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New York Mayor Bloomberg Praises Work of Plane Rescuers; Indie Filmmakers Pitch to Buyers at Sundance; Pilot's Wife Describes Family's Reaction
Aired January 16, 2009 - 11:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(JOINED IN PROGRESS)
MAYOR MICHAEL BLOOMBERG, NEW YORK: Let me make one final point. In the State of the City yesterday, I spent a lot of time discussing the challenges we face. And yes, those challenges really are very real. But looking back at the events of the last 20-odd hours, I don't see how we can help but not be optimistic.
We here live in a city filled with people who are able to face any challenge, and overcome any obstacle when they work together. And that really does make not just me, but all of us so proud to be New Yorkers today and every day.
There's someone else who's probably pretty proud today, as well, and that is the CEO of US Airways, Doug Parker.
Doug, would you like to say a few words?
DOUG PARKER, U.S. AIRWAYS CEO: I'd love to. Thank you. Thank you, Mayor Bloomberg, for the invitation to join you here today.
Let me first say how happy, yes, proud, and relieved we are for our passengers, our crew, and their families. Yesterday's response was simply amazing.
On behalf of the entire US Airways family, we're extremely grateful for the way the people of New York City and the surrounding areas pulled together to help the passengers and crew -- excuse me -- of Flight 1549.
We would like to publicly thank the local New York and New Jersey police and fire departments, the U.S. Coast Guard, the New York harbor master, the mini ferryboat operators and New York water taxis, the New York Port Authority and the EMTs who came to our aid yesterday.
We also want to thank the Office of Emergency Management for the city of New York, the American Red Cross, the Salvation Army, and all the other agencies and organizations who were part of the outstanding team effort.
Now, I, like the rest of you, are extremely proud of our crew for their quick and heroic actions. Today, they are safe and doing well. And along with many other members of the US Airways team, are assisting with the official investigation. Our crew members also, though, want to extend their thanks to all of the organizations that are represented here that I just mentioned. And I'm just -- I'm honored to, on their behalf, thank all of you for what you did for our crews and for our passengers and all their families.
It's a truly remarkable effort, as the mayor just said.
Yesterday's event unfolded in a matter of minutes, determining exactly what happened will take much longer than that. And the NTSB is here and taking the lead on this investigation, and we at US Airways are doing everything we can -- will continue to do whatever we can to assist them in that effort.
In the meantime, our continued focus and support will be on our passengers, their families and our very brave crew. And, again, on all of their behalf, thank you all so very, very much. We -- truly, truly appreciate it.
BLOOMBERG: Doug, thank you.
Before we take some questions, I would just like to have a little wrap-up for those that find Spanish easier to understand.
(SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE)
TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Hey, why don't we do this? Why don't we just take a moment here and get a bit of a reset. Tremendous remarks from Mayor Bloomberg. He said just moments ago this was a story of heroes, acknowledging the tremendous work of the city's first responders.
You heard there from CEO -- the CEO of US Airways, Doug Parker. There was plenty of praise for the pilot of that aircraft, Flight 1549, Captain Chesley Sullenberger. The captain and crew will be receiving the key to the city from New York's mayor soon.
And then all of the praise for the first responders, New York's police department. The divers, the Coast Guard, the Office of Emergency Management, New York's fire department, all responding.
Look at these pictures. There is a lot to get to. We will maybe, perhaps, go back to the mayor's press conference when the question and answer period begins.
OK. It is under way. Let's take you back to New York City.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We pulled out of our Pier 79 Street terminal in New York at 3:30. As I turned the boat around and started to pull out to the main channel, I looked up and I said to my deck hand, that's an odd-looking boat. He goes, I think that's an airplane.
(LAUGHTER)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And I said, OK. So we get the man overboard equipment ready, we radioed the Coast Guard on VHF 16. And we got to it. Then we do what we do best.
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Just what went through your mind when you first saw that plane in the water? What were you thinking?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I was a little overwhelmed. A little scared for the people. I know the water is about 32 degrees. The outside air temp was in the 20s. And I was worried if we didn't get them out right away, there would have been casualties.
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: What was the reaction of the people that were rescued, the first -- what's the impression that (INAUDIBLE)?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A few people were cheering. There were people crying. Get me out of the water, please, I'm cold.
