Return to Transcripts main page

CNN News Central

At Least 290 Dead After Air India Crash; One Passenger Survived Air India Plane Crash; Democratic Senator Alex Padilla Forcibly Removed from DHS Secretary Noem's News Conference in LA; Trump: Israeli Strike on Iran Could Very Well Happen. Aired 2:30-3p ET

Aired June 12, 2025 - 14:30   ET

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

[14:30:00]

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN HOST: Back to our breaking news now, one passenger, a British man, survived the deadliest air disaster in at least a decade. Reuters is reporting that at least 290 people have been killed after an Air India jet crashed into a building that was housing medical students in Ahmedabad in western India. The death toll includes people on the flight, almost everyone on the flight, and also people on the ground.

And a warning now that the video of the crash is certainly distressing here. It captured the final moments of Air India flight 171 in the air, struggling to gain altitude there. Its landing gear still deployed as it glides back to the ground and a fireball erupts in a populated area less than a minute after takeoff.

The signal of the Boeing 787-8 was lost when it was at an altitude of just 625 feet.

With us now is Shawn Pruchnicki, he's an aviation accident investigator, he's a professor at the Center for Aviation Studies at The Ohio State University. Shawn, what are you seeing as you're looking at this clip of the plane in the moments before it crashes?

SHAWN PRUCHNICKI, AVIATION ACCIDENT INVESTIGATOR AND AIR SAFETY EXPERT: Well, as you just mentioned, the landing gear is down. And it's a little difficult to tell, but it appears also that the flaps are not deployed. It's a little bit difficult from that angle. It'd be a little bit easier if we had like a 90 degree angle, but it appears the flaps are not deployed. So that's unusual because that's, you know, airplanes need to have their flaps deployed to be able to take off. But that could mean several things, that the flaps were deployed, they were pulled up too early.

The same thing with the landing gear, I hear lots of speculation out there that, you know, they, you know, forgot to pull the gear up, you know, there's all kinds of possibilities, you know. Maybe they did pull the gear up, but they saw they were losing altitude and they put the gear back down.

The bottom line is, it doesn't look right from an aircraft configuration standpoint, right, as far as the flaps and the gear. Neither of these make sense, because typically we pull the gear up, as soon as we achieve a positive rate of climb in all aircraft, but certainly commercial aircraft, that's when we pull the gear up. And as you had just stated, it achieved, it was around 600 feet or so. So certainly, so obviously the aircraft achieved a positive rate of climb.

That begs the question was, were the pilots extremely busy at this point in time and never got a chance to make that positive, you know, positive rate of climb call to be able to pull the gear up. This is something where the cockpit voice recorder is going to be so important to be able to hear what was really going on on the flight deck. Were they extremely task saturated, trying to solve other problems and just never made it to make that call?

You know, we just simply don't know. Maybe they weren't able to pull the gear up. Maybe there was a gear malfunction. That's a possibility as well.

[14:35:00]

Literally, you know, probably a hundred different possibilities --

KEILAR: Yes.

PRUCHNICKI: -- but what we do know is the airplane does not appear to be configured properly.

Let me mention just one other thing as far as the flaps are concerned, all of these airplanes are designed that if you try to take off with the flaps not deployed, the airplane will tell you that the flaps are not deployed.

KEILAR: So it should be telling them that --

PRUCHNICKI: -- so it's called configuration.

KEILAR: Yes, that's a really -- that's a really interesting point. What did you make, Shawn, of learning that there is this survivor? And I think the expectation of so many experts was this would have been someone in the back of the plane.

From what we understand, it is not. It's someone who actually was in the first row of economy in a bulkhead seat in an exit row window -- window seat. What did you make upon hearing this news?

PRUCHNICKI: I really found that to be outstanding because especially when I saw the picture of the tail sticking out of the airplane with the tail mostly intact, seeing that and then I heard about the survivor, that made sense that if it was a survivor, that's where you would find the individual. And then when I heard it was up around seat 11 or so. Yes, there's the picture right there. Unbelievably, you know, outstanding.

You know, we have seen that before in accidents where the airplane is completely, you know, for the most part, obliterated. But occasionally there is one or two random people and it is just that it is just random. It's a matter of how rapidly the airplane decelerates. And as debris comes through the aircraft in the case of hitting a structure like this, columns and so forth, what seat you're in and where things are coming through, it really comes down to luck. But having said it, sitting -- seated near an exit row may have also, you know, played a significant role, too, that he was right there and surviving the impact was able to escape quickly.

