Good evening, the word from malaysia tonight is that whatever happened to Malaysia Airlines flight 370 was no accident. The countrys Prime Minister publicly confirming today what has been a widely held suspicion that the plane was deliberately flown off course. Continuing some six hours after radar contact was lost. So are we looking at a hijacking . Suicide or Terror Mission . Officials cant say. And they can see the answers could lie anywhere from the farflung reaches of the indian ocean to the mountains of central asia and possibly to the doorsteps of the two pilots themselv themselves. It is an aviation mystery with no precedent with the face of 239 people hanging in the balance. Once again our team is in place to take us to the latest developments, Kerry Sanders has more. Reporter well, lester because the malaysian Prime Minister said it was a deliberate act it now has turned the incident into a criminal investigation. The malaysian Prime Minister ended the speculation today saying flight 370 airborne for more than seven hours could only have taken the route it did with someone at the controls. This movement consistent with deliberate action by someone on the plane. Reporter the jets whereabouts remains a mystery, but not for a lack of scientific creativity. To track the plane, officials are now relying heavily on a technology that was never designed to chart a jets route. On top it an antenna that automatically sends bursts of data, routinely it is mechanical, like how much jet fuel it is burning, engine performance, but a team of clever technicians realized the ping on the satellite could also reveal how far the plane was from a satellite. Like a string connected to a balloon. While the distance is useful it doesnt show exactly where the plane is because it could be anywhere along the arc. The map shared by the malaysian government established a last known point of contact. And from there, the spread, like that string from the balloon is a wide v, flight 370 could have flown directly west, north towar towar towards antarctic a or anywhere in between, while not exact it is enough for the navys p 8 and p 3 aircraft to search off the coast of myanmar, towards burma. If there is anything like a section of a door or window or anything like that our radar will pick it up. Reporter finding the debris will tell a story but it is the flight data recorder that will best provide the clues to explain what happened to flight 370. As far as an airplane vanishing or disappearing, this is probably the most bizarre ive seen in my career. Reporter tonight, there are 40 ships, 16 different aircraft from 14 Different Countries including the United States all working together to find clues. The area theyre searching is far larger than the nenlt United States. All right, kerry, thank you and with the declaration that it was a deliberate act the question is now who in the cockpit is calling the shots. In a search for answers, the malaysian authorities is trying to question them. Keir simmons has more from kuala lumpur. Reporter good evening, lester, a Stunning Development here, the very job for the pilots whose job is to protect their passengers at all cost, theyre under investigation by police. Police were in the home of pilots whose responsibility was to fly flight 370 safely. They left the copilots houses after two hour, apparently with two family members. Earlier the same detectors left the pilots house, and searching their home. The pilot, zaharie shah was in his 50s, he lives in an upscale neighborhood with his family. In his home, he has a Flight Simulator, the copilot, fariq hamid is said to be engaged and a very private, quiet man. He is a very nice man, he comes, goes to work, then when he comes back, he says hello, hi, that is all. Reporter detectives will have many questions about the men in the cockpit, what motivation might they have for hijacking their own plane . Have either of them been behaving strangely in weeks, and perhaps crucially the investigators will examine the simulator in the pilots home to see what kind of flights he had been flying out. You can potentially go back and look at previously flown routes on a simulator, and in that sense, Law Enforcement if they found a route similar to the one this plane took that would certainly be Critical Evidence for the investigation going forward. Reporter all the passengers and crew on flight 370 are being investigated as the devastated families wait for news. After today i have high hopes that the government will find the aircraft says a father whose son is on board. One key to discovering where the plane is might be establishing who was flying it. And why. Tonight, i have been told that the pilots Flight Simulator was taken from his house by detectives. Could it be crucial to this investigator, lester . All right, keir simmons, thank you for more on the search and the investigation were joined by michael lighter, also greg fife, former senior air safety investigator for the ntsb, michael let me begin with you, we just heard the Flight Simulator for the pilots has been taken into custody, i know you have the people with known links to potential terror groups, here you have two who appear to be upstanding pilots. How do you even start to peel the onion . It is very difficult, lester, this investigation has gone down other paths, you start with the usual suspects now. It is what kier talked about. Talking to the family and friends, going through computers and seeing if there was any indication on the relationships or the communications which could give a motivation or suggestion that people had been thinking about this before the plane took off. Other than knowing it is a deliberate act everything seems to be on the table, so ill go ahead and ask you, has the u. S. Intelligence community ever gained a scenario where a plane is not just hijacked or stolen perhaps to be used for some other nefarious purpose in the future . The Intelligence Community was criticized post9 11 for failure to use imagination, after that we did all sorts of war gaming for different sorts of act. And i have to admit as bizarre as some of those were we did nothing like this. And in that sense i still do think the idea of this plane being taken and landed for some future act is still a very, very, very unlikely possibility. All right, greg fife, let me turn