Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Live Sunday

Commuter Jet Crashes in Kentucky;

Aired August 27, 2006 - 16:00   ET

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

WHITFIELD: Straight ahead on CNN LIVE SUNDAY, three major stories developing right now.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Flight 5191 is departing Lexington for Atlanta this morning at 6:10, was involved in an accident at the end of the runway in Lexington, Kentucky.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Only one person survived the crash of Comair flight 5191 this morning. Everyone else died.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: My husband, Olaf, and Steve Centanni are back with us, they are in good health and good heart.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: A nearly two-week hostage ordeal comes to an end, freedom for two journalists in Gaza.

And Ernesto turns into the first hurricane of the season. What's next? Hello and welcome to CNN LIVE SUNDAY. I'm Fredricka Whitfield. Here's what we know about the deadly plane crash this morning. CNN has learned Radar evidence indicates the Comair jet took off from the wrong runway.

The runway the plane apparently used is only half the length of the right one. The plane crashed shortly after takeoff from Bluegrass Airport in Lexington, Kentucky. Forty-nine people were killed. There is one survivor, a crew member. The crash occurred shortly after 6:00 a.m. Eastern. It was dark at the time but the weather was clear.

The Comair crash is the worst domestic airline accident in several years. We will start our live coverage in Lexington with David Mattingly. David what is the primary focus right now?

DAVID MATTINGLY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Fredricka, the last time the tower had contact with this flight was 6:05 this morning when it was cleared to take off on a runway that is 7,000 feet long. Instead according to sources, sources are telling CNN that this plane took off on a runway half that length and was unable to gain the necessary at tied and speed to maintain flight and crashed not too far from the edge of than runway. Officials are not confirming that publicly, yet. This it going to be part of the NTSB investigation here in Lexington which will be ongoing for quite sometime. I spoke to fire officials at the scene.

They say the crash site is failure well contained, the wreckage all seems to be in one predominant area, suggesting that the plane was not going at a tremendously high rate of speed at the time. But they also they were able, when they first got there, they were able to save one of the crew members from that plane. They were able to take out the first officer of that, the one survivor of all 50 people on board.

His name is James Palenk, he is listed in critical condition being treated here in Lexington. At this point, everyone is now reeling from this sudden loss of so many lives. They have never had anything like this in the Lexington area. Fire officials say once they got to the scene they searched the immediate area to determine if anybody had been thrown from the wreckage and found out that was not the case, meaning everyone who died, died inside that aircraft.

I spoke to the coroner's office they are trying to set up a temporary morgue to deal with the victim necessary this case. As part of standard procedure by so many airlines, the families here are being brought in. They are being taken to a special place out of the public eye so their needs can be taken care of and information given to them as soon as possible as it is coming through. Fredricka?

WHITFIELD: And, so, David, this is a scene where the investigation, the piecing together will be taking place in the night. Are you seeing any kind of measures being taken to set up lights for these federal investigators to pore over the evidence there?

MATTINGLY: We flew into this either and were not able to get an aerial view ourselves of the crash site but we were able to see a lot of rescue equipment, a lot of flashing lights off in the area. This place is very well staffed. I am sure they will have whatever they need to conduct this as the investigation goes along.

But we are right here at the Teamland (ph) racetrack, there's a horse track here across from the airport which is where all the media has been staged and where all the information has been coming out. And just to give you an idea where this happened, in is in the heart of Bluegrass Country. Its absolutely spectacular countryside. I have often called it the Beverly Hills of farm country because you have these large, opulent horse farms in the area. A tragedy like this is something you would never expect to see in such a beautiful area. Fredricka?

WHITFIELD: That crash site area, does that happen to be part of some pardon me labd property?

MATTINGLY: All we've been told is it was a wooded area just within a mile, possibly a half mile away from the airport. I have not personally been able to determine if that was a horse farm.