KEILAR: Shawn, I want to ask you, because this passenger who is named Ramesh told The Hindustan Times, I mean, just amazing that he's capable -- that he was capable of, you know, being able to verbalize this.

But he said, quote, 30 seconds after takeoff, there was a loud noise and then the plane crashed. It all happened so quickly.

Does that does that -- what questions does that raise for you? A loud noise.

PRUCHNICKI: So that makes me wonder. I've I've heard that reported also from this gentleman in other outlets. And what I'm thinking about when I hear that is, was that loud noise something like from the engines when we hear things like compressor stalls or problems with the engines?

Obviously, from the video, there doesn't appear to be any smoke coming from the engines indicating anything, you know, an obvious engine malfunction. But you also have to wonder. But there's all types of things that can, you know, go wrong within the fuselage of the engine, all the different systems that there could be something that could explode, you know, within the airplane with some of those systems.

So on the outside of the airplane, as far as you know, certainly something like a bomb or an engine exploding, that certainly doesn't seem to be the case whatsoever. There's zero evidence of that. I really wonder about some type of something inside the airplane, a mechanical system that failed in a rather dramatic way, leading to a sound like that.

Hopefully, they'll be able to capture something like that sound because it was up close. That might be an audible sound that they were able to get on the CDR and might be able to analyze that or even on the flight data recorder because they're seeing hundreds, if not a thousand, different systems and tracing all of their values. And if he's able to corroborate exactly about the time that happened, they might be able to see a certain system malfunction at about that time and be able to parallel up that sound with that system malfunction.

KEILAR: Yes. So, so interesting. Shawn, thank you so much for your expertise on this. We do appreciate it -- Shawn Pruchnicki.

And stay with CNN for much more ahead on our breaking news.

[14:40:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) KEILAR: We're following our breaking news. Tensions running high during a press conference with Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, which is where Democratic Senator Alex Padilla of California was confronted by security and forcibly removed from the room. Here's the moment.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KRISTI NOEM, HOMELAND SECURITY SECRETARY: So I want to say thank you to every single person that has been able to do this.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hands up, hands up.

NOEM: Also, I want to talk specifically to the rioters and to the politicians in Los Angeles.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I've asked a dozen times that -- that (INAUDIBLE)

NOEM: I also want to talk about specifically how many of our ICE agents have been doxed for doing their duty.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN HOST: CNN's Stephanie Elam was in the room for that moment. Stephanie, what did you see from your vantage point?

STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, at the time, Secretary Noem was speaking and then we heard this big voice coming off to the right hand side of us. And he looked over and it was Senator Alex Padilla and he was asking about why was she exaggerating.

But as soon as he started talking, people who are on that side from different law enforcement agencies, it looked like.

[14:45:00]

And just some people who were there in the room, part of this press conference, rushed to grab him. Alex Padilla is not a short man either. He's not he's not a little man, but they were pushing him back and he was saying, hands off, hands up, hands up.

And they pushed him back and out the room. The entire time he was trying to shout more questions and we couldn't hear all of it as it looked like they were pushing him. It looked like he was about to fall as he was going through the doors and out the room.

And while all of this was happening, Secretary Noem continued on with her statements, with her her comments about the actions that are happening as regards to the protests and the ICE actions that we have seen here in Los Angeles. She really didn't skip much of a beat. She stopped for a second and then continued to go on.

One of the things that she did say during her comments, and this is a quote, she said that they were here to, quote, liberate the city. And she said that we are not going away. And so there's been a lot of discussion about how this the protests

are being portrayed as if all of Los Angeles is encapsulated in these protests when so much of it is concentrated in downtown.

And I specifically did ask her that very question about what part of L.A. she had visited while she's here in the city. And she said that she's staying near downtown, saw downtown and saw the graffiti and so forth. But she'd been here before.

But it seems that she spent a lot of her time concentrated in that area. But this, I think, is what we were hearing Senator Padilla speak to with his commentary and his question -- Boris and Brianna.

KEILAR: All right, Stephanie, we know that you were there. This just happened. We'll try to get some more information about it as well.

The mayor reacting now, saying this was absolutely abhorrent and outrageous. That's Mayor Karen Bass of Los Angeles. Stephanie, thanks for that.

Let's talk more about this now with CNN Washington bureau chief and political director David Chalian. What is your reaction seeing that that moment?

DAVID CHALIAN, CNN WASHING BUREAU CHIEF AND POLITICAL DIRECTOR: Well, first of all, I have never seen a United States senator engaged in that kind of a moment. And I think there's video from outside the room that I've seen on social media of him being sort of wrestled to the ground to get a to get handcuffed.

