tragedy on the had you hadson. wreckage and more victims recovered today following that deadly midair collision. tonight, the lateers on the cause. deadly pursuit. a police chase in california comes to a horrifying end. four young children are among the dead. war of words. >> this is not health reform. this is control. >> president obama off to mexico as the debate and anger rages over health care. and on the record. an old school icon taking and on the record. an old school icon taking another spin in the digital age.

captions paid for by nbc-universal television good evening. battling a swirling current and the musrky waters of new york's hudson cover searchers recovered the helicopter that carried six people to their deaths in new york yesterday after colliding with a small plane. they are hopeful they have pinpointed the location of that plane which also spun into the river taking the lives of three other people. the bodies of seven of the nine victims have now been recovered. tonight we've learned a lot more about the victims and thanks to new witness accounts and amateur photographs, investigators are learning more about how the two aircraft may have ended up on that deadly collision course on a bright sunny day. nbc's jeff rossen is on the story for us again this evening. he joins us from hoboken on the new jersey side of the river with the latest. jeff? >> reporter: lester, good evening to you. along the hudson river on the

jersey side, and it's been tough for investigators and drivers today because the wreck tge itself keeps moving around under the water. the current is strong. they need that debris to recon struget the accident and put all this together. tonight investigators are using side scan sonar equipment and they're making progress. in the shadow of the empire state building, the grim search for bodies and debris. investigators recovered both today. more victims pulled from the hudson, along with a charge chunk of the sightseeing helicopter. lifted to the surface with a giant crane. >> the helicopter sustained significant damage. they are going to be conducting further examination of the wreckage to determine what pieces might be missing. >> reporter: we're learning more about the midair collision and how it happened. the crash that killed nine people leaving debris scattered in the water. the single engine piper took off from new jersey's teterboro airport and flew south down the hudson toward new york city. moments later the sightseeing

helicopter took off from manhattan's west side. f asmth a sources tell nbc news the plane may have been in a climbing right turn when it hit the helicopter. captain anthony romano was one of the first responders. >> you can't get out to save someone and they're already underneath the water, you feel helpless, and there's just nothing else you could do about it. it was just sad. very sad. >> reporter: in these dramatic photos obtained by fox news, you can see the moment of impact. the airplane's wing was literally sheered off and the helicopter was ripped apart in a puff of smoke. investigators are using these images and witness interviews to piece the crash together. >> all of a sudden there was like a boom and a clack, clack, clack, clack sound, and then it was silent. >> the main cabin did a nose dive into the hudson. today when i'm watching the bodies being pulled from the river, it's very sad to know that i was watching them die. >> reporter: three of the

victims were on board na small plane, fraul one pennsylvania family. 16-year-old daniel altman, his father, and uncle. on the chopper five italian tourist who is made news in their country today. all of them killed, including another 16-year-old boy and his father. the helicopter pilot, jeremy clark, also died. >> there's a certain camaraderie amongst the pilots. jeremy was a great pilot, great guy. >> reporter: yesterday's accident was the fourth involving liberty tour helicopters in the past 12 years. last year two liberty helicopters hit each other on the helipad without injuries. in 2007 a liberty helicopter crashed into the hudson. all eight people on board were rescued safely, and on new year's eve in 19d 97, a liberty helicopter crashed into another building at the heliport. three people had minor injuries. it is important to note liberty tours of new york city has offered its condolences to all of the families involved and

they're cooperating fully with the investigation. the ntsb said tonight, lester, this investigation could take actually weeks or even months until they have an official cause. >> jeff rossen, jeff, thank you. for more now on the crash, we're joined by former ntsb investigator greg feith. first off sources as you heard in jeff's report are saying the plane may have been in a climbing right turn at the time of the collision. will it be possible to tell if that turn was an attempt to avert the collision or perhaps the cause? >> i believe it will, lester. of course, the ntsb will be depending heavily on radar data and any communication the pilot may have had with teterboro or newark. they will be able to tell if that was an intentional turn to get on course to head to ocean city, new jersey. >> they have recovered the body of the helicopter. will investigators be able to figure out the angle of how the aircraft hit and determine if a pilot could have even seen each

