making news in america this morning, deliberate action. the co-pilot of the doomed germanwings plane now the center of an investigation. his house now a crime scene. we're live with the latest evidence from investigators. a massive explosion rocking a new york city neighborhood. new video of the palace as people on the streets scatter to safety. plus what investigators believe is the cause. caught on camera. patrolling 9 streets turning intoch madness. the elite eight beginning to take shape. one game down to a few final minutes and another big blowout.

good friday morning. i'm ryan smith in for t.j. holmes. >> and i'm reena ninan. we begin with the plane crash investigation into the french alps which now appears to be a mass murder. >> we have all angles covered including new details about the co-pilot who investigators believe deliberately took down the plane. and searchers are beginning another day of work sifting through the mangled wreckage. >> plus cockpit safety coming into question. what's being done to reduce the risk of this happening again. >> team coverage beginning with molly hunter near the crash site. good morning, molly. already a very busy morning there. >> reporter: it is reena and ryan. helicopters are busy taking crews up to that crash site. but the overwhelming question on everyone's mind this morning is why. this morning an up close look as the grim work goes on. searchers looking for remains and clues on this steep treacherous slope. all that's left of germanwings

flight 9525. officials say this man, 27-year-old co-pilot andreas lubitz locked 9 pilot out of the cockpit and deliberate flew the airbus into the ground. the cockpit voice recorder capturing it all. as it hits cruising altitude the captain asks lubitz to take control stepping out of the cockpit presumably to use the rest room lubitz resetting the autopilot beginning the deadly descent. the pilot frantically banging on the door 34r50eding to be let back into the cockpit. but there's no response. lubitz is heard breathing normally never speaking as the seconds tick by. the jet closes in on the mountains in full view of the passengers. in germany, the home he shared with his family now a crime scene. police gathering any clues that could explain his motive. lubitz had just 630 flying hours. but the airlines saying there were no red flags, he was 100% fit to fly. he even did some of his training two years ago in arizona. back here in france a touching

ceremony flags in tribute showing all the nations that lost citizens in this tragedy. recovery crews are trying to recover that second data recorder. investigators hoping that it will provide clues to explain exactly what happened in those final moments. reena, ryan. >> hopefully answering some of the many questions. how much longer do they think this operation will take? >> reporter: ryan initially investigators thought that the actual investigation on the crash site would only take a week but now that they have spent about a week up there, four days up there, they think it will take much longer. we've seen pictures of that crash site. now, thousands of pieces and it's hard to imagine they'll be able to get all of that down from the mountain into the hands of investigators and forensic experts here in any sort amount of time. >> well we certainly will keep our eyes on this. molly hunter live in france.

the crash is raising new questions about those reinforced cockpit doors that kept the pilot out. >> that's right. this morning, we're learning more about how security measures designed to protect passengers and pilots may have worked against them. our team coverage continues with abc's david kerley. >> reporter: since the terrorist attacks of 9/11 commercial aircraft including germanwings air usbus a320 have a nearly impenetrable cockpit door. >> what we were trying to do make sure the bad guys couldn't get in the doors. you couldn't blow it off the things. >> the new reinforced phase two cockpit door. >> reporter: as this airbus demonstration video explains once the cockpit door did locked from the inside a digital code is required to get back in. but even then the pilot inside the cockpit can block re-entry for five minutes. >> but, of course along with comes a problem. what happens if you need to get into the cockpit and nobody inside is able to let you in or even worse a situation like we have here where somebody's denying access. >> reporter: u.s. regulations

require that two people always remain in the cockpit. if one pilot exits a relief pilot or flight attendant must take their place. this was not the policy of germanwings. some international carriers including air canada and norwegian air are changing their policy to match that of the u.s. david kerley, abc news, new york. >> stay with abc news for the latest on the plane crash. live team coverage coming up on "good morning america." now to the escalating conflict in yemen. a key u.s. ally in the middle east. a day after saudi arabia launched air strikes against rebel forces there, egypt says it is ready to send in troops. that is raising fears about a prolonged ground war in a country already in chaos. the rebels backed by iran now control large parts of the country and force the u.s.-backed president to flee. in illinois a national guardsmen and his cousin hatched a plot to kill soldiers in the name of isis according to prosecutors. hasan edmonds was arrested at

