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All the Right Moves; President Bush's Farewell Address; Citi Divides Functions
Aired January 16, 2009 - 09:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Ditching in the Hudson. This morning what flight 1549 survivors are saying. Plus the very latest on the investigation.
And show him the money. The $350 billion within Barack Obama's reach. What happens to the bailout funds after a Senate vote?
It's Friday, January 16th. I'm Heidi Collins. You are in the CNN NEWSROOM.
Praise from all corners for the crew of U.S. Airways Flight 1549. All 155 people aboard the Airbus survived after something happened to the engines. The pilot was forced to ditch in the Hudson River.
And this morning, federal aviation investigators are getting their first look at the plane. It is now tethered to a pier in Manhattan. A pretty -- incredible sight right there. Everyone seems to agree, though, this was a case of everything going right. From the moment the pilots reported a problem to the crash landing and the instant response by rescuers.
Let's get straight now to our senior correspondent, Allan Chernoff, in New York.
Good morning to you, Allan. What's the word now?
ALLAN CHERNOFF, CNN SENIOR CORRESPONDENT: Well, good morning. And you can see behind me one of the wings of the plane and the game plan here is to actually hoist the plane onto a barge and then move it over to an air field. They haven't determined exactly where.
But it's just incredible. Absolutely incredible. I just spoke to the police commissioner who inspected it and he said there's a slight damage to one of the wings. But he was simply astounded that the pilot was able to bring that plane down almost perfectly right along the Hudson River.
It actually landed a couple of miles north of where we are. It started floating down and then barges brought it all the way down here to lower Manhattan. But it really was just a spectacular event yesterday. Thousands and thousands of people witnessed it as the plane took off from LaGuardia airport, crossed over the Bronx, and then came right over the George Washington Bridge, 900 feet above the George Washington Bridge, and then came in for a safe landing after both engines went out. The belief is that there was a, quote, "bird strike," meaning that flocks of birds were sucked up by the engines and that essentially shut down the engine. The passengers did tell the media that they heard booms on board, but once they got -- got down onto the water, they said that water quickly did enter the cabin, but they were, quote, "orderly chaos."
Everyone was able to get out. The ferries that crossed between New York and New Jersey were right there on the scene, picked up the passengers, and thank goodness, everyone is safe and sound -- Heidi?
COLLINS: Yes, no question about that, Allan. And boy, to have everything go right like it did, even the chances of that are so very rare.
Sure do appreciate it. Something New York is going to be talking about for a long time and the rest of country, too. Allan Chernoff for us this morning.
All survived. The passengers on U.S. Airways Flight 1549 praised the captain and crew and the responders for saving them. But the passengers were also brave. Listen to some of their stories.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CARL BAZARIANE, PASSENGER: We were hitting the Hudson River with full impact and it went boom. And then we stopped. Then we looked out. And -- they said, you know, like raise and so forth, but we all wanted to see what was going to happen, whether we were going to die.
BRAD WENTZELL, PASSENGER: Probably the most amazing moment of my life was a lady and a child. And she -- she was trying to climb over the seats because everybody was like -- was like wrecks. I mean you know, for the most part everybody was all behaved.
BAZARIANE: Everybody's cool.
WENTZELL: And everybody was organized, but she got blocked off and I grabbed her and her child and walked them to the exit and from there, Josh, I believe, got them onto the raft. But -- I'll never get over it.
JOE HART, PASSENGER: When we got outside and in the cold water, and I mean, the water was cold. I mean within seconds, my legs were numb standing in the water. So I'm guessing it was, you know, 30, 40 degrees. It was ugly.
VINCE SPERA, PASSENGER: The fire and rescue up in New York, if you're going down in an incident, you want to be in New York, I promise you. Those people took care of us. The ferryboat drivers, the fire and rescue, they were on top of it, took us out.
WENTZELL: This pilot and -- if this guy doesn't get the recognition he needs...
BAZARIANE: It's unbelievable. WENTZELL: ... is the reason my daughter, my 2 1/2-year-old has a dad, and my wife still has a husband.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COLLINS: And we are going to be talking with a current Airbus pilot in just a little while with more about what it really takes to land an aircraft like that, especially on water.
And also, we're going to be talking with our Dr. Sanjay Gupta. He's going to be joining us in just a few minutes with an update on those people from Flight 1549 who were taken to the hospital.
And we'll have that coming up in just a while. In the meantime, though, we want to hear what you think about this amazing survival story. Just e-mail us at that address there. cnnnewsroom@CNN.com.
Rob Marciano standing by now to talk a little bit more about both of these scenarios, I imagine, Rob, because we were talking yesterday about how cold things were. Clearly, something that was going to be an issue for the rescuers and the survivors out there. And then today, chill, chill, chilly again.
ROB MARCIANO, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes. And you know, it's been so sustainably cold, you know? This cold air if it were to last a few more days and that plane were to crash a few days later, I mean, further up the Hudson especially, might very well be a little bit of ice on -- on the ground there.
(WEATHER REPORT)
COLLINS: I don't want to be a wimp but it said exactly that. 14 on my car temperature thing.
MARCIANO: You're not a wimp.