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: What is the amount of time -- or maybe if there's another person from the fire department, I'm not sure, or EMS worker, but what is the amount of time in the river yesterday that, you know, there would have been death? You know how much time -- what was the window you had to work with?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If they were completely submerged, I'd say about five minutes. Hypothermia could have set in.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: So someone, in your opinion, could have died in a matter of five minutes or so in that water.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes. If we weren't there in another few minutes and got them on board and got them warm, they could have died.
BLOOMBERG: We have our EMT chief who wants to talk.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: With the -- with the air temperature and the water temperature, we think someone who might have been submerged in the water for two to three minutes could have suffered severe hypothermia and could have possibly had lethal consequences.
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Give us your name. Give us your affiliation.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: John Peruggia.
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: (INAUDIBLE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: P-E-R-U-G-G-I-A. I'm the chief EMS with the fire department.
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: (INAUDIBLE) to get there, I mean, it's amazing, this plane state stayed afloat for so long.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Clearly there -- the rescue efforts by the watercraft and getting the people out of water was important and getting them back to buildings where we had good temperature so that our responders could then begin to assess them. It was very important in this effort.
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: How quickly did the scuba divers get into the water?
BLOOMBERG: Say again.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The scuba divers. How quickly did they get there?
BLOOMBERG: We have a couple of them here. (INAUDIBLE). Come on, guys. Here you are. Come on, folks.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We were assigned to air-sea rescue which is -- we are two divers that were assigned to a helicopter that turned out at Floyd (INAUDIBLE) at the time was probably about five to six minutes.
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: What was the most dramatic moment of today that will stick in your mind?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: When we pulled up on to the scene, we saw one person, one female that was in obvious distress. She was holding on to one of the ferryboats. And we saw that -- we pretty much saw the distress that was in her face. We deployed from the helicopter, swam to her immediately, and pulled her off the side of that boat and swam her over to another ferryboat, which that crew assisted us in getting her up on to the boat.
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: When you got the call, what did you think you were getting into?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No one really knew the size of the operation that this was going to be. When we heard the job come over the radio, we assumed that it was maybe like a very small plane, maybe a two- person plane.
But as we're coming up on to the scene, I looked out the front window, we saw that it was actual full-size aircraft with a lot -- you know, a lot of people already out of the air - out of the plane, and on to the -- on to the wing and on to life boats.
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Did you think that everybody was going to make it?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Never really was a thought at the time. We were just there to help the -- help the people that we could at the time so.
(CROSSTALK)
BLOOMBERG: Let me -- all the way in the back there.
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Sir, how strong was the current? It looked like the plane was actually moving at a very -- how complicated did that make your effort?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think at the -- I think at the time the boat -- the current was probably moving in about 2 to 3 knots. So -- which at the time was very swift. You know, we deployed out of the helicopter in the area of the Intrepid, and before you knew it, we were well south of there. We were closer to Chelsea Piers at the time.
BLOOMBERG: Yes, sir.
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: (INAUDIBLE)?
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Have you performed other rescues like this, and how does this compare? And tell us a little bit about your training. The mayor mentioned you train for these things.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We do do a lot of training, along with emergency service and the fire department. But in my experiences, we have never dealt with something of this size.
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: (INAUDIBLE) Can you just say your name so we can all...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Detective Delaney. D-E-L-A-N-E-Y.
BLOOMBERG: Delaney is going to do the Spanish. Rodriguez is not.
(LAUGHTER)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm Delaney, by the way.
(LAUGHTER)
(CROSSTALK)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Michael.
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Thank you.
BLOOMBERG: Guys, thank you. Other questions? Yes, sir.
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: We've heard about people who were terrified and scared. Was there anyone who you were surprised that they were so calm after surviving a plane crash?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There was a few people that were in a panic situation. But all in all, everyone was very calm. It was very controlled. A lot of people were off on a life raft, and they were just waiting for their time to just be picked up out of the water by the crew of the ferryboats and the fire department and emergency service.
BLOOMBERG: We're going to give you some Spanish -- I'll translate for him afterwards.
(LAUGHTER)
BLOOMBERG: If you have a question...
