American Airlines 587 crashes in NYC

Residents of the New York neighborhood where a plane crashed rushed to the scene with fire hoses and fire extinguishers.

SUMMARY: An American Airlines flight with 255 people aboard crashed into a New York neighborhood three minutes into its flight Monday morning. Flight 587 took off at 9:14 a.m. Monday and within minutes was in flames in Queens, one of New York's five boroughs.

UPDATE: The plane was en route to Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. American Airlines said the plane was carrying 246 passengers and nine crew members.

A senior Bush administration official told CNN initial indications are that there was an explosion aboard the plane but that the source of the explosion is unknown.

White House Press Secretary Ari Fleischer said there had been no unusual communications with the cockpit. Asked if there were any indications of terrorism, Fleischer said, "We have not ruled anything in; we have not ruled anything out."

Fleischer said President Bush had spoken with New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani and Gov. George Pataki and told them the federal government would do everything it could to help.

Giuliani said there were two crash sites -- one where the plane landed and another where an engine landed. Both were about six blocks from a school building. The school was closed for the Veterans Day holiday. At least four houses were on fire.

The neighborhood where the crash occurred was the home of many World Trade Center employees and firefighters who died in the attacks of September 11, said New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani.

Relatives and friends in Santo Domingo waiting for the arrival of the flight at the airport sobbed and grasped each other after hearing about the crash.

KEY QUESTIONS:

What caused the crash?

How will the crash affect the airline industry?

What will the impact be on the psyche of New Yorkers who are still recovering from the terrorist attacks of September 11?

What is the extent of the injuries of those on the ground?

WHO'S WHO:

FAA: Federal Aviation Administration, government entity charged with ensuring and promoting the safety of civil aviation

NTSB : National Transportation Safety Board, federal agency that investigates aviation accidents in the United States

FEMA: Federal Emergency Management Agency, an independent agency that responds, plans for and promotes recovery from disasters

VICTIMS:

Nine crew killed

246 passengers killed

15 treated on the ground for smoke inhalation