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Early Start with John Berman and Zoraida Sambolin

Who Was Andreas Lubitz?; Victims' Families Arrive At Crash Scene; Co-Pilot Left Alone In Cockpit; Saudis Lead Airstrikes On Houthi Rebels; Yemen In Chaos; U.S. Airstrikes Pound ISIS Targets In Tikrit; Cockpit Doors Impenetrable; Will Amanda Knox's Conviction Stick? Aired 5:30-6a ET

Aired March 27, 2015 - 05:30   ET

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

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CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN ANCHOR: Happening now: Prosecutors painting a picture of the final moments on board the Germanwings Flight 9525. The co- pilot locking the captain out of the cockpit, deliberately crashing into the mountain, killing himself and everyone else onboard. This morning, investigators trying to figure out why he did that, as crews recovering remains of victims face a daunting task.

[05:30:05] Live team coverage starts now.

Welcome back to EARLY START. I'm Christine Romans. It's 30 minutes the hour. We have new answers this morning in the crash of Germanwings Flight 9525, but many more questions as well.

A French prosecutor says the co- pilot locks the pilot out of the cockpit then deliberately flew the plane into the mountain side killing himself and 149 others. That co- pilot has been identified now 27-year-old German national, Andreas Lubitz.

The central mystery, why? German police search Lubitz's home, his family home and his current apartment. The FBI announcing it will help French authorities in their investigation.

For all of the latest -- the latest on all of this, I want to bring in CNN's Rosie Tomkins is live at Lubitz's home in Montabaur, Germany. Good morning, Rosie.

ROSIE TOMKINS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Christine, yes, here in Montabaur, you can see a large selection of global media all here behind me focusing on this one house, the family home of Andreas Lubitz. The co- pilot who we know are told deliberately crashed this plane.

As you say, the question why, everybody desperate for clues and answers to give us some indication as to why this apparently normal and happy young man would do such a thing.

Police searching both of his residences yesterday and today, they said they have taken what may be evidence which may contribute to the investigation from these two residences. Some bags were taken from the home behind me here and some boxes from the Dusseldorf apartment.

So maybe some clues there, but in the meantime, just waiting and scouring and the investigation to look through his past, anything they can. From what we've heard from local people here, though, a polite and friendly young man, and well-liked by his colleagues at the local flying club.

He said he was so excited about his career as a pilot realizing that dream. Everything is pointing towards a normal man. Nothing pointing to a man who would do something like this and people desperately searching for an explanation -- Christine.

ROMANS: Yes, there is a lot of attention being paid this morning to a break he took in his training long before he worked for Lufthansa. Do we know anything about that?

TOMKINS: Yes, we have been asking questions about that ourselves. We spoke to the CEO of Lufthansa yesterday. He said that he could confirm that Lubitz did take a break in his training years ago when he was in the United States training to be a pilot.

But he said that medical records confidential. After the break, he resumed his training and then fully qualified. The time that he took this flight, he was seen to be 100 percent fit to fly. So we have nothing further on those reports.

We are in the same position asking the questions and waiting for anything that would explain why this young man, who seemed to have no reason to do such a thing, would inflict this terrible tragedy on so many people -- Christine.

ROMANS: Apparently normal happy young man. I suspect now the real focus of this investigation now turns to those months where he took a break from his training six years ago. Thank you so much for that, Rosie Tomkins.

Crews in the French Alps are facing a grim task this morning recovering scattered remains under daunting conditions. The crash scene is five acres across accessible only by helicopters. Recovery workers must be lowered on cables because there is no place for the choppers to land.

Victims' family members, more than 250 of them arriving in buses at the nearby village of Le Vernet for a private memorial service. International correspondent, Erin McLaughlin, is at the recovery base camp in the French Alps. She's got the latest for us this morning -- Erin.

ERIN MCLAUGHLIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Christine. Well, that recovery operation continuing in earnest this morning. We saw choppers heading out to the crash site, much more work needs to be done there. The workers are looking for the other black box. The flight data recorder that would give them more clues and more

information as to how the plane was being flown in the moments before it crashed. They are looking for human remains. Those remains being air lifted out of the crash site for the all-important identification process.

That DNA analysis expected to take weeks. Investigators are saying they will not be returning the bodies to the families until that DNA analysis process is completed so a long agonizing wait ahead for the families.

Meanwhile, we are hearing from the prosecutor in Marseille. He is responsible for the investigation into the actions of 27-year-old Andreas Lubitz, the co- pilot. He says that the French authorities will be obtaining those documents that were seized in Lubitz's homes in Germany yesterday and today.