David Mattingly, thanks so much from the Bluegrass Airport there in Lexington. Despite some audio challenges. Thanks for being with us. Well, the stillness of a Sunday morning shattered before the Sunday was up, people living near the art say the crash of Comair Flight 5191 shook them from their beds.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I just heard the windows shook in the house, I live on the top of the hill and, you know, the windows shook and I really thought it was a big clap of thunder so didn't think much about it until I heard all the sirens.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I went out the back door and looked and there was no one there and I looked around and saw over the hillside, I saw the flash of light and then the explosion and then just a big plume of smoke come up.

WHITFIELD: The ill-fated flight was scheduled to land in Atlanta at 7:18 a.m. Eastern. CNN's Randi Kaye is standing by for us at Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson Airport. While, Randi, there aren't any of those family members there right now nine hours after the accident, there were earlier this morning?

RANDI KAYE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: There were, Fred. We came out here just shortly after 5191 was due to land here at 7:18 a.m. We did expect to find some family members. The usual protocol in a terrible situation like this is the family members would be gathered in some of the executive suites on the third and fourth floor and also a chapel where they can gather and pray after the loss of their loved ones.

We didn't see any family members. We were told there were Reds Cross workers offering their guidance and help, also some care workers have been set up by both Comair and Delta Airlines to help these family members get through this terrible situation.

The president, Don Bornhorst of Comair coming out and making it clear to anyone, the viewers, to anyone listening that the families are the top priority in the situation then comes finding out exactly what happened.

He said the victims will be treated with respect and he said that he will be visiting with the victim's families even before going to the crash site. He was very emotional when he spoke even earlier today at the first press conference he held, again, talking about families and the terrible chore that lays ahead. Let's listen in to what he said earlier.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DON BORNHOST, COMAIR PRESIDENT: I am down here in Lexington, Kentucky to help our teams accomplish two things. Number one and foremost is to assuage the grief of all of the families and friends who have been impacted by this great tragedy.

And that will be job number one for us, but a very close second job, also to assist and to cooperate with the investigation from the NTSB and the FAA in any way, any way humanly possible that we can. (END VIDEO CLIP)

KAYE : We also spoke with Sterling Payne who is an airport spokesperson here and she told us that this crash has had no impact on operations here at Atlanta's airports and she also told us that they are style trying to define the passenger list and she could only tell us there was one passenger here at Atlanta's airport who was waiting to board flight 5191 and connect to it.

Speaking of connections this is an aircraft that would likely have a lot of passengers connecting here in Atlanta to a larger jet. This is a commuter jet, one of the smaller planes, just a 50 seater. In all likelihood. Many of the peaks, according to Sterling Payne would not be from this area but connecting to elsewhere. If the family members do have questions which I am sure they do. We want to give you this 800 number. It is a toll free number where hopefully family members can get some answers, 1-800-801-0088. Once again, it's 1-800-801-0088.

Fred?

WHITFIELD: Randi Kaye, thanks so much in Atlanta's airport.

The White House has issued a statement and it says that President Bush was deeply saddened by the news and it says his sympathies are with the family members of the victims of this tragedy. Here's what we know about the aircraft. TheCRJ-200 is a popular computer jet built by Quebec based Bombardier Aerospace.

Comair says it purchased the plane or acquired the plane in 2001. It says the crew was experienced and flew that plane for quite sometime and the plane it says underwent routine maintenance as recently as yesterday.

Joining us now, former airline pilot John Wiley.

He flew commercial planes for 27 years. Glad you're able to be back with us.

So before we get to this aircraft and what we know about it and its potential, how does a pilot, perhaps, double or triple check whether it's on the right runway, whether all the conditions are ripe for takeoff.

JOHN WILEY, FORMER AIRLINE PILOT: You are going to have a series of what we refer to as barriers in the human factor community. These are policies, procedures standard operating procedures that we follow hundreds of times. Now, these guys would have been in the cockpit two years, seven years, whatever for these two. They've have done this literally thousands of times. The problem that you've got is because systems are so reliable, which is great. One of the problems we run into is that system reliability can lessen your vigilance. We have a crew taking off early in the morning. Probably been at Lexington Field a number of times. It's just another day at the office.

WHITFIELD: But if they've been at this airport before, given their experience and knowing there are only two run runways, and one that is really active for the darkness that they were up against.