other? >> that's the importance of recovering the wreckage, lester. they're going to want to look for paint transfers. they will look for props slices on the helicopter. they're going to look for rotor marks on the fixed wing aircraft, so the wreckage is very important for investigators to try to understand what the angle of the collision was. >> and, greg, i have flown as a passenger in both airplanes and helicopters and that exact route up and down the hudson. i know most pilots ever well aware of the need to be constantly scanning for other aircraft. this is uncontrolled air space, as is much of the country at lower altitudes. explain how planes manage to safely operate under these so-called visual flight rules. >> well, depending on where they're operating, there is what's called bfr flyways which are prescribed routes that transient traffic would fly. the tour helicopters usually will fly a racetrack or a proscribed pattern as well. pilots are going to be vigilant when they fly into these areas. they have got to be looking out the window because their traffic separation is not done by eric traffic controllers but

themselves. they will be looking out the window and looking for other traffic. the board will want to be looking at what was taking place with the fixed wing pilot. was he distracted? was the turn blinding him or preventing him from seeing the helicopter as he entered into that air space. >> greg faith, thanks so much. another horrible tragedy to report this. one is central california where a police chase ended in a deadly crash. a car that was fleeing officers slammed into a pickup truck killing at least seven people, four of them young children. it's just the latest devastating road accident involving kids. two weeks ago eight people, including four children, died in a wrong-way crash in new york. nbc's george lewis tonight with the shock and questions in california. >> reporter: the yellow barriers cover a grim scene, seven people dead, four of them small children killed as a vehicle fleeing police crashed into a second vehicle. it happened in dinuba,

california, southeast of fresno. when the driver of a dodge neon went through a stop sign and collided with the gmc sierra pickup. both coming to rest near an orchard. >> the traffic collision resulted, and both people ended up within the southeast corner of the intersection. >> reporter: four of the children in the pickup truck were ejected from the vehicle and died at the scene. police say no one in either vehicle was wearing seat belts. now, the california highway patrol is investigating the crash. one question that's bound to be raised, if police had not pursued the dodge neon, which they say was stolen, could those deaths have been prevented? this is dashboard video of a police chase in texas that got up to more than 100 miles an hour and ended when the car plowed head-on into a minivan. amazingly, no one was seriously hurt. >> every time the police get in the chase, it's russian roule e

roulette. you never know how it's going to end up. >> reporter: many police departments are revising their pursuit policies to limit accidents. los angeles police officers pursue only felony suspects and go to a special chase school that emphasizes safety. >> when the pursuit is going on, it's a constant assessment. when the danger becomes too great to the public or to the officer, you got to call it off. >> reporter: because in many cases those pursuits can have tragic outcomes like this. george lewis, nbc news, los angeles. president obama is in mexico now for what's being dubbed the three amigo summit. he's meeting with the leaders of mexico and canada as the debate over his health care plan rages here at home. nbc news white house correspondent savannah guthrie is traveling with the president. she joins us now from guadalajara. savannah, good evening. >> good evening to you lester. the recession, trade, climate change, and the swine flu topped the agenda here in mexico, but back at home the big issue

continues ob an increasingly passionate fight over health care. the president departed washington today for guadalajara, mexico, leaving behind an august health care debate getting hotter. >> i just ask everybody to be as courteous -- >> reporter: anger and frustration on display. this one hosted by iowa democrat senator tom harkin. >> this is not health reform. this is control. >> reporter: as members of congress returned home to answer questions about the health care overhaul in their districts, in washington former republican house speaker newt gingrich continued a controversial line of attack alleging that provisions in democratic health care bills could lead to euthanasia. >> you're asking us to trust turning power over to the government when there clearly are people in america who believe in establishing knute nay sha. >> reporter: the controversy is over a provision that would allow medicare to offer voluntary end of life counseling to seniors. critics like former alaska

governor sarah palin think it's a slippery slope. on facebook show wrote, the america i know and love is not one in which my parents or my baby with down's syndrome will have to stand in front of obama's death panel so his bureaucrats can decide whether they are worthy of health care. such a system is downright evil. at town halls recently, the president has had to calm worried seniors. >> older american citizens would just be put out to pasture. please tell me that isn't so. >> it isn't so. >> reporter: and in his weekly address, the president tried to put the issue to rest. >> and let me start by dispelling the outlandish rumors that reform will promote euthanasia or cut medicate or bring about a government takeover of health care. that's simply not true. >> reporter: well, a senior administration official tells nbc news that the president told of palin's comments said it was unproductive for republican lead tors spread misinformation and back here in mexico a big health issue on the agenda, swine flu.