midway airport allegedly en route to join and fight with isis but before he left according to the fbi, he planned to give his cousin jonas edmonds his uniform so he could get to wear it inside a nearby base. >> here in new york investigators are hard at work to determine what caused a building explosion. surveillance video from a business across the street shows the moment that the blast took place and the chaos in the treat that followed. 19 people were injured. several of them critically. one young man is missing this morning. abc's ron claiborne has the details. >> reporter: witnesses say a thunderous explosion rocked the five-story building then within seconds fire engulfed it. >> i heard a huge explosion and i could see the structure fall. >> reporter: jameel says the front fire escape still intact in this photo he took seconds after the explosion collapsed forcing people trapped inside to leap from the windows. hundreds of firefighters poured in to battle the raging inferno.

dense black smoke making it almost impossible to see just a few feet. the cause still unknown but suspicion immediately pointing at gas. ron claiborne, abc news, new york. students will head back to school in areas of oklahoma that were hit hard by wednesday's tornadoes. aerial video from the community of moore, oklahoma shows the widespread damage there. one person was killed in the storms near tulsa and dozens of children rescued from a gym that lost its roof. rob marciano spoke with one girl that was inside. >> crazy is that you were in it when it was torn down. >> it was tough. but we were tougher. >> the mayor of moore, oklahoma where 24 people died in a tornado two years ago called wednesday's storm, quote, a junior tornado. well time now for a look at friday's forecast. plan on showers in the northwest. winter-like cold in the upper midwest. some thunderstorms along the mid-atlantic and sweltering conditions in the southwest. >> those temperatures will soar

above 90 in much of the southwest. but they'll only hit the 20s and 30s in the upper midwest. typical readings of 50s, 60s and low 70s in most other spots. still ahead, sex, drugs and d.a. agents. the bombshell report released by the justice department. a mile high adventure turns terrifying for skydivers as they're forced to make an emergency landing. plus school surprise. students get an impromptu visitor walking down the hall.

welcome back. a small plane with six people on board was forced to make an emergency landing last night in south carolina. the pilot reported engine failure and too far to the

nearest airport so he put the plane down on the road. most of those on board are part of a skydiving team but they did not need their parachutes. the prosecution in the boston marathon bombing trial is close to wrapping up its case. while seeing graphic photos of the wounds sustained about a victim killed in the attack, jurors listened as a medical examiner discussed her fatal wounds. two more medical examiners are expected to testify on monday then prosecutors are expected to rest their case. italy's highest court set to issue its ruling on whether to uphold or overturn amanda knox's conviction for the 2007 murder of her roommate. meredith kercher. if that is upheld italy could ask the u.s. to extradite her and she would be facing 28 years in prison. knox insists she will never set foot in italy again saying she would rather be a fugitive. illinois congressman aaron schock raised eyebrowse during his time on capitol hill. there was this redecoration of his office in the "downton abbey" theme and now his

farewell speech to congress schock compared his current troubles to those of abraham lincoln and resigned over questions about his spending. actor ben affleck joined microsoft founder bill gates on capitol hill to urge more foreign aid for parts of africa and focused on help for the democratic republic of congo where he is working to rebuild the coffee industry age offered up a shout-out to the appropriation committee's ranking democrat senator leahy. >> i would be remiss if i did not acknowledge my co-star in sounds like confirmation from affleck that senator leahy will make a cameo in the upcoming "batman versus superman." he appeared in four previous "batman" movies who is his agent? >> looks like he has something to brag about in the senate cav