to you. This harass been brilliant Technical Work to use the pings to determine how far the plane traveled. But have we reached the limits of technology . Is there any other technology in the bag of tricks that could pick up any information on the plane . I think, lester, what theyre trying to do with the lone piece of equipment, which is to try to pinpoint where the aircraft is, the only other thing we have not heard about is to pinpoint the other countries, if they had spy information or any other aircraft that they would have been using that might pinpoint where this airplane is. So im not sure that this is the only tool, but were running out of tools in the tool box. Greg fife and michael lighter, thank you gentlemen for being a part of the discussion. And lets turn now to ukraine where people in the crimea region will vote on whether to rejoin russia or break away. Whetherre is little doubt on what they intend to do, people protested against russias actions in crimea. Their feelings were echoed in the United Nation where the u. S. And 12 other members of the United Nations voted to condemn the crimea vote. It is expected to veto the vote. U. S. Ambassador Samantha Power told nbc news it shows how president putin is isolated. Our hope is that this vote in showing that the entire world stands with international law, with the ukraine people, with the territorial integrity that somehow it will affect his calculus, if it does not, russia will feel the outcome. They made final preparations for tomorrows vote with the heavy Russian Military presence in the region. Reporter on the eve of the referendum, the russians have locked down crimea. Ukraine soldiers are prisoners in their own bases, the russia robbers have a sprawling camp outside, there appear to be elite troops giving little away. Ukraine ships are blockaded in their bases, too. One ukraine commander showed me the fence laid by the russians, along the area, they patrol the bay. What is happening here is part of a pattern that is being repeated right across the crimea. They say they are still taking their orders from kiev and are exercising maximum restraint. It has been a clinical operation. The russians move in first then here at the checkpoint, they include volunteers from serbia and russia, searching for guns and explosives. Ukraine activists have been missing, some arrested. And one reporter was abducted by armed men overnight. This was a back drop of sundays referend referendum. For one party, the donations are for the socalled Defense Force who guard the polling papers. This local official told me we are already planning the celebrations. And there seems little reason to doubt his confidence. There are reports tonight of a Russian Military incursion from crimea into mainland ukraine, that and the russian patrols building up on the eastern border make up for this back drop. And today, a protest in syria quickly descending into the civil war taking a staggering toll, killing more than 140,000 people and driving many from their homes. Nbcs bill neely has been in damascus for us and has a report on a war with no end in sight. Reporter when it started with street protests no one believed it would come to this. The deadliest war in the world, no middle east conflict has come close to matching the mass killings. City bombarded, civilians besieged and starved. Chemical weapons unleashed. The bomb invented, crude, brutal like this war. The suffering here is deep. For the first time in months gas has arrived in a suburb of homs. You only have to look at the desperation on their faces. The women tell me all their men are either dead or missing. The regime here vows to finish off the rebels. Were ready to go in and clean up, he says, soon. His master, president assad, rallied his people this week but there is a military stalemate. The war here is now entering its fourth year and there are almost no signs of hope. This front line has not moved in two years. The killing across syria is getting worse. And diplomacy is getting nowhere. That frustrates a former u. S. National security adviser who was in homs with the u. N. And said many more than 10,000 children have been killed. The death toll in this conflict is the highest recorded in any conflict in this region. The wounds of this war are growing faster than our capacity to deal with it. Reporter as their fathers fight a new generation is learning lessons. Boys play at war everywhere, here, they live it. And they will go on living it in syria for a fourth year. And some of those children have now lived half their lives amid war. You know, the desperately frustrating thing is that no one, not diplomats, not world leaders, not people here can see any obvious way for this war to end. Lester . All right, bill neely, thank you, when nightly news continues on this saturday well take you where the flooding from all that snow has already hit some communities hard, with sadly much more to come. And later, a frontier, the famous [ male announcer ] your heart. It powers your body to walk enough stairs in a lifetime to climb the Empire State Building 1,000 times. Your heart is amazing. Take care of it with centrum silver. Multivitamins with b vitamins and lycopene to help support your heart and packed with key nutrients to help support your eyes and brain, too. Centrum silver. For the most amazing parts of you. But when we start worrying about tomorrow, we miss out on the things that matter today. At axa, we offer advice and help you break down your insurance goals into small, manageable steps. Because when you plan for tomorrow, it helps you live for today. Can we help you take a small step . For advice, retirement, and life insurance, connect with axa. If it seems like a long winter, well, this spring could feel even longer as parts of the west prepare for what may be a very bad flood season as all that snow starts to melt. This week in central montana, flooding stranded hundreds of people and the risk remains high for even more. Our report tonight from nbcs joe fryer. Reporter when it comes to cleaning up after a massive flood, the town of roundup, montana, population 1800 has far too much practice. Well, we have two and a half feet. Reporter jeff gates is once again overseeing the recovery after 450 people were stranded in their homes. It is very frustrating for people on the other