on this sunday night, vanished. the desperate search for a plane carrying 162 people that disappeared in stormy weather. tonight the agonizing wait for word on what happened. high seas drama. hundreds trapped on a burning passenger ferry as rescuers struggle against high force winds to bring them to safety. reality check. the innovative program giving teens the sobering look at the dangers of drunk driving. and mission to mars. what life might be like on the red planet and it's right here on planet earth.

good evening. as night falls over the eastern half of this country, a new day has dawned on the waters of indonesia where the search has resumed for an ayers jetliner missing just over 24 hours now with 162 people on board. in an awl too a familiar scene after a tragic year for southeast asian carriers loved ones gathered in airport lounges a waiting word of the plane's fate. ayers flight 8501 left 5:35 local time sunday. 32 minutes later, all contact was lost as the a 320 jet vanished from radar. the search is focussed in the java sea on the last known position. we have full coverage of this unfolding story. we begin with katie at the singapore airport with the

latest. >> reporter: lester, it's morning here. it's been daylight an hour and a half. authorities know when and where the plane went off radar. after 12 hours of searching in daylight no sign of it. >> almost 24 hours after the disappearance of the ayers flight loved ones wait. i hope for a miracle, this man says. two friends and family were on the plane. he planned to join them and cancel twod weeks ago. of those on board, 155 are indonesian. family members gathered around the board, their search for namesen ending in heart break. the air bus a 320 took off from surabaya bound for singapore. the pilot asked to change course

and climb higher to avoid the clouds. only the course change was approved. at 6:17 42 minutes into the flight contact was lost. no distress call received. there was severe weather at the time including highs winds, thunderstorms and lightning. >> you're going to have severe turbulence. this could extend 20 miles from the thunderstorms. even if you try to go around storms you're going to have a zblochblt the possible weather factor a reminder of what happened to the air france flight that cancelled in 2009 off brazil. >> the storm affected the technology in the aircraft and it interrupted the auto pilot flying the aircraft at the time. led to the pilots being unable to main control of the aircraft and went down. >> the captain of the ayers plane was experienced with more than 20,000 flying hours. the plane had made over 13,600

trips. it is owned by ayers based in malaysia. the ceo took to twitter saying this is my worst nightmare air asia has never had a tragic accident. in march, malaysia flight 370 vanished over the ocean flying from kuala lumpur to beijing with 239 on board. no trace of the airliner has been found since. in july another malaysia flight was shot down over rebel held territory in ukraine. 298 passengers and crew members were killed. now what has become a familiar scene in southeast asia as loved ones wait for word on what happened to another jetliner that ran into trouble in the sky. >> reporter: as we know from mh370 they have the black boxes and pings if they need them. this is 24 hours into the

search. right now they're looking for debris on the water and on land. there are a number of highly vegetative islands in that area. >> more of what investigators and searchers are focussing on air safety director with the ntsb and veteran pilot. greg if this pilot was trying to avoid storm cells, what would have happened if the plane had flew into one any way? what's the worst case? >> with these thunderstorms, the big issue is vertical a up and down drafts and content. the hail rain lightning. all those combine to create a situation for pilots whether it compromises the structural integrity of the airplane or comp miedsromises the pilot's ability to control the airplane. it could render a high speed

dive into ocean or over land. >> air france 447 in 2009 that disappeared over an area not covered by radar. this was in re car coverage. does that lead you to believe we'll get answers and find wreckage quickly? >> i think that's a fortunate focal point for this part of the investigation. we have decent radar data. they may have to do traject ri studies to pinpoint the search area. i think that based on the information that's available right now, i think searchers will have a focused area to look at. the air born assets are probably going to be assets that find the floating debris. >> thank you. in europe this evening, a rescue effort is underway to save hundreds trapped on a burning ferry. the fire broke out before dawn off the coast of greece.

crews are battling dark and bad weather to bring the passengers to safety. >> reporter: 44 nautical miles off the coast of greece the norman ferry radioed for help. packed with passengers engulfed in smoke, a fire burning on a lower deck before dawn. nearly 500 trapped. one passenger telling a greek tv station, people are having trouble breathing with the smoke. they're coughing they are cold and shivering. we can't go inside because there's smoke and everything has burned out. rough seas and winds are keeping rescue boats from getting close. navy ships are trying to douse the flames. helicopters are pulling people to safety three at a time. these women and their children were some of the first. survivors are being taken to hospitals in syria. this woman is pregnant rescued with her three children.