cafeteria cafeteria. smoke pouring from a vehicle inside. an officer's heroics actions caught on camera. busted. the suspect spotted at a restaurant and what the officers did next is actually going viral. and clearer skin. this is my body of proof that i can fight psoriatic arthritis from the inside out... with humira. humira works by targeting and helping to block a specific source of inflammation that contributes to both joint and skin symptoms. it's proven to help relieve pain, stop further joint damage and clear skin in many adults. doctors have been prescribing humira for nearly 10 years. >>humira can lower your ability to fight infections, including tuberculosis. serious, sometimes fatal infections and cancers including lymphoma have happened, as have blood, liver and nervous system problems, serious allergic reactions and new or worsening heart failure. before treatment, get tested for tb. tell your doctor if you've been to areas where certain fungal infections are common, and if you've had tb, hepatitis b, are prone to infections, or have flu-like symptoms or sores.

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collapse. the immediate -- the impact caused other beams to come down. one of them landed on a pickup truck killing the driver. three other people were taken to the hospital. they're investigating whether the tractor trailer's load was too tall for the bridge. they say speed was not a factor. disturbing allegations senior dea agents working overseas. they found the agents took part in sex parties with prostitutes funded by drug cartels and they took place in government leased housing with laptops and other devices in the room. potentially exposeing the agents to extortion. >> a lawyer representing that california woman at the center of a possible kidnapping hoax now says it was real and that she is cooperating with police. denise huskins met with police hoping to clear her name and a lawyer for her boyfriend aaron quinn also insists the kidnapping was not staged and that he played no role in any hoax. >> our client has no

responsibility for this kidnapping. he was forced to drink something that even the kidnappers told him was drugged. >> vallejo police have not yet commented on these latest statements or whether they questioned either party. frightening moments for a family near columbus, ohio un unaware their suv was on fire. fortunately two police officers spotted the smoke and flames and pulled the family over. they rescued a man, a woman and then pulled two little girls from the backseat. there were no major injuries. well a low-key arrest in south florida over a breakfast of egg, potatoes and bacon. the martin county sheriff's department had been tracking a bank robbery suspect when they spotted him at a busy diner. they sat down at the man's table just while he was finishing eating. he was then placed in handcuffs and led outside so i guess he got to finish his breakfast. also taken into custody, a small alligator that made its way into a middle school in tampa where staff lured it into

a trash can and waited for a trapper to arrive. they believe it came from a small pond nearby. a heartwarming story. some of the former players coached by the late dean smith say a gift he included in his will perfectly sums up his generosity. he coached the university of north carolina tar heels for 36 seasons. he died last month. his will includes an order to send $200 checks to all his letterman. all the kids that earned letters for him along with a note saying they should have dinner on the coach. 180 checks were mailed out. at least one player says that's a check they won't cash. >> the tar heels went out of march madness last night. >> here's the action. >> the sweet 16 tipped off on thursday night. man, west virginia's night was over basically before it even got started. >> a freshman made a prediction

they would inter-kentucky's perfect season. willie cauley-stein and trey lyles. that looked like two on the same play. their defense is so long so strong then they didn't have much problem with west virginia's pressure. they had only ten turnovers. andrew harrison. west virginia shot just 24%. the irish beat wichita state. >> will a notre dame player guarantee a victory. 37-1. shawn miller taking on chris mac. remember miller had the success of xavier. well, mac having success too. jalen reynolds gives "x expect a three-point lead and davis switching hands. four-point lead for xavier under ten to go but arizona tightened the screws on defense t.j. mcconnell hits a three and ashley hits one from the elbow and arizona wins it by eight and will get a rematch, rematch that we've been waiting for against

wisconsin in the elite eight. >> yep. that's all we got from here. sweet 16 continues on friday. we send it back to you. >> good stuff. well coming up next on "the pulse," the producers of "downton abbey" making a big announcement about the show's future. and ceremony surprise. what happens when a superstar shows up at your wedding. allergies can distract you. so when your symptoms start, doctors recommend taking non-drowsy claritin every day of your allergy season. with claritin, you get powerful, non-drowsy relief 24 hours a day, day after day. which is important because with fewer symptoms to distract you you can focus on the extraordinary things you do every single day. live claritin clear. every day.

