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At This Hour

Two Americans Confirmed Onboard Germanwings Plane; Remembering the Passengers of Flight 9525; President Ghani to Address Congress; Germanwings Plane Black Box Found; Joseph Clancy Taking Heat from Congress. Aired 11-11:30a ET

Aired March 25, 2015 - 11:00   ET

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

KATE BOLDUAN, CNN ANCHOR: Disintegrated -- that's how officials have described the plane crashed in the French Alps.

[11:00:26] The images from the scene are startling. Still, the mystery of why did the Germanwings jet fall from the sky remains what happened inside that cockpit? The search for answers today.

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: An entire Swedish soccer team was scheduled to be on that flight but a last-minute change in plans saved their lives. One of the players tells us their remarkable, emotional story.

BOLDUAN: No more drunken parties, folks. That's the message essentially from Capitol police to members of Congress. A window into the revelry that those in charge of protecting the Capitol say have gotten out of control on holidays like Memorial Day and the July 4th. What's going on there and what are they going to do about it?

Good morning, guys. I'm Kate Bolduan.

BERMAN: And I'm John Berman in Washington today. Major new developments in the Germanwings crash. The airline confirming this morning that two Americans were on the flight that came to such a catastrophic and mysterious end in the French Alps.

Now, we're standing by to hear from French air safety officials holding a news conference any minute now with new details on the investigation. The treacherous terrain and bad weather have been slowing that search, and as the crews there try to recover remains of about 150 people, one huge clue has been recovered. The cockpit voice recorder, said to be badly damaged, but officials still hope to get invaluable information stored inside. The flight data recorder is still missing.

Now, one of the key unanswered questions -- why the plane reached 38,000 feet, then dropped for eight minutes with no distress call from the cockpit. French government officials have not ruled out terrorism, but they consider it an unlikely explanation.

The leaders of France, Germany and Spain arrived a short time ago with (sic) the staging site for the recovery. We're awaiting a news conference from them that could begin any minute as well. Want to go to that staging area. That's where Erin McLaughlin is

reporting from. Good morning, Erin.

ERIN MCLAUGHLIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, John. That's right. Just a short while ago, German chancellor Angela Merkel, French President Francois Hollande as well as the Spanish Prime Minister, Mariano Rajoy, were here at the staging area just behind me greeting emergency workers, thanking them for their efforts in this ongoing recovery operation.

All day today helicopters have been flying in and out of the field just behind me. They have managed to reach the crash site. Workers there on the ground beginning the all important body identification process. This we're hearing from a French prosecutor just a short while ago. He said that the DNA identification process would begin after that initial stages will take several days.

Unclear AT THIS HOUR though if they have been able to remove any of the bodies from the actual crash site. Perhaps we'll hear more about that from French investigators expected to give a press conference very shortly. John?

BERMAN: Up until this point, Erin, we're told they are leaving debris and the bodies in place so they can map the wreckage there. But, again, we are expected to hear new details from the services overseeing this investigation any minute. Erin McLaughlin live for us near the crash site.

Kate?

BOLDUAN: You can imagine the painstaking process with all of that debris being so small and so spread out, John.

As John had just noted a short time ago, there is word this morning that two Americans were on the Germanwings flight, and families from now more than a dozen nations are desperately awaiting news about their loved ones.

Here's some of what we know so far about the 144 passengers and six crew members onboard that flight. There were 16 German high school students with two teachers returning from an exchange program in Spain. Two opera singers, one of them with her husband and child, and a mother and son from Australia. And there are so many others. Their stories just beginning to come out right now.

CNN's Rosie Tomkins has much more on this very important side of the story. Rosie, what more are you learning about the victims?

ROSIE TOMKINS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Kate. Yes, well, I'm outside the school that you mentioned that those 16 students and two teachers attended before this terrible tragedy befell them.

[11:05:05] And really here you can absolutely feel the impact on one small town who've lost so many loved ones in one go.

Behind me at the school, vigils being paid, flowers and candles brought by loved ones to pay their respects, to show solidarity with those who were closest to the victims. This is a town that is absolutely reeling from grief. There was a press conference earlier where we heard from the mayor and the headmaster of the school. Both of them just kept using the word speechless. They just said we can understand what's happened here, but we simply can't comprehend it. It's just too awful. There's the challenge for them, of course, is how to provide support to those that are dealing with this trauma now.