Now, obviously, why is Padilla there at the note? I mean, he's there to spark a moment and create attention. There's no doubt this is a, you know, political tactic that he was employing. But even that being the case, I mean, he is a sitting United States senator.

And this is, you know, law enforcement protecting Noem's event who just treats him as if I mean, I don't know if they perceived him to be a real threat or not. It's just nothing I've seen of a United States senator being treated quite that way.

SANCHEZ: We just received a statement from the office of Senator Padilla, and they say that he's currently in Los Angeles exercising his duty to perform congressional oversight of the federal government's operations in Los Angeles, across California. It goes on to say that he tried to ask the secretary a question and was forcibly removed by federal agents, forced to the ground and handcuffed. He is not currently detained. And we are working to get additional information.

David, over and over, we've heard from voters in different parts of the country talking about how they want to see Democrats confront the administration on some of these issues like immigration. I mean, it gets handsy. But Padilla was trying to make a statement there.

CHALIAN: There's no doubt about it. I mean, she was holding a press conference and doing a press statement. He's not a member of the press. It wasn't like a hearing where it was an open forum for senators to ask questions. He clearly showed up to a public event to create a moment and do what you're saying, sort of show his constituents, not just Democrats, but that he's fighting from his perspective.

Again, I think the question is, was this the appropriate response of how it got dealt with in that moment and how that plays. To your point, though, I mean, what we're seeing politically is a very divided country over the support and opposition. It's almost evenly divided in The Washington Post poll today, over the president's actions and policies here, both over the president putting in the guard and the Marines there. Right.

But also we see an evenly divided country over support and opposition to the protests, to ICE's action.

KEILAR: You might also in a situation like this say, what kind of moment was the senator looking for? But I also would note, and I'm curious just if you can speak to kind of the norms of things. Normally, you have a situation where there's more interaction even between members of Congress who maybe don't see eye to eye with the White House.

They are a little able at least to have some kind of interactions. There really are no avenues, I think, for members of Congress to get the ear of someone at the White House if they are not seen as very in line with President Trump.

CHALIAN: I mean, I think it depends on the issue and the personnel, right, that find access points to certain things. But to use your word norms or normally, as you say, I just feel like we're so far afield from norms in Washington. They just don't seem to apply anymore.

KEILAR: Yes, such a good point.

[14:50:00]

David Chalian, thank you so much.

And ahead, President Trump is warning of the possibility of a massive conflict as he puts it in the Middle East. We'll have more on that.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SANCHEZ: President Donald Trump is warning of the possibility of a massive conflict in the Middle East imminently, saying that an Israeli strike on Iran could very well happen. All of this ahead of nuclear talks with the United States set to resume this weekend.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Well, I don't want to say imminent, but it looks like it's something that could very well happen. Look, it's very simple, not complicated. Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon.

[14:55:00]

Other than that, I want them to be successful. I want them to be -- we'll help them be successful. We'll trade with them. We'll do whatever is necessary.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANCHEZ: CNN senior White House correspondent Kristen Holmes joins us now live from the White House. Kristen, what are you hearing?

KRISTEN HOLMES, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: I mean, U.S. officials have been increasingly concerned of an attack on Iran or a strike from Israel after Iran said it was going to ramp up its nuclear capability. We saw over the last two days the U.S. has been removing some of that non-essential personnel from the Middle East region. And Donald Trump was asked specifically if the Israelis had told him anything to begin that evacuation process.

He said, no, they didn't tell me anything. But then he also went on to say, as you just heard, that, yes, it didn't seem it was though it was going to be imminent, but it is something that could very well happen.

Now, when it comes to Iran, we know that those peace talks are scheduled to still happen with Steve Witkoff, the Middle East envoy, on Sunday in Oman. This will be the sixth round of those peace talks between the U.S. and Iran.

And one thing a U.S. official noted to me was that, of course, these are still on, quote, unquote, for now, making sure to stress the fact that they still don't know what exactly this is all going to look like by the end of the weekend, by Sunday.

But one of the things to keep in mind, we hear Donald Trump say there that he wants them to be successful. He wants them to succeed. They just can't have a nuclear weapon. Part of that is because they're going to the table again on Sunday, the U.S. and Iran. We also heard him at one point saying that they thought they were close to a deal. We are still very unsure of what that deal would look like.

SANCHEZ: Kristen Holmes at the White House, thank you so much.

Stay with CNN. We're continuing to follow the breaking news out of India. Local officials reporting at least two hundred and ninety people have died after a plane crashed right after takeoff.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

END