COLLINS: I thought this was the south.
MARCIANO: You're as tough as they come.
COLLINS: Yes. OK. Rob, thank you. We'll talk back later on.
MARCIANO: You got it.
COLLINS: Your money, your concerns. Bank of America gets an extra cash infusion from the government and just a few minutes ago, the government revealed consumer prices fell again in December.
CNN's Christine Romans is here now to tell us what all of this means.
Christine, let's go ahead and start with these numbers now.
CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Right. We needed some good news and that good news is yesterday in the Hudson River.
COLLINS: Yes, exactly. ROMANS: That's where the good news was and that's for sure. We could use -- we could use that U.S. Airways pilot in the U.S. economy and the American banking system, I can tell you that much.
Let's look at this CPI numbers. This is consumer prices, this is what you pay. And consumer prices fell. They fell here about 7/10 of a percent. The core inflation remained unchanged.
So this is inflation. This is how we measure what it feels like when we go to fill up our tank, when we go to buy groceries, when we buy airline tickets and those sorts of things. These consumer prices continue to decline.
It's a reflection of weak demand and -- lower prices. It's a reflection of the big drop in gas and energy prices, and so those continued. It's a sign of a weak economy, basically. It's a tiny sliver of a silver lining people who are paying a little less when they're going out and buying.
But it shows just how -- how weak things are. And the -- and the banking system, meanwhile, Heidi, the banking system here is -- basically not functioning properly. And that -- that is continuing to be the problem and, in fact, some analysts and economists and people in the banking system are telling me we're right back to where we were at the end of September and October again.
COLLINS: Yes.
ROMANS: You've got these -- Bank of America had to get a life line from the government. Another $20 billion of federal bailout money, pay -- 8 percent for it, but they're also getting about $118 billion of their -- of their assets back by the government. That's big.
And Citigroup -- Citigroup is essentially undoing 10-plus years of building itself up into a big financial supermarket and it's -- you know, breaking itself into two pieces and trying to survive, trying to survive in the banking system.
I don't think that that's putting it too strongly. Even the president-elect in an interview, Heidi, with "The Washington Post," he really kind of characterized how the banking system is so incredibly important. You know as we continue and move forward...
COLLINS: Right.
ROMANS: ... and trying to figure out a stimulus for the rest of the economy. Listen to what he said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARACK OBAMA (D), PRESIDENT-ELECT: The credit markets are still very weak that banks now are fully caught up in a downward spiral where they have now affected the real economy. The real economy is now affecting their balance sheets. And so we're going to have to intelligently and strategically infuse some additional capital into the financial system. (END VIDEO CLIP)
ROMANS: And that's why he wanted that $350 billion, the second half of TARP. And a lot of economists and analysts are telling me, Heidi, that it could take an awful lot of money to plug the holes in the financial system, in the banking system.
Last year, the big problem were all of the home mortgages that had gone sour and those investments. But this year it's a whole different story. It's commercial loans. It's -- consumer loans, it's auto loans, it's credit cards. A lot of other things now because the economy is so weak, are starting to default.
And so we have a whole second wave of problems for the banking system here.
COLLINS: All right. I'm going back to the -- to the really good news story of yesterday and the plane in the Hudson River.
ROMANS: Let's -- I want the -- I'm telling you, we needed it and -- in New York, you know, it's the first time people are talking about what's going on and they're not talking about how tough things are.
COLLINS: It's true.
ROMANS: They're talking about how this country and this city rose to the occasion and, thank God for some good news.
COLLINS: Yes, no kidding. All right. Christine, sure do appreciate it.
ROMANS: Sure.
COLLINS: Thank you.
That being said, a front row seat for the U.S. Airways crash. Watching from the deck of the Intrepid as rescuers leap into action.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANNOUNCER: Live breaking news, unfolding developments, see for yourself in the CNN NEWSROOM.
COLLINS: Pictures of the plane. We've had a lot of help telling this incredible story from our iReporters. These pictures were taken by Thomas Stolarski. He was just a few feet away when he took those shots.
Now here's some video from another of our iReporters taken last night. You can see the one wing there and the tail section of the plane sticking out of the water. This video shot from an apartment building overlooking the area.
You can see more iReport pictures of the plane at iReport.com if you want to check that out. Now the plane came down not far from the Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum. People at the Intrepid had a ringside seat for the rescues, able to see the first responders jump into action.
So joining us now from New York is the president of the Intrepid Museum, Bill White.
Bill, nice to have you once again here on the program. Tell us first what exactly you saw, because I know you didn't see the plane on impact but almost immediately after all of this activity began.
BILL WHITE, PRES., INTREPID SEA, AIR & SPACE MUSEUM: Yes, that's right, Heidi. Good morning. It was really a sight to see. You know, it crashed and I say, you know, successfully ditched is the best way to put this.
COLLINS: Right.
WHITE: This pilot who was an Air Force pilot, you know, as the -- being the wife of a U.S. Air Force pilot, they are trained to take care of these incidences. And in this case, this guy did. The plane came down right smack in the middle of the Hudson River, 20 yards left or 20 yards right, A, it would have hit the Intrepid or -- or the Jersey shore.