(CROSSTALK) (SPEAKING IN SPANISH)
HARRIS: How about this? Just the descriptions of the scene that was unfolding for first responders yesterday, as they quickly went about the job of, yes, doing their jobs, rescuing the passengers and crew, all 155 of them, of Flight 1549 yesterday, a plane that wasn't where it was supposed to be. Drifting down the Hudson River on the west side of Manhattan.
Look at these pictures. You're looking at what everyone seems to agree now was a miracle. We're talking about an astonishing series of events, cool heads, quick-thinking that kept 155 people alive.
Investigators right now preparing to pull the US Airways jet out of the Hudson River with a giant crane. But focus on these pictures here. Their main focus today retrieving flight data recorders and interviewing the crew.
The image you will all remember, you'll see it here in a second. Talk about a wing and a prayer. There were passengers who appeared to be walking on water. You know the shot that I'm talking about here, survivors standing just mere inches above the frigid Hudson River, just minutes after their terrifying plunge from the sky.
And here is how it all went down. 3:26 p.m., US Airways Flight 1549 takes off from LaGuardia. Less than a minute later, the pilot radios controllers reporting a double bird strike. He said he needed to return to the airport, then changed his mind and said he wanted to go to a closer airport in New Jersey. The plane never made it that far.
The pilot circled around then issued an ominous warning, "brace for impact." Boy, passengers from Flight 1549 who made it on to Charlotte, North Carolina, sharing their amazing survival stories.
CNN's T.J. Holmes has been talking with some of them. He joins us now from Charlotte.
And T.J., did I really hear what I thought I heard in your reporting last hour that you talked to a guy who survived the ditching, and before he was on dry land was making a call to book his next flight? Did I hear that from you?
T.J. HOLMES, CNN ANCHOR: Not before -- not before he was on dry land. Before he had time to call his sons, his wife, his anybody, he was on the phones talking to US Airways, trying to get another flight...
HARRIS: Oh boy.
HOLMES: ... out of New York.
HARRIS: Wow.
HOLMES: That gives you a sense of -- as traumatic and dramatic as we think of a plane crash, this was really quite a calm thing for a lot of these people. They didn't have a lot of time to panic, from the time they heard, hey, brace for impact, there was impact.
They didn't have a lot of time to figure out what was going on, to even get scared in a lot of ways. And we hear from a lot of them, boom, we hit, it was over. It was done.
Now here, Tony, a big question last night was, what does a flight crash survivor look like? You know, we knew some people were coming back.
HARRIS: Hey, T.J.
HOLMES: We didn't know what's they...
HARRIS: T.J., I...
HOLMES: Yes, we know you've got to get back, go ahead.
HARRIS: Yes. I apologize. Let's get you back to the mayor's news conference in New York City.
Thanks, T.J.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The victims approximated were about two. That's -- that's the two that we actually took out of the water, away from the plane itself.
BLOOMBERG: Yes, sir.
(CROSSTALK)
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: (INAUDIBLE), but how many minutes after the moment the plane hit the water for the first rescue to arrive? (INAUDIBLE) And the second question, Mr. Mayor, all of these people, they did their everyday jobs, to be on call, to save people, but the five ferry boat operators who -- it's not their job...
BLOOMBERG: No, but they do train with the NYPD, and with the FDNY and with the Coast Guard and with the Port Authority. You know, you can't do anything in a vacuum. And nobody does anything by themselves. And that's one of the things that we focus on in this city, is being able to marshal both public and private resources, security we do.
The police commissioner, Ray Kelly, as you know, works very hard with the private security agencies in different buildings. The doormen in this city are the eyes and the ears of the police department. They are the ones when the firefighters show up direct them right away to the right apartment. It's a collaborative effort.
Ray, do you want to add something or...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You said something about the response time. We had a -- small rescue boat, Marine Company 1 Alpha, was at the Hudson River and (INAUDIBLE) Street, and it was that the airplane in about seven minutes, and our first ambulance arrived in a minute in 12 seconds. The first ambulance was there in one minute and 12 seconds. The boat -- one of our boats was at the airplane in about seven minutes.
BLOOMBERG: Well, New York -- New York Waterways was there in about four minutes. Ray?