He said he will personally be analyzing those documents for information. He does plan on giving a press conference, but not until he is finished reviewing the documents. He said no press conference is scheduled for today -- Christine.

ROMANS: All right, Erin, thank you so much for that.

The ability of the co-pilot, Andreas Lubitz, to lock the pilot out of the cockpit is raising questions this morning about the in-flight policies of Lufthansa which owns Germanwings.

[05:35:11] CNN senior international correspondent, Fred Pleitgen, spoke exclusively with the Lufthansa CEO and asked about the airline's policy allowing a pilot to be alone in the cockpit.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: In the United States, for instance, if one of the crew members leaves the cockpit, there always has to be someone who goes in, a flight attendant or something, why was the co-pilot allowed to be in the cockpit alone?

CARSTEN SPOHR, CEO, LUFTHANSA AIRLINES: Also in the United States to my knowledge that's only true for very few airlines. Most airlines around the world follow the same procedures as Lufthansa that in flight phases with low work load, a pilot can leave the cockpit especially for physical need and then he returns to the cockpit as fast as he can. That's a global, the most accepted procedure, which we have used in Lufthansa for many, many years.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMANS: You just heard from the head of Germanwings. Now other airlines and regulators are reviewing their cockpit rules. The U.K. Civil Authority is urging airlines to require two people be present at all times. That is a policy in the United States.

But Air Berlin, EasyJet, and Norwegian Air Shuttle decided to change their policies. Emirates Airline is also changing its rules. The Canadian regulators are implementing the change countrywide. So what do these new rules mean exactly?

Well, if a pilot or co- pilot has to step out, another crew member will take their place on the flight deck. Again, that is already the policy of the United States.

Many people are wondering today why the Germanwings pilot was not able to bash his way back into the cockpit. We will give you a close look at the door, a door just like the one on the downed airliner to show you just how impenetrable it is. That's coming up in 15 minutes.

To Yemen now where a conflict is threatening to erupt into a full- scale Middle East war. Saudi Arabia leading another around of airstrikes on Iran-backed Houthi rebels overnight. The U.S. not participating in these attacks, but the Pentagon did provide the intelligence needed to launch them.

And now the Saudis along with the Egyptians are threatening to send ground forces into Yemen if necessary. CNN's Ian Lee is monitoring developments live from Cairo. Good morning, Ian.

IAN LEE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good Morning, Christine. It was another deadly night in Yemen, 15 air strikes in total, we're told, across the country targeting radar stations, weapons depots and also targets near the presidential palace.

All the while we know that Iran-backed Houthi rebels are advancing in the sports city of Aden in the south being fought by -- against militias loyal to Yemen's president and Sunni tribes.

In the meanwhile, there is an Arab-league summit taking place in the Egyptian city of Sharm el-Sheikh. They are going to be discussing the situation in Yemen. The president of Yemen will be attending there as well.

We are expecting them to solidify this Arab coalition that has been engaged in Yemen. Egypt pledging war ships and war planes as well troops if necessary. Wolf Blitzer talked to the Saudi ambassador who detailed their objectives in Yemen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

AMBASSADOR ADEL AL-JUBER, THE SAUDI AMBASSADOR TO THE UNITED STATES: We are preparing for all eventualities inside the kingdom as well as outside the kingdom. We are determined to defend Yemen, defend the legitimate government of Yemen, degrade and destroy the capabilities of the Houthis.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEE: Christine, ultimately this is a proxy war. On one side you have Iran backing these Houthi rebels. On the other side, you have Saudi Arabia and their Arab partners backing Yemen's president as well as the Sunni tribes backing the president too.

ROMANS: All right, Ian Lee for us in Cairo, thank you, Ian.

In Iraq, U.S. led coalitions staged 17 airstrikes against ISIS targets in Tikrit overnight. Until now, Iranian backed Shi'ite militias were leading the offensive with Iraqi forces trying to oust ISIS from the birth place of Saddam Hussein. But now that the U.S. has entered the fight, those militias are boycotting the battle. The "New York Times" reporting that even -- they are even threatening to attack Americans. Pentagon officials admit retaking Tikrit will be more difficult without those Iranian backed militias helping with the ground fight.

Locked out, powerless to stop his co-pilot from killing everyone on board, next, we are taking you inside the cockpit to show you how the captain of Germanwings Flight 9525 was kept out. How he never had a fighting chance to stop the disaster.

