how close they came to catastrophe. you ll hear the urgent calls from air traffic control. the black boxes found after the passenger plane crash that killed at least 69 in nepal. the final moments caught on camera. the search tonight for answers. the death toll growing in one of the worst russian strikes on civilians since the war in ukraine began. italy s most wanted man captured. how a notorious mafia boss was found hiding in plain sight after 30 years on the run. and honoring a civil rights icon. the images from across the country on this martin luther king jr. day. announcer: this is nbc nightly news with lester holt. good evening, everyone. california tonight suffering the effects of its tenth consecutive storm. weeks of rain from an atmospheric river undermining roads. some crumbling right before the eyes of horrified onlookers. saturated hillsides turning to mudslides. the round of storms now blamed for the deaths of at least 22 people. search and rescue
reporter: the delta jet traveling at 115 miles per hour was just seconds from impact. slamming on the brakes, it stopped 1,000 feet short of the american plane. passenger brian healey was on the delta flight. i felt then adrenaline and there was total quiet on the plane and then there was relief when the plane came to a stop. where was the miscommunication between the american crew and the air traffic controllers? reporter: a very close call that reminds some experts of the horrific runway crash in 1977 involving two fully loaded 747s in tenerife that killed 583 people and led to an overhaul of runway and radio protocols. today runway status lights and automated warning systems alert pilots and controllers of potential conflicts. retired jfk controller steve abraham says this time thankfully the system worked just in time. there was no chce