(CROSSTALK)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think it was a little quicker than that.
BLOOMBERG: Quicker than that?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, we believe that it was less than four minutes, and New York Waterway was present on the scene. So it was remarkable response. As our divers said, they were there five minutes after they got the call. But New York Waterways was clearly the first entity that was present.
BLOOMBERG: Yes, sir.
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: What was the most serious injury among the passengers and/or among rescuers?
BLOOMBERG: I don't think there was anybody seriously injured.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Crew members...
BLOOMBERG: Crew member?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: ... had a gash on her (INAUDIBLE).
BLOOMBERG: A stewardess?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Stewardess.
BLOOMBERG: A stewardess with a broken leg, we think. But in the contrast, again...
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Is there anybody in this room who was in one of the rafts with the pilots or the co-pilots who could tell us something about that? And...
BLOOMBERG: Pilots or co-pilot ever got -- did not talk to the press. They were -- the pilot was helpful in assuring us that there was nobody left on the plane, and other than that, he is required by the National Transportation Safety Board to not say anything.
And all the speculation about what everybody is talking about just doesn't add anything. We've got these people -- well-trained, and they're not going to get in the way of the investigation.
Yes, miss.
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: The investigation about how the pilot was after the... BLOOMBERG: He was -- he was as cool and calm. I was with him. And he was as cool and calm as you would -- could possibly hope for. And in all fairness, as you would expect from a pilot for a great airline with an enormous amount of experience and training. And I think U.S. Air is proud of them.
Yes, sir -- miss.
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Can anyone speak to what the environmental impact might be as having the plane in the water?
BLOOMBERG: I don't know that it's leaked anything or that there's anything that would be negligible, if anything. The plane didn't break up because of the way the pilot landed it. And so the fuel tanks didn't split open. They'll take great care as they try to pick it out of the water to make sure that doesn't happen.
Yes, sir.
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: I know the department can't speak about the specific incident, but maybe can you tell us a little bit about how (INAUDIBLE) his background, his training.
I mean, was he specifically trained to look for a soft spot like the water to be able to glide the plane in? Is there anything you can tell us about the training they have for these type of incidents?
PARKER: I'm happy to tell you I can't tell you anything.
(LAUGHTER)
PARKER: Seriously. In all -- in all fairness, I mean, even -- the crew members -- we haven't disclosed the names of the crew members. These individuals are -- this is a very serious event, and they are taking it very seriously and working with the investigation, and I just can't talk anything about the crew members or what they did.
BLOOMBERG: Yes, sir. Yes, sir.
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Is it clear why the pilot in the plane, the aircraft, (INAUDIBLE) going to Teterboro.
BLOOMBERG: He, apparently, from what we can tell, lost power in both engines. Big jets don't glide very well. What would be a glide ratio, 1-1, or something like that? These things drop like a stone if you don't have any. He didn't have a lot of options. And keep in mind, if he'd tried to -- where he was, land on both sides very heavily, densely-populated buildings and people.
The young lady behind you.
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Mr. Mayor, were there any pets rescued yesterday from the...
BLOOMBERG: I have not heard anybody mention pets. We'll see if we can get that piece of information for you.
Yes, sir.
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: I have a question for the captain of (INAUDIBLE). I'm wondering what it sounded like when you first approached in terms of whether you could hear people either chatting or whether it was quiet or whether you could hear helicopters or other (INAUDIBLE). What did it sound like, you know?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I just heard people saying "thank God you're here," people crying, people saying "help" and pretty much everything else was quiet. I just -- was in focus.
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: In the middle of the water there, in the middle of the river, is pretty quiet or is it noisy as a truck? I mean (INAUDIBLE) the sense of...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's quiet, unless there's, you know, helicopters overhead or other vessels passing by, it was pretty quiet at that moment.
BLOOMBERG: Yes, miss.
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: The two individuals who were in the water, how long were they in the water for?
BLOOMBERG: You had to guess the individuals of the water, the two that you pulled out?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, when we got there, she was extremely lethargic, she had signs of hypothermia, and she -- maybe wasn't too aware of her surroundings, so she was probably in the water at least five to ten minutes. It's just an approximation.