the three leaders wanting to propose a coordinated response when flu season heats up this fall. lester? >> savannah guthrie in guadalajara. thank you. gas prices are creeping up again. the latest lundberg survey shows the national average for regular jumped 16 cents to $2.64 a gallon. for more now on the economy, we're joined by cnbc's sharon epperson. we've seen some positive economic news lately. what should we be looking forward to in the week ahead? >> the week ahead will bring a lot of news for the consumer. the focus will be on the consumer and what is happening with retail sales. we get that data coming out on thursday for the month of july. we're also going to get earnings reports from walmart, jcpenney, and macys, and walmart, of course, will be very closely watched as often seen as a barometer for the economy. we want to see if the consumer is spending and whether they will continue to spend, particularly during the back to school season and the very important holiday season. also this week the federal reserve meets for two days. they conclude their meeting on

wednesday, and that statement will be closely watched. we know that the federal reserve, we anticipate will probably leave rates unchanged, but what they say about the exit strategy in coming out of some of these recovery programs will be critical. but really it will be the consumer. right now that is the focus. we've already seen better than expected news on manufacturing in the past week, on unemployment, and now we're going to look toward the consumer to see whether or not that will indicate that stocks will continue to rise. keep in mind though we have seen the stock market go up about 50% since march so. if we see a bit of a pullback with the august doll drums and investigators and traders taking some time off, don't be too surprised if that happens, lester. >> a lot of moving parts. when "nightly news" continues, torrential rains, raging floodwaters bring down a treasured hotel, and more trouble is on the way. and if you're old enough, you listened to music on vinyl records. now they're becoming music to the ears of a younger generation.

a typhoon battered china's east coast today after hammering taiwan yesterday where it caused a historic hotel to collapse into the water. nearly 100 inches of rain fell in some areas. china evacuated more than 1 million people along its east coast. at least four deaths are reported, but the toll is expected to climb. now to afghanistan. amid the u.s. troop surge to confront growing violence, a disturbing report today by "the washington post". it quotes military experts as saying the u.s. is taking on commitments that will last at least a decade. they also warn the cost could exceed that of the iraq war. as for the troop surge, we get an update from nbc's jim maceda embedded with u.s. troops in southern afghanistan.

>> reporter: more than 10,000 u.s. marines, they're now spread across the taliban heartland of helmand province. with thousands more u.s. soldiers to follow. but how successful has this surge, now in its sixth week, actually test. test. of going in big is working. >> when we arrived it was a ghost town. two, maybe three stores open on a given day. >> reporter: now the people are flowing back. taliban fighters mostly slashed their weapons and fled. >> what about taliban here? no? >> no taliban? finished? is. >> reporter: with supreme court ba -- >> to help the government of afghanistan to re-establish control to be able to deliver

governance, to be able to provide justice to the people. >> reporter: but not without a heavy toll. the taliban has stepped up attacks in other provinces beyond the surge. 75 u.s. and coalition troops died in july. a record number, but one which could be broken this month. already at least 20 u.s. and nato troops have been killed, mostly by ieds. leaving many asking is the surge worth it? is afghanistan becoming another quagmire? u.s. special envoy richard holbrooke says afghanistan is not vietnam. >> the people who did 9/11 and who attacked mumbai and killed benazir bhutto are out there protected by the taliban, and we have no choice but to succeed here. >> reporter: and that will mean more fighting and casualties according to some afghan analysts. the taliban still controls about a third of helmand and as much as half the country. >> as long as you will have this vacuum, i think taliban could

reemerge. >> reporter: as one u.s. commander put it, the war has just begun. jim maceda, nbc news, with u.s. troops in southern afghanistan. up next here tonight, they spent years in prison for crimes they didn't commit. now it's payback time. how about a swim? i'm a little irregular today. don't you eat activia? for my little issues? summer is no time to put up with even occasional digestive problems. take the activia challenge now. it works, or it's free. ♪ activia