WILEY: Well, again, we tell people don't be distracted which is much like telling people tell me when you are asleep. When you are distracted you are in fact distracted. There are a number of policies and procedures. We refer to it as sterile cockpit. We know somebody was on the jump seat. We don't know if the sterile cockpit -- distractions were occurring. We don't know if they had a hard wheels up-time to get the airplane airborne, which would rush the crew.

WHITFIELD: Now, so a couple of things there, time being a factor, time pressure, which is something you alluded to earlier and then we talk about this plane in particular, just 1400 hours on it, you are ruling out mechanical problems with that plane. Time pressure is something you would like to hear more about?

WILEY: I would. This airplane as far as 2001 when they received the airplane with 14,000 hours, this is like a 2003 Mercedes. You are just barely breaking it in.

WHITFIELD: Time pressure, what turnaround time this crew might be up against and what factors can come into play?

WILEY: We know there was a departure out of Atlanta last night at 10:45, scheduled to arrive in at 12:05. Some airlines call them continuous on duty. Some airlines refer to them as standbys. But basically what happened is the crew, and it's a legal rest requirement. The crew will land ...

WHITFIELD: Legal?

WILEY: It is legal. The crew will go to the hotel. In this case they landed last night at 12:05 and they took off at 6:05. That would have meant that they had probably less than five hours to go hotel, catch a quick nap and get on the airplane and come to Atlanta where they probably would have been relieved.

WHITFIELD: Little sleep time. Those factors being taken into consideration we know with the federal investigators there on the scene, there, too. John Wiley, thanks so much.

WILEY: Thank you, much.

WHITFIELD: Well, stay with CNN for continuing coverage of this story. In a few moments as dozens are left to grieve after the Comair crash. I'll speak with someone who knows exactly what it's like to reach out to this grieving family members.

More on that very difficult but vital job, straight ahead on CNN LIVE SUNDAY.

WILEY: So it's Fred?

WHITFIELD: It is.

And there are two other major stories we're following at this hour. We have our first hurricane of the season, Ernesto that has already lead for a call for tourists to evacuate the Florida Keys. Meteorologist Jacqui Jeras is up next.

Plus it is freedom for two journalists held hostage for 13 days in the Middle East. We'll take you live to Jerusalem coming up on CNN LIVE SUNDAY.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Now in the news, investigators trying to learn why a commuter jet crashed after takeoff in Lexington, Kentucky, radar of Comair Flight 5991 apparently shows the plane taking off from a much shorter runway than it needed to take off from. Forty-nine people were killed in the crash near bluegrass airport. One survivor is in critical condition.

Freedom for a pair of kidnapped journalists. Steve Centanni and Olaf Wiig had an emotional reunion with family today. The Fox journalists were released earlier in Gaza City. They were kidnapped at gunpoint two weeks ago.

And another day for the space shuttle Atlantis, it was supposed to take off today but NASA pushed it off until Monday after lightning near the launch pad. Now Atlantis won't launch until at least Tuesday.

WHITIFIELD: And weather threatening all parts of Florida and right now the Caribbean. Let's check with Jacqui Jeras who is in the weather center where all eyes are on Ernesto.

JACQUI JERAS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Well, Fredricka, Ernesto intensified this morn nothing a hurricane, Category 1 with winds of 75 miles per hour. Based on what we've been seeing on satellite imagery and hearing from hurricane hunters, it looks like it could be weakening a little bit.

We awaiting the 5:00 advisory from the National Hurricane Center, as soon as we get that, we will bring it to you and let you know the latest status on Ernesto is right now.

It is very near, the center of rotation now is very near the coast of Haiti and is bringing in torrential rainfall here. It's a very rugged terrain and mountainous in this region, and we expect flash flooding and also mud slides and land slides are threatening.

The storm is moving to the north and to the west. We've got watches and warnings in effect for parts of the Caribbean, hurricane watches for the Cayman Islands and Jamaica with hurricane warning in effect for much of eastern Cuba as well as the coast of Haiti. We expect to see more watches potentially posted as we progress throughout the afternoon.

