on our broadcast tonight, triumph over tragedy amid heavy security, an emotional return to the marathon for up to a million people in boston. the first american victor in decades and the crowd goes wild. how did he survive? a teenager hides out in the wheel well of a 767 for a five-hour flight over the pacific. tonight, the incredible story a lot of people are finding just too hard to believe. caught on camera, tonight, what some are saying is final proof that russian military forces have crossed the border as vice president biden arrives in ukraine. >> and in the mix, would you believe alcohol in powder form that comes to life by adding water? possibly coming soon and raising a lot of advanced concerns. "nightly news" begins now.

from nbc news world headquarters in new york, this is "nbc nightly news" with brian williams. good evening. this was patriots' day in boston. the one day every year when the boston red sox play at 11:00 a.m. at fenway park and they run the boston marathon. today there was a lot of unfinished business to attend to. memories were lingering, even in the beautiful clear sky over the length of the event and especially at the finish line. the scene of a terrorist bombing last year, well, today went back to being a place where they celebrate human achievement. nbc's rahema ellis was there for all of it and is there to start us off tonight. good evening. >> reporter: good evening. after a year of preparations for runners, police, even spectators, today is about defiance and celebration. >> there's the line, he's across. >> reporter: it was a thrilling

finish for meb keflezighi, the fist american man to win the boston marathon in 31 years, but the record-breaking victory with the not just for himself, but ran with the name of the three people killed last year, along with the name of the m.i.t. officer allegedly killed by the bombing suspect. >> we will never forget the courage strength and resilience we've seen this past year. >> reporter: before the race began, the crowd stopped to remember. >> how is this for boston strong? >> reporter: this year's marathon had extraordinary security and 35,000 law enforcement officials. national guardsmen secured the area, bomb sniffing dogs on patrol and bags inspected at 40 points around the city. but none of it detoured the 1 million spectators that lined the marathon route, or some 5,000 runners who came back to finish a race they were forced

to stop last year. sheila of plano, texas was one of them, just a quarter of a mile away from reaching her goal. >> i have two girls, so even being here today was difficult, out of fear for them because they were scared for mom to come back and run. >> reporter: bob ran for his son's best friend, 8-year-old martin richard. he ran for team mr-8, a foundation to honor he has message for peace. it has to do something for your spirit as you run today. >> it does. >> reporter: chicago moms are also part of the 100-member team. >> it's really hard to even describe it. it's such an honor to even be here. >> reporter: even near the finish line where the bombs exploded. any apprehension about being here? >> not at all. >> reporter: while the chaos of last year wasn't far from people's minds, they were determined to move forward with a single purpose -- turning tragedy into triumph of for the racers and the city.

brian, other official winners of the marathon today included reeta zeptune and tatanya mcfadden as a wheelchair winner. and ernst van dyke, the men and women's wheelchair winners. >> thanks. and now to the story that broke overnight that some people thought to be physically impossible. a 16-year-old who breached airport security, then stowed away in the wheel well of a 767 during a flight from california west to hawaii. that's five hours at an altitude approaching 38,000 feet, temperatures way below zero and a severe lack of oxygen. few people have ever survived similar conditions, but we are being led to believe this young man did. we get the story tonight from nbc's joe fryer. >> reporter: sitting on a stretcher at a hawaiian airport, the 16-year-old stow away was in surprisingly good health after he emerged from the plane. >> he was weak. he hung from the wheel well and

then he fell to the ground and regained strength and stood up and starting walking to the front of the aircraft. >> reporter: it started here at the airport in san jose. it was 1:00 sunday morning after getting in a fight with relatives, officials say the boy scaled a fence somewhere here at the airport, making his way to a plane. federal sources tell nbc news, surveillance video between gates two and three shows the teen climbing into a plane's wheel well unaware it was going to maui. the five-hour flight reaching altitudes as high as 38,000 feet. the sub zero temperatures and little oxygen, authorities say the stouaway was unconscious most of the trip. >> stowing away in the wheel well for a long flight is para. it's miraculous he survived. there have been 105 stowaways, 76% did not survive. the san jose airport says the perimeter security meets federal

requirements, but no system is 100%. >> it is possible to scale the airport perimeter fence line, especially under the cover of darkness and remain undetected. >> reporter: this security expert says it's an issue for most airports. >> there hasn't been the investment needed in perimeter protections in san jose as there should be, obviously. >> reporter: it's unclear what if any, charges the teen could face. hawaii officials are working to bring him home, a runaway stouawstou stowaway, lucky to get away and be alive. joe fryer, nbc news. the search for the missing malaysia airlines plane is nearing the end of its initial under water phase. the u.s. robotic submarine scanning the sea floor for about a week now is almost 2/3 of the way through its mission in the location where they picked up

