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CNN Saturday Morning News

A Plane Plunged into an L.A. Apartment Building

Aired June 07, 2003 - 07:02   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.


SANJAY GUPTA, CNN ANCHOR: Turning now to our top story, investigators will be on the scene this morning to try and figure out why a plane plunged into an L.A. apartment building, killing at least two people. It was a frightening scene that triggered fears of terrorism. But authorities at this time think it was an accident.
CNN's Thelma Gutierrez has this report.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

THELMA GUTIERREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It was a terrifying sight, a single-engine plane diving into an apartment complex.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The plane fell out of the sky like (UNINTELLIGIBLE) start landing on the building. It was spinning real fast.

GUTIERREZ: Within moments, the three-story building was in flames, and it was pandemonium, the injured everywhere, emergency crews rushed to the scene, evacuating residents and pets.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It was chaos, people running, screaming, people trying to get out of the building. One man jumped through a window.

GUTIERREZ: The Beech 36 aircraft had just taken off from the Santa Monica airport. Minutes later, the control tower lost contact.

(on camera): The building is about a half-block away. You can see that police have cordoned off this entire area. Witnesses we talked to say the plane actually spiraled and then nose-dived right into the apartments.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I heard a plane sputtering, or cutting in and out.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Blew both my windows out in my bedroom. It woke me up.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So I thought, This can't be happening. And then I realized it's the real thing.

WILLIAM BAMATTRE, LOS ANGELES FIRE CHIEF: The plane did enter the building, went through all three floors, and is down in the garage area. It ignited fires on all three floors.

GUTIERREZ (voice-over): Firefighters were able to quickly contain the fire. Still, residents were left wondering.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You know, was it a terrorist attack? It's the first thing going through everyone's mind, I think.

GUTIERREZ: As for the cause of the crash, it's still under investigation.

Thelma Gutierrez, CNN, Los Angeles.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com






Aired June 7, 2003 - 07:02   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
SANJAY GUPTA, CNN ANCHOR: Turning now to our top story, investigators will be on the scene this morning to try and figure out why a plane plunged into an L.A. apartment building, killing at least two people. It was a frightening scene that triggered fears of terrorism. But authorities at this time think it was an accident.
CNN's Thelma Gutierrez has this report.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

THELMA GUTIERREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It was a terrifying sight, a single-engine plane diving into an apartment complex.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The plane fell out of the sky like (UNINTELLIGIBLE) start landing on the building. It was spinning real fast.

GUTIERREZ: Within moments, the three-story building was in flames, and it was pandemonium, the injured everywhere, emergency crews rushed to the scene, evacuating residents and pets.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It was chaos, people running, screaming, people trying to get out of the building. One man jumped through a window.

GUTIERREZ: The Beech 36 aircraft had just taken off from the Santa Monica airport. Minutes later, the control tower lost contact.

(on camera): The building is about a half-block away. You can see that police have cordoned off this entire area. Witnesses we talked to say the plane actually spiraled and then nose-dived right into the apartments.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I heard a plane sputtering, or cutting in and out.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Blew both my windows out in my bedroom. It woke me up.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So I thought, This can't be happening. And then I realized it's the real thing.

WILLIAM BAMATTRE, LOS ANGELES FIRE CHIEF: The plane did enter the building, went through all three floors, and is down in the garage area. It ignited fires on all three floors.

GUTIERREZ (voice-over): Firefighters were able to quickly contain the fire. Still, residents were left wondering.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You know, was it a terrorist attack? It's the first thing going through everyone's mind, I think.

GUTIERREZ: As for the cause of the crash, it's still under investigation.

Thelma Gutierrez, CNN, Los Angeles.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com