We were able to speak to one student who did know many of those who were on the plane. Let's have a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PHILIPPA, FRIEND OF STUDENT ON GERMANWINGS FLIGHT: I knew all of them. They were all in my grade, and to some I was very close. And, yes, there was one good friend of me or so and we already planned things for the future, what we were going to do when they returned from their trip. And it's very hard to believe that we cannot do that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TOMKINS: Impossible to believe, really, what everybody feels about this. Very, very dark day for this town in Germany and indeed the world, Kate.

BODLUAN: Absolutely. I mean, the number of nations now who have been hit by this tragedy just seems to grow. Rosie, thank you very, very much.

As all of those families begin to mourn later, this hour we're going to hear an amazing story of how close some others came to tragedy. We're going to speak to a Swedish soccer player whose team had been booked on the Germanwings flight. At the last minute they decided to change their travel plans to take a different flight. We're going to speak to him about how close and what that last-minute decision clearly means to him now. John?

BERMAN: What an amazing story that is.

Happening now here in Washington, the new president of Afghanistan is speaking to a joint meeting of Congress. You're looking at live pictures right now. You can see House Speaker John Boehner, Vice President Joe Biden. The address from President Ashraf Ghani comes one day after President Obama agreed to halt the pullout of U.S. troops from Afghanistan to give the Afghan forces more time to improve the security situation in that country.

As we're looking at these live pictures, we want to bring in Pentagon correspondent Barbara Starr. And Barbara, the Afghan president has sort of already got what he wanted here. He wanted the U.S. to keep its troop level at 10,000 for the remainder of the year. The president announced that's what's going to happen.

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: That's right. President Ashraf Ghani really on a bit of a charm offensive across Washington, thanking the troops here at the Pentagon when he came here, at the White House thanking the American people, the American taxpayers. Quite a different sort of personality than the previous president, Hamid Karzai, who was often very confrontational.

Ghani wants the American troops there. He wants to keep those 10,000 or so U.S. troops there. They will now stay there through the end of this year, and the plan now is to reassess, if you will, what happens in 2016. Still, ultimately, U.S. troops out of Afghanistan by 2017. The ones that are staying no longer in a direct combat role, except for some counterterrorism missions. Much more in the role of advising and assisting Afghan forces, because that now is the bottom line for Afghan security, to get their troops out in front, get them taking care of their security business.

There is a lot of concern as the spring fighting season approaches. The Taliban will be back out in the field, and even some concerned in southern Afghanistan, some of those fighters now branding themselves as ISIS, claiming to be ISIS, trying to recruit more, trying to stage new levels of attacks. So Ghani moving to try and get those U.S. troops to stay put for as long as he can. John?

BERMAN: You can see the warm welcome he's getting in the U.S. Congress as he addresses that body. Barbara Starr, thanks so much. Kate?

BOLDUAN: Some other stories we're following AT THIS HOUR, the search for a 30-year-old woman missing in California. That search is now focusing right now on waters near a town outside of San Francisco. Authorities there say search dogs are looking for Denise Huskins. They've keyed in on an area off Mare Island. Her boyfriend told police she was kidnapped from his home on Monday -- and here's the wild part -- that she's being held for ransom. We're going to have much more on this story later this hour.

And also this, Capitol Hill police say lawmakers need to rein in the partying, essentially, specifically the number and size of the parties that are being held in the Capitol building during the Memorial Day and July 4th concerts that are held every year there in Washington. They're concerned that the parties hosted by lawmakers have grown out of control with heavy drinking party-goers. A letter was sent to congressional leaders, cites security concerns, mounting overtime costs, and an abundance of, quote, "coolers containing liquids".

[11:10:056] You can assume what those liquids would be. We're going to have a live report on that ahead. This was first to CNN. Our correspondent Athena Jones, she's going to bring us much more of the details of what this means.

BERMAN: All right, right now, we're awaiting two news conferences that could illuminate what happened to the Flight 9525. First you're looking at podiums right there, the leaders of Germany, France, and Spain are expected to speak. And then the investigative body overseeing the search right now. We could get new details on what they found.

The key questions -- what happened inside the cockpit as Flight 9525 was dropping from the sky? The cockpit voice recorder is being examined right now. We'll tell you what investigators have learned.

