Announcer from nbc news World Headquarters in new york, this is nbc nightly news with lester holt. Good evening. Late today for the first time we heard from the captain of the British Airways jet involved in a fiery aborted takeoff from las vegas. The londonbound 777 was thundering down the runway yesterday afternoon when at the first sign of trouble the pilot slammed on the brakes, bringing the jet to a safe stop. But it was the decision to evacuate before flames began eating away at the wing and fuselage that is earning high praise today for the crew whose actions may have saved lives. Nbcs Hallie Jackson picks up the story from las vegas. Speedbird, mayday, mayday. Reporter the mayday, using British Airways call sign speedbird, came just before takeoff. We are evacuating on the runway. We have a fire. I repeat, we are evacuating. Reporter that calm voice captain chris henkey, a pilot with 42 years of experience. Talking to nbc news late today. There was a loud bang and the aircraft sort of veered to the left. Because we had a third pilot, he actually opened the door and went down into the cabin, saw how serious it was. Reporter at the airport people watching in horror. We need more people to get out of there. Reporter as emergency crews raced toward the jet, passengers slide down on chutes, sprinting for safety, including lisa dunn. I looked behind me and theres this engine the size of a house, and it is the flames are just hundreds of feet into the air. Reporter dunn, one of 170 people on board the boeing 777 as it accelerated down a vegas runway just after 4 00 p. M. Tuesday, carrying enough fuel for the tenhour flight to london. Thats when the left engine failed. Licking the windows but not entering the cabin. Thick black smoke swallowing the belly of the jet. Today, with the charred plane still sitting on the tarmac, four ntsb investigators are on the ground. Most interested in why the suppression system, intended to extinguish an engine fire, apparently didnt work. A terrifying end to one of captain henkeys last flights. Hed been set to retire in a matter of days. I was supposed to go to barbados on saturday and then come back next tuesday and that would be it. Reporter many now crediting henkey with a Fast Response that may have helped save lives. And i know the papers are saying now hes a hero, but we have to remember there are othertwo other pilots and cabin crew who all behaved very, very well. Reporter containing what could have been a disaster, leaving passengers in vegas feeling lucky. I mean, i realize its a little weird to feel lucky that youve just been in a flaming plane, but i was in a flaming plane and i walked away. Reporter aviation Officials Say engine parts were strewn down the runway here for some 2,000 feet. Theyre trying to figure out why that engine failed in the first place, but the investigation can take up to a year. In the meantime, lester, captain henkey is still here in vegas waiting to arrive home back in england. A remarkable story, hallie, thank you. In arizona fears are growing that a sniper could be on the loose, taking aim at drivers on the highway. The tenth incident in 12 days today, and Authorities Say at least half of the vehicles targeted were hit by gunfire. State police calling it a case of domestic terrorism. And our National CorrespondentMiguel Almaguer has the latest from phoenix. Reporter tonight many drivers are asking, is this the most dangerous roadway in the nation . The i10 through phoenix, arizona. Where vehicles have been targeted by gunfire or projectiles. This rear window shattered this afternoon. The driver not injured but rattled. Somebody will get hurt, or somebody will get killed if this continues. Reporter the director of transportation is warning the public be vigilant. Anytime that you have multiple shootings against american citizens on a highway, thats terrorism. Theyre trying to frighten or kill somebody. Reporter the rash of shootings in phoenix began august 29th. Seven incidents along interstate 10. Three others in the area, though one location hasnt been disclosed. The involved parties advising their window was possibly shot at. Reporter at least five vehicles were hit by gunfire, shattering windows and headlights. One lodged into the bus Robert Mcdonald was driving. I came literally 24 to 36 inches from losing my life. Reporter mcdonald alone on the road when he heard the single gunshot. When they found the bullet in the seat like right behind me, yeah, i almost fainted. Reporter hundreds of thousands pass through this stretch of urban roadway every day. Drivers here are on edge. Its cowardly. Its not right. Reporter even our camera crew questioned as they stopped to record video