wind and even some converging winds in the area but they were only up to maybe 23 miles per hour. You know, not to mention we know they were trying to make an emergency landing here. They were within about 500 feet of the runway.
LEMON: And Gerry and Jacqui really too early to try to figure out what's going on. That's what the investigators are going to do now.
And Jacqui, I know it's a tall order for you, lots going on. If you can find out about Tokyo where that other plane landed...
JERAS: Yes.
LEMON: ... because we're being told that winds may have had something to do with that.
JERAS: Yes.
LEMON: We're going to get to that one in just a second.
I want to stick with the one happening here in the United States.
So, Jacqui, if you can check on that, I'm going to keep Gerry around to talk about exactly what's happening there.
So Gerry, you said that it was young children on a ski vacation, at least according to your reporting.
O'BRIEN: Right.
LEMON: CNN has not confirmed that. The witnesses said it looked like it was a stunt plane because of what it was doing and all of a sudden, disaster.
O'BRIEN: Kind of a small Cessna plane they said, but apparently it was much bigger than that, a Pilatus PC 12, I believe. And it was leased from a company called Eagle Leasing in California. They were supposedly to land in Bozeman, Montana where there's a few ski areas around there. So if they were on a ski vacation that's probably where they'd be going.
LEMON: Yes. And you can see the plane, Gerry O'Brien from the "Montana Standard" from your newspaper right there. This had to be very close, very soon after this plane crashed.
Gerry O'Brien is joining us on the phone now. He works for the "Montana Standard." He's covering this breaking news story happening right in his backyard. He's going to help us, guide us through this information.
Also we're covering a plane crash not only here in the United States but one in Tokyo, Japan as well. And what's very interesting about this one is we have the video of the crash so we know what happened immediately. There it is right there. Don't know why it happened but we saw the aftermath of whatever went wrong before this plane started to bounce and then list and burst into flames.
New information on both of these breaking stories moments away.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: All right. Covering two breaking news stories here at CNN. And they both have to do with plane crashes. The first one is right here in the United States. The second one is in Tokyo. To Tokyo in a moment but first Butte, Montana where we've got new pictures coming in just outside of the airport there. This plane crashed tonight we're told, crashed as it was landing.
Here is what CNN can confirm for you. According to the FAA, they are telling us that they have confirmed 17 people have died in this plane crash. We're being told the plane is a Pilatus PC-12, a single engine turboprop plane. Here is the flight plan. It was supposed to leave and it did from Oroville, California, 11:00 a.m. local time en route to Bozeman, Montana. Somewhere along the way the pilot changed the flight plan and had to go to Butte, Montana instead trying to get to Burt Mooney airport. It crashed, this plane, and you're seeing pictures there from the "Montana Standard." Their website pictures just after this crash.
It crashed some 500 feet short of a runway, very close to a cemetery. The FAA is saying it didn't crash in the cemetery but it looks awfully close to us. The NTSB, of course, investigating this. All 17 people aboard this plane are believed to have perished. Here is what the plane is registered to the Eagle Cap Leasing, Eagle Cap Leasing in Enterprise, Oregon. This plane manufactured in 2001. We're working to get as much information as possible on this.
At first they thought it had something to do with the weather. Our Jacqui Jeras said there are fair skies there today and that it's a sunny day. We're going to talk to Jacqui in just a little bit about the weather conditions.
Happening in Tokyo. Before we get to Jacqui, let's take you now to Tokyo, Japan where a plane crashed there on landing. It is a cargo plane believed to be owned by Fedex. The actual video here into the CNN NEWSROOM of this plane bouncing a few times then listing to the left, bursting into flames and then crashing to a halt. According to our Kyung Lah who is in Tokyo. She said she is Watching live pictures there of the scene. She said at least one person was taken off the plane.
According to her reporting, they believe at this point, not a confirmation that it could be the pilot of this plane. What we're getting from the "Associated Press" and from other news organizations in Tokyo, they are saying that a pilot and a co-pilot were both on the plane at the time. Don't know about injuries. Don't know about fatalities in this but we do know that the wind may have been a factor. Let's talk about that more with our meteorologist, Jacqui Jeras, who is checking the weather conditions in the area of this airport. Jacqui, what do you know? Was this a factor, possibly? JACQUI JERAS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes, possibly. I'm hearing there are some strong winds in the area. In fact, trying to find the exact from that airport but I have seen some conditions in and around Tokyo where the winds have been gusting up to 50 miles per hour. So that's a pretty strong wind in that area. And when you see that bounce and how the plane kind of tipped over to the side, that could possibly be an indication there. That's a Google map kind of showing you where Tokyo is to give you a better idea. But skies were clear in that area, too, if you take a look at that video, you can see things were clear in the area this. So this could just have been possibly one complication of those winds.