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nbc news in depth tonight. starting over after spending years in prison for crimes they didn't commit. about 40 former texas inmates cleared by dna evidence are looking forward to a big payday on september 1st. texas leads the nation in dna exonerations. according to the innocence project, a legal organization that handles these cases, 241 prisoners have been cleared nationwide in the past 20 years. 38 were convicted in texas. now, as nbc's charles hadlock reports, the state is trying to make up for their lost time. >> reporter: the last time jerry evans was in a courtroom was 23 years ago when a jury sentenced him to life in prison for sexual assault, but this summer dna evidence cleared him.

>> had these test results been available at the time of the trial, you would not have been convicted in this case. >> reporter: evans walked out of prison a free man, cleared of any wrongdoing. >> i want to know howe in hell i did 23 years in prison since i'm back out here now. like i said, i never want to go again. >> reporter: his journey to free.com wak to everyday life has not been without challenge. he'd been locked up for more than 20 years but there's one place he can turn to. >> so if we have a big meeting today -- >> reporter: evans is now a member of the most exclusive club in texas, a group whose members spent years behind bars for crimes they didn't commit. men who have been exonerated d dna evidence. men like james giles. he gives every knew exoneree a $100 bill because the prison

system gives them nothing. >> it's all about finding the means to survive. >> it's all i had when i got out. >> reporter: evans discovered a common complaint. after 23 years in prison, this is the only i.d. he was given, with offender in bold letters. he says try finding a job with an i.d. like this. >> how come -- we're innocent. >> we've already been branded a sex criminal. never mind we've been exonerated. >> reporter: steven phillips spent half his life behind bars. dna proved his innocence, but like the other exonerees, he's still trying to clear his name. >> there was a great fight for justice on my part, and i fought that every day. >> we proved you could have a statewide solution -- >> reporter: the state of texas is trying to help by giving them $80,000 for every year they were wrongfully locked up, and $50,000 for every year they spent on parole.

but the men say it doesn't make up for what they missed the most in life -- freedom. >> as everyone say, amen. >> reporter: charles hadlock, nbc news, dallas. up next, forget cds and ipods, it's music the old-fashioned way. my high cholesterol was contributing to plaque buildup in my arteries. that's why my doctor prescribed crestor. people everywhere are learning that plaque buildup is a real reason to lower high cholesterol. and that crestor can help. along with diet, crestor does more than lower bad cholesterol, it raises good. crestor is also proven to slow the buildup of plaque in arteries. crestor isn't for everyone, like people with liver disease, or women who are nursing, pregnant, or may become pregnant. simple blood tests will check for liver problems. you should tell your doctor about other medicines you're taking, or if you have muscle pain or weakness. that could be a sign of serious side effects. like others, while you've been building your life,

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finally, they're back for another spin. among the hot sellers at music stores these days, old-fashioned vinyl records. as nbc's mara ski avo comp powe reports, some are firing up the old turntables. >> reporter: like a lot of 20 somethings, jeremiah is into music, but he's not listening to it the way you might expect. >> i prefer vinyl 100%. >> reporter: now, you're 25. >> right. >> i think a lot of people would expect you to be collecting mp3s. >> right. >> reporter: why are you into records? >> i like records because it sounds like they're playing right in the room. >> reporter: people have been listening to records for more than a century. in one form or another. now after near death at the hands of compact disks, records

are getting another spin at the mainstream. sales were up 89% in 2008 and are on pace to be even better this year. >> they value, you know, owning something, you know, something that they could feel. >> reporter: so retailers are stepping up. even large chains like best buy have started putting vinyl back on the shelf. music lovers are coming back to vinyl for both new music and classics. two of the best selling albums of last year, radiohead's new "in rainbows" and pink floyd's "the dark side of the moon." and record labels are meeting the demand by putting out old records and new releases on vinyl. rock superstars greenday are rereleasing their entire catalog on wax. >> you know, for us it's just -- it's part of our lifestyle to have vinyl. >> there's something about things being gritty and atl