deadly crash at a crowded air show in reno. how did it happen? and as the death toll rises, new questions about the safety of these events. tax for millionaires. the white house proposes a new way to tackle the debt crisis. tonight, what republicans are saying about the president's plan. life or death, just days from execution, why some who helped put a man on death row are now fighting for his freedom. and making a difference. an nfl star's big impact off the field, changing young lives. captions paid for by nbc-universal television

good evening. september is a popular month for air shows in this country. thousands are drawn to the spectacle of high flight, high speed and daring acrobatics. but twice this weekend in nevada and west virginia those aerial thrills have turned to deadly tragedies. the worst happened in reno. nine people including the pilot died when a vintage fighter plane plunged to the ground, right near a crowd of spectators. today we get our first close-up view of the impact point and tonight as the ntsb looks into the cause of the disaster, others are asking have these type of shows become too dangerous? nbc's george lewis is in reno with the latest developments for us. george, good evening. >> reporter: good evening, lester. the ntsb announced tonight that the plane in question carried a video camera and an onboard data recorder, that both used data cards like this one, commercially available. such cards were found at the

crash site and now being sent to washington, d.c. for analysis. the crash dug a hole in the airport tarmac, right in front of the vip section. today, the national transportation safety board was still picking up the pieces. >> they have identified and recovered portions of the accident aircraft tail. >> reporter: that's potentially important because in the moment just before the plane plummeted to the ground, still photographs show a piece of its tail section missing. that could have caused the pilot to lose control. some answers about that could come from those memory cards. >> these could be critical for us to perform analysis that could allow us to examine structural issues based on this information. >> reporter: piloting the world war ii vintage p-51 mustang -- >> i'm timmy leeward. >> reporter: -- 74-year-old jimmy leeward, a veteran of numerous air races and stunt pilot. friends were stunned. >> shock, absolute shock.

never dreamed that something like this would happen to someone that you know. >> reporter: one of the spectators who died, john craig, may have been trying to save his son and his son's two friends. they survived. >> i think that he probably sheltered his son and that's the kind of guy he was. so very, very good dad, very good husband. very in love with my sister. >> i'm running this way. >> reporter: one of those injured, commercial pilot noaa turnstead says in this youtube video he can see himself trying to run away from the impact area. >> it was like a missile coming out of nowhere. just, like, i don't know how i'm going to survive this. >> reporter: the crash in reno is raising concerns about the safety of these events. >> the whole issue is really what is the benefit of these air races. and what is the risk? and you have to weigh the benefits against the risk. >> reporter: the ntsb says that one thing that may come out of its investigation is a set of recommendations for beefing up

safety at air shows like this one. lester? >> george lewis, thanks. more on the second deadly crash this weekend at an air show in west virginia. the pilot was part of an acrobatic team was killed when his plane went down and burst into flames on the runway. no one on the ground was hurt. the ntsb is also investigating the cause of that accident. there have been at least a half dozen air show-related crashes in this country already this year. here to talk about air show safety is nbc news aviation analyst and veteran commercial pilot john cox. john, thankfully, we haven't seen many cases of planes coming down into crowds. but that said, it is going to have to be a hard look at how we ensure crowd safety at these kinds of events. what changes might we anticipate? >> i think, lester, we're going to see a good look at the overall process, in other words, what happened to the airplane. also, what we could do to ensure crowd safety. air shows have had this kind of problem a couple of times before. there was a tragic accident in

ramstein some years ago and every time this has come up, we have made improvements, we have made it safer. as in with any other competitive sport, for example, auto racing. >> we talked about two accidents here. there is a difference between an air race and a straightforward acrobatic demonstration. but is there anyone in charge to determine how far pilots can push the envelope or the performance of a plane in an air show or race typesetting? >> there are various classes of aircraft and how they race and there is some limits there. but like automobile racing, it is up to the pilots or drivers to really determine how close they're going to push it. these are highly skilled individuals with a lot of experience. so there is not a regulatory requirement per se, but in this type of competitive environment, i'm not sure how there could be. >> you mentioned the car race analogy because supporters of air shows argue more people are hurt at car races than air shows. is there an inherent risk we accept when we attend these sorts of high performance