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[05:42:58]

ROMANS: Since the revelation of the pilot of Germanwings Flight 9525 can be heard on cockpit voice recordings banging hard on the door, people have been asking why he and flight crews simply couldn't find a way to smash through into the cockpit.

The answer, since 9/11, cockpit doors and locks have been drastically reinforced. For a demonstration of that, we sent Stephanie Elam to the Southern California Logistics Airport in Victorville.

STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Christine, we are inside of a cockpit similar to the A320 to give you an idea of what it looks like from the pilot's vantage point. As you see, we have the cockpit door here. It is a slim door, but don't let that fool you.

We have the peep hole so you can see a pilot could see outside, but there is more security to this door. I want to take you outside and introduce you to Captain Ross Aimer.

Captain Aimer, if you look at this door, it is really thick. I can actually feel it's heavy. What would it take to break down this door?

CAPTAIN ROSS AIMER, RETIRED UNITED AIRLINES CAPTAIN: Probably more than a grenade because it has been tested with a grenade against it, it did not open.

ELAM: Wow, so it is really a fortified door.

AIMER: It's a fortress door.

ELAM: But beyond that, there are other ways that a pilot can make sure that no one else can get in here like the lock up top. Tell me about this lock.

AIMER: All right, this is a deadbolt as you can see and if that deadbolt is engaged, again, this door is completely locked.

ELAM: No matter what.

AIMER: No matter what.

ELAM: How would you get in there? AIMER: You can't. No one.

ELAM: So if that is engaged, no one can getting is in here at all.

AIMER: Of course, there is a key back here if you like to show that. However, flight crews are no longer issued that key. Initially, we had the key, but TSA decided no key.

ELAM: No more keys. All right, there is also when you look at the door from the outside, besides that key, there is also the fact that there is no real way to break in here, there is also this key pad. Tell me about that.

AIMER: Correct. That key pad is obviously a code that you can see. The flight crews are given code, but it changes periodically. I cannot tell you how often or what.

[05:45:07] But you put the code in and you have exactly 30 seconds to enter. If something happens and you don't get in within 30 seconds, that locks itself back out again now it's finished.

ELAM: So you can't get back in and besides that the pilot on the inside if he or she wanted to, they could make it so you cannot get in with a code no matter what.

AIMER: Correct. You saw that deadbolt lock and there are two other buttons that would deny access. It basically does the same thing as that deadbolt, it branders the door inoperative.

ELAM: So the question is, based on what we know so far about this Germanwings crash, do you believe the door operated the way it was supposed to?

AIMER: It operated exactly the way it was designed to. Unfortunately, this time, it kept the good guy out.

ELAM: That is very sobering. Christine, back to you.

ROMANS: It really is. Let's take a look at what is coming up on "NEW DAY." Alisyn Camerota joins us now. Sobering because, you know, these flights -- the flight deck is to meant to keep the bad guy out, not to let the bad guy stay in.

ALISYN CAMEROTA, CNN ANCHOR, "NEW DAY": Yes, it's almost as if your imagination cannot prepare for every scenario because we can't conceive of it until it happened.

ROMANS: Right.

CAMEROTA: It feels like that's what happened so we will have all of the latest on the Flight 9525 disaster. The big question, of course, is why. Why would a co-pilot decide to fly a commercial jet into a mountain with 150 people on board and were warning signs missed that could have somehow prevented this tragedy? We will talk to aviation and mental health experts about changes that could be made. And the crisis in Yemen showing no signs of improving, the president has fled the country in advance of an Arab League Summit. So why does the U.S. keep touting the country as a success in the war on terror and what should the U.S. role be now? NEW DAY begins at the top of the hour.

ROMANS: All right, happy Friday. See you very soon.

All right, Amanda Knox, guilty or not guilty in killing her roommate in 2007? Italy's highest court is now ruling on the case. Knox has been convicted, set free, and then convicted again. This morning, a final verdict in the path of Italian justice, we have that next.

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[05:50:54]

ROMANS: Amanda Knox defense arguing their side today as the Italy's Supreme Court decides whether to uphold her 2009 murder conviction. That decision also expected today. CNN's Barbie Nadeau has been watching courtroom developments for us. She joins us live from Rome.

I think for a lot of Americans, Barbie, they cannot believe this case is still going on. She was convicted, let go, convicted again. This is the final word?