Forecast track keeps it on a northwesterly glide moving possibly across the island of Cuba and then emerging into the Gulf of Mexico. Look how big this cone of uncertainty is. Bottom line, this time it doesn't appear to be a major hurricane at landfall unless it gets a little father out here into what we call the loop current where we have very warm water. As long as it stays east we don't see that happening. And best scenario at this time brings it toward the west coast but nobody at this time is off the hook so to speak, at least not across the state of Florida.

So we will continue to monitor the situation as soon as we hear from the hurricane center and we have a live report coming up from Max Mayfield, the director of the National Hurricane Center.

WHITFIELD: We will cover that life when it happens, Jacqui Jeras, thanks so much in the weather center.

We're keeping a close watch on Ernesto, that live report from the National Hurricane Center in our next hour, rather. Plus at 5:00 a.m. Eastern at the top of the hour, Max Mayfield director of the center also joins us live from Miami.

Another big story developing today, freedom for two journalists held hostage in Gaza.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I just hope this never scares a single journalist away from coming to Gaza to cover this story.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: We are headed live to Jerusalem next on CNN LIVE SUNDAY, plus more of our special coverage of flight 5191. We will be getting the latest from the Lexington Airport.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITIFIELD: The nightmare is finally over for two Fox News journalists kidnapped in Gaza nearly two weeks ago, Steve Centanni and Olaf Wiig were free today and now resting at the U.S. consulate in Jerusalem. Before leaving Gaza they recounted their harrowing ordeal during an emotional press conference. Here's CNN's Paula Hancocks.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Fox reporter Steve Centanni greets a colleague he hasn't seen in almost two weeks, quickly followed by cameraman Olaf Wiig as the two enjoy their moments of freedom in a Gaza City hotel.

STEVE CENTANNI, FREED JOUNRALIST: I am not used to being on this side of the news story instead of one covering the news. So this is a bit unusual but I am happy to see so many friendly faces and happy to be here.

HANCOCKS: Cameraman Wiig echoes concern Palestinian officials had been invoicing for the past 13 days.

OLAAF WIIG, FREED JOUNRALIST: My biggest concern, really is that as a result of what happened to us, foreign journalists will be discouraged from come hearing to tell their story. That would be a great tragedy for the people of Palestine. HANCOCKS: The two were abducted on August 14th from the streets of Gaza City. Centanni in a phone call to Fox News describes the moment they were forced from their car in Gaza and thrown into the back of the kidnapper's car.

CENTANNI: And slipped a black hood over our heads and jammed us together in the middle and they piled in on either side and there were four of us in the back of this tiny truck where we could hardly breathe. We were scrunched down toward the floor and they sped away.

HANCOCKS: Earlier Sunday a video of the two journalists was released showing they said they converted to Islam. Centanni later revealed the statements were made at gunpoint. The group that claimed responsibility for the kidnappings, the Holy Jihad Brigades, unknown and unheard of before this.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): Whoever was responsible and whatever political affiliation, this is absolutely rejected. It is the responsibility of the security forces to investigate.

HANCOCKS: After various photo op requirements, including a meeting with the Palestinian prime minister Ismail Haniyeh, the two left Gaza for Israel. The clear relief that being free impossible to hide, Paula Hancocks, CNN, Jerusalem.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: It was quite the scene indeed when Centanni and Wiig crossed into Israel from Gaza. CNN's Chris Lawrence was there. He joins us live from Jerusalem. Give us details as to how it all went down, Chris.

CHRIS LAWRENCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Fredricka, this is the Erez crossing, this is basically the border between Gaza and Israel, heavily guarded heavily fortified, back in -- before the intifada it was a place where thousands of Palestinians would cross over to Israel to go to work everyday and today we were standing there when Steve Centanni and Olaf Wiig came through and really crossed over truly into Israel for the first time, and Steve Centanni was literally surrounded by 10, 15 photographers, and obviously a little bit taken aback.

I would imagine on his part disconcerting to be on the other side of that, but he looked tired, he looked exhausted and relieved. Olaf Wiig looked happy. He had a huge smile on his face and he waved to some of his friends that he saw over on the side. You could just feel how relieved and how happy they were to finally kind of exhale after that very harrowing 13 days in captivity.