So as soon as we got up to the flight deck, which was about 30 seconds after the plane touched down in the Hudson, we saw the forward aircraft slides deployed with dozens of people already inside the rafts with about a dozen folks on the left side of the wing and I have to tell you something.
I have a new friend now. Vince Lombardi who is a ferry captain of one of the boats. Those commerce activity where they take the folks from New York to New Jersey...
COLLINS: Yes.
WHITE: ... were right on the scene, right up to the bow of the boat and already taking people orderly. You know, this was not even chaotic. You know, in a lot of these incidences, you see people really react kind of hastily and out of fear, and this looked like it was so organized and orderly. It was extraordinary.
COLLINS: Yes. And we continue to look at the pictures right now as it was happening and as those survivors are being taken from the water as we're talking to you, Bill.
I know that the Intrepid, too, has been used many times before when there are tragedies or when there are crises like this in New York, sort of a staging areas and so forth. I'm thinking of September 11th when the FBI headquartered there.
Were you guys asked to do anything in this incident?
WHITE: Yes. Two cases. We actually were asked by NYPD to immediately allow access to our pier which is at 46th Street. So the plane went down at 48th Street just two blocks north of us.
COLLINS: So close.
WHITE: And what happened was the plane actually was moving with the tide of the Hudson River out toward the Statue of Liberty which is southbound at a very rapid rate. So the plane went from 48th Street to about 34th Street in about 20 minutes.
And I have to tell you one thing. You know, if they had tried to stop that plane, the mighty Hudson River would have entered the plane and I think it probably would have sunk.
This is what our experts tell us. But we actually offered -- the Bank of America had about 22 people on the plane. They are our largest sponsors at the Intrepid. And they called us and said, can we bring our folks over to the ship? You know you got a theater. We can get them warm in there.
COLLINS: Yes.
WHITE: We offered that but they ended up being 40 blocks south. So it was just a miraculous effort. The fire, the police, we had about a hundred vehicles outside of the Intrepid. And just applause to all of the people in the rescue efforts because they are heroes, heroes to us.
COLLINS: Yes, and Bill, I know you have training yourself in emergency rescue and so forth. So I imagine coming from you, this is certainly something that everybody is really going to be in awe of for quite some time.
Quickly before we let you go, Bill, NTSB going to be working out of the Intrepid at all?
WHITE: Well, we've actually offered. They can bring this barge over. I think they're going to take it possibly over to one of the airfields that's closest to them...
COLLINS: Yes, they are.
WHITE: ... so they can operate without having the folks from the public be able to see all that and kind of interfere. So, again, we're willing to serve any way we can and we -- we are so glad to hear that nobody was seriously injured or, God forbid, had been a fatality. This is a miraculous heroic effort.
COLLINS: Absolutely. Absolutely. All right, Bill White, sure do appreciate your time here today and glad the Intrepid and everybody on it was all right and all of this, too.
President of the Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum...
WHITE: Thank you, Heidi.
COLLINS: ... Bill White. And you hear it more and more every time we talk about it. Now quick work by crew members and rescuers kept more passengers from getting hurt. There's no doubt about it. But some passengers did end up in the frigid water of the Hudson River on one of the coldest days of the year.
We're bringing in our CNN chief medical correspondent now, Dr. Sanjay Gupta to talk a little bit more about the emotional and physical trauma that these people went through.
First, the physical. We're talking about hypothermia. It doesn't take long to get it.
DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, you know, it's interesting to hear Bill White describe keeping that plane moving. Otherwise the water would have come into the plane. The mighty Hudson River, as he described it.
It can happen right away. Hypothermia, when the water is that cold, it sets in right away. And within 15 to 30 minutes or so, you can have some of the most profound effects of hypothermia.
People may not even know that it's happening and they start to feel lethargic, you know, not quite -- out of sorts, have a hard time focusing, but something is happening in the body.
You know water absorbs all the heat from your body very quickly. So it's much worse, obviously, in the water than it is on land. But you know -- your body goes into triage mode.
Take a look at this animation here. Your body goes into triage mode where you sort of want to keep everything in the heart and the -- and the brain. You want to keep the blood there. So as a result, your extremities start to get very cold which is what people were describing.
Eventually, it affects the cellular level of your body. The blood starts to slow down. Your organs start to fail.
COLLINS: We're talking about circulation?
GUPTA: That's right. You're talking about circulation and hypothermia dramatically affects that. Again, it's sort of like the heart and brain are the most important. Everything else becomes secondary but that can only last so long -- Heidi.
COLLINS: Yes. And that's something that you -- when you go through and -- if you are lucky, you could be treated and you're OK, hopefully.
The -- psychological trauma is something else, though. Some of these people really may have difficulty in days, weeks, months to come.
GUPTA: And -- it's really hard to predict who those people are. I find it fascinating. A lot of people are weighing in on this from the psychology community. The people who are the most hysterical at the scene, people who really seem to have been affected by it, as you might guess, are the people who probably going to have the hardest time later on as well.
People who seem to have dealt with it, unlike unconventional belief, they're going to have to deal with it at some point.
COLLINS: Yes.