LEMON: And that is - and I'm sure that video is just incredible. How often do we see this. It was a few years ago where we saw a plane in a similar situation bursting into flames and actually people trying to get off that plane as well. But these pictures, Jacqui, that we're witnessing here are just incredible. Look at the aftermath of this. All of us have been on planes that have had some rough landings, did a bit of a bounce. But nothing like you see in the video of the actual plane crash here in Tokyo.
Again, this plane we were told it was on - it was landing as well just like the one here in the United States, landing. It appears maybe if there was someone, I need to talk to an aviation expert on this, and we're working to get that and also someone who worked with the NTSB on this but if you - OK. We're going to move on from this, Jacqui. I'll get back to you in just a little bit.
JERAS: Could I say a couple of things about the Montana crash site?
LEMON: Yes, because I want to get to an eyewitness, Jacqui. Can you come in after the eyewitness? We'll do it. I'm being told by my producer here, Jen, Butte, Montana. I want to get back. That was the plane crash that's happening in Tokyo. We want to get back down to Butte, Montana. We have an eyewitness on the phone. Her name is Martha Guidoni. She's the person who took this picture. And she joins us by phone. What did you see, Martha?
VOICE OF MARTHA GUIDONI, WITNESS: My husband and I were going down Harrison Avenue and we were just taking a ride. And all of a sudden, we watched this plane just take a nosedive right into the cemetery. We drove into the cemetery to see if there was any way my husband could help someone. We were too late. There was nothing to help.
LEMON: You appear to be pretty shaken up by this.
GUIDONI: I am. I am. I've never seen anything like this in my life. This is like a major shock to me.
LEMON: I would imagine seeing like for any one is just unfathomable that it could happen. How soon after this crash did you take this picture?
GUIDONI: Within probably within five to seven minutes.
LEMON: So you were pretty close? GUIDONI: Yes. We were right about a quarter mile away from the cemetery. And we went right into the cemetery because my husband is military minded. He wanted to help if he could. When he got over to the fire, everything was gone.
LEMON: Where - is your husband trying to help out now? Where is your husband, Miss Guidoni?
GUIDONI: He's outside.
LEMON: I want to continue to talk to you. But if you would get him on the phone as well, I would really appreciate talking to him. Because if he went over, it would be interesting to get his perspective on this as well. So I'm going to put you on hold here, Miss Guidoni. And if you could grab your husband, I would really appreciate to talk to him as well.
I'm going to update our viewers on exactly what happened. And Martha, stand by. We're going to get back to you. We're talking to Martha Guidoni who is an eyewitness. Who took a picture that we have on our air moments ago. This is new video that you're looking at from Butte, Montana. This is a picture that she took. She said some five to seven minutes after this crash. She and her husband saw this plane and then heard the crash and ran over and took pictures of this, this picture in the "Montana Standard" newspaper now on their website.
And then Martha's husband, she says, military minded. That's her exact words, ran over to try to help out but there was nothing that she could do. She said that she is devastated by seeing this. And who wouldn't be witnessing this sort of catastrophe here. We're being told there are at least 17 deaths. It is believed that everyone on this plane died. Don't know if there are any injuries on the ground. We're working on updating you on two breaking news stories here on CNN.
Both of them have to do with plane crashes. One of them very interestingly enough, we have the video of the actual crash. That one in Tokyo, Japan. The other one is from Montana right here in the United States. We have a picture moments after that crash. We're going to get new information for you, seconds away.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: Breaking news here on CNN today. We're looking at two plane crashes. One in Tokyo, Japan and one in Butte, Montana. First to Tokyo, that video to the left of your screen, you see the plane there bouncing and then bursting into flames crashing to a halt. It is believed to be a cargo plane owned by Federal Express.
We have no word on exactly how many people were on board this plane, how many people were injured. But the video is certainly amazing to watch. We'll run it for you again. This plane traveling onto landing at Tokyo's airport. It bounces, bounces again, and there you see another big bounce. These are giant bounces, listing to the left, bursting into flames. And, of course, then you can see the plane crashed. And now you see the aftermath and all of this, according to our Kyung Lah who is watching live pictures there, and is in Tokyo, one person was taken off this plane.
She witnessed that live. It is believed to be the pilot, not confirmed yet. And also there was a co-pilot on board. That's all we know. A pilot and co-pilot on board this plane. One person taken off the plane. We're working to get you new information on that. As soon as we get it, we'll bring it to you live.
We want to get back now to Butte, Montana, and this plane crash that happened just shy of the cemetery. As a matter of fact, there are some interesting information here on whether it was in the actual cemetery or just short of the cemetery. We know that it crashed about 500 feet short of the runway there. And I'll give you the information and then I'm going to go to an eyewitness real quick who is going to have some information that you want to hear.
Seventeen people we're told died in this crash. Everyone on board, not sure if there are people on the plane. You're looking at new pictures here on CNN. It was a Pilatus PC-12 single engine turboprop plane like the one that you're seeing here, manufactured 2001, registered to Eagle Cap Leasing in Enterprise, Oregon. We're being told the plane took off from Oroville, California, 11:00 a.m..
And then it was supposed to go to Bozeman, Montana. However, the plane, at some point cancelled, I imagined the pilot or co-pilot canceled the plan to and went to Butte, Montana trying to land at Bert Mooney Airport which is where this happened, very near. The plane crashed 500 feet short of the runway. The plane did not crash according to the FAA in the cemetery. But the NTSB is on the scene of this right now, trying to figure out exactly what's going on.
This picture that you're looking at now, taken moments after that crash, within about five minutes or so. It was taken by the Guidonis, Martha and Steve Guidoni. We heard Martha just moments ago saying that witnessing this was one of the most terrible things that she has ever seen. She said her husband Steve, who is military minded, went over to try to help out and there was nothing he could do. Steve is on the phone with us now. Steve, what did you see?
STEVE GUIDONI, EYEWITNESS: I see the plane come out of the sky and impact the ground. I didn't see it hit the ground but I knew where it hit. It was in a cemetery. So I went in there, turned in there to see if I could go help out. I got there and everything was on fire. And there wasn't much left of the plane, actually. It was embedded in the ground. It went into the ground. It caught a big tree on fire. I looked to see if there was any body I could pull out, but there wasn't nothing there. I couldn't see nothing. Some luggage strewn around on fire. That was about it. There was some plane parts.
LEMON: And you were looking down into a cavernous pit you say?
GUIDONI: Yes. It was a hole probably, I don't know, 20 feet deep or so maybe.
LEMON: You're a military man. Did you serve, Mr. Guidoni?
GUIDONI: Yes, I did. LEMON: In your wartime, did you ever see anything like this?
GUIDONI: Yes, I have.
LEMON: And you would want to help out in this. Go ahead.
GUIDONI: Of course I do. That's why I went over there.
LEMON: And being a military man that you are, you knew there was nothing you could do.
GUIDONI: No, there wasn't nothing there. No. There was total devastation.
LEMON: Have you spoken to any of the people who are on the scene, any of the investigators, about what you witnessed and what's going on there? And if you have spoken to them, what did you share during that conversation?
GUIDONI: No, none of them talked to me yet or nothing. So the policeman showed up and told me it was a crime scene and asked me to leave, so I got out of there.
LEMON: Is it in the cemetery or just outside of the cemetery?
GUIDONI: Right in the cemetery.
LEMON: It's right in the cemetery.
GUIDONI: Right in the cemetery.
LEMON: Steve Guidoni, we really appreciate you joining us. And we know it's a tough time for both of you and your wife after witnessing such a horrific accident and then taking this picture. That we're going to show you. It is in the "Montana Standard" now. They took this picture about five minutes after it happened, maybe even less. You can see the ball of flames there.
If you heard Mr. Guidoni, he said he walked over and saw a cavernous pit in the ground. He saw luggage. He saw plane parts. It was about 20 feet deep. A tree was on fire. So was the wreckage. He knew he couldn't help out. We're back in moments.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: Breaking news here on CNN. Today, two plane crashes, one of them in Tokyo and the other in Butte, Montana. The one in Tokyo at the top of your screen as we pull that forward, you can see exactly what happened. This plane bounced on landing and then burst into flames. It is believed that winds may have had something to do with that. Not exactly how sure how many people were on board, how many people were injured and possibly may have perished from this accident. A cargo plane owned by Fedex. That's the latest information that we're getting there. We'll update you on that in just a second. But I want to go now to the plane crash happening in Butte, Montana. This all happening just moments ago when we got the news here, into CNN. Take a look at this picture that was taken just moments after that crash, within five minutes by someone who witnessed it. They see the crash happen right into an airport. And if you were here, if you were joining us just moments ago, you heard the eyewitness accounts. Both of them very emotional, by couple who witnessed it and took this picture. And then gave it to "The Montana Standard."
Joining me by phone to update me on the situation now is former vice- chairman of the NTSH. He joins me now from Washington, Mr. Bob Francis. Mr. Francis. Let's start with the one happening right here in the United States. Butte, Montana, what can you tell us about that and the conditions? Because one person said it looked like a stunt plane.
VOICE OF BOB FRANCIS, FMR. NTSB VICE CHAIRMAN: It wasn't a stunt plane. The Pilatus is a very sophisticated modern aircraft, a single engine that's capable of carrying 17 people. And you got a picture of it on there now. The aircraft was probably delivered six or seven years ago.