channelling told nbc news partners he was on board hours after the fire started and the shift was beginning to lift. a man and woman tried to escape through a lifeboat shoot and were trapped. he died and she was injured. >> we're doing everything we can to save those on board the greek shipping minister said. no one will be left helpless. until the weather improves this is the only way off the ferry. rescuers will continue to battle through the night this will all 478 people are saved. nbc news london. >> tonight this country is feeling the impact of winter storms that stretch northwest to parts of the south. for more of what that means for holiday plans this week let's bring in weather channel kim cunningham. good evening. >> good evening lester. for most of the population right now, the weather is not too bad for travel plans. at least now the radar shows rain in the southeast. we also have some moving through

the mid atlantic states. here in the west we're watching the snow and cold air coming in from canada. arctic air will be coming south. that's a story for a lot of us over the next couple of days where the arctic air goes and who it affects. we're going to see snow in the plains monday. mid atlantic will deal with rain monday. tuesday is a better travel day. here's where the snow is a problem. if traveling through the rockies, going to ski resorts over the next couple of days keep an eye on this. going to be bitterly cold. wind is going to be a problem with this winter storm. it's going to affect the south west on new year's eve. in las vegas, we could see snow. not unheard of to get snow in december. we may say one to three inches in vegas. that could be a record. san diego, rain on new year's eve. east coast looking pretty decent. it's going to get cold. if you're in new york city for the ball dropping new year's

eve, temperatures dropping to 20s. cold coming in new york city and east coast through wednesday. then by thursday looks like air quiet travel day. we'll start to watch the storm out of the southwest bringing wintery weather into texas. back to you. >> kim, thank you. another police officer has been killed in the line of duty. this time in flagstaff, arizona. 24-year-old tyler stewart was gunned down responding to a domestic violence incident yesterday. the shooter then shot himself. the rooek ki officer had been with the staff less than a year. today marked a turning point in afghanistan. the u.s. led coalition ended the combat role in the country. that mission has officially come to an end, but the conflict is far from over. senior white house correspondent chris jensing has our report tonight. >> a fallen ceremony marked the end of the longest combat

mission in i have history. one retired and another referral for a resolution support. the sacrifice, more than 2300 american lives lost. today in a statement, president obama echoed what he said at a marine corps base on christmas day. >> the world is better safer, more peaceful more prosperous and our homeland is protected because of you. >> some of the changes in afghanistan have been dramatic. >> it was a state of brutal nature. now there's institutions security forces hospitals, universities newspapers women went from being the equivalent of owned donkeys to being part of civil life. >> the transition has been anything but smooth. 2014 has been the deadliest year since 2001 with 5,000 afghan forces killed not what the u.s. expected when it went to war

after the 9/11 11 attacks. >> the united states military has begun strikes. i would take ten years for navy seals to find and kill bin laden. it was often overshadowed by setbacks. the deaths of pat tillman as the result of friendly fire. beau bergdahl taken as pow and held nearly five years and reports he planned to dessert. a suicide bombing and insider attacks. >> i'm not sure it's a lost cause, but i must admit it's hard to imagine good news coming out of afghanistan in coming years. >> now 13,000 troops will stay in afghanistan, most americans like the ones lester talked to. >> in due time this place will be where it needs to be. >> in the meantime president obama acknowledged today how dangerous afghanistan still is and u.s. military there remain at risk. he recently expanded the counter

terrorism role as well as taliban providing air and ground support for at least two more years. lester? >> chris, thank you. when nbc "nightly news" continues, a creative program teaching teens about the dangers of drunk driving. later, it's 100 million miles to mars but she's still the one for you. and cialis for daily use helps you be ready anytime the moment is right. cialis is also the only daily ed tablet approved to treat symptoms of bph like needing to go frequently. tell your doctor about all your medical conditions and medicines, and ask if your heart is healthy enough for sex. do not take cialis if you take nitrates for chest pain as it may cause an unsafe drop in blood pressure. do not drink alcohol in excess. side effects may include headache, upset stomach, delayed backache or muscle ache. to avoid long term injury, get medical help right away for an erection lasting more than four hours. if you have any sudden decrease or loss in hearing or vision or any allergic reactions like rash, hives swelling of the lips tongue or throat or difficulty breathing or swallowing, stop taking cialis and get medical help right away.

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>> everyone knows drunk driving kills. why do so many of our young people still think they're invincible? >> number one cause of death for people age 16 to 19 in the united states is car crashes. >> driving under the influence plays a major role in that chilling statistic. something these high schoolers don't want to be a part of, so they are here looking and acting like they've been drinking. >> i feel if you have a personal experience it's easier to be like i'm not going to do it. >> it's called driving skills for life where kids wear the drunk suit with weights that put them off balance and drunk goggles that blur and distorte vision. when these drivers see double it's a real eye opener. frankly it's the type of course

parents could benefit from too. >> if you gave me this test on the side of the road i'd be going downtown now. >> you would have failed this test. >> with vision blurred and feeling disoriented, things become scary. >> i can't concentrate on where i am. >> consider if you're going 35 or 55 on a road. >> i'm getting quite dizzy. >> you're out of the course. completely left of the course. now we're coming back on. >> man. what do most say when they get out of the car? >> just what you said man. >> these high schoolers now head home with an education. >> first and last time a ever drive impaired like that. >> seeing double. >> yeah. >> i will never drink and drive ever. >> good advice from kids that failed the test but came out a lot smaller. >> oh my gosh. >> nbc news chicago.