outings? >> well, i think there may be a bit, but people accept risk every day. when you go to an air show or when you go to a sporting event of any sort, look at the soccer event sometimes when they had panic and there have been hundreds of people tragically killed, no one went to the soccer event with that intent, but they did assume some risk of being in a large crowd. so i think there is a bit of an assumption of risk, but i don't feel as though air racing or air shows presents any greater risk than a number of other competitive events. >> john cox, appreciate your insight. thanks for being with us tonight. in washington this evening, republicans are starting to pounce as more details trickle out about the president's long-term plan to bring down the national debt. the plan will reportedly include higher taxes on the wealthiest americans. and many conservatives are calling that a nonstarter. we get our report tonight from nbc's mike viqueira. >> reporter: tomorrow president obama will unveil a new minimum

tax for everyone making more than $1 million a year. today, republicans were already on the attack. >> class warfare will simply divide this country more, attack job creators, divide people, and it doesn't grow the economy. >> reporter: the white house is calling it the buffett rule, after wealthy investor warren buffett, who says the rich are being unfairly taxed, not because rates are too high, he thinks they're too low. recently writing, my friends and i have been coddled long enough by a billionaire friendly congress. time for our government to get serious about shared sacrifice. today that stance and the president's embrace of it drew scorn from the senate's top republicans. >> if he's feeling guilty about it, send in a check. but we don't want to stagnate this economy by raising taxes. >> reporter: the economists say effective, the new tax should be part of a larger overhaul of the tax code. >> get rid of most of the exclusions and exemptions, require people to recognize income in the year they receive

it. >> reporter: mr. obama's new proposal comes as the new economy continues to struggle and his approval rating drops. today, one republican came close to predicting a gop victory next november. >> this is our election to lose. president obama has done everything he knows how to do to beat himself. >> reporter: the new push comes as the president tries to purn u turn up the heat on republicans, casting them as unwilling to compromise on the economy and jobs and indifferent to the struggles of the middle class. >> the president needs a contrast. if this is a referendum on the economy, president obama loses. right now, if it is a referendum on him, he loses. he needs to have it between me and republicans. >> reporter: now, lester, i'm told by a senior white house official today that that overhaul of the tax code that so many experts are calling for will in fact be endorsed by the president tomorrow. what he won't put on the table, any changes to the social security program. you remember last smeummer he w discussing changes to the social

security structure. in iran tonight, two american hikers convicted of spying are facing yet another delay in their fight for freedom. nbc's tehran bureau chief ali arouzi is in iran tonight and has the latest. >> reporter: good evening, lester. shane bauer and josh fattal have to wait longer for their freedom. in the latest twist, the iranian foreign minister entered negotiations and said the judiciary may be willing to commute their sentences in the near future as a sign of islamic compassion. but he also raised the issue of iranians being held in u.s. prisons, suggesting a possible prisoner swap. earlier today, the lawyer for the two hikers told nbc news that he tried to finalize the bail arrangement for the two hikers, but was unable to do so because the second judge that needed to sign the documents was going to be on vacation until tuesday. president ahmadinejad had hoped to resolve this issue before traveling to new york tomorrow and addressing the general assembly later in the week.

no doubt we'll hear more about this case in the coming days. back to you, lester. >> ali arouzi from tehran tonight. there will be high drama here in new york this week as world leaders converge for a meeting of the u.n. general assembly. tonight, u.s. and european diplomats are scrambling to avoid a showdown after the palestinians announced plans to ask for statehood and u.n. membership. more from nbc's martin fletcher. >> reporter: palestinians call this their moment of truth, bethlehem today kicked off a week of west bank rallies in support of their bid to join the united nations as a full member state, the palestinian dream. flagmakers are working around the clock. this man wants the palestinian flag to hang from every car and house. >> i'm so happy and excited and at the same time because i want to have a palestinian country to live in and to be free. >> reporter: about many israelis think no good can come of this. >> they don't want peace.