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♪ time now for "the pulse" and starting to do my british accent. rumors now confirmed the next season will be the last of "downton abbey." >> i know you thought reena and i would be in the cast. not quite. it will be the hit series sixth season and won't start airing until next january. in all nine new episodes feature featuring all the characters upstairs and downstairs produced

over the next few months. >> they gathered in london to read through the scripts of "downton abbey's" final season yesterday. of course complete secrecy is being maintained. >> say it ain't so. all right. how about this from one group leaving to a key guy leaving. another -- an emotional message from a member of one direction after that stunning departure that sent millions of teens and tweens into a tizzy. >> oh in response top zayn malik quitting the group, band memory yam payne tweeted this last week has been some of the worst times. it's sad to think for the time being we won't grace the stage as five bros but i'm sure -- i'm super sure us and zayn will always remain the closest friends. i guess what i'm really trying to say is it it's far from over. >> super sure. that's how sure he is. the news lit up spotify with streams for one direction up by more than 700%. another british pop star is not breaking hearts. he's bringing them together.

>> just married australian couple was about to take part in a traditional first dance when they were surprised by a live wedding singer. >> the first dance as husband and wife bring in the wedding singer please. here he is. [ cheers and applause ] >> oh, my god. ♪ when your legs don't work like they used to before ♪ ♪ and i can't sweep you up on your feet ♪ >> i love you. ed sheeran showed up to sing his hit song "thinking out loud" for the astonished couple. >> the entire tab was picked up by a local radio station after learning the financially struggling couple had to postpone their wedding plans when the bride's mother passed away. what a class act. not only sherron but the radio station. >> both parties absolutely and to have him come and show up and play at your wedding, i love that. >> many cool points earned by ed sheeran. for some of you your local news

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>> good morning everyone, i'm matt o'donnell. 4:27 a.m. philadelphia police made quick arrests of two teenagers in a sexual assault case. we'll have details in a live report. plus more on the investigation often the gas explosion that leveled a manhattan apartment building. we're tracking rain and cooler temperatures for your friday and a brief return of winter over the weekend. david murphy has the complete forecast. karen rogers will have a look at traffic, "action news" is next. # ly from us a new cast of characters for the late night comics to poke fun at. >> that's right. this week it's a pop star and a senator. here now your "friday funnies."

>> people are questioning if ted cruz can even legally run for the presidential election because he was born in canada. well you're excited but the last thing we want to do is pave the waif for a president bieber. >> time for the big speech. let's see how the liberty university students welcomed the senator. whoo the excitement the passion. the rand paul t-shirts. >> ted cruz said today that if elected president he'll tell the truth and do what he said he'd do and, guys i know we've been burned 44 times on this but i have a good feeling about this one. i feel like this is the one. >> during an interview yesterday donald trump accused ted cruz and other candidates of stealing his phrase make america great again. yep. it's a saying he came up with about a year ago. donald trump came up with that yeah. he came up with a year ago and

then apparently he went back in time and gave it to ronald reagan. >> make america great again. >> i don't know. >> zayn from one direction announced he's leaving the band. seems like a bad idea to me. justin timberlake left 'nsync and the poor guy was never heard of again. >> i'm proud of zayn. go live your life zayn. he's 22. go do things 22-year-olds do with loads of money. >> one direction fans are having pretty strong reactions in the news. take a look at some of these. >> i was so surprised and disappointed. >> this is unacceptable. >> he's a traitor. pure and simple. >> how the hell did this happen? >> something special. >> i tried to talk him out of it. [ cheers and applause ] >> i tried to talk him out of it. >> oh, that's amazing. well we said good-bye to zayn. "downton abbey" soon. that's what's making news in america this morning. "gma" next.

>> good morning we're following breaking news this morning, two teenagers are quickly arrested after they allegedly sexual assault a woman as she walks home in port richmond. a man turns the tables on a robbery. >> we're tracking rain and cooler temperatures for your friday. >> good morning everybody, let's talk about the rain and see what it's doing to the roads with david and karen. >> reporter: it is making it wet