WHITFIELD: And Chris, did Wiig or even Centanni express any reluctance to talk publicly post their release, since we heard from a number of other people when they have been released after being held captive, they haven't wanted to talk about it for fear the next person who might be taken hostage would in any way be mistreated as a result of them speaking out?

LAWRENCE: ell, I don't -- I think they were -- they felt fairly comfortable in just describing what had, you know, happened to them, they didn't really speculate on why someone might have done this or what their motives were. They basically were journalists. They recounted what happened to them in very, very graphic, interesting detail.

The things, the timeline and what happened to them from the point of their abduction, until the point of their release. I think even they were caught off guard that they were released at this particular time. They seemed confused as to what happened to facilitate their release.

WHITFIELD: Chris Lawrence in Jerusalem, good job. Thanks so much.

Well, here's what's happening right now in the news. Forty-nine people are dead after a Comair commuter plane crashes after takeoff at Lexington, Kentucky airport this morning. The co-pilot was the lone survivor. He's in critical condition. More details straight ahead.

And you just saw Fox News reporter, Steve Centanni and photographer Olaf Wiig are free men. The two kidnap victims were released by their captors13 days after being abducted.

And Ernesto has strengthened to a Category 1 hurricane. The storm is threatening Florida, where Governor Jeb Bush has ordered a state of emergency. And update from the National Hurricane Center just a half hour away.

More on our special coverage of the crash of flight 5191 next on CNN LIVE SUNDAY. When we come back, dealing with grieving relatives and airline employees. We will talk live with a member of Delta's care team.

JERAS: And I'm meteorologist Jacqui Jeras in CNN's hurricane headquarters. We are awaiting the 5:00 advisory from the National Hurricane Center. What kind of changes can you expect from Hurricane Ernesto? We will let you know about 10 minutes away.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Now more on the Comair plane crash. Here's what we know, Flight 5191 went down shortly after takeoff at Lexington, Kentucky airport this morning. It left Bluegrass Airport at 6:07 Eastern Time, bound for Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson Airport. The plane went down 12 minutes after takeoff. Forty-nine of the 50 people on board died. The co-pilot survived but is in critical condition. Initial findings suggest the plane may have taken off from the wrong runway, one significantly shorter.

A temporary morgue has been set up some 30 miles away in Kentucky's capital of Frankfurt. Shock and sorrow in Lexington, Kentucky after that pre-dawn Comair commuter jet crash. Presumably many of those on board, the ill-fated flight lived in or near Lexington, we want to check in for more from Andy Mead a reported with the "Lexington Harold Leader" he joins me now on the phone. Andy we heard the president of Comair say that this was a tragedy for the passengers of Comair, for Comair as well as for Kentucky. How has this impacted people in the Lexington, Kentucky area?

ANDY MEAD, REPORTER, "LEXINGTON HAROLD LEADER" (via telephone): Pretty deeply. Lexington is a city of about a quarter of a million people but it seems a lot smaller than that. I heard the coroner say this morning say that he knew someone who was on the flight. I heard a radio reporter here saying she knew someone. Our growth and development reporter, Beverly Fortune came into the office to work on the story today because she was in church and at the end of the church service they offered a special prayer for all the people who died in the tragedy in Lexington this morning and she wasn't aware of it until that time. So it's something that everyone in town is aware of and they are talking about it.

WHITFIELD: With this airport seemingly relatively small with just two primary runways, when people hear about this report that this plane may have taken off the shorter runway, is there some familiarity that people are speaking of, understanding the layout of that airport?

MEAD: Yes it's pretty simple. There are two runways, and if you take a commercial flight in, you always land on the longer runway, because that's the one for big airplanes. It's only the small planes that use the small one. Officials aren't saying which runway this plane was on. All the signs point to shorter one, and if it was on that one, it shouldn't have been. That's not for use in dark and it was 6:00 in the morning, it was still dark here and a plane that size shouldn't have been on that runway.

WHITFIELD: What surrounds this airport, since we're looking at pictures that show the debris of this aircraft? We have heard estimates of about a half-mile away from that runway, whichever one it may be that officially they tried to take off from.

