crash probe. what caused a plane to slam into an alaskan mountainside killing ted stevens and four others in. and a quick getaway. the world's most fed-up flight attendant makes another hasty exit. this is the "cbs morning news" for wednesday, august 11, 2010. good morning, everybody, and thanks for joining us. i'm betty nguyen. this morning we are learning more about the plane crash that killed former alaskan senator ted stevens. the single engine plane plowed into side of a mountain. there were clouds, gusty winds and rain at the time.

stevens and four others were killed in that crash. federal investigators are on the scene. tara mergener is in washington with the latest. good morning. this plane crashed with such force, it left a 300-foot gash on the slope. the ntsb meets together today to try to piece together clues. investigates are combing the remote mountainside where former alaska senator ted stevens lost his life. >> we're looking to see whether or not there were any pilot reports, distress signals. >> reporter: he and four others were killed when their plane went down 325 miles southwest of anchorage. the group of nine was headed out on a fishing trip. four others survived the crash, including former nasa chief sean o'keefe and his teenage son. they were left stranded overnight until rescuers could reach them. >> they can provide us the best information about seati ining location and survivorability, but our first priority is for

their health. >> reporter: investigators are looking into weather as a possible cause, noting conditions at the time included light rain, clouds and gusty stevens served 40 years in the senate, longer than any other republican in history. his unexpected death have left lawmakers tuned. >> we have lost one of the greatest leaders this state will ever see. >> reporter: stevens was extremely popular in his home state. he directed billions to alaska, including the infamous bridge to nowhere, which became pork barrel spending. he was convicted of corruption and the charges were later dropped because prosecutors held evidence from the defense. >> home is where the heart is. if that is so, i have two homes. one is right here in this beloved state of alaska. >> reporter: ted stevens was 86 years old. now, in 1978, stevens survived a

plane crash in ab chorage that killed his first wife ann and several others. betty, back to you. >> tara mergener joining us live in washington. thank you. also in alaska, three tour-i who is had been strand on a glacier since sunday have been rescued. the glacier is 45 miles northwest of anchorage. they were picked up by helicopter on tuesday but nine other are still stuck on the glacier, including seven guardsmen who had been part of the rescue effort. now to politics. four states held primaries tuesday and we begin in colorado where incumbent michael bennet won the state's primary xt backing of president obama. bucking an anti-establishment trend, he defeated andrew romanoff endorsed by former president clinton. but it w he was denver school superintendent when he was appointed. >> it was just a week ago the political pundits and the washington oddsmakers started

counting us out of this race. so, to the pundits and the talking heads, i have a simple message, welcome to colorado. >> bennet will face ken buck in november. linda mcmahon easily defeated two other candidates to capture the republican senate nomination. mcmahon spent more than $20 million of her own money on the campaign. she hopes to capture the seat held by retiring senator chris dodd. >> people ask me every day, linda, why did you decide to run for the united states senate? and i can tell you, it is because i had a great fear that the american dream was in the greatest jeopardy that it has ever been in our lifetime. >> mcmahon will be the underdog when she faces richard blumenthal in november. he ran unopposed. in georgia the republican runoff for governor is too close to call.

the three-we're runoff election between karen handle and nathan featured biting attack ad. handle was endorsed by sarah palin. in minnesota, mark dayton won nomination for governor. he'll face republican state representative tom emmer. a tropical depression has formed in the gulf of mexico and headed right toward the site of the oil spill. the storm center is located about 340 miles southeast from the mouth of the mississippi river. with winds of 35 miles per hour, it is expected to strengthen into a tropical storm today. the approaching storm forced bp to stop working on a relief well. work is expected to be suspended for two to three days. meanwhile, federal authorities announced tuesday that about 5,000 square miles of the gulf along the florida panhandle have reopened for commercial and recreational fishing. in haiti, former president

george wncbush got a firsthand k at rebuilding efforts since the devastating earthquake. he visited a mango farm and a sewing factory. he teamed with former president clinton to raise funds for relief efforts. on the "cbs morning news," asian stocks dipped into red territory together. ashley morrison here with more on that. >> asian markets fook a dive after the yen surged. the nikkei shed more than 2% and the hang seng was also down. wall street gets the latest on the jobs market and an earnings report from cisco. on tuesday the market slumped even after the fed said they'd keep interest rates at record lows and begin buying government debt to help spur the economy. the dow lost 5 4 points while the nasdaq gave back 28. a preliminary federal report suggests in many cases toyota drivers were to blame for unintended acceleration.

black box data recorders show brakes were not applied in 35 of the 55 studies. there's no evidence yet that faulty electronics played a role but the investigation will continue. airlines are doing a better job of making sure passengers don't get straned on the runway. the transportation department says just three flights sat on the tarmac for more than three hours in june. compare that to nearly 300 in june of last year. the government now charges stiff fines for airlines that don't return passengers to the terminal within the three-hour limit. and if you're headed back to college and think you're a lock-in to get an "a" a new website will let you put your money where your mouth is. on ultrinsic.com, students can bet on their grades.