the pinner sounds. they have yet to find any physical signs of the plane or the boxes. all of this makes the next step somewhat uncertain. the death toll is rising as divers make their way into the sunken ferry off the coast of south korea. we have a live look at the scene what is now tuesday morning there. the official death toll stands at 87 dead, many of them teenagers, and about 215 people still unaccounted for. and tonight, anger is growing at the captain and crew for their decision making, or lack of it in that moment of crisis. we get our report tonight from nbc's bill neely in south korea. >> reporter: one by one police boats bring the teenagers home to be identified initially. their details posted for parents. girl, braces, red fingernails, it is agony. today, though, support for those families from the very top. south korea's president park criticizing the crew. the action of the captain and

the crew was incomprehensive, she said. it was like murder. it can't be tolerated. the captain was one of the first to escape the ship and receive medical help. a doctor says he identified himself here as a passenger. he's been charged wi criminal negligence, four more crew are now being questioned. this was the captain four years ago promoting the same journey. it's safe he says, as long as you follow the crew's directions. those who did on this ship, are still trapped inside it. the chaos captured on radio. please broadcast and tell passengers to wear life jackets. the ship responding, we are unable to broadcast. the ship is directly below us here, one end marked by the cream-colored buoys. there are dozens of divers working inside the passenger area trying to bring the bodies through the ship and to the surface. the ferry is completely flooded.

they say there are no air pockets and think there are no survivors. from there, they are brought ashore, 16 and 17-year-old students, somebody's daughter, somebody's son. once the parents identify them, the mourning begins. [crying] >> reporter: heartbreaking cries filling the air. there was no miracle here over easter. now they simply pray that this trauma will be over soon. bill neely, nbc news, south korea. there are new images just now released from ukraine that are being called substantial photographic proof that russian military forces have crossed over the border and are causing trouble despite weeks of official denials from moscow. a new twist in the crisis as vice president joe biden lands in ukraine.

we get our report from our chief foreign affairs correspondent andrea mitchell. >> reporter: if they walk like russian soldiers, dress like russian soldiers, and even talk like russian soldiers, most likely they are russian soldiers. and now ukraine's new government says it has proof. these pictures of the mysterious green men who in recent weeks stormed government buildings across eastern ukraine. one group of photos shows the same gunmen in crimea turning up in eastern ukraine and check out the big bearded guy photographed last week and the same man six years ago with a russian special forces patch on his sleeve when the russians invaded former soviet georgia. picture after picture given to european monitors and the u.s. by the kiev government showing that the well-trained uniformed but often masked men are as suspected, russian troops. >> we don't have any doubt about the connection there and i think

the photographs that are reported on today simply reaffirm that. >> reporter: only last week vladimir putin for the first time confirmed what he had been denying. russian soldiers were involved in annexing crimea. today, vice president biden arrived in kiev, offering economic aid but not military support to the new government. even as tensions are rising. sunday morning a gun battle erupted at a pro russian checkpoint killing at least two people. and today, a ukrainian journalist and several other reporters were seized by militant separatists. later, several other reporters were released. but those men now identified as russian soldiers, they are still holding government buildings in cities across eastern ukraine. brian? >> andrea mitchell in our d.c. newsroom. thanks. as president obama prepares to visit the area tomorrow, we have an update tonight on the landslide in washington state where officials now say at least 41 people were killed, just last month northwest of seattle.

the search for the missing continues, of course. during his visit, the president will meet with families and first responders. still ahead on our broadcast tonight, a new way to serve alcohol. would you believe a powder mixed with water now under consideration by the feds? and not being welcomed by all. and later, at the car wash where something amazing is happening and it's a shining example of a dream come true.

>> as we mentioned before the break, federal regulators are considering the approval of alcohol in the form of powder. you would just mix it with water or any liquid for that matter and it instantly becomes an alcoholic beverage. well, imagine the possibilities, the military, sporting events, high school proms, entire nations or cultures or communities that don't allow alcohol, just the thought of it sparked a lot of talk about whether or not this is such a good idea. our report on it tonight from

nbc's stephanie gosk. >> reporter: there is no shortage of ways to consume alcohol, the mixed drink, glass of wine, the straight shot. the federal government's alcohol tax and trade bureau is considering approving another -- powlcohol, powdered alcohol. the pact contains the alcohol equivalent of one drink, just add water. they come in some familiar flavors, the powder rita and the lemon drop. inventor mark phillips is an alcohol guru hosting a show and writing a book. >> one glass of wine. >> reporter: phillips tells nbc news in an e-mail he sees powlcohol as a solution to carry heavy and bulky bottles. >> i think it would be fun to take to the ballet, a movie. >> reporter: the makers are experimenting with adding it to

food, specifically gaucamole, though i don't know why you would mess with a perfect combination. the website cautions, we have yet to understand the potential of being added to food, please use it responsibly. it also strongly advises people not to snort it. but mothers against drunk driving have already raised some concerns. >> it's easy to hide. it's easy to take into places and it's undetectable. so again, the real key is for parents to be on top of it. >> reporter: makers of palcohol, the federal government must first approve the labels and the state can still decide to ban its sale. stephanie gosk, nbc news new york. we're back in a moment with the scene captured on video by an airline passenger, it's exactly what passengers fear is happening when they can't see.