>> i think it will be war. >> reporter: israel and america warned palestinian president mahmoud abbas not to call for palestinian state in the security council. >> i call on president abbas to resume peace negotiations, direct negotiations, right now without any preconditions. >> reporter: inspired by people, libya, egypt, tunisia, syria, yemen, palestinians also want change. their leaders say they have no alternative but to try something new, the 20 years of peace talks have gotten them nowhere. >> we will take all measures to assembly in a way that does not lead into bloodshed. >> reporter: this puts palestinians into a direct confrontation with the united states. washington has said it wants more peace talks and will veto a call for a palestinian state. >> our commitment to israel should be no less strong today, and, if anything, it should be stronger than ever.

>> reporter: american negotiators were trying very hard to get israel and the palestinians back to the negotiating table. president obama is ware that any american veto will certainly satisfy israel but would also pit america against most of the rest of the world. martin fletcher, nbc news, tel aviv. former imf chief dominique strauss-kahn spoke out for first time tonight about his sexual encounter with a new york hotel maid in an interview on french tv. strauss-kahn called the incident a moral failing, but insisted it did not involve, quote, violence, constraint or aggression. when "nbc nightly news" continues on this sunday, is the state of georgia about to execute an innocent man? why so many people are fighting to save his life. and later, an nfl star making a big difference on and off the field. ♪ [ male announcer ] a simple gesture can spark romance anytime. and when it does, men with erectile dysfunction can be more confident in their ability to be ready

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barring a last minute reprieve, troy davis will be executed for the murder of a police officer 22 years ago. but but his supporter say there is plenty of reasonable doubt in this case with a string of witnesses recanting their testimony. we get more on this story tonight from nbc's thanh truong. >> reporter: it is a fight for life and death. on the side of georgia death row inmate troy davis, thousands rallying in his support, plus petitions from more than 600,000, many sent online. >> we're in a very urgent and troubling situation because we are within days of an execution. >> reporter: on the other side, police, prosecutors and the family of slain savannah officer mark macphail. >> he was the apple of my eye and i love him, i would just want to tell him how much i love him. >> reporter: macphail was killed in 1989, shot in the face and chest at a burger king parking lot. witness testimony put troy davis and another man at the scene. davis was convicted and

sentenced to death. but just three days before his scheduled execution, a worldwide cry for clemency, bishop desmond tutu, former president jimmy carter and even pope benedict joined in. davis' many supporters say there is too much doubt for him to die by lethal injection. they point to the fact that seven of the nine witnesses who testified against him have recanted their statements. one of those witnesses said, quote, i told them that troy told me he did it. but it wasn't true. >> you have to be absolutely certain. there are no do-offvers when yo talk about taking a push's life. >> reporter: the defense claims there is little physical evidence, the murder weapon never found. macphail's family says davis is the killer and deserves death. he's been up for execution three times. each one halted. every delay devastating. >> it brought right back up to the forefront and those wounds are just -- they're ripped back

open. >> reporter: davis' sister prays for a miracle. >> it is in god's hand. that's the only place it can be, in god's hand. >> reporter: despite her faith, the decision rests with the state pardons and role board who tomorrow decides if he should be executed as planned. thanh truong, nbc news, atlanta. cancer claimed the lives of women in two prominent american political families. ted kennedy's only daughter kara died friday after collapsing at a washington health club. patrick kennedy says lung cancer treatment left his sister physically weakened and her heart gave out. eleanor mondale, the daughter of former vice president walter mondale, passed away after a long battle with brain cancer. both women were just 51 years old. when we come back, how a young american athlete made history today. -dad, why are you getting that? -that's my cereal. is there a prize in there? oh, there's a prize, all right. is it a robot? no. is it a jet plane? nope. is it a dinosaur? [ laughs ] [ male announcer ] inside every box of heart healthy cheerios

