The Daily Nightly began on May 31, 2005. As Brian wrote in his first post it aims to provide a narrative of the broadcast day and a window into the editorial process at NBC Nightly News. Brian weighs in every weekday and NBC News correspondents and producers post regularly.
Brian Williams became the seventh anchor and managing editor in the history of NBC Nightly News on December 2, 2004. Read his full biography.
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In the firefighting business its called a "stop." You will hear firefighters say to each other, department to department or firehouse to firehouse, "that was a good stop," and it means just what it sounds like -- the fire was stopped from spreading, in an environment where it otherwise would have galloped on. Well, we've just witnessed a great stop. There isn't even any smoke coming from the 50-story high-rise that was struck by an aircraft here in New York today.
While we now know that NORAD scrambled military jets to several cities, and while the pictures of the firefighters with shoulder packs of hose and air packs were evocative of the worst day in modern New York history, this was, by all accounts, an accident. The aircraft appears to be a Cirrus -- considered a good, high-performance plane. As brands of aircraft go, it is relatively new to the market and expensive. Early speculation is that the pilot might have veered sharply off the East River course and into the building. Luggage has been found in the wreckage. We will know a lot more when the NTSB briefs -- and we will, throughout what is left of this day, continue to balance this story against the other news we have to report. We can't change the fact that we are headquartered in New York -- naturally New York stories seem more important and command our immediate attention -- and so on days like this one, I employ the "WWWDITHIC" theory: What Would We Do If This Happened In Chicago? Or Kansas City? Or Seattle? Or a small town in Iowa? In a nation that has troops on the ground in combat, on a day when the President met with the media... we have a lot to balance. On the other hand, we have a big story on our hands -- an event that scared this city for a long while today -- a city that had reason to be scared. So we've all gathered in the newsroom, while our reporters report a few blocks uptown from here.
We hope you can join us.
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WE ARE NO SAFER SINCE 9/11 AND THAT TERRIBLE CRASH OF THE SMALL ENGINE PLANE INTO THAT 40 STORY APARTMENT BUILDING LAST WEEK PROVED JUST THAT. THE PLANE COULD HAVE BEEN LOADED WITH EXPLOSIVES TO TAKE OUT 6 CITY BLOCKS. MR. BUSH (NOT PRESIDENT) TO ME, NEEDS TO RETHINK HIS HOMELAND SECURITY POLICIES. THE TERRORISTS PROBABLY SAW WHAT HAPPENED ON THE NEWS AND FOUND OUT HOW EASY IT IS STILL TO DO HARM TO THE U.S.
SAFER, MR.BUSH? MAYBE YOU CAN CONVINCE ALL OF YOUR YES PEOPLE AROUND YOU, BUT I'VE HAD ALL THAT I CAN STOMACH OF YOU. YOU LIVE IN YOUR OWN LITTLE WORLD. I CERTAINLY HOPE THAT THE ELECTIONS NEXT MONTH PROVE THAT I LOT OF OTHERS ARE SICK OF YOU USING THIS SCARE
TACTIC TO KEEP US CITIZENS FOR CRITIZING YOU OR YOUR CIRCUS ADMINSTRATION.
MARVIN MAY, FAYETTEVILLE, NC (Sent Oct 15, 2006 12:55:51 AM)
David, I don't think it is fair to say that either the instructor or the student pilot were "stupid." For example, they may have encountered mechanical problems shortly after take-off, which may have prevented the plane from gaining altitude, etc.
Human error is one thing, but the crash could have been caused by other mechanical problems. Lets make sure we have the facts straight before we pass judgment on the instructor or the student pilot's intelligence.
Joe U., Salt Lake City, UT (Sent Oct 12, 2006 6:52:08 PM)
Why did NORAD launch fighter jets if there were no reports of hijackings or intrusions of restricted airspace? Thousands of private aircraft fly each day at low altitudes and while anyone could suddenly plow into a building either accidentally or on purpose the fact is
that there would be no time to react to such sudden actions by small planes without transponders or flight plans so why waste the jet fuel?
This incident only reminds us of how 45 minutes ticked by on 9/11 and nobody launched "air cover" over Washington DC even after
the World Trade Center was hit twice by large jets which made clear radar tracks even without transponders as seen in the recently released FAA radar studies of all four hijacked planes.
rex, Pasadena CA (Sent Oct 12, 2006 1:32:42 PM)
My 80-year-old father was quite pleased with you this evening, Brian. Ever since 9-11, whenever instances have been mentioned about planes flying into high rises, he always says, "No one ever mentions the time a plane flew into the Empire State Building. I guess there aren't many around who have that as a vivid memory...."
Dad was quite impressed that you mentioned that horrible accident. Impressing my Dad, who is a retired engineer and who is very intelligent, isn't an easy task. He actually laid down both the Scientific American and National Geographic Magazines he was reading simultaneously while watching your broadcast the second he heard you mention what happened in 1945. The only other time he forgoes reading while watching television is while he's watching "NOVA" or the NASA channel ... so, Bravo for you this evening, Brian !!!
Cyrena, Vicksburg, Mississippi (Sent Oct 12, 2006 4:10:38 AM)
could the instructor supposedly on board have been teaching Lidle instrument flying? Was there another plane in the area as some reported? With all that room over the river why fly anywhere near ANY buildings. Could one of them know someone in that area and do a friendly fly-by?
Stan Kasper Salmon, Id. (Sent Oct 12, 2006 1:19:23 AM)
With all the billions spend on improving airport security and the countless hours of delay we encounter for each plane flight the skyscrapers are no safer today than they were 9/01.
Who was on air traffic control duty and why did they react with jet fighters and alerts AFTER the plane hit? Didn't anyone see it coming in the control towers and hit the button?
Dewey Quong, Reno, NV (Sent Oct 11, 2006 7:55:16 PM)
The whole thing is really bizarre. What an odd "twist" to the story. It's strange because of he wasn't that experienced in flying, why would he be alone flying? If he wasn't alone, wouldn't there be some kind of "no no" not to fly so low in a residential area? Maybe he was lost, or delusional.
cristinamarie t., massachusetts (Sent Oct 11, 2006 7:21:55 PM)
This pilot was stupid as was the instructor. FAA rules say you are never to get closer than 1000 ft to the ground over a populated area unless you are coming in for landing. This plane clearly violated that rule!
David Pienta, Tallahassee, FL (Student pilot) (Sent Oct 11, 2006 6:15:10 PM)
Well so much for WWWDITHIC. Its now lead with confirmation of NLB demise. Would raise my hand that locals have this covered well. Significant information on national and international issues demands more airtime. Remember, integrity with class.
Let those networks take that bleed lead market, we tune in to Brian to hear whats going on, the why and the who's. Resist temptation to ride the sensationalisim wagon. Tell us what we need to know, not what we have already heard, after all it is Nightly "NEWS".
Amanda Newtown CT (Sent Oct 11, 2006 5:05:21 PM)
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