GUPTA: Not necessarily true. A lot of people, they get right back on a plane, they immerse themselves. I mean your husband is a pilot so he may know this better than anybody. But they have to immerse themselves, get back on a plane, and fly again, which we heard a lot of people did.
And if they don't want to fly again, sometimes they'll do virtual therapy so that they -- you know, they simulate in a safe setting.
COLLINS: Yes, I've seen that.
GUPTA: Everyone's going to have some irritability. They may have difficulty sleeping, even depression. The key is, is it getting better or is it getting worse? If it's getting worse and it's persisting, PTSD is a real concern.
COLLINS: Yes. Absolutely. Well, for now, though, everybody we've seen so very happy, right?
GUPTA: Love the story.
COLLINS: I know it.
GUPTA: We can tell a good story, right, Heidi?
COLLINS: It is. It is where we get to do this. That's true.
Our chief medical correspondent, Dr. Sanjay Gupta -- thanks, Sanjay.
GUPTA: Thanks, Heidi.
COLLINS: And I want to remind you, at the top of the hour we are learning New York mayor Michael Bloomberg will be holding a press conference. Joining him will be some first responders and CEO of the U.S. Airways Doug Parker. So again, that will be coming up at 10:00 a.m. and we will have it for you live.
Heading to Ohio. President-elect Barack Obama taking his economic message on the road now with a bailout vote victory in his back pocket.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COLLINS: A win for Barack Obama. The Senate siding with the president-elect refusing to block the release of that remaining federal bailout money. $350 billion, in fact.
CNN White House correspondent Suzanne Malveaux joining us now from Washington this morning.
Suzanne, this was a victory.
SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: You know, there were two victories that happened, Heidi, for Barack Obama, even before taking office.
We saw on the Senate side, the Senate voting to clear the way. You know that $700 billion financial bailout plan for the second half of that, the debate was whether or not they should actually release that money because of accountability, that the Bush administration essentially didn't even know where that money had gone.
And we saw Barack Obama working behind the scenes feverishly over those last week or so to actually release those funds. That happened on the House side. House Democrats introduced a bill in the tune of $825 billion -- billion to try to jump-start the economy.
They hope to have that on the president's desk to sign perhaps in mid February. So Barack Obama, of course, he's got to sell this thing. He's got to sell it to Republicans as well. He's got to make sure that everybody is on board and that is far, far from certain, Heidi.
So that's why we're going to see Barack Obama today. In a couple of hours he'll be in Bedford Heights, Ohio. That is where he's going to be at a wind turbine plant. He's going to be talking to workers and making a sales pitch. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
OBAMA: The credit markets are still very weak, that banks now are fully caught up in a downward spiral where they have now affected the real economy, the real economy is now affecting their -- balance sheets, and so we're going to have to intelligently and strategically infuse some additional capital into the financial system. That's why I requested the triggering of the second round of TARP.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MALVEAUX: Heidi, obviously, as you know, it's important where he's going, where he delivers his message, just as important, the symbolism behind and the substance behind the message.
We had been in Ohio many, many campaign trips, as you know, and Barack Obama winning over that state, but just by four percentage points over John McCain.
People in that area in the Midwest -- industrial Midwest certainly suffering because of this recession. So they're looking for answers. Barack Obama is looking to give them to them -- Heidi?
COLLINS: All right, Suzanne, we'll be following the story. Thanks so much. Appreciate that.
They survived their plane going down. Then they had to get on another flight to continue their trip. Our T.J. Holmes was there to meet some of Flight 1549 passengers in Charlotte.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANNOUNCER: Live in the CNN NEWSROOM, Heidi Collins.
COLLINS: On Wall Street, the Dow snapped a six-session losing streak yesterday, but, today, some of the nation's biggest banks are reporting earnings and the losses are just staggering.
Susan Lisovicz is at the New York Stock Exchange now with a look at how these investors will react or could react today.
Hey there, Susan.
SUSAN LISOVICZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Heidi. A little bit of a disconnect. Stocks are set to open higher today amid undeniable signs that the financial crisis is far from over.
There is the opening bell. The final trading day of the week begins.
Citigroup, Bank of America and the recently acquired Merrill Lynch reported fourth quarter losses totaling $25 billion. But we expect investors to look past that, focusing instead on what the companies are doing to bolster their balance sheets.
As expected Citi, announcing a major restructuring today -- it's splitting its operations in two. One, to handle traditional banking and another, to handle riskier assets. This ends its efforts to be a financial supermarket providing all in one financial services.
Meanwhile, Bank of America getting a huge boost from the government to the tune of $20 billion. That's in addition to the $25 billion they previously received. The government will also backstop more than $100 billion worth of potential losses from real estate loans. The latest bailout coming just hours after the Senate voted to release the second round of $350 billion in TARP funds.
Separately, let's go to the retail sector. Luxury retailer, Saks Fifth Avenue says it's cutting 1,100 jobs, suspending its 401(k) match and eliminating all employee bonuses this year and Health Insure Well Point plans to cut 1,500 jobs.
Despite all that bad news, check it out. The DOW industrials right now up 89 points or one percent. The NASDAQ and S&P 500 are each up at least one and a quarter percent.