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we heard an awful lot lately out of washington about the state of the nation's crumbling infrastructure. beyond the political posturing, there are startling new statistics about just how bad this situation has become. our report tonight from nbc's tom costello. on the indiana/kentucky border, frustration. >> where are the public officials going to assume the responsibility of their elected office. >> reporter: after engineers found cracks in steel support beams on the sherman minten bridge over the ohio river, the governors of both states shut it down. >> we are convinced it is the only responsible decision to make. >> reporter: the latest sign of an underfunded, undermaintained infrastructure. >> one in nine bridges is deficient. every second of every day an american driver crosses a deficient bridge that is in bad need of repair. >> reporter: transportation for america reports that 11.5% of the nation's bridges, more than

69,000, are now structurally deficient, requiring repair or replacement. pennsylvania has the most, 5900 bridges in need of repair. >> there are private construction companies all across america just waiting to get to work. there is a bridge that needs repair between ohio and kentucky that is on one of the busiest trucking routes in north america. >> reporter: that's the brent spence bridge in cincinnati in the backyards of john boehner and mitch mcconnell. the president plans to visit the bridge this week to push his jobs plan. the cost of repairing the bridge, $2.4 billion. while the federal government only pays for 25% of highway and bridge maintenance, that 25% sets the repair priorities. >> we have in this country ignored our infrastructure. and we ignore it at our peril. >> reporter: for two years now, congress failed to pass a national transportation bill, meantime, the list of bridges

need repair grows longer. the total cost of repairing every deficient bridge, $140 billion. >> we need to invest in our infrastructure. it is something that holds our country together, makes us competitive. it gives us our place in the world's economy. right now we're letting it slide. >> reporter: amid the money debate, the nation's roads and bridges wait. tom costello, nbc news, washington. you can check the status of bridges near you on our website nightly.msnbc.com. history was made in the golf course today in alabama. 16-year-old floridian lexi thompson won the lpga classic, becoming the youngest player in the history of the tour. she shattered the previous record by two years. our congratulations to her. up next, an nfl star making a big difference in the lives of young people. woman: downloading music can be expensive.

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before the philadelphia eagles take the field tonight against the atlanta falcons here on nbc, there is one player we want to tell you about. he delivered his share of big hits on the gridiron, but he's a bigger hit with kids off the field. as nbc's jenna bush hager tells us, he's making a difference in

their lives. >> nobody saw this one coming. >> they have nnamdi asomugha. >> reporter: nnamdi asomugha, one of the newest members of the philadelphia eagles. he's been described as fast and furious on the field. and off the field, his teammates call him something else, senator. >> came in here, that was the nickname, senator came out so i have to roll with it now. >> reporter: it is a name he ser earned not just serving his team but the communities he lived in. in his family, education, not athletics, came first. >> culturally i think it is a big deal, education in nigeria. >> reporter: after earning a degree in finance from the university of california berkeley, and joining the oakland raiders, nnamdi started the asomugha college tour for scholars, known as acts. each year he takes a dozen underprivileged high school

students, some who have never been on a plane, on a tour of universities across the country. >> we know that with exposure, you know, you can reach all sorts of new heights. >> reporter: daisy franco, an l.a. native, visited georgetown university. >> i didn't have a school on my radar at first. and then when i came to nnamdi my junior year, i fell in love with the school. >> reporter: now a georgetown freshman, she's the first in her family to go to college. amber adams was on the same tour and now in her first year at howard university. >> kind of motivated me. everyone on the trip was super smart and it made me realize i have to work hard too and maybe i can go to a school like this. >> reporter: humbled by the kids he serves, inspired by the sport he loves, nnamdi jokes his highly educated family still expects more. >> i have three siblings. and they're -- >> reporter: yale, columbia -- >> michigan, stanford, a big deal. so it turns into how many

degrees, you know, do you want to get? i got a job right now, i'm a little busy. >> reporter: and he wants to win the super bowl. >> it is still my goal here, you know, doing my best no matter what is expected of me. >> reporter: regardless, he's already a champion in the cause that matters most. jenna bush hager, nbc news, philadelphia. that's "nbc nightly news" for this sunday. coming up next, "football night in america" followed by "sunday night football," the eagles and the falcons. brian williams will be here tomorrow. i'm lester holt reporting from new york. for all of us here at nbc news, good night. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com

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