BARBIE NADEAU, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: This is judgment day. It's not necessarily the final word. This high court could decide to order yet another appellate trial. Their choices are quite limited. They can uphold one or both convictions or they can send one or both of them back to another appellate trial.

This is very normal, though, for the Italian system. There is a three tier structures, every case goes from the first level to the second level to the high court. Only when the high court signs off is it final. If they uphold the conviction, that's the final word, that's the end of it and the case is over.

But anything can go at this point. We really can't anticipate what this court is going to do today at this point -- Christine.

ROMANS: So Raffaele Sollecito will be in court. She will not. She is in the United States and has said she is not going back to Italy. If her conviction is upheld, could there be an extradition process to try to bring her back to Italy?

NADEAU: Absolutely. There is a valid extradition treaty between United States and Italy, and prisoners are passed back and forth all the time. It is a very common procedure to be done here. The treaty works. It will actually be a very difficult situation if Raffaele Sollecito is in jail facing a 25--year sentence and Amanda Knox is free.

The Italians may be compelled to do so if their citizen is in jail for the crime. That is a diplomatic tense situation. A lot of people said Italians will not put pressure on the United States to send her back. There is a sense of injustice in Italy if their citizen is in jail and the American is free.

ROMANS: It's injustice, of course, from the family of Meredith Kercher, who would just like to have this resolved and know that who is responsible for their daughter's murder is put in prison once and for all. Barbie Nadeau, thank you so much for us from Rome this morning. It will be an interesting day in court. No question.

It's 53 minutes past the hour. He was the father of the iPad, the genius behind Apple. But who was Steve Jobs really and what is the enduring fascination with his genius? We have that next.

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[05:56:53]

ROMANS: Let's get an EARLY START on your money this morning. U.S. stock futures lower. It has been a tough week. The Dow has been down four days in a row. The Dow closing up or down more than 100 points almost every day in March and it could get more wild and maybe could get worse.

Profits for S&P 500 companies expected to drop this quarter. Profits for those companies is what drives stock performance. We will find out for sure starting next week. We could be in for the pullback finally maybe everyone has been waiting for.

Apple CEO Tim Cook says he will give all his money away. He told "Fortune" magazine, he plans to donate his estimated $800 million to charity after paying for his nephew's education.

Cook was also just named the world's greatest leader, not long after many questions his ability to fill Steve Jobs shoes. The stock up 145 percent since he took the helm in August 2011 so those shoes he has filled.

The public is still fascinated with his predecessor, Steve Jobs, though. The authors of a new book say the conventional wisdom about Jobs is way off.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RICK TETZEK, CO-AUTHOR, "BECOMING STEVE JOBS": It all seemed like a miracle pulled off by a guy who was basically a jerk and it wasn't a miracle and he wasn't a jerk.

BRENT SCHLENDER, CO-AUTHOR, "BECOMING STEVE JOBS": He was not bipolar, jerk, genius. He was a wide array of colors.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMANS: Some Apple executives say this book, "Becoming Steve Jobs" is the first to get it right. This is not the last word written on the Apple genuis. Aaron Sorkin is working on a movie and CNN premiers a documentary next year, and of course, there was an Ashton Kutcher movie which these authors called quite awful. The public fascination with Steve Jobs just grows. Investigators this morning trying to figure out why the co- pilot of Germanwings 9525 deliberately crashed that plane, "NEW DAY" picks up that story now.

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A single person was responsible for taking down this flight.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: To tell you the truth, we have no explanation at this point.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: A number of airlines have since changed cockpit rules.

RICHARD QUEST, CNN AVIATION CORRESPONDENT: That door was designed for a purpose. That purpose had consequences.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There's no doubt that we would like to see a functioning central government in Yemen. We don't see that right now.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is really a war to defend the legitimate government of Yemen and to protect the Yemeni people.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The fight to recapture the Iraqi city of Tikrit from ISIS militants, they asked U.S. to get involved because the Iraqi air force does not have the same air power capabilities.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CHRIS CUOMO, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome to our viewers in the U.S. and around the world, this is NEW DAY. It is Friday, March 27th, 6:00 a.m. here in New York.

We know what happened to Flight 9525, the mystery now surrounds why. German police searching the home of the co-pilot, who authorities say deliberately crashed the plane into the mountains. Killing himself, but murdering is 149 others on board.

Investigators are focusing on whether the 27-year-old Andreas Lubitz was mentally ill and clues that he was planning not just to take his own life, but to cowardly take so many innocent lives with him.