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Did she have a life jacket on?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: She was holding on to life jackets. She was not donned. She actually had them through her arms. And when we got to her, we gave her more flotation.
BLOOMBERG: Yes, sir.
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: I saw a report that there was an infant on the plane, as well as a young -- a young child. Did anyone encounter a parent with the income or the young child?
(CROSSTALK)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, I was...
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Identify yourself first.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK.
BLOOMBERG: (INAUDIBLE) identify yourself (INAUDIBLE). UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Port captain, New York Waterway, Captain Vincent Ducanti. I was one of the vessels on scene at the time next to Captain Lombardi, and there was -- I encountered two children, one infant and one slightly older. I'm going to guess 18 months.
And we brought them on board and warmed the infants, as well as the parents. Handed them over to one of the crew members on my boat. And we brought them into the ferry, along with the parents, and warmed them and safely brought them back to port and pier.
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Can you describe the infant or (INAUDIBLE) at least the older one or is the mother...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Actually, it was beautiful. We brought them on to the boat, they were nice and calm. They got up to the second deck of the ferry where it is warmest, and they started to cry which was the best sound that we could hear. And everybody had smiles.
BLOOMBERG: Let me just finish by...
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: (INAUDIBLE). Where did you...
BLOOMBERG: On the wing or...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They were -- actually in a -- in a life raft.
BLOOMBERG: Let me just finish by saying, once again, thank you. Not just to those responders that are standing here, because they really represent a much larger group. The group that did respond, and the group that was while they responded still back in their places of preparation in case we had another emergency.
One of the most impressive things about this city is that while we're responding, we also have enough personnel ready to respond if, God forbid, there were a second or a third emergency.
You saw that on 9/11. And I think you saw it again yesterday. There was a massive amount of equipment brought over to the west side. But it was a small percentage of the equipment that we have. There was an enormous number of emergency service personnel. Police, fire -- Port Authority.
But there was also a massive amount, an even bigger amount, sitting back in their stations, in their precincts, ready to respond if somebody else needed help. It's perhaps the most impressive thing about our city.
So once again, thank you to all of those who responded. Let me just say to U.S. -- Airways, we typically like you to land at our airports.
(LAUGHTER)
BLOOMBERG: But thank God, if you had to land on the water, it turned out to be something that we can all look and say there but for the Grace of God, and it was because of the great pilot and crew, and it was because of an awful lot of people that responded.
So it's a day to thank God and have a smile on our faces, and it just goes to show, if we work together, we can do anything. Thank you.
HARRIS: How about that. A day to thank God and have a smile on our faces.
Pretty touching words there from Mayor Bloomberg, as he acknowledged the tremendous effort of all of the city's first responders yesterday, and doing a tremendous job of getting people to safety, and what seemed like the blink of an eye, when you think about it.
New York Waterways, those ferryboats, responding so quickly, first on the scene. And then all of the other first responders, responding so quickly. The first ambulance on the scene in a minute and 12 seconds, just think about that.
You heard from the head of the EMT that because the water was so cold in the Hudson, about 32 degrees, that's freezing, that severe hypothermia can set in anywhere from two to three minutes.
You heard from the CEO of US Airways, Doug Parker, thanking the crew and giving us an update on the crew, the crew that right now is being interviewed by the NTSB to get to the bottom of what happened.
All of the organizations that seemed to work so well yesterday. Again, the ferryboat captains, the Red Cross, the New York Police Department, New York Police Department divers, the New York Fire Department, the Office of Emergency and Management, and the Coast Guard working so well together that -- yesterday, to get people to safety as quickly as possible.
And some of those people who were on that flight, 1549, actually made it on to Charlotte, North Carolina. You heard our T.J. Holmes talking about it just minutes ago. Here is what some of the people who survived that crash into the Hudson and made it on to Charlotte had to say to T.J. Holmes.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CARL BAZARIANE, PASSENGER: We were hitting the Hudson River with full impact, and it went boom! And then we stopped. And then we looked out. And -- they said, you know, like brace 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 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)
HARRIS: That pilot, Captain Chesley Sullenberger, who will get the key to the city of New York, along with the rest of his crew. And, of course, we can't wait for that moment.