along the interstate. Reporter Janelle Braddock remembers the beltway sniper from when she lived in maryland 13 years ago. Today she wont drive the i10. I changed my route to work. I drive a little bit further now. But i feel a little bit safer. Reporter tonight, police have more than doubled their presence here along the i10. Federal agents as well as local police are in the air, on side roads as well as in undercover vehicles on the interstate behind me. Federal Officials Say while a 13yearold girl was injured by glass after it was shot out theyre concerned the next victim could be killed. Lester . All right. Miguel almaguer, thank you. The world is struggling to respond to the refugee crisis, but talk in europe of taking in tens of thousands or here in the u. S. Of an additional 5,000 falls far short of the need. Hundreds of thousands are on the move, fleeing war, desperate for safety in hungary. The suffering has been made even worse by a kick seen around the world. Our chief Foreign CorrespondentRichard Engel is there. Reporter they are being rounded up and sent to detention camps. Hungary is showing these refugees little compassion. We watched one family try to escape. They didnt get very far before police were in hot pursuit. Lots of police. They caught jumana and her 9yearold son, who escaped the war in syria. One female officer tries to console the boy. But he screams in english, please. Please, please. Reporter dozens of police march them back to the pack. The boy still crying out, please. Please reporter hes terrified of men in uniform, his mother tells us. All we want to do is relax. Weve been sleeping in the streets, she says, in the cold. Hungarys cold reception was obvious for the world to see yesterday. A camerawoman actually kicking refugees running past her and deliberately tripping a man carrying a small child. They fall to the ground, angry but unhurt. She worked for a far right television station and was fired on the spot. Many hungarians are disgusted by what she did. Balaz salai accuses the government of whipping up antigovernment anger. The government want everybody concentrate to this problem and dont want to care about the economic problems. Reporter so this problem is a convenient distraction for the government from other domestic issues . Yeah. Yeah. Absolutely. Reporter scapegoating Vulnerable People has a long dark history in this part of the world. Yet they are still pouring in. Forced out by war, unwelcome when they arrive. Richard engel, nbc news, roszke, hungary. The showdown over the Iran Nuclear Agreement dominated the campaign trail today. It is all but a done deal now that president obama has the votes he needs to Keep Congress from disapproving it. But a pair of gop candidates including frontrunner donald trump teamed up and continued the charge to tear it down. Nbcs Andrea Mitchell has the story. Reporter donald trump took the hill today, capitol hill, at a tea party rally against the iran deal. Never, ever, ever in my life have i seen any transaction so incompetently negotiated as our deal with iran. Reporter trump, who claims to know a lot about dealmaking if not diplomacy, attacked president obama head on. We are led by very, very stupid people. Very, very stupid people. Reporter the tea party rally had a little bit of everything. President ial candidates. This Iranian Nuclear deal is catastrophic. Reporter conservative icons. Its betrayal of america. He has strengthened our enemy. Reporter even Phil Robertson of duck dynasty. They call me in as a last resort. Reporter ignoring the crowd outside, john kerry now has one more vote than he needs to stop congress from blocking the deal. Thats the count that matters right now. And if donald trump. And ted cruz and dick cheney want to be the face of the opposition thats their choice. Reporter across town Hillary Clinton backed the agreement but with a threat to use force if iran cheats. I will not hesitate to take military action if iran attempts to obtain a nuclear weapon. Reporter and on a day when irans Supreme Leader again threatened israels survival, clinton borrowed a tactic from her republican opponents, channeling ronald reagan. You remember president reagans line about the soviets. Trust but verify. My approach will be distrust and verify. Reporter clinton today also started distancing herself from some of president obamas Foreign Policy decisions. Suggesting she would not be as public about criticizing israel as he and that the u. S. Paid a price for not using force against syrias regime when it used chemical weapons. Lester . Andrea mitchell in washington, thank you. Recordbreaking heat waves on both coasts are proving summer isnt done with us yet. Temperatures