LEMON: But what I'm saying, what witnesses are saying was it looked like a stunt plane in the way that it was reacting, not the actual plane. Because I it was bouncing around and moving around so much, they found it odd when they looked up to the sky to see this plane with erratic movements is what I'm saying about that.
FRANCIS: Again, we don't know. We don't know what the winds were like. It doesn't look from your photos like there are heavy winds there at the time. But that's certainly one of the questions that the NTSB will be addressing. The other is why did the pilot coming from California cancel his original flight plan to go to Bozeman and decide to go into Butte. Was there some kind a problem on the airplane? And those are all things that one can speculate at this point. As to why that happened. But they don't know. I mean, they've got the boards there and they'll be asking all these questions.
LEMON: I know that you have a wealth of knowledge when it comes to airplanes and investigating crashes since you were the former vice chairman. I'm wondering if you know, just offhand, I hope this is not out of your bailiwick, the safety record when it concerns planes like this, this Pilatus plane?
FRANCIS: I really don't have any idea. I've never heard of an accident involving one of these Pilatus before. But there are not, you know, thousands of these airplanes out there. So it's not - I wouldn't draw any conclusions from that.
LEMON: You know, I want to talk to you, I'm sure you're watching CNN and you're getting some of the news reports here. Do you feel comfortable talking about what happened in Tokyo with us?
FRANCIS: Well I can, again, one is challenged.
LEMON: You've got to see this video. I don't know if you've seen it, the plane bouncing. These are big bounces. And then the plane sort of veers to the left and then bursts into flames.
FRANCIS: Well, the only thing I guess I could say is, the aircraft is an MD-11. And Fedex has a lot of these aircraft that they fly cargo to around in Asia and to and from Asia. That aircraft, I've flown the simulator a couple of times. It can be fairly challenging to land that airplane. Now, again, if there's a lot of wind, if there are some other kinds of problems that they have, then that - a landing could be more difficult. Again, it's a kind of speculation. But I do know that it can be a little more challenging to land than some of the other aircraft.
LEMON: Well, the information that you just gave us, we really appreciate it. And being the former vice chairman of the NTSB, you are now, but you're a former vice president of the NTSB, we want to thank you for the perspective that you added to us and really helps us out in this situation. Thank you, Mr. Bob Francis. And if we need Mr. Francis again, we'll get him back on the line for you to update us on these situations.
Again, we're following two plane crashes here on CNN, one in Montana. This one that you're seeing now, Tokyo, Japan. The actual video of it. Some people said the winds, the weather was a factor. We're going to check on that after the break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
LEMON: Breaking news here today on CNN. Two plane crashes, one here in the united states, the other in Tokyo. And there are deaths confirmed for at least one of those crashes. We want to take you now first to Butte, Montana, where this plane crashed while trying to land at an airport. This plane had taken off from California and was supposed to go to Bozeman, Montana and then changed the flight plan, the pilot or the co-pilot during the flight to land in Butte at the Burt Mooney Airport and then just shy of the runaway about 500 feet into this cemetery, this plane crashed.
It's a Pilatus single engine, Pilatus PC-12 single engine turboprop plane. There's believed to be, according to what we are being told by the FAA, 17 people killed in this. Not sure if all of them were in the plane. Maybe some were on the ground. But everyone on board this plane, we are told, died. We're working to get new information and we have two eyewitnesses for this crash who took a picture for us and said it was the most horrific thing that they had ever witnessed. There's that picture now, that the Guidonis took. And they talked to us on CNN about their experience.
To Tokyo, Japan now, where amazing video of a plane that crash landed at the Narita International Airport in Tokyo. Look at this plane bounce a number of times before leaning over to the side, bursting into flames. It is a cargo flame owned by Fedex. It's Monday in Tokyo, Japan, right now. We're told that the winds were anywhere from 30 to 50 miles an hour. Our Jacqui Jeras here to tell us if that's true or not and if weather was a factor. Jacqui?
JERAS: Yes, that's right, Don. We were seeing some very strong wind gusts at the time. Skies were relatively clear, however. But a cold front have moved on through rather recently. So we are getting some of those wind gusts. And watch this video here. Here's what makes me think winds could have possibly been an issue. See after we take that second bounce rather and then it turns over to the side. So some strong wind gusts could have impacted the plane that way.
LEMON: Our Jacqui Jeras is working this story with us as well. The weather conditions and all of this. And we're working both plane crashes, Butte, Montana and then also Tokyo. We'll be back at 10:00 p.m. Eastern. For now, Ali Velshi, "AIG: FACTS AND FURY."