the company says it's not an online gambling, but technically illegal in the u.s. because the wagers still require skill. i don't know about you, but sounds like gambling to me, right? >> i think a little bit. if you're smart, it might pay off. you get an "a," you do, but it would work the opposite way. you think you're not going to do so well, you fail, you win, too. i don't know if that's a good idea. >> if you said you're going to get an "a" you might push harder, too. >> but if you're going to fail and you do -- explain that to mom and dad, right? ashley morrison joining us live in new york. just ahead, former "american idol" fantasia hospitalized after a health scare. the latest dramatic exit by jetblue flight attendant steven slater. first, katie couric with a preview of tonight's "cbs evening news." from the middle east conflict there's a glimmer for hope of peace in a town where

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but you may be able to do something. [ male announcer ] have a heart to heart with your doctor about your risk. and about lipitor. escaped prisoner john mccluskey is still on the run this morning. border patrol agents and u.s. marshals are searching near glacier national park in montana. meanwhile, tracy province was in court in wyoming tuesday and waved his right to fight extradition. he'll be returned to arizona soon. jetblue flight attendant steven slater is free on $2,500 bail this morning. he faces charges in connection with an incident monday when he lost his temper with a passenger and bailed out by using the plane's emergency slide. as manuel gallegus reports, when slater was released, he was in no mood to talk. >> reporter: steven slater made

another dramatic exit tuesday night. he walked out of a police station, free on bail, to face a swarm of reporters. >> not going to say anything at all. >> reporter: then he made a run for it to the satisfy of a friend's car. slater's exit from a jetblue plane is what landed him in court. the 38-year-old flight attendant is now suspended from his job. his attorneys the trouble on monday's flight started in pittsburgh when two female passengers fought in space in the overhead compartment. >> he came over to assist. she started cursing and slammed the overhead luggage bin on his head. >> reporter: once on the ground in new york, the same passenger reportedly cursed out slater when she couldn't get her bag right away. passengers say slater then got on the plane's pa system and said, to the passenger who called me a blank blank, blank you. he then said, that's it, i'm done. with that he opened the exit door, deployed the plane's evacuation slide, grabbed two beers and jumped. but it was no joke here at slater's arraignment.

the judge told slater he could have injured a member of the ground crew by deploying that powerful slide. his partner declined to saying anything about the incident. >> i have absolutely no comment. if you do me a favor, leave, leave, leave. >> reporter: a friend of slater says he's been under a lot of stress because his mother has cancer. she defended his effort, as did his ex-wife. >> i can see why he snapped. >> i find it more offensive this passenger isn't being put on trial. >> reporter: slater could face seven years in prison if convicted. manuel gallegus, cbs news, queens, new york. fantasia is hospitalized after taking an overdose of aspirin and a sleep aid. the singer's manager says the former winner of "american idol" is in stable condition. he says fantasia was overwhelmed after being named in court document in a court case with her alleged affair with a married man. the 26-year-old is expected to be released soon from a hospital

in north carolina new straight ahead, your wednesday morning weather. in sports, tempers get hot as reds and cardinals fight for division lead.

here's a look at the weather in some cities around the country. new york, sunny, 90 degrees. miami, thunderstorms, 86. thunderstorms in chicago, 88 degrees there. 98, sunny in denver. a sunny, 7 in l.a. time now for a check of the

national forecast. the latest satellite picture shows storm clouds over the northern plains and heading into the great lakes. and the southeast has a new tropical system brewing. later today, thunderstorms could pop up in the mid-atlantic and ohio river valley. the heat wave continues in the midwest with temperatures in the 100 s. and the southwest will see sunny skies. in sports, two top teams go extra innings with the bases loaded in the bottom of the tenth inning, mariano rif air raf the yankees gave up a walkoff single and the texas rangers beat new york 4-3. the yankees lead in the american league eastern division is down to only a half game. minnesota went on a home run spree against chicago and the twins beat the white sox 12-6. that puts the twins in first place in the american league central division. in the national league, fines and suspensions are expected after an ugly fight. an argument at home plate turned into a benches-clearing brawl

between st. louis and cincinnati. the cards won the game 8-4 and pulled ahead of the reds into first place in the central division. and atlanta's brooks conrad hit a ninth inning home run against houston. the braves beat the astros 4-2. atlanta now lead the national league eastern division by 2 1/2 games. and in monday night's braves and astros game, watch this, a fan named bo stepped away from a foul ball, which hit his girlfriend, sara, oh, in the arm. now, he claimed he lost sight of the ball in the light. needless to say, his girlfriend was less than pleased. she was smiling a little bit, though. i think she'll be all right. when we return, another look at this morning's top stories. and growing gap, how salaries for federal employees outpaced those from private companies. you'll never go back to your old duster. [ funny voice ] hey, duster!