And let's talk about one high flyer.
Heidi, Wall Street also applauding the heroism of US Airways pilot Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger.
COLLINS: Yes.
LISOVICZ: US Airways stock yesterday afternoon late in the session took a dive on word the carrier's crash landing in the Hudson. Less than 30 minutes before the closing bell the stock rebounded to break even by the close when the first headlines that there were survivors. In fact, everyone survived.
And this morning, I am happy to tell you LCC, Low Cost Carrier -- that is the ticker symbol of US Airways -- shares are up five percent. This is a carrier that has filed for bankruptcy twice --
COLLINS: Yes.
LISOVICZ: -- in the last seven years and narrowly avoided a third bankruptcy filing last year.
COLLINS: Wow. That's incredible angle to the story, definitely.
All right, Susan. You keep your eye on that and the rest of the numbers for us. I sure do appreciate it. Susan Lisovicz just now.
LISOVICZ: You're welcome.
COLLINS: The latest details now on that US Airways jet that crashed into the Hudson River. A team of Federal Aviation investigators arrived in New York this morning. They say they're looking forward to interviewing the pilot of Flight 1549 seen here and the co-pilot, of course.
They and the rest of the flight crew receiving lots of praise this morning for getting all 155 passengers -- well, 150 passengers plus five crew members, of course -- safely out of the aircraft after the emergency water landing.
Now, the plane went down a few minutes after taking off from LaGuardia Airport yesterday. Witnesses report seeing flocks of birds hit the plane. Airline official initial reports indicate both engines were taken out.
The pilot's name, Chesley B. Sullenberger, a 57-year-old former fighter pilot who's also -- runs a safety consulting firm. Passengers couldn't say enough about how well he handled the crisis.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BRAD WENTZELL, PLANE CRASH SURVIVOR: This pilot, and if this guy doesn't get the recognition he needs.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, it's unbelievable.
WENTZELL: Is the reason my daughter, my two and a half year old has a dad and my wife still has a husband.
DAVE SANDERSON, PLANE CRASH SURVIVOR: We saw the New York skyline getting closer and closer and he was coming down faster and faster and you're like I hope he does the right thing and he did. The pilot gets all the credit. He did the right thing. He got us in the water.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COLLINS: So could you do this? You survive a plane crash and then you have to get on another plane to complete your trip or to get home. That's what the passengers of Flight 1549 had to do.
Our T.J. Holmes met up with some of them in Charlotte and he is joining us now live. Hi there, T.J. I know you've had a chance to talk with some of them?
T.J. HOLMES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, I talked to several of them. I'm standing with one now and looking at the two of us I probably look like the one who just got out of a plane crash.
You look pretty good for a plane crash survivor this morning. Vince Spera, he cleans up real well. You're looking good this morning. You do not look like you've been in a plane crash but you have. You are one of the few that I've talked to yesterday who said when stuff was going on and you heard the explosion and the bang you still did not think you were going to die.
You still knew you were going to survive. Was it about the moment or it is just who you are that made you feel like you're going to survive this thing?
VINCE SPERA, PASSENGER: Well, there was no communication when we were turning to come over the water but once he said brace for impact, then it was just a matter of I really didn't think I was going to die.
I thought we could see the water. And maybe it was just because we could see where we were going to go down as opposed to being 30,000 feet in the air. I just never thought for a minute that we were going to die.
HOLMES: And several mentioned the relative and almost amazing calm that there was on the plane. You got the instructions. Is it just in a matter -- it happened so quickly, people didn't have time to comprehend it and even to panic?
SPERA: I'd say the biggest shock in the whole thing was when the engine exploded and you heard that bang.
HOLMES: Yes.
SPERA: You heard some screams like that real quick. And then after that, it was pretty calm. And there was no communication from the cockpit to us. Except for brace for impact, we landed and you're right. There wasn't a lot of time.
HOLMES: And again, how much between that? When you did hear that "brace for impact," between that warning and then the actual impact of the water?
SPERA: Probably 15 seconds, 20 seconds.
HOLMES: That was it?
SPERA: Yes.
HOLMES: Why were you -- didn't have no problem getting back on a plane last night? You got here at midnight last night. And again, you left I guess at 10:00 or something from New York. I mean, we're talking a matter of six, seven plus hours --
SPERA: Right.
HOLMES: -- from the time you were just in a plane crash. How did you get back on a plane last night?
SPERA: Well, the most important thing is family so I wanted to get home and see my family and friends and everybody and make sure that they knew I was ok. And sometimes you got to see to believe. So I wanted to get home as soon as I could to see my family.
HOLMES: What was that like to see family and friends? Again, you were one of the few, maybe the only one who said, "I always knew I was going to survive it." But still to actually lay eyes on your family and your friends again last night and your kids as well.
SPERA: That was fantastic. My kids were asleep. My daughter had a fever and she let me know that when I spoke to her on the phone.
And my wife was waiting up for me and a neighbor of mine had come pick me up at the airport and brought me back. So it was just fantastic. You know? It's just fantastic to get home and see them and see my kids sleeping in their beds.
