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American Morning

Russian Airliner May Have Been Accidentally Shot Down

Aired October 04, 2001 - 11:02   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.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Back here in new York city now want to bring you up to date on the latest we have from overseas. There's another airline tragedy earlier today. A Russian airliner has crashed into the Black Sea. At least 77 passengers and crewmembers aboard that plane en route to Siberia -- originating in Tel Aviv, Israel. Authorities investigating whether a terrorist attack brought down the plane.

For the latest, we go to Jerusalem and CNN's Bureau Chief there, Mike Hanna, who is watching developments on this front. Mike, what are they saying at this hour?

MIKE HANNA, CNN JERUSALEM BUREAU CHIEF: Well, Bill, the plane originated from Israel's international Ben Gurion airport and all outgoing flights have been suspended from that airport for, according to airport authorities, the foreseeable future. incoming flights have not been affected at this stage. there were 66 passengers aboard the flight which was a charter -- a regular charter which leaves every week at the same time

(voice over): and at the same hour. And according to the airline authorities most, if not all of the passengers where Israeli citizens -- most of them believed to be former immigrants from the former Soviet republics -- some 1 million of whom have immigrated to Israel within the last -- last 10 years. But to the (UNINTELLIGIBLE)

(on camera): they are now going through that passenger list looking at the 66 names and investigating each and every one of the passengers. At this stage, say the airline authorities and Israel's transport ministry, they have found no evidence whatsoever that this was an act of terrorism. however, they say it has not been ruled out, but they are continuing their investigation. bill?

HEMMER: all right, Mike. Mike Hanna in Jerusalem. Certainly as was the case yesterday in Tennessee when that greyhound bus crashed and six people were killed -- indeed a lot of people -- immediately the thought goes to the issue of terrorism.

CNN's David Ensor in our bureau in Washington tracking more developments from there. David, what do you have?

DAVID ENSOR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Bill, there was a Ukrainian military training exercise going on not too far away from where the aircraft was flying at the time that it was shot down. And U.S. officials say that they think it is quite possible at this point that there may have been a mistake made by the Ukrainian military, and that the plane may have been accidentally shot down using a missile. They are not able to categorically rule out terrorism at this point. They expect to have more on this later in the day, but they say that the evidence so far suggests, once again, that this Russian chartered jet may have been shot down by mistake by the Ukrainian military, which was involved in a training exercise in the area at the time. Bill?

HEMMER: David, just to be clear on this, is that coming from Washington or Kiev or Moscow?

ENSOR: My sources on this story are in Washington. they gather information, obviously though, from other places as well.

HEMMER: And again, just to repeat what you are hearing now -- the possibility of Ukrainian military exercises taking place at the time that that aircraft flew over that part of Asia?

ENSOR: They're definitely was an Ukrainian military exercise under way. I don't know if it was a naval exercise or perhaps it was on land nearby. I gather the plane was shot down over the black sea. But in any case, there was definitely a training exercise under way, and there are indications that the plane may have been shot down by mistake during that exercise.

HEMMER: Alright, David, we will cut you free. Come back with more when you get it. Okay? David Ensor at the bureau in Washington. David, thanks.

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