MEAD: Well I'm across the street at the racecourse, which is this beautiful, well-manicured place that they advertised that they do, racing the way it was meant to be. And one of the great selling points the Chamber of Commerce uses about Lexington is if you land or take off from this airport what you see are beautiful rolling pastures are horses.

WHITFIELD: Andy Mead, the "Lexington Harold Leader" thanks so much. Sorry to cut you off, we have some other breaking news. We now have to go to Jacqui Jeras in the Weather Center with an update on Ernesto.

JACQUI JERAS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Hey Fredricka, this is just coming off the wires right now. Ernesto has weakened as we've been expecting over the last hour, that it's been downgraded now to a tropical storm, winds down to about 60 miles per hour. Also very important information here, a hurricane watch has now been issued for the Dry Tortugas and all of the Florida Keys that means that hurricane conditions are possible within 36 hours. So 36 hours from now, hurricane watches, hurricane conditions possible in the Florida Keys. That also includes the Dry Tortugas, so we have seen some weakening. I have not had a chance to see the forecast track to see if we have had any changes with that, either. OK. I understand we have somebody with us from the National Hurricane Center, are you there? JOHN CANGELOSI (ph), NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER: Yes, I'm here.

JERAS: Whom am I talking with?

CANGELOSI (ph): This is John Cangelosi.

JERAS: Hi John. Jacqui Jeras, CNN meteorologist. What can you tell me about this latest update here with the 5:00 advisory?

CANGELOSI: OK, well it's just coming in, and from the latest data, Ernesto has now weakened back to a tropical storm but it is still bringing torrential rains to Haiti and the Dominican Republic. And something also new at 5:00 pm is a hurricane watch is now issued for all the Florida Keys from Ocean Reath to the Dry Tortugas and what that generally means is that hurricane conditions are possible in the next 36 hours.

JERAS: OK John let's start with the weakening. What we have been seeing throughout the day today with Ernesto. Back down to a tropical storm how significant is this?

CANGELOSI: It's fairly significant that it's weakened but at the same time it's still an impressive tropical cyclone. We don't want to underestimate its power because it is weakening. Now a lot of this weakening is due to it's proximity to the southwestern tip of Haiti, it is a very mountainous island there and it is tending cut off some of the circulation of Ernesto. But it's still is significant storm and we are expecting strengthening as it moves to Cuba and into the Gulf of Mexico. So we don't want anyone to think this is straight downward in terms of intensity. It's more temporary.

JERAS: What can Florida expect? When can they expect the first impact from this storm?

CANGELOSI: I will just pull up the latest information, since we have that new graphic coming out.

JERAS: Are we looking at Tuesday morning, the earliest?

CANGELOSI: We are looking at generally coming through Cuba some time actually more like later Tuesday into Wednesday is when it would be approaching the Keys and Florida. So that's generally the time frame and still we are expecting hurricane conditions possible there. We don't have any warning, yet, for the Peninsula but the hurricane watch has gone out for the Florida Keys, indicating that hurricane conditions are possible in the next 36 hours or so.

JERAS: OK. Thanks so much for joining us, thank you for that update from the National Hurricane Center. Just to recap, hurricane watches have been issued for the Florida Keys, including the Dry Tortugas. We have seen some weakening with Ernesto, it's now a tropical storm but still forecast to re-intensify and become a hurricane before making landfall potentially some where in Florida.

Fred.

WHITFIELD: All right. Jacqui thanks so much. We will stay on top of that.

We are also on top of this developing story involving the Comair jet that crashed this morning, leaving 49 dead. One believed to be in critical condition. Well, of course, a lot of those grieving family members have a lot of questions. So sensitivity, empathy, strength all of those are a few things that the Delta care team will have to put into action following today's crash. Volunteers on the team are extensively trained in many different ways to help the relatives of these victims.

Lynette Strohmyer is a former Delta flight attendant and has also worked as a care team volunteer. She joins me now from Minneapolis with more on what is a very difficult but vital job being put into action. So Lynette what is the first thing that these care members will have to do to reach out to these grieving family members?