And more on the Secret Service. New information on the Secret Service. Lawmakers getting testy, claiming the head of the agency is keeping the public in the dark about this scandal.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BERMAN: The mystery of what caused Germanwings Flight 9525 to crash is deepening this morning. At this moment, we're awaiting two events that could shed some light on where the investigation stands. You're looking at a podium set up not far from the crash site. Right now, we're waiting to hear from the leaders of France, Germany and Spain. They are there touring the scene, no doubt mourning all of those lost.

There's also a news conference out of Paris from the BEA. This is the agency overseeing the investigation and we could get new details, the latest on what they are learning about this crash.

[11:15:00] BOLDUAN: In terms of what we know right now, John, the latest we have heard is the cockpit voice recorder has been located and is being examined as we speak. French investigators say that it was badly damaged, but that they still are very hopeful they're going to get valuable information, obviously from the inside, from those computer chips inside.

Let's discuss all of this and what we know and specifically what remains such a mystery. Let's bring in Richard Quest, host of CNN international's "QUEST MEANS BUSINESS," who knows this industry so well, and also Mary Schiavo, CNN Aviation Analyst and former Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Transportation.

So, Richard, there are so many questions that remain right now. One I think is burning question today, when we start to get idea a of the timeline of what happened with the plane, why no distress call in eight plus minutes at the very end of this flight? That's a burning question.

RICHARD QUEST, CNN INTERNATIONAL HOST: It is the crucial question.

BOLDUAN: It's unusual right?

QUEST: It's the crucial question. Whatever was happening in the cockpit, they didn't manage to either initiate a mayday or urgent call out, or respond to any air traffic control calls that were coming in. And that's unknown. Were they incapacitated? Were they so consumed with dealing with a crisis that they simply couldn't or didn't or had they lost awareness of what was happening. That's the call question, but it doesn't tell us what it that was that was going on and for that we'll be looking toward the recorders.

BOLDUAN: Absolutely.

BERMAN: And of course they have that cockpit voice recorder in hand right now. One of the ways they get answers to what happened in the sky, Mary Schiavo is looking at what's on the ground right now. And the BEA, which is the agency overseeing this investigation, tells CNN that as of now, they're mapping this debris field. There not moving pieces yet. Why do they do this?

MARY SCHIAVO, CNN AVIATION ANALYST: Well, in every major crash investigation, that's what you do. And you map where you find the pieces because there may be crucial clues as to how the pieces are left. When -- in this case a striking amount and obviously the blow back from the plane itself, the law of physics, the opposite reaction from hitting the mountain, will cause pieces to be widely dispersed. But , of course, they going to want to answer other questions. Was there an explosion, you know, when it hit the mountain. Was there explosion of the fuel tank? Was there a fire or not a fire? Curious that it doesn't look like there was a fire. So, all of these things that they can help answer by mapping the debris field.

BOLDUAN: And Richard, when you talk about those final minutes, when we look at the path, it didn't deviate from the path. That's something you highlighted as well. One would think if they are in distress, they may deviate from the flight path some . It didn't seem to do so.

QUEST: If they were in distress and they need to land quickly, there were airports that were quite close by that they could have easily made. So why didn't they go to those airports? (INAUDIBLE) must say being two of them, they were close. They didn't. Secondly, if the control services had failed, the air lungs, the elevator, something like that, the plane may have swung the either way in terms of how it left the sky. It didn't do that. It continued on its path. What we see if you look at numbers is maybe, maybe the descent wasn't quite as controlled as we have been thinking so far.

BERMAN: Okay.

QUEST: It doesn't look like it was a straight descent of 3,000 feet a minute. It may have gone as low as 1, 200 or 2,000. It may gone up to nearly 4,000. Now, if that's the case, then you're looking at maybe a manual descent and not an auto-pilot descent. We don't know. We would hope to hear information from the BEA --

BERMAN: Do you think they can give that to us now?

QUEST: No, I don't think they'll give us maybe that much detail but they'll certainly sketch out how the investigation is proceeding, what they're looking at and where they're going next.

BOLDUAN: Hey, and just to remind you, we are awaiting that news conference which does begin any minute and we'll bring it to you the second it begins. Mary Schiavo, one of the interesting things that's been said, yesterday the White House put out a statement mourning those who were lost in this tragedy that's taken place here, but said they didn't see any connection to terrorism. French officials today say they haven't ruled it out but it doesn't seem likely. How do they know already?