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and visit our website to learn how you may be able to get every month free. in wisconsin this weekend, a few brave souls gave new meaning to the phrase chill out. they took part of the chill out polar plunge an event that raises money for terminally ill children. the dip in the icy lake was undoubtedly cold. it raised a lot of money for a good cause. the nfl regular season wraps up closing out a year full of challenges for the league. domestic violence incidents sealed to dominate the headlines as much as games themselves at times. what sort of impact have the scandals had on america's most

popular spot? ron mott takes a look. >> a punch to the face became a gut check for america's obsession with pro football. the toughest professional test for the man often considered the most powerful in sports. >> could you say i screwed up? >> of course. the most important thing in leadership is say when you make a mistake. >> nfl commissioner roger goodell handling of the rice case challenged his leadership amid public concerns the league cared too little about off the field violence. it challenged how much fans really care. >> here we are at the end of the season is all anybody is talking about is football. nobody is talking about ray rice. nobody is talking about adrian peterson, greg hardy. these stories are pushed to the back burner and frankly off the burner all together. people would rather talk about the game. >> tv ratings are strong. 23 of top 25 shows watched this fall have been nfl games, many featuring public relations make

over. >> no more boys will be boys. >> me and my wife had one bad night, and i took full responsibility for it. >> rice and his wife janay whether or not they wanted started a national conversation about domestic abuse, a tough topic they explored with matt lauer. >> everybody makes mistakes. after this whole situation, you would think we lived in a country full of people who never made a mistake a. >> nfl created a policy and hired a team of women as executives to look at the matter. >> i think the league was listening to people. they didn't have the right voices at the table. >> with the league's future as shiny as the field appears, jason paints it's not social issues that tarnish the long brand term but fears about the sport's safety specifically brain injuries that triggered lawsuits involves thousands of former players.

>> that could be the game changer. >> nfl heads to 2015 for this year. up next a mission to mars that's suffering from the flu is a really big deal. with aches, fever and chills- there's no such thing as a little flu. so why treat it like it's a little cold? there's something that works differently than over-the-counter remedies. attack the flu virus at its source with prescription tamiflu. and call your doctor right away. tamiflu is fda approved to treat the flu in people 2 weeks and older whose flu symptoms started within the last two days. before taking tamiflu tell your doctor if you're pregnant, nursing, have serious health conditions, or take other medicines. if you develop an allergic reaction, a severe rash, or signs of unusual behavior stop taking tamiflu and call your doctor immediately. children and adolescents in particular may be at an increased risk of seizures

confusion or abnormal behavior. the most common side effects are mild to moderate nausea and vomiting. ask your doctor about tamiflu and attack the flu virus at its source. the holiday season is here, which means it's time for the volkswagen sign-then-drive event. for practically just your signature, you could drive home for the holidays in a german-engineered volkswagen. like the sporty, advanced new jetta... and the 2015 motor trend car of the year all-new golf. if you're wishing for a new volkswagen this season... just about all you need is a finely tuned... pen. hurry in to the sign then drive event and get a five-hundred dollar new year's bonus on select new volkswagen models. offer ends january 2nd. i like it when my hygienist lets me know i'm doing a good job. i like it when my toothpaste lets me know too. that's why i went pro. go pro with crest pro-health. for an intensive clean. i can really feel it deep cleaning my mouth. for a 4x better clean try these products together. that was a great check up.

tonight that slow moving wave of lava from hawaii's volcano is advancing once again

toward the town. the lava flow stalled before christmas. the latest movement put it 700 miles from the town's shopping area. another volcano on that island is a few miles away but might as well be a world apart. scientists are using the terrain to mimic a mission to mars as part of a nasa funded study to look at how a small group of people can work together isolated from the rest of society. halle jackson takes a look. >> to get to this outer space mission, you don't need a rocket. just a rental car. 8,000 bumpy feet up the side of a hawaiian volcano, mars on earth. >> this is not what most think of when they think of hawaii. >> it's cold stark, pretty mars-like. >> that's the point to simulate a real manned mission to the red planet that would take years.

what happens psychologically with a small crew in a small space. >> you stress them. how do we detect problems before they become serious. >> even though those inside the dome knows they're on earth, it does something to look outside the window and see this. >> this is the only view we get of the outside. >> that's neil talking, an a rack war veteran picked for this eight month mission mimics life on mars down to freeze dried food. >> this crew can work magic with powder meats and things like. that. >> we're not allowed in. marcia gave us a video tour. >> this is our celebrity crushes that we have. >> that face looks familiar. downstairs a space to workout without showers after to save water. computers have e-mail access but messages are delayed 20

minutes like they'd be on mars. to step outside, everyone doctors the part on a fake red planet where it's real research. >> we want to be astronauts when we grow up. this is maybe as close as we can get. >> the adventure of a lifetime as close as a car ride in hawaii. >> that's nbc "nightly news" for this sunday. up next football night in america followed by againbengals versus the steelers. i'm lester hold here from nbc news. good night. here from nbc news. good night. t here from nbc news. good night.

. pittsburgh, pennsylvania, where, tonight, in a final game of the nfl regular season, the afc north division title and a home playoff game will be awarded to the winner of bengals/steelers. heath miller and the steelers clenched their first playoff berth in three seasons last week. while andy dalton and the bengals punched their ticket to the postseason with an impressive win monday night at home against denver.