LYNETTE STROHMYER, FMR. DELTA FLIGHT ATTENDANT: Yes, Fredricka, underneath a family disaster plan that has been acted upon in 1996, Delta will be implementing a go team that probably is already in place in Lexington and that is reservations members as well as Delta technologies as well as all of our critical incidents response team on site to answer questions for families. And there will be two to three team members that will be dispatched per family to handle all the logistics for the victims as well as the victim's families.

WHITFIELD: So Lynette these family members have a whole lot of questions. What can be expected that these care members can answer for them?

STROHMYER: It's usually about 24-hour a day work. You are available to them constantly. You are only a phone call away. Sometimes you stay right with the families. It's really for the family to decide at what level they want you to respond and what level of support that they need. But we are on site, two to three members, like I said. And after each time you meet with a family member there's a complete debriefing so that the care team can stay healthy through an accident of this nature.

WHITFIELD: We heard from the Comair president earlier today who said his company will fly out any family member who wants to be there in Lexington, Kentucky how does this help the family members and how does this really help in the investigation, too?

STROHMYER: It's critical to the grieving process. Everyone grieves very differently. So it's up to the families to decide what level of support that they really need from Delta and Comair. But it is their responsibility as the airline to actually handle all the of the logistics and support at what ever the family needs. That is truly the most important thing throughout this is making sure that the logistics support something that hampers their briefing process. We take care of everything.

WHITFIELD: All right, Lynette Strohmyer, thank you so much for your point of view and how the care team members are now having to reach out to so many of those victim's family members. Thanks so much. When we come back we are going to check in with our David Mattingly who is there in Lexington, Kentucky at the airport, he is there where the investigation continues and he's talked to a number of people to see exactly what direction this investigation is taking to figure out why this Comair flight went down.

Weather seems to be a factor again, in the planned launch of shuttle "Atlantis." Coming up what's next for this flight? We will take you live to the Kennedy Space Center.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: And one of the tough jobs for Comair right now, reaching out to the family members of those 49 killed and that one critically injured. CNN's David Mattingly is on the scene at Bluegrass Airport. You have had that very discussion with a number of people at Comair to find on the what they are doing next?

DAVID MATTINGLY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Fredricka it's all coming from a pool of volunteers that they have within the Delta system. These are called care teams and they are bringing these especially trained people who are trained to listen and respond to whatever needs the grieving families might have at this time. So far they have been able to set up centers here at Lexington, they also have some operations going in Cincinnati and Atlanta where family members can come in. They will be taken away to an area where they can be alone, out of the public eye and they will assign these care team members to them where they will administer to whatever need they might have, anything from food to transportation, to a place to sleep and where they might give them information they might want at this time.

One of the big thing that's families want after a plane crash is information. They will go to the families wherever they want to be briefed and brief them exactly on what they know and don't know at this time. So far they have deployed about 50 or so of these care team members out of a pool of 1200 people that they have in the Delta system. They might be in the process of calling up more, as need demands.

Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: Meantime federal investigators on the scene there trying to piece together exactly what went wrong. What more, if anything, is being learned from them?

MATTINGLY: That is right. And while all signs at the moment and sources are telling CNN that it appears the plane took off on the wrong runway, we are not likely to here the NTSB tell us that any time soon. They deal strictly in fact and they don't get into speculation, so they have to examine so many things including mechanical and pilot issues and everything in this before they come to a determination.

Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: David Mattingly, thanks so much at Bluegrass Airport there in Lexington. And now, a takeoff of a very different sort. Tuesday maybe, NASA announces another delay in the launch of the space shuttle "Atlantis." For the latest let's go to our technology correspondent Daniel Sieberg live at the Kennedy Space Center. Does it look like a go, potentially for Tuesday?

DANIEL SIEBERG, TECHNOLOGY CORRESPONDENT: We should find out something in the next I would say three to six hours or so tonight. Had everything gone according to the original plan, shuttle "Atlantis" would be on its way to the international space station? Launch was scheduled for today at 4:30 Eastern, But on Friday at 2:00 p.m., Mother Nature had something to say about it in the form of a violent lightening storm and a lightening strike on the launch pad at 39b as shuttle "Atlantis" was out there. The protective lightening structure worked and it carried the lightening away and grounded it. But they are still concerned that there was some spill off from that electro magnetic field around there that it could have affected the orbiter and part of the shuttle launch system as well.