You know, we expect to learn more about the US Airways crash from NTSB officials. They're planning a news conference in New York this afternoon, 4:00 Eastern Time, and of course, we will bring it to you live right here on CNN.
Let's get straight now to CNN's senior correspondent Allen Chernoff. He is in New York.
And Allan, as you listen to the stories from the first responders in that news conference and the mayor just moments ago, it -- seems as though we can come to the one conclusion that just about everything went right when so many things could have gone wrong.
ALLAN CHERNOFF, CNN SENIOR CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely. And that man you were talking about, Captain Sullenberger, the "Daily News" this morning calling him the "Hero of the Hudson." I don't think anyone would disagree.
Just a spectacular job, bringing that aircraft down safely, right on to the Hudson River. He took off from LaGuardia airport and the Borough of Queens. Within a minute, both engines went out. He believed it was a double bird strike. Birds being sucked into the engines, the engines went out.
He made a left turn, right over the Hudson River behind me. 900 feet above the George Washington Bridge, and then brought the plane in safely right across from midtown Manhattan at 48th Street. Everyone, as we know, got out safely, just a spectacular story.
Behind me, you see the plane. One of the wings sticking out from the water. The police commissioner told me that there is a wing that is slightly damaged, hard to tell from here whether that is the wing, in fact.
The rest of the plane, all intact, except for the left engine, which an NTSB board member told me has actually fallen into the Hudson River somewhere. So divers will have to retrieve that. They certainly will.
But the big effort today is get -- to get the plane on to a barge. They're trying to figure out exactly how to do it. There are some massive cranes right behind this building to our left over here. So they're hoping to get the plane out of the water, bring it to a secure location, and then investigate the aircraft fully.
Now what do we take away from all of this, of course, which impacts all of us, the safety of flying. We know that these engines are tested for these theoretical bird strikes when they're manufactured. But do they need more testing?
I talked about that with the NTSB board member. Let's have a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KITTY HIGGINS, NTSB: They're certified before they're put on -- when they're manufactured. So the question is, what are those standards, and are those the right standards, and maybe the standards should change.
CHERNOFF: Should they be retested, do you think?
HIGGINS: I don't know that. We'll look at that. Again, we want to first of all determine exactly what happened before we speculate about what to do next.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHERNOFF: And to learn more about what happened, the NTSB this morning is interviewing the crew of that plane, so they'll be able to share exactly their thoughts and their remembrances about every minute on that flight, and I'm sure they remember it all, Tony.
HARRIS: Hold up that newspaper once more, if you would, for us, Allen. Love to see that.
CHERNOFF: Here it is.
HARRIS: Yes.
CHERNOFF: This is the "Daily News" this morning, "Hero of the Hudson."
HARRIS: Yes. CHERNOFF: Captain Sullenberger, great job.
HARRIS: Well, we are going to talk to a man who knows Captain Sullenberger very well, has flown with Captain Sullenberger, next hour in the CNN NEWSROOM. And we will get a little bit more insights into the mind of the man who is being called a hero, the "Hero of the Hudson."
Allan, appreciate it. Thank you so much.
A lot of other news we want to get to this morning. Parting words from President Bush. Defending the difficult decisions in his primetime farewell. We're back in a moment.
You're in the CNN NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
JOHN HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: You know, you have heard so much praise for the pilot of US Airways Flight 1549, Captain Chelsey Sullenberger. Again, we're going to be talking to a man who knows him well and has flown with him. Just moments ago, we just -- we received some sound from Captain Sullenberger's wife, Lorrie Sullenberger, from Danville, California.
Let's have a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LORRIE SULLENBERGER, WIFE OF U.S. AIRWAYS 1549 PILOT: We have been asked -- now I'm going to cry. I have been crying the whole time. We have been asked not to say anything by US Air.
So, we're not going to make any statements about much. But we'd just like to say that we are very grateful that everyone is off the airplane safely, and that was really what my husband asked to convey to everyone. And, of course, we are very proud of Dad. But ...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE REPORTER: Can you tell us how he feels? I mean, I know nothing about the crash, but what did he say to you?
SULLENBERGER: He is feeling better today. He is -- you know, he's a pilot. He's very controlled and very professional. And he -- we haven't actually talked a lot. But we're very proud of him.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE REPORTER: Has he talked to his daughters?
