Paralympics. Redhanded. Why some cities are putting the brakes on those cameras that catch drivers running red lights and why others cant wait to install them. And epic battle. Two finalists square off at a marathon spelling bee that lasted so long, they ran out of words. Tonight, the eight little letters that ended it all. Announcer from nbc news World Headquarters in new york, this is nbc nightly news with lester holt. Good evening. It is now sunday in Southeast Asia where in the light of a new day, a massive, multinational search is in full swing for a malaysian jetliner that vanished not quite 36 hours ago with 239 people onboard, including three americans. The Malaysia Airlines 777 was traveling from kuala lampur to beijing when all contact was lost over open water roughly halfway between malaysia and the southern tip of vietnam. The air and sea search now includes an American Navy warship. The hunt for wreckage now centered on fuel slicks spotted on the surface of the sea while the cause for a cause, including the possibility of foul play, is now partly focused on two mystery passengers traveling on stolen passports. There are a lot of angles to cover here. We begin with tom costello in our washington newsroom. Malaysia Airlines Says this plane was last inspected just ten days ago and it was in proper condition. Their words. At this hour those naval units from several countries are listening for the pinging sound that should be coming from the planes emergency transmitters in an area where the vietnamese military believes it has found an important clue. Off the coast of vietnam, two fuel slicks on the water may provide the best hope for finding Malaysia Airlines flight 370. The plane left kuala lampur at 12 40 a. M. Saturday, the red eye flight to beijing with 239 flew and passengers onboard. Two to two hours into the flight at 35,000 feet, air Traffic Controllers lost contact with the plane somewhere over the gulf of thailand. Veteran crash investigators say it all points to an abrupt end to a you routine flight. Whatever happened was catastrophic and it incapacitated the airplane such that the crew couldnt get a mayday call off. Reporter the plane, a boeing 777 200 series, nearly 12 years old. Middle aged for planes. In august 2012 it lost the tip of a wing after clipping another wing on the ground in shanghai. The wing was fixed, but did that contribute to the accident . Nbc news aviation analyst captain john cox. One of the early things that is already under way is a thorough review of all of the maintenance records of the airplane. And if the airplane has sustained damage, as it did in this ground incident, that is something that certainly the investigators are going to look at. Reporter we do know the captain was experienced. He was 53 years old with 18,000 hours of flying time. When he wasnt in a real cockpit, you could find him in the advanced simulator he built at home. On a website for simulator enthusiasts, he quote wrote, time to take to the next level of simulation. Motion. Looking for buddies to share this passion. The 1st officer was 27yearold fa reek hamid with 2,800 hours of experience. To add to the mystery, two passengers on the manifest are actually safe and sound on the ground. Both reported their passports stolen in thailand one to two years ago. U. S. And malaysian authorities are now looking into who used those stolen passports to board the plane and what were they up to. To have two people traveling on false passports when a plane disappears from radar really gets peoples attention, as it should. Reporter the plane itself has a very strong safety record. Crash of arabian that 214 in sfraensan francisco last july was the 777s first fatal accident. Investigators believed that was pilot error now. This is eerily similar to the crash of air France Flight 447 which disappeared, you may recall, over the atlantic in 2009. It took two years to find the wreckage at the bottom of the ocean. While search teams will be looking for those black boxes we hear so much about, theyre also going to be examining the size of the debris field, if they find one. If it is wide, that would suggest the plane broke up in flight. If it is more condensed, that could mean the plane remained intact until it impacted the water, or perhaps the ground. Lester . Twothirds onboard the missing plane are from china. Tonight in beijing distraught families and friends have gathered at a hotel to wait for answers. Cnbcs eunice uhn is there. Reporter patience is wearing thin 36 hours after flight mh 370 went missing. Hundreds of family members and friends of the passengers have been hold up in the hotel behind me where Malaysia Airlines has set up a makeshift crisis center. About 100 Airline Staffers have arrived to assist the families who are desperately waiting for any information about their loved ones. Many here feel that theyve been left in the dark and are demanding more frequent updates from the airlines. Now people are starting to lose hope that they might not see their family members alive again. Airline authorities have said that the rescue operation in the South China Sea is still ongoing. The u. S. Has dispatched a ship and aircraft to the area and china has also sent in naval vessels. And with the sun now rising, the air mission, which has been suspended overnight, has now resumed as government and people continue to hope to find any signs of the missing plane. Lester . Thank you. Im joined now by nbc news aviation expert and former Airline Pilot john cox, and nbc news counterterrorism analyst might be lemichael leiter. Is there anything short of the the plane coming apart, an explosion, to explain a sudden and complete loss of communications . Lester, there are several possibilities. Something as sim. Pal as a major electrical problem could mean that the airplane could not transmit and couldnt be seen on radar so it is very early at this stage to draw any conclusions. The debris field could very well tell us a lot, the size of the debris field and how it has interacted with the winds with the lighter components, papers and things, for example, in comparison to the heavier objects