side. And they can see things going on, they want it to happen faster, and were going as fast as we can. Reporter the flood waters took out two dykes, including the one im standing on. The race is on to fix it quickly in case the river rises again, while the river is receding it could easily swell again as the snowpack melts, others close their doors to customers. It is frustrating because we really havent finished dealing with 2011. Reporter that year, a massive flood put busy bee out of business for 20 months and destroyed several homes. Then in 2012, a wildfire ate four more homes. Just in one year, the county lost 60 of its housing. Losing due to flood or fire. Reporter with this latest scene coming into spring, shops weigh the risks of reopening. The town loving my coffee, what do you do . Hurry up and get back. Reporter many seek answers from jeff gates. If it were me i would open back up. But have everything on wheels just in case. Reporter a new reality for a battered town that is begging for a break, joe fryer, nbc battered town that is begging for a break, joe fryer, nbc news, roundup, your hepatitis c. Forget its slow moving, you tell yourself. 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Im so proud, im speechless. Reporter joined by his teammates, and american sweet. After i lost my leg, it changed everything for me, made me whole again. Reporter their stories are pure inspiration, like this josh sweeney, who lost his leg in afghanistan. And tatiana mcfadden, wheelchair turned skier. I think it is one of the best experiences i have ever had. Reporter tickets for the game topped 316,000, almost four times the amount last time in vancouver. These games are the most popular ever. Witnessing them come down the mountain with prosthetic legs, you cant help get caught up. Reporter today, fans watched team usa win gold, a new moment of national pride. One that athletes hope all the new fans can learn from. It really is about overcoming whatever it is on a daily basis. Reporter and that is pure gold. Kristen dahlgren, nbc news new york. We received late world this evening that David Brenner has died. The standup comedian was best known for his regular appearances on the tonight show with johnny carson, on the show 108 times, a most frequent guest. David brenner died of cancer. He was 78 years old. And many celebrated today, among them chicago kicking things off by turning the Chicago River groeen, members o the Plumbing Group do that by turning it green through motor boats. Turning it green through motor bif you have moderate to severe rheumatoid arthritis, like me, and youre talking to your rheumatologist about a biologic. This is humira. This is humira helping to relieve my pain. This is humira helping me lay the groundwork. This is humira helping to protect my joints from further damage. Doctors have been prescribing humira for ten years. Humira works by targeting and helping to block a specific source of inflammation that contributes to ra symptoms. Humira is proven to help relieve pain and stop further joint damage in many adults. 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Oh that sounds nice. Dont feel trapped with the ally raise your rate cd. Ally bank. Your money needs an ally. But when we put something in the ground, feed it, and care for it, dont we grow something more . We grow big celebrations, and personal victories. We grow new beginnings, and better endings. Grand gestures, and perfect quiet. We grow escape, bragging rights, happier happy hours. So lets gro something greater with miraclegro. What will you grow . Share your story at miraclegro. Com. Kazakhstan, serb. Finally tonight, it was probably only a matter of time before a computer was enlisted to come up with new food combinations to expand our culinary horizons, for generations it was people like julia child who led the way, now it is watson. Nbcs katy tur has more. Reporter on this friday afternoon, people are lining up for plates of fish and chips. But this is not your Traditional Comfort food and this is no ordinary food truck. That is because working alongside the chefs in the institute of Culinary Education is watson. You may remember watson, ibms famous Computer Program as the jeopardy champion that squashed the games top show players back in 2011. While engineers have tweaked the program to not only recall data, they tweaked it to think creatively. It learned the flavor profiles and chemical compounds that taste good in order to generate new existences never attempted before. This is stringing together five or six ingredients at a time that are all matched based on the flavor compounds that they share. That is something way beyond my ability as a chef. Reporter and the results have been both described as strange and wonderful. There is the b oelgian bacon pudding with figs, the austrian chocolate burrito, and the vietnamese apple kabob, with curry, strawberry, and sh yitak mushrooms. The system allows us to virtually taste them first. Reporter sorting through big data for new ideas. It is the prospect that captured the imagination of folks at ibm. So this is really what we think of as the future of computing. It will transform industries. Reporter now all they have to do is figure out how watson can make its cake and eat it, too. Katy tur. That is nbc this saturday, im lester holt reporting from new york, ill see you tomorrow morning on today and right back here tomorrow evening. Sierra lamar, despite an arrest in the case, her mother said why she still has hope. Soul searching for Republican Leaders in the bay area. The battle continues with the tea party. Plus, feels like summer, doesnt it . Well show you the forecast for the rest of the weekend. Good evening. Im diane dwyer. Terry is off tonight. In case you didnt get a chance to get out today, it was unusually warm and sunny all around the bay area. Here is a live look at san jose and San Francisco right now. It looks and feels more like summer than winter, doesnt it . Even in downtown san jose, children use the fountains at the Caesar Chavez plaza to cool off. This is typically a scene in july, not in march. Lets check in with rob mayeda for more. Nice day. San jose close to 80 degrees a bit earlier. 79 both san jose and morgan hill. San francisco, of course, and dublin had the st. Patricks day parades. You can see close to