SCHIAVO: Well, that was one of the things that changed in the United States after September 11, 2001. If you recall, our intelligence services were highly criticized for -- depending on who you talk to, for not disseminating information that the attack was coming, that the chatter was high, that we -- the system was blinking red or missing that the attack was coming depending on which particular person you believe in, in the former administration, but because of that, they worked hard to develop the communication systems around the world on terrorist, the chatter that's picked up, and also to be very quick to share that among agencies so they can pick up anything. And so what that is telling us is they don't have chatter from their intelligence sources that an attack was coming on that airline.

[11:20:00]

BOLDUAN: Mary Schiavo, Richard Quest, thank you very much. You saw the live picture in the corner. We'll continue to wait and monitor and bring you live. Two events we're looking at, you see three podiums. are leaders of France, Spain and Germany. We're waiting for them to come to podiums. They went near the crash site to the staging area, that's where they'll going to be speak to cameras. We'll be bring that to you live as well as an update hopefully from the lead agency, the French lead agency investigating this crash. We'll bring that to you as well.

Also ahead for us AT THIS HOUR, the head of the Secret Service getting an ear-full again. Lawmakers criticizing him for not letting witnessing testify about the night two agents, they allegedly drove through a bomb, or right near a bomb investigation, after a night of drinking. Up next, we'll going to tell you what else he's taking heat for.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BERMAN: The Secret Service director getting grilled by Congress. This is over the incident, earlier this month, where two top agents allegedly drove through an active bomb investigation, at the White House, after a night of drinking. Lawmakers now accusing Joseph Clancy, that's the head of the Secret Service, of being unhelpful with the investigation and now keeping Congress and the public in the dark. We want to bring in Chris. We're going to bring in our investigative correspondent, Chris Frates, who has more. Chris.

CHRIS FRATES, CNN INVESTIGATIVE CORRESPONDENT: Hey, John. It was a lively hearing on Capitol Hill yesterday. Lawmakers laid into the agency's director for blocking the supervisors working that night from testifying. And we saw for the first time what has been kept behind closed doors. Video showing the incident that has the Secret Service on the ropes again.

[11:25:04]

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

FRATES (voice-over): The first images from a Washington police video show how two Secret Service agents rolled through an active bomb investigation at the White House gates. Watch as the car slowly drives in and bumps a barricade at the scene. it's video the Secret Service did not want to share.

REP. TREY GOWDY, (R) SOUTH CAROLINA: Why wouldn't you not turn over all video footage to this committee? FRATES (voice-over): And on Tuesday lawmakers grilled Joe Clancy on

why he would not turn over his agency's video to Congress.

GOWDY: Will you make a copy of it available so we can retain custody as opposed to simply showing it to us?

JOE CLANCY, SECRET SERVICE AGENCY DIRECTOR: I will not release a copy of this video at this point.

FRATES (voice-over): Lawmakers criticize the new director for not knowing about the incident until five days after it happened. And then only after hearing about an unanimous e-mail circling around the agency. The top Democrat on the committee read the e-mail aloud saying. It the agents drove through crime scene tape after returning from a retirement party.

REP. ELIJAH E. CUMMINGS, (D) MARYLAND: UD Officers at the scene said they were both extremely intoxicated. The UD officers were going to arrest both of them, but the UD watch commander said not to. But you know what really bothers me is it appears that we have an agency at war against itself.

FRATES (voice-over): Clancy promised lawmakers he'll take action.

CLANCY: I'm resolved to holding people accountable for their actions.

(END VIDETAPE)

FRATES: And frustrated lawmakers plan to hold Clancy accountable. Their next step, bringing the agents and officers involved for closed door interviews and ask them what happened that night at the White House. John?

BERMAN: Yes, new tension on top of new questions. Chris Frates, great to have you with us. Thanks so much. Kate?

BOLDUAN: Ahead for us, AT THIS HOUR, we're awaiting two important live events in terms of the mystery in the French Alps. A press conference of leaders of France, Germany and Spain. That's live pictures, there right now of the podiums. There after staging sight of the search efforts forge the Germanwings crash. They're set to speak before cameras any minute. We'll going to bring that to you live. We're also waiting for what could be a key update from the French agency that's leading the recovery efforts following this horrific crash. They are facing a huge task right now, how to even begin to map out and figure out what happened to that Germanwings airline. That should start soon. We'll bring it to you when it does.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)