such as landing gear or engines. Michael, im having trouble getting my head wrapped around the idea that in a post9 11 world you can get on an airplane with a stolen passport, one stolen one, or even two years ago. But that said, what kind of alarm bells has that started ringing at intelligence agencies around the world . Lester, it definitely changed how intelligence organizations in the u. S. And globally looked at this. Prior to the stolen passport issue this was a tragedy but folks mostly said, probably something mechanical with the plane. With this, theres at least one element which makes them very concerned. They know that people were on that plane who shouldnt have been using those papers. What they dont know is what they were up to. Were they simply criminals who were using stolen passports or were they on that plane to do something nefarious. Thats where the Intelligence Community are digging in now. John, this was an overnight flight. It is a pretty heavy traffic route up and down asia. 35,000 feet, presumably clear. Wouldnt you expect that another crew would have seen some kind of a flash had there been an explosion . I think, lester, if there were an explosion, there would be debris that could be seen by potentially some longrange radar. There would be other reports of ships or other aircraft. So im not convinced at all that weve got an inflight explosion here. I think were going to learn more as the course of the day goes on and the Aerial Search begins to put together this debris field. All right, john cox. Michael leiter, thanks. We appreciate it. Turning to the crisis in ukraine where tensions reached a new level today as russia sent even more troops into the crimean peninsula. Nbcs ian williams with the latest from kiev. Reporter anger on chi yevs Independence Square today demanding russia leave crimea. Mott skou appears to be reinforcing a marked convoys on the move. Hours after russian soldiers briefly seize control of a ukrainian base. Theyre still blocking others. Promoscow authorities ordering all remaining ukrainian soldiers in crimea to disarm and surrender, but many refuse. A European Security monitors are being prevented from entering the peninsula. Armed men firing warning shots into the air with automatic weapons. In russian speaking east ukraine, promoscow protesters chanted glory to russia. The fear is that russian is stirring up trouble to justify intervention in this region, too. The mood here is very volatile. There is a deep concern about events in kiev but that doesnt mean everybody would welcome intervention by moscow. On this trolley bus, there was plenty of fear and uncertainty. Olga told me that everybodys worried. But she said we should stick together and there should be no bloodshed. Alexander was plain angry at what he calls extremists seizing control in kiev. But he told me, were an independent country. Russia for now should stay away. People in the east watch Russian Television which depicts ukraines revolution as a oldfascist coup. Theyre still there. The flowers here are fresh but so are the tires. While much of this barricades been turned into a memorial, the fortifications arent going to be taken away any time soon. Petrol bombs remain at the ready and this leader of one farright militia told me it is not over. On the barricades, few people appear to trust the interim government. Vladimir, close to a spot visited by john kerry, said the barricades are going to stay. While this man methodically feeded eclectic works of lenin into his furnace, told me we ultimately control the government anyway. The interim government has real challenges ahead as it calls for unity in the face of russian aggression. President obama made phone calls today to a number of european leaders on the crisis in ukraine. Nbcs Christian Welker is traveling with the president in florida where the first family is spend being the weekend. Reporter lester, with tensions mounding in ukraine, the white house is taking great pains to show that president obama is still engaged in the diplomatic effort to get Russian Forces to retreat to their bases in crimea. Late this afternoon the white house released a photo of president obama, who reached out to several of his counterparts overseas. Among them, the Prime Minister of the uk, as well as leaders of france, italy and the baltics. Mr. Obama is trying to build a Strong International coalition aimed at pressuring mr. Putin to retreat, efforts which right now are falling on ears in russia. In a statement white house officials reiterated the president s insistence that russia allow International Observers and human rights monitors into crimea. Now veteran ambassador dennis ross says president obama is playing the wrong game here. He knows it is going to be tough to get putin to retreat in crimea, but the idea is to build up enough International Pressure to prevent him from going into other parts of ukraine. Lester . Thanks. Russia had hoped the world would be focused right now on the start of competition at the paralympics in sochi. But the ugly business going on in ukraine and crimea has managed to cast a shadow on the event. Our report kier simmons in sochi. Reporter it was a ceremony full of russian pride and defiance. President putin presided over the opening of the paralympics. There was mystical music and dance, mirroring the winter grams games closing ceremony less than two weeks ago. But so much has changed in that short time. Ukrainian teams that want lone athletes to carry their flag, a solitary protest against russias intervention in ukraine. The u. S. Delegation made its point by not coming at all. U. S. Athletes arent here but their russian competitors arrive to music that included the lyrics, goodbye usa. Beyond the stadium where the ceremony took place, ukraine is 300 miles across the plaque sea. But the politics of what is happening there is overshadowing everything here. In an emotional press conference, the head of the ukraine delegation said its athletes will stay unless russia invades. Well, the worst case scenario, we would leave. Reporter never before have so many countries taken part and rarely with such a charged political atmosphere. Already ukraine has won a bronze medal to freedom for her country. While the worlds attention focuses on the crisis in ukraine, pare alympiansby ga bb competing today. Today the pregnant South Carolina mother who is accused of trying to kill her three children by driving them into the ocean in daytona beach, florida, made her first court appearance. Bail was set at 1. 