HOLMES: And you told me you want to buy this guy a beer, Sully. We were talking earlier and did a segment about how to survive a plane crash. You all would say -- the way you survive it is to have a guy named Sully flying your plane.
Tell me how tremendous he was during this whole experience?
SPERA: Just unbelievable. I was reading a book. And the chapter I'm on its called "Outliers," Malcolm Gladwell wrote. The chapter I was on is about a plane crash. And apparently what this did is exactly what you're supposed to do to land the plane safely. He saved 150 people yesterday and maybe more had he gone down over the city or anything else like that.
So it's just incredible. I hope he flies every flight I take from now on.
HOLMES: Well, how does this change your life? Last question here and I'll let you go. How does this change your life? Will this change your life? I know it's still early and it's just fresh and just happened but how do you imagine you're going to be different?
SPERA: Definitely put things in perspective without question but changing my life, you know I'll get back on that kind of plane probably next week and head down to Florida and do my deal.
So I'll probably stick a little closer to family. If anyone has a desk job for me, I'll take it.
HOLMES: All right, well Vince, and I assure you, Heidi, he was. I know he looks good but he was on a plane crash last night. I assure you. But Vince Spera, really it's been a pleasure, I'm sorry we had to meet under these circumstances but good, I'm glad I've got the chance to talk to you and meet you. And good luck to you down the road.
SPERA: Thank you.
HOLMES: Heidi, I'll hand it back over to you, that's just one of many stories we're hearing down here in Charlotte.
COLLINS: Yes, it's just incredible. It's undeniably you've to hug your family a little tighter when you go through something like that.
HOLMES: Yes.
COLLINS: But hey, T.J. work on getting that guy a jacket, will you? It's cold out there.
HOLMES: Yes.
COLLINS: T.J. Holmes, I sure do appreciate it. Thank you.
HOLMES: All right.
COLLINS: And another story; an incredible one from all of this. A mother knew her son's plane had gone down but for some time she didn't know if he survived.
Reporter Alex Reed from our Charlotte affiliate WCNC reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ALEX REED, WCNC REPORTER: There is simply no way to explain this kind of relief.
LINDA SHARKEY, PASSENGER'S MOTHER: It's been a good day. What can I say?
REED: Linda Sharkey knew her son, Scott, was on Flight 1549 because he called her as he was boarding.
SHARKY: And then we ended the conversation. He said he was getting on the plane in 45 minutes. And I said, "I hope you have a good flight, I'll talk to you tonight."
REED: Ever since the plane went down she and her husband have been answering phone calls from concerned friends and keeping their eyes glued to the TV, hoping, praying for good news. And then this.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is him right there.
L. SHARKEY: That's him.
REED: In a burgundy shirt and tie, Scott was one of the last passengers to leave the plane after helping rescue others.
L. SHARKEY: I was going, thank you, Lord. That's all I can say. REED: Shortly afterwards, he left this answering machine message for mom.
SCOTT SHARKEY, PLANE CRASH SURVIVOR: Hey, mother, it's me, hi. I just wanted to let you know I'm ok, first and foremost. My plane crashed today. We got rescued. I'm a little cold but I'm ok. We're in a store right now.
REED: He says his cell phone and all of his belongings are gone so she can't reach him but he makes a promise which makes mom's day.
S. SHARKEY: I'll try to contact you as soon as I can. I love you. Talk to you later. Good-bye.
REED: In Charlotte, Alex Read, News Channel 36.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COLLINS: Well, it makes your hair stand up. Flight 1549 was an Airbus A320. We're going to be talking with an airbus pilot about the emergency water landing coming up in just a little while.
Meanwhile, over at the Severe Weather Center now, our meteorologist, Rob Marciano is standing by. We can't seem to talk about it enough, all of this cold weather and even with this accident that happened something that they were dealing with, obviously.
ROB MARCIANO, SEVERE WEATHER EXPERT: Yes, big time. The coldest air over the western Great Lakes sliding to the east, but when you have temperatures -- air temperatures yesterday when this all happened were in the lower 20s and the water temperatures were mid to upper 30s. It's just a good thing that they -- it's just -- everything just lined up perfectly --
COLLINS: Yes.
MARCIANO: -- for what could have been a disaster.
Twelve degrees currently in New York that doesn't include the wind chill. Heidi, have your parents -- have they reported in as to what's going on in Minnesota?
COLLINS: They have, indeed. The morning report, it's just exactly what you have there. Within 0.5 --
MARCIANO: Really.
COLLINS: -- they said that at the start of our show, below by 22.5 degrees Fahrenheit.
MARCIANO: Ok, all right, we'll get them to calibrate just a little bit half a degree.
COLLINS: Well, a long time ago when I lived there.
MARCIANO: Accuracy. All right, well the wind chill, Heidi, which is -- you have to calculate that sucker -- so a minus 38 in Minneapolis. So this is all nasty. But I think the bigger story today it gets all the way down south, the wind chills in Memphis and in Atlanta currently three degrees below zero.
More records fell last night or I should say yesterday morning: Cedar Rapids, minus 29; Caribou, Maine, minus 28; South Bend, Indiana, where the Irish try to keep things warm there, minus 15.