are scorching on the west coast, reaching up into the triple digits, and also in the northeast, where many are struggling to stay cool. Its so hot many schools decided to release students early. For the northeast relief is coming with rain and cooler weather on the way. But the west wont be as lucky. Postlabor day it was the first day of school in many cities across the country, but in seattle class was not in session as teachers took to the picket lines, striking amid a breakdown in contract negotiations over pay increases and other issues. That left parents scrambling to find child care in a district that covers some 53,000 students. When we come back, a powerful nbc news exclusive. For the first time, the survivors of the Church Massacre in charleston recount those moments of terror. How a gunman opened fire when their eyes were closed in prayer. How they survived as their loved ones and friends lay dying. And how they found it in their hearts to forgive. Now to an nbc news exclusive. We wont forget the charleston nine, the members of a Church Bible Study group killed one by one in a racist rampage last june. But there were 12 people in that room, not just 9, three survivors who were not shot but who are forever burdened with horrific memories and the question of why they lived and so many others didnt. Today in charleston i sat down with the two adult survivors of the shooting, who after almost three months are breaking their public silence. It was an emotional and i can tell you difficult conversation but at times it was inspiring. Felicia sanders keeps her faith close to her heart. I cant help but notice the bible in your lap. Yes. Thats the bible you had . Yeah. Its blood stains. This is the blood. This is the blood. Reporter it was faith that brought these two women to the mother emanuel a. M. E. Church that fateful night in june, and it is now faith sustaining them after witnessing such horror at the hands of 21yearold dylann roof, who turned on them, prosecutors say, driven by racist hatred. We were just about to say the prayers to be released. And he caught us with our eyes closed. I never told nobody this. Eyes were closed . Our eyes closed. Shots rang out. Reporter sanders was at the bible study with her aunt, susie jackson, her 11yearold granddaughter, and 26yearold son tywanza. I remember my son saying, mama, he shot me in the head. And i was telling my son, just lay here. Just lay here. And my granddaughter was hollering, saying she was so afraid. It hurts me so bad. Because i struggle with what could i have done differently than i did, because i tried my best. To save all of them. You saved your granddaughter. You held her . Yes. What did you i nuzzled her so hard. Im surprised i didnt suffocate her. I tried to hold her as tight as i could so she wouldnt make a sound. And i just heard i heard every shot. I heard every single shot. Reporter despite being hit multiple times, her son tried to protect the others, including his aunt susie. Tywanza saying wheres aunt susie . Ive got to get to aunt susie. And he didnt stop till he got to aunt susie. He had been wounded several times. Yes. He was still trying to crawl to he got there. I said i love you, tywanza. He said, mama, i love you. I love you. And i watched him take his last breath. Reporter before leaving the bible study room, the shooter stopped right in front of polly sheppard, who was hiding under a table. When he got to me he could hear me praying. He said shut up. Did i shoot you yet . And i said no. And he said, im not going to. Im going to leave you here to tell the story. Were you ready to die . I was ready. I said lord, if this is the way im supposed to go, this is the way ill go. Reporter nine of the people in that room did lose their lives that night. Killed by a man they welcomed with open arms into their bible study. Just two days after the massacre the nation marveled when family members of the victims including Felicia Sanders offered their forgiveness to dylann roof. I told him, may god have mercy on your soul. And i honestly hope god has mercy on his soul. There was a young man that shot a tv reporter and a camera person. Yeah. Recently. And he said the Charleston Church shooting was the breaking point. You cant equate the two. You cant. That made me so sad because i never wanted any one parent to feel what i felt. It numbs you. It just numbs you. Reporter etched in their memories is the traditional benediction they were just about to utter when the shots rang out. One from the other. Amen. What was your impression of the way the whole country embraced Emanuel Church . Its amazing. Amazing to see all of them loving and sharing. Just amazing to see everybody together as one