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on the "cbs morning news," here's a look at today's weather. a new tropical system is brewing in the gulf of mexico. for now, it's just bringing rain to coastal florida. the northern plains could see the thunderstorms and the midwest continues to bake. here's another look at this morning's top stories. a tropical depression is headed toward the site of the oil pill. a tropical storm brewing -- or a tropical storm warning has been issued for the gulf coast. and former wrestling executive linda mcmahon won the senate nomination while michael bennet won the senate nomination in colorado. rand paul of kentucky is denying suggestions he kidnapped a woman during his college days. an anonymous woman told "gq" magazine paul and a friend blindfolded her, tied her up and

forced her to smoke marijuana. the alleged incident happened when he was attending baylor university. a new study finds it really pays to work for the federal government. turns out federal employees' earnings have grown to more than that of workers in the private sector. sharyl attkisson reports. >> reporter: while many americans have suffered pay cuts or job losses, one group is bucking the trend, federal workers. a "usa today" analysis finds that federal employees have gotten bigger pay and benefit increases than private employees for nine years straight. >> it made me think, man, i should be a federal employee. >> reporter: federal salaries have grown 33% faster than inflation. their pay and benefits average sdz 123,000, up 37% since 2000. private workers average $61,000, up 8.8% over the same time.

>> so, you have wall street, you have big oil and now you have federal civilians. >> reporter: and the bonuses are flowing. cbs news has learned your tax dollars funded $95.8 million in airport security, tsa bonuses last year. a $35,000 bonus to the head of the agency. >> they're really overpaid. >> right now everything should be -- everything should be a freeze across the board until we get the economy back up and running. >> reporter: federal employees see things different. >> i think i'm paid a fair wage. >> reporter: defenders of the higher salary say they reflect on the higher skills and education required for their job and many are paid more because they've been with their jobs so long. president obama has ordered a freeze on bonuses for 3,000 political appointees and asking for the smallest pay hike for 2 million federal workers, 1.4%. sharyl attkisson, cbs news,

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good morning. the ntsb is investigating a plane crash that killed ted stevens and four others on monday evening. the infibbous plane slammed in to a mountainside. the survivors include sean o'keeffe. weather remains a factor in the crash. police across the country

are racing against the clock as they try to catch a killer. they believe the same man wanted in connection with three stabbings in leesburg, virginia is behind murders and stabbings in flint, michigan and toledo, ohio. the attacks have been in public and occurred once every four days. the jetblue flight attendant has been released on bail in new york. he was released on jail on tuesday night but it's the way he quit that gained him quite a following. people want to know who's that passenger. how come we don't know about her? what are the ramifications she will face, if any. >> but here what are the ramifications we will face in weather? another hot day. >> >> tie the record. >> we made it to 98 yesterday and that tied the record. show you what is happening. we had an isolated shower or

thunderstorm overnight. we see them in a few spots. they pushed through prince georges county quickly this morning and the eastern shore and one at the northern neck but very isolated. still warm and 92 degrees right now here in washington and also southern maryland. 81 fredericksburg and really a sticky oppressive start to the day. we will be back in the mid to upper 90s, not near 100. a couple of degrees cooler with isolated storms. storm chances tomorrow. more on that and cooler weather, not cool but cooler weather. >> right now basically construction that is the name of the game this morning. no incidents or accidents to tell you about. happy wednesday, everybody. watch for construction near falls road. going southbound you are all clear to the split. to the inner loop we hop, approaching pennsylvania avenue, route 4. more roadwork. should be clearing up in the next half hour. in virginia 95 is moving well

past lorton to 395. millions of americans struggle in the current economy but a new study reveals that government workers pay and benefits are on that double that of private workers. andrea mccarren gauged public opinion. >> most government workers didn't want to talk to us. >> what's your name. >> john doe. >> reporter: those that did wouldn't believe it. >> i find that hard to believe. if we are getting paid twice as much, i feel sorry for the private sector. >> reporter: according to according to the "usa today," federal civil servants earned a pay and benefits package of 123,000 last year, compared to 61,000 in the private sector. >> it's a joke. because the fact is they don't.

the private industry has much more money and benefits isn't regulated by the government and everyone knows that. >> i was in federal government and out in private industry for 20 year and now back in the federal government and i really have no comment because, you know it wouldn't be fair. >> reporter: federal workers have allegedly been given higher pay and more benefit than private employees for the last nine years. >> it's definitely not good policy for the minimum you don't want to lure people in though in the government work force that is already too big. >> reporter: public employee unions stems from the higher level of skill and education required for most federal jobs. >> the "usa today" analysis shows it is a pattern that's been unfolding for nearly a decade. from the first local station with news in high definition, this is 9 news now. good morning. i'm andrea roane. person person is here with weather. angie goff has tr