All right, here's the pattern big ridge out west, that's where all the warm air is. They trough out east, that's where the cold air is by 15 to 20 degrees below seasonal averages.
And we're going to look for a bit of a shift in this but not a drastic one as we go through time. This trough will begin to slide east and that will push the coldest of the air to the East Coast and that will allow at least your folks and the folks who live in the Northern Plains and western Great Lakes to return to at least more seasonable temperatures not above but seasonable temps and the West Coast remains rather warm.
Temperatures will remain cool out east. I'll get out of the way for those interested is what's going to happen on Tuesday -- which I think there's something going on in D.C. I haven't really researched that -- 34 degrees for a high temperature on Tuesday.
So that's a little bit below average but certainly better than a 20 --
COLLINS: Yes.
MARCIANO: Which they'll experience for a high temperature today.
COLLINS: Yes, we don't want it to be freezing cold on that day, and that's for sure. All right Rob, I sure do appreciate it thank you.
MARCIANO: Like that.
COLLINS: The ups and downs of the Bush White House. A reflective President defends his record in a farewell address.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Inside the plane there were only one or two that were really kind of not knowing what to do. It's when we got outside and in the cold water. And I mean, the water was cold, I mean, within seconds, my legs were numb standing in the water so I'm guessing it was 30, 40 degrees. It was ugly.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COLLINS: At the top of the hour, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg will be holding a press conference. Joining him will be some of the first responders and the CEO of US Airways, Doug Parker. So we will carry that live for you, of course, right here in the "CNN NEWSROOM."
As America gets ready to usher in a new leader, President Bush is saying good-bye and sharing his thoughts on how the country has fared during his administration. In his farewell address to the nation last night, Mr. Bush says he has kept the nation safe and he defended his record in handling two wars, terrorist threats and a crippled economy.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: When our nation is safer than it was seven years ago, the gravest threat to our people remains another terrorist attack. Our enemies are patient and determined to strike again. America did nothing to seek or deserve this conflict. But we have been given solemn responsibilities and we must meet them. We must resist complacency. We must keep our resolve and we must never let down our guard.
When challenges to our prosperity emerged, we rose to meet them. Facing the prospect of a financial collapse, we took decisive measures to safeguard our economy.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COLLINS: Mr. Bush also praised the inauguration of President-elect Obama as a moment of hope and pride for America.
Most Americans say, "Good riddance to the president." At least that is what a new poll suggests. More on the numbers and what is behind them from CNN political analyst Bill Schneider.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BILL SCHNEIDER, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: As President Bush prepares to leave office three-quarters of Americans say they are glad he's going. It's been like a failed marriage. Things started out well. When President Bush first took office, more than 60 percent saw him as strong and decisive. That impression was confirmed after 9/11.
BUSH: The people who knocked these buildings down will hear all of us soon.
SCHNEIDER: The public still saw Bush as strong and decisive when he took office a second time in 2005. No more. The public has lost confidence in this president especially since he hasn't been able to do much about the collapsing economy.
President Bush once had a reputation as a good manager. Then came Hurricane Katrina.
BUSH: Brownie, you're doing a heck of a job.
SCHNEIDER: And Mr. Bush's reputation as a manager got blown away.
Mr. Bush got elected on a promise.
BUSH: I think people look for someone who is a uniter, not a divider.
SCHNEIDER: But the vast majority of Americans believe he betrayed that promise. He says it's his greatest regret.
BUSH: Thank you. I am disappointed by the tone in Washington, D.C.
SCHNEIDER: Fewer than a third of Americans believe George W. Bush will go down in history as a good president. Forty percent say he left a poor legacy. Another 28 percent called Bush the worst president in American history.
Mr. Bush's view? Let history decide later.
BUSH: I don't think you can possibly get the full breadth of an administration until time has passed.
SCHNEIDER: At his news conference, Mr. Bush advised his successor that the controversies won't matter if there is another attack on the homeland. That's how President Bush hopes he's remembered -- as a president who helped keep the country safe.
Bill Schneider, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COLLINS: The plane still floating in the Hudson River. The passengers now safe and telling more incredible stories of survival.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COLLINS: One hundred fifty-five passengers and crew surviving the crash into the frigid Hudson River; many of them telling their stories right here on CNN. We wanted to share an earlier conversation from CNN's "American Morning." Our Kiran Chetry asked one of the survivors about the moment he knew something was wrong.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
FRED BERRETTA, CRASH SURVIVOR: It made a lot of noise and looked out and saw the smoke and flames coming out of the rear of engine and knew that it was pretty much a dead engine at that point and was hoping that the right engine was working.
KIRAN CHETRY, CNN ANCHOR, "AMERICAN MORNING": And when did you guys quickly become aware that was not the case as well, that in fact you had lost both engines on this plane?
BERRETTA: We were talking to the passengers on the right side of the plane, and we were asking them, "Hey, what's going on, is that engine working?" And unfortunately, we got a bad response. They said no. And at that point, you could pretty much feel that we were just kind of gliding.
CHETRY: And what was the mood like in the plane, I mean, knowing that, okay, both engines are out, you guys are going to have to make some sort of landing at this point, and really, it's out of your hands?