2 million. Shes charged with three counts of attempted murder and child abuse. When nbc nightly news continues on this saturday, the raging debate over red light cameras. Why more are going up in some places, while others are pulling the plug. And later, the word that finally ended a marathon spelling bee after nearly 100 rounds. Im pretty sure the back door is locked. Anyway, what could happen in a couple of hours, right . When youre worried about things at home, its impossible to think about anything else. Adt gives you Fast Response monitoring for burglary, fire, and carbon monoxide. Honey . You okay . Plus, you can control your home from almost anywhere. [ click ] call now and get adt for just 79. So you can get back to date night. Out for drinks, eats. I have very well fitting dentures. I like to eat a lot of fruits. Love them all. The seal i get with the super poligrip free keeps the seeds from getting up underneath. Even wellfitting dentures let in food particles. 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Police told the new mayor they werent making intersections safer. Tbone crashes actually increased 400 . Reporter brick isnt alone. On thursday st. Petersburg, florida pulled the plug on its cameras after three years saying they didnt make fiscal sense. On wednesday, ellisville, missouri, voted to terminate its contract after public outcry. Critics say the cameras are unconstitutional and create a driving hazard. It puts people in a really tough spot between making a choice to perhaps get into a rearend accident or force themselves to run that intersection and get a ticket. Reporter nationwide the number of communities using red light cameras is down about 6 since 2012. And while 24 states and washington, d. C. Allow them, nine states have banned them. Were coming up to this first one right now. Reporter st. Louis police chief sam dodson, says in his city hes noticed no increase in crashes. His officers sort through some 500 violations a day. There we have another violation. No stop. Reporter dodson says without the cameras, his force would be stretched too thin. It would take over 200 Police Officers to do what the cameras are doing today. Reporter he agrees with the camera providers statistics that say citations are working. More than 90 of the people that run red lights dont get another ticket. They dont do it again. Reporter driver reaction is mixed. I mean they aint there for public safety. It is a simple honest to god money grab. Reporter so the debate, like these drivers, isnt likely to stop. Kristen dahlgren, nbc news, st. Louis, missouri. Frightening moments aboard an indian jetliner as a real wheel caught fire after landing in nepal. All 176 passengers and six crew members on the flight from new delhi were evacuated through emergency doors and are safe. No injuries reported. The cause of the fire is under investigation. Coming up, a war hero receives an honor thats long overdue. [ male announcer ] its 7am and steve is already thinking about tomorrow. 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Carmen berra has died. They just celebrated their 65th wedding anniversary in january and their marriage was central to the broadway play bronx bombers that just closed. They had three sons, 11 grandchildren and a great grandson. Carmen berra was 85 years old. A veteran from upstate new york finally received the medal he deserved. Today Richard Faulkner was awarded the purple heart 70 years after being wounded in battle. He was the lone survivor when his b17 bomber collided in midair with another allied plane and crashed in nazi occupied france. After 29 days behind enemy lines, he made it to safety and was offered the purple heart but he declined it at the time saying he felt awkward receiving an award when others had had died. Now he says he wants his grandchildren to have something to remember his military service. A reminder to spring forward. Make sure you turn your clocks ahead one hour before you go to bed tonight. Daylight saving time officially begins at 2 00 a. M. 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The duel started two weeks ago, went 66 rounds and had to be postponed because officials ran out of approved words to challenge them, prompting calls to just send them both to als. Nation the rules dont allow. Last year we had had 21 rounds in the championship. So this is way more than we anticipated. Reporter their legend, despite their stature and their frenchshi friendship, quickly grew. When aretha first told us what respect. Reporter they breezed through increasingly harder words. Not to be confused with sounds heard on the farm. But then came a stumble. Steiflein. Which describes the heat of the moment. With the trip to washington, d. C. Now his for the taking definition. I was getting pretty sad when she got that word incorrect. It is sort of messed up that it came to that. But i mean it was going to come to that either way. Im just truly excited that ive gotten this far and every kid thats participated in the bee has done an amazing job. Reporter a fierce competition where victory was earned and defeat accepted. Being friends is better than trash talking each other. Reporter with tears and grace. Ron mott, nbc, news. Thats nbc nightly news for had this saturd this saturday. Im lester holt report iing. From all of us at nbc news, have a good night. The following is a presentation of the redskins broadcast network. The Nfl Free Agency begins this tuesday march letchth and the skins have made some moves preparing to improve their roster. Well take a look at those moves and hear from head coach jay gruden in his only interview since the nfl combine. Plus well get the outlook from the teams coordinators. Its time for inside the r