as you may have heard yesterday, easter sunday rubin "hurricane" carter has died. he was born in north jersey. a troubled man who served time as a young man. but excelled as an army paratrooper and a boxer, becoming european champ in the service. he was given the name hurricane for his destructive force but after his arrest and conviction and imprisonment for a 1966 murder in a bar in patterson, new jersey, it was bob dillon more than anyone else in the world that told the world about him in 1976. his lyrics in "hurricane" flatly stated he was innocent and living in hell. it was long and partial in part because it contained the "n" word.

there were concerts in his name, muhammad ali attend add court proceeding. it took a federal judge to free him and dismiss the case while proclaiming the prosecution was fatally flawed. he said he had substandard med medical care and lost an eye in a botched operation lost his battle to prostate cancer. he was 76 years old. >> this is what we fear happens to our luggage. air canada apologized and plan to terminate two bag hague handlers of video spread showing the dead fall off loading, a 20-foot drop while they were turning a flight around and readying it for the next departure. let's hope this is as close as your u.s. senator ever comes to getting hit by a train. we're going to show you the mayor of milford, connecticut talking while democratic senator richard bloomenthal stands next to him over the yellow safety line.

watch the lower left as if to say a train was coming. that was no simple train. that was the high-speed train to new york. by the way, it was a press conference about the safety record of the metro north commuter railroad. a lot of people were struck by this image from the white house annual easter egg roll. it shows the first couple enjoying a warm intimate moment but wait, who is that behind them? and how is an easter bunny who we love allowed to look so menacing? speaking of menacinmenacing, th president gave his annual reading of "where the wild things are" and seemed to really own it this year. he left it all on the south lawn. >> in news of potentially ruining a good thing, a new experiment from haggen-dazs, vegetable ice cream is being test marketed in japan. and while we respect japanese tastes and their food, which is beloved around the world, this is a purpose-defeating product if there ever was one. when we come back after a break, mr. smith goes to the car wash where something inspiring is going on.

finally here tonight, harry smith brings us the inspiring story of a small business that started with one couple's mission to make sure that nothing would hold their autistic son back from being a successful member of the larger

community, so tonight mr. smith goes to the car wash where something great is happening in parkland, florida. >> reporter: word is spreading around parkland, florida, they do a really nice job at the rising tide car wash. thorough, attention to detail, and polite. when he dreamed up this place, most everyone told john dary he was nuts. >> it's definite insanity. it's really just blind commitment from a standpoint of i don't care, i'm doing it. and i know it will work. >> reporter: john's crazy idea, build a business with the primary mission of employing people with autism. he has 35 guys that work here who fall somewhere on the autism spectrum. >> you don't see guys on cell phone trying to get out of work and on their cell phone because, because, because. >> reporter: the key to rising tide's success is day to day, the job doesn't change all that much. and for many on the autism spectrum, like and john cease son andrew, this's kind of

perfect. what's the best part of it? >> doing tire shines on a customer's car. >> reporter: going through a car wash two years ago, john thought andrew could do this. an answer perhaps to the question every parent with a child with special needs worries about. what happens when they grow up? what does this give your on? >> a life. that was john's vision from the beginnings, but now we all see it. >> do a good job on this you can go on break, okay? >> reporter: including andrew's brother tom who chose not to work on wall street in order to start this family business. >> i work alongside him every day. we wash cars right next to each other sometimes. >> reporter: with tips and not a penny in government subsidies, the men average about $11 an hour. while a few quit, john hasn't fired anyone and he wants to build two more car washes to see if the business model is viable. >> we're setting people up for

success, not for failure. i don't want to throw a lifeline and have to take it back. >> reporter: dignity, independence, a paycheck, frankly, it's what every parent dreams of for their child. harry smith, nbc news, parkland, florida. >> terrific story to end on. that's our broadcast for monday night. thank you for being with us. i'm brian williams. of course, we hope to see you back here tomorrow. good night.

nbc bay area news starts now. right now at 6:00, a south bay teenager, the focus of international intrigue. just how did he survive a night across the pacific inside the wheel well of a plane. >> we begin with that developing story. questions tonight about the story of a south bay teen who claims he flew from san jose to hawaii in the plane's wheel well, a section which is located outside of the plane. how did he do it? the teen says he doesn't even remember the flight to hawaii.

nbc's cheryl hurd is looking into just how the teen could have survived the conditions. but we begin with chase cain. >> reporter: jessica, first of all, san jose airport says they are not going to release the surveillance video that shows someone out on the tarmac. they're also not going to tell us what section of the airport fence this teen may have climbed because both those things contain sensitive security information about the airport. and the boy is not going to face any charges by the fbi or by the police despite climbing over an airport fence is a federal crime. apparently this, a chain link fence is all that stands between you and the planes. >> our airport security program is in line with all federal