BERRETTA: Well, it was actually very somber, sullen, and people were quiet. Not a lot of panic, not a lot of screaming. Everybody was just stunned and kind of waiting for the pilot to tell us what was going to happen next. And he came on and said prepare for impact. And at that point, pretty much knew that we were going in the water.
CHETRY: Okay. Tell us a little bit about when the plane actually came in. You realized you were going to try and go down in the Hudson, and you were needing to prepare for being in the water.
BERRETTA: Well, we -- when we hit the water, it was a pretty big jolt. And don't have much recollection of that. It was just kind of jostling around. And was just glad the plane was intact. And, at that point okay we're through phase one of this, let's just get out of this airplane and go on to the next phase and hopefully we'll make it from there.
CHETRY: Von, I want you to talk about what that initial call was like. Did you guys know what you were dealing with, that for the most part a lot of survivors that needed to be plucked out of the water?
VON RANKIN, FIRST RESPONDER, U.S. COAST GUARD: Well, the initial call we got was just a plane -- a reported plane in the water. So I didn't know the intensity of how many people were in the water until I -- about two minutes away from the crash.
Once on the scene, we saw the FDNY and NYPD boats and the ferries and a lot of debris in the water and I just said to my crew, we have to prepare to get the people out of the water as safe and as fast as possible.
CHETRY: And that's the other amazing part, Fred, is how first of all, how quickly they were able to do that. But you guys seemed so orderly. What was it like as you were -- the plane is filling up with water, people are making decisions as to where they're going to go. One woman had a baby. How did it appear so orderly?
BERRETTA: It went -- I think as smoothly as it could have. I don't know how to describe it. Everything just worked out really well. The passengers were as orderly as I think you can be in that situation. They were helping each other. They weren't just looking out for themselves and people were helping folks get out on the wing or get on the raft.
It went very, very quickly. And everyone was off the plane. And the emergency response was tremendous.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COLLINS: The emergency landing of Flight 1549. We're hearing from passengers about the moments before and after the crash.
Plus, the latest details on the investigation now. It's all coming up in the next hour of "CNN NEWSROOM."
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COLLINS: Quick reminder now. At the top of the hour, New York mayor Michael Bloomberg will be holding a press conference. Joining him will be some first responders and the CEO of US airways, Doug Parker.
Obviously, you're looking at some of the still photos that came in after this incident, the US Airways plane that went into the Hudson River yesterday. We are going to have that press conference for you coming up live, once again, 10:00, so just a few minutes away.
Meet the president-elect, tour the Oval Office, or at least a fact of each? CNN's Bill Black views an inauguration at Madame Tussauds in London.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BILL BLACK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Introducing the next president of the United States. Or at least a wax figure that looks a lot like him. So great is Barack Obama's international appeal, even the unveiling of his likeness in London is a big event.
The sculptors at Madame Tussauds knew they were recreating the world's biggest celebrity and had to get it right: the smile, the ears, that stance.
EDWARD FULLER, GENERAL MANAGER, MADAME TUSSAUDS: Everybody knows what Obama looks like. And that again is why it's important to choose a pose that people feel comfortable with.
BLACK: It works according to the Americans who are among the first here to see it.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's just amazing. It's so life-like.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Kind of that same feeling, that aura with it. It's perfect, I mean, it's like he's standing right there. I can't believe it.
BLACK: But for Joseph Lamotay (ph) and Shannon Dougherty (ph), a long way from home, this is so much more than just a wax replica.
What are the thoughts, what are the feelings?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm just proud. Proud and excited. I mean, after eight years, particularly being an American abroad, it's been kind of difficult.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I see a bright future for the U.S.
BLACK: It's not just Americans who feel this way. You get the same thoughts and reflections from people across Britain and Europe, as well. Partly because of how impressive they think the incoming president is but also, because he's not the current president.
JEAN HUDSON, BRITISH OBAMA SUPPORTER: You can say, yes, we can. And this one says, yes, we did.
BLACK: Jean Hudson is living proof Obama mania is an national epidemic. In the weeks before the election, this nursery manager flew from London to New York to volunteer on Barack Obama's campaign.
HUDSON: On the phones, phoning the battleground states. On the receptions, greeting the general public of New York with my wonderful English accent.
BLACK: And now, Jean's is flying to Washington to be there for the inauguration.
HUDSON: I'm so looking forward to going. And so looking forward to being -- to be there and I'm so glad to have been part of the campaign that's inspired change.
BLACK: You're getting quite emotional just talking about it.
HUDSON: I am, I am.
Who is that?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Barack Obama.
HUDSON: Barack Obama, really? How do you know? How do you know it's Barack Obama?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Because he's the president.
HUDSON: He's the president. Wow.
BLACK: Well, almost. Barack Obama's supporters around the world now only have a short wait until that hope is realized.
Bill Black, CNN, London.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COLLINS: Plane down, all safe. Flight 1549's incredible landing and the rescue that followed. Hear from the first responders.
And still in the deep freeze, arctic blast shakes the Midwest, East and South.
It is Friday, January 16th. You are in the "CNN NEWSROOM."
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