nation. We shall overcome Felicia Sanders granddaughter who she held during the attack is the other survivor. Felicia continues to protect her now, from the public and media attention. As she explained to me, shes trying to keep her busy and make her life as normal as possible. Were back with more of the days news right after this. A scary incident today here in new york involving former tennis star james blake, in town for the u. S. Open. Blake says he was standing outside a hotel, waiting for a car, when suddenly Undercover Police officers charged at him, slamming him to the ground in handcuffs. He says the officers mistook him for a suspect in an Identity Theft ring. Cutting his elbow and bruising his leg with that rough takedown. It shouldnt have happened, and its something that well deal with with the police and well find out what they have to say internally. You know, hopefully theres video of it and people can see what happened. Reporter nypd sources say blake was released as soon as the officers realized they had the wrong person. Its the moment apple fans have been waiting for. The Company Unveiling a slew of new products at its event today including the iphone 6s and the iphone 6s plus which have upgraded cameras and a new feature called 3d touch. Theyre available september 25th. Also a new version of apple tv and the ipad pro with something steve jobs once mocked, a stylus which is called what else, the apple pencil. When we come back, reign supreme. What the queen is saying tonight about her historymaking milestone. Next at 6 we investigate Mental Illness in the justice system. We talk to a local judge about the problems. Raj take vo and its been five years since the san bruno pipeline explosion. Well show you whats changed, and what hasnt. Next close next. Finally, the enduring reign of queen elizabeth. 63 years, seven months, and two days as of tonight. Thats longer than even Queen Victoria, her great, great grandmother. Which makes elizabeth the longestreigning monarch in british history. How has she done it . Heres keir simmons in london. Reporter shes a little oldfashioned, this 89yearold queen. Today on a steam train in scotland, encouraging folks not to make a fuss. Inevitably, a long life can pass by many milestones. My own is no exception. Reporter but long ago elizabeth made a pledge. My whole life, whether it be long or short, shall be devoted to your service. Reporter duty and service. She has stuck by those values, victorian values, longer now than Queen Victoria herself. Reporter elizabeths cousin margaret has known her since they were 6. You give up a hell of a lot. You can never be spontaneous anymore really. Reporter her fathers death in 1952 made her queen. The coronation a year later. Since then it seems like so much of the world has changed. But the queen has remained the same. Through it all, including 12 president s, shes been there, telling america after 9 11 grief is the price we pay for love. Grief has touched her. Three children divorced. The death of diana. An event that forced her to change. It is not easy to express the sense of loss. Reporter she does have a lighter side. Balloons are still stuck in the tree there. Reporter relaxed, joking. They hit the trees and exploded and the garden is absolutely full of dead balloons. Very disagreeable. Reporter Andrew Festing has painted her several times. She has a very, very good sense of humor. Reporter a sense of humor and that sense of duty. Perhaps the secret of her survival. Or maybe its simply the notion of serving her country. How oldfashioned. Keir simmons, nbc news, london. Thats going to do it for us on this wednesday night. Im lester holt. For all of u raj take cont t now at 6. A call for dr its very serious. I think were at a critical time. Right now 6 00 a call for drastic change in the way california treats inmates who are mentally ill. Good evening, thanks for being with us. Im raj mathai. Death in the treatment of an inmate. He died while in a correctional jail. Three Corrections Officers are in jail facing murder charges for beating tyree to death in his own cell. Tonight a judge who sentenced the officers to six years in jail si jail. Steve mathou would not talk specifically about michael tyrees specific case, but the longtime judge who has presided over Mental Health and veterans courts for over 20 years did tell us that the Current System must change. He said that inmates like tyree must be treated, not warehoused in jails because theres no room for them in Mental Health facilities. Its very serious. I think were at a critical time. Reporter the honorable judge Stephen Manley has presided over inmates who are mentally ill here in santa clara for over 20