They pretty much cleared the shuttle and the external fuel tank; you can see it is the orange part right here. They still haven't determined, as whether there was any damage to the two solid rocket boosters on the sides here, this is the white pieces. Basically what they need to know is whether they will still release about two minutes into launch. They are intended to release from the external fuel tank. They don't know yet if that's going to be the case. They need to do some further testing and some further analysis. That's why they have had this delay so far to look at that.

Of course they are also having to contend with hurricane Ernesto. There's this perfect storm brewing here at Kennedy Space Center. They have been following the track of hurricane Ernesto as it comes towards Florida possibly. And just a short time ago Bill one of the associated administrators at NASA talked about how they are dealing with both of these things.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

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

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SIEBERG: That was actually a different sound bite. That was Brent Jett who is the commander for this mission. He was talking about what is going to be done once they get off the ground whether it is Tuesday or further down the line, that would be to deploy these massive solar arrays that supply a quart of the power to the International Space Station. That is if they get off on Tuesday afternoon at 4:00. But if they do have to delay, if weather is a delay and they will make that decision sometime tonight we are told before midnight, it would have to roll back the shuttle off the launch pad from 39B and that can be time-consuming. Fred, so we are going to have to keep our eye on it here and get back to you. WHITFIELD: All right. Daniel Sieberg thanks so much, at the Kennedy Space Center.

Well the focus in Kentucky. A flight that went very wrong. A tough job for investigators on the ground in Kentucky and a tough job for others in Georgia who were awaiting the arrival of those many passengers that perished on that flight this morning. We will have more on some poignant moments from this morning's coverage of the crash of Flight 5191.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: The focus in Kentucky is three-fold, recovering the bodies of the victims of the Comair crash, comforting the families and investigating the cause. Our CNN Kentucky affiliates, WHAS, WCPO and WTVQ, were among the first on the scene. They spoke with witnesses; here is some of their reporting.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE, REPORTER: Three hours and 20 minutes ago a plane took off from the Lexington airport headed to Atlanta. That plane was full, 50 people on board, 47 passengers and three crewmembers. That plane crashed one mile west of the airport. We had witnesses that heard it and saw smoke and a flash of light and we have one survivor right now that we know.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The windows shook in the house, I live on top of the hill and the windows shook and I really thought it was a big clap of thunder. So didn't think much about it until I heard all the sirens.

GARY GINN, CORONER: It was a firey incident. The fire traveled with the plane.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I say this with a heavy heart. This is -- the airline industry has these risks so you brace yourself for them as best you can. I can tell you based on getting notified the difficulty in experienced in receiving such news is hard.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We do know that one individual was transported to the UK Chandler Medical Center, but it's not a good thing whatsoever.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: As you can see, there's just not a lot left there.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He took the earlier flight so he could get back to his family.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I went out the back door and looked and there was no one there and I looked around and I saw over the hillside, I saw the flash of light and then the explosion. And then just a big plum of smoke comes up.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's never good when you have something like this that happens and where there's large numbers of people that have died. But, you know, we will do the best that we possibly can.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Emotionally devastated. I mean, this is -- these are tough things. And it's very difficult and with the emotion that comes with that also comes a crystal in commitment to understand everything that's going on.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: We will bring you more developments about the accident. The federal investigation and the condition of the loan survivor as that information become available.

Also coming up the latest on two other major developing stories this hour, you will hear live from Max Mayfield at the National Hurricane Center.

Plus freedom for two journalists held hostage for nearly two weeks in Gaza. You are watching CNN the most trusted name in news.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: A deadly Kentucky crash, a plane plummets and all but one died. Now the question, why did it happen?

He's headed for Haiti but is Ernesto eying the Gulf Coast? It's lost a bit of steam but it could still spell disaster.

And released but rattled, two journalists are freed, now details of what they were forced to do. From the CNN Center in Atlanta. I'm Fredricka Whitfield and this is CNN LIVE SUNDAY.

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