SULLENBERGER: Yes, he has, several times.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE REPORTER: Is he coming home?
SULLENBERGER: Probably not for several days, actually. So, it will be a while before he could stop (ph).
UNIDENTIFIED MALE REPORTER: Really? Where is he?
SULLENBERGER: Back there.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE REPORTER: He's going back there?
SULLENBERGER: Yes, he's sequestered back.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE REPORTER: Are you guys going to go back there and visit him or what?
SULLENBERGER: I'm not sure yet. Yes, we're still kind of playing it by ear. I mean, we were really in shock, all day yesterday. So, today is our first day, you know, waking up after the fact.
(INAUDIBLE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE REPORTER: Well, you're not going to give us any detail. I mean, just -- but, you know, briefly, I mean, most of us here have a really good idea what happened, just in -- without getting into real detail, what did he tell you what happened?
SULLENBERGER: Well, I'm not going to comment on any of that. We just -- just suffice it to say that, you know, it was a shock. Like, it was to everyone, it was really a shock yesterday.
I -- the one comment that I made yesterday that I will repeat is that my husband has said over the years that it's highly unlikely for any pilot to ever have an incident in his career, let alone something like this. So, I'm not afraid. You know, it never crosses my mind.
And like everyone else, I was stunned when he called and said there's been an incident. And even then, I assumed it was, you know, a tug that maybe had bumped the airplane. I had -- you know, your mind just never goes to something like this.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE REPORTER: Your response to the president praising. He's been called a national hero. Hero, hero -- everyone is saying it all morning.
SULLENBERGER: Yes, it's a little weird.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE REPORTER: Your neighbors are saying this is the greatest guy personally, as well. And the praise must be -- what do you ...
SULLENBERGER: Overwhelming. It's -- I mean, the girls went to sleep last night talking, I could hear them in the bedroom saying, "Is this weird or what?" First, to hear people talking about daddy before they knew who it was, and then to hear them talking about daddy was weird. So ...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE REPORTER: So, you heard that the plane crashing, before they knew he was the pilot, is that what you're saying?
SULLENBERGER: No, but when -- we had seen it on the news, we knew he was -- who was there, but -- before it was reported on the news that it was he. We had talked to him.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE REPORTER: OK. All right.
(INAUDIBLE)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE REPORTER: Hearing the praise for him, I'm sure, will you say it's a well-deserved praise?
SULLENBERGER: Oh, absolutely.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE REPORTER: What kind of a man is he?
SULLENBERGER: I have said for a long time that he's a pilot's pilot, and he loves the art of the airplane. So ...
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE REPORTER: How does it make you feel that he's on the cover of every paper all over the world?
SULLENBERGER: We haven't seen any of that yet. But we do have to go now, so that was our brief statement and we're going to carpool. Thank you very much.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE REPORTER: OK. Thanks a lot.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE REPORTER: Thanks.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: I'm just sort of -- can you imagine that? Can you imagine that moment, Lorrie Sullenberger gets a call from her husband, and her husband says to her, there has been -- what is it here? "There's been an incident." And then, of course, he goes on to describe it.
But that in her words, "He was controlled, and very professional. But that it was a shock to her. And it's been totally overwhelming. The praise has been overwhelming, that the girls went to bed last night talking about it."
We're going to turn that around. And you're going to hear that interview again, I promise you, from Lorrie Sullenberger, the wife of Captain Chelsey Sullenberger. What an amazing 24 hours it has been for that family.
OK. Let's get to New York City right now, and our Christine Romans -- Christine, I've got to tell you, I was listening to the news conference out of New York City, with the mayor, your mayor there, sort of thanking and acknowledging the tremendous work of all of the first responders of that great city ...
CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: ... in handling yesterday's crash. And then I get this e-mail about Circuit City.
ROMANS: Yes. Boy, we needed that good news from -- I'm telling you ...
HARRIS: Yes.
ROMANS: ... we really needed that good news from the miracle on the Hudson.
HARRIS: That's right.
ROMANS: You know, I mean, I think that people really want a good story, and this is just incredible. And at the same time, we still have this drumbeