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CNN Live Today

Families of Some 9-11 Victims Finding Out What It Was Like For Loved Ones in Final Moments

Aired April 18, 2002 - 10:39   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: It might be hard to hear, but families of some 9-11 victims are finding out what it was like for their loved ones in the final moments of United flight 93.

The FBI today is playing the tapes and the cockpit voice recorder for those family members who choose to listen.

Our David Mattingly joins us. He's in Princeton, New Jersey, where they are playing that tape.

David, Hello.

DAVID MATTINGLY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Daryn. The story of flight 93 and the heroic efforts of the passenger as they attempted to retake their plane from the possession of the hijackers is now known to all of us. But for the families of flight 93, there are still so many unanswered questions. They want to know how their family members died. They want to know if the passengers were able to reach the cockpit and were successful, what went wrong and caused the plane to crash on September 11th near Shanksville, Pennsylvania?

Now the FBI has warned and the families understand that the cockpit voice recorder being played today may not answer those questions, but they will listen anyway.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I want to hear this tape and I want my brother to hear this tape, because we hope, of course, to hear Mark's voice, but I don't expect it. We hope to gain more information from what happened on flight 93.

As a flight attendant for United, I have experience in the cockpit and cabin of a 757. I know what sounds are normal. I know what we could expect to hear in a workday world. I know what we will hear during the last 30 minutes is anything but normal.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MATTINGLY: But at this hour, at a Princeton, New Jersey hotel, the tapes are being played. We're now into the first of two sessions, the FBI playing the tape now for the family members of the flight crew. As for the morning session, the afternoon session will be for the family members of the passengers.

The way this works, they play the tape. They have medical and counseling personnel on hand to assist anyone who might need it. Afterward, they will be having victim impact interviews. These are counseling sessions, designed to help people deal with emotions of the moment. We've also learned that investigators also asking questions today. They are looking for more details into those phone conversations that family members have with their loved one onboard flight 93 that day onboard September 11th.

So we have two things going on here, Daryn. First of all, we have an ongoing briefing process. We also have an ongoing investigation.

KAGAN: A lot of emotions flowing.

David, I want to answer a question. I wasn't able to hear all of your report, so if I ask you to repeat yourself, forgive me ahead of time. But are the families being prepped in terms of what they can be expect to be on that tape and what they will hear, so there aren't unmet expectations which would be another emotional blow for them?

MATTINGLY: There have been reports in the past of what is on this tape and what is not on this tape, so family members seem fairly clear of what they may not be hearing. They are prepared to be disappointed, at least the ones I've talked to, but many are compelled to be here, many are compelled to listen, to get any kind of information at all about the last moments of their loved ones lives.

KAGAN: Of course this was a voluntary situation that they want to listen. Do you have any idea how many families are listening to the tapes?

MATTINGLY: We haven't gotten a head count today. But at last count, there was less than half the families being represented today. That may have changed, as some people might have changed their minds at the last moment.

KAGAN: David Mattingly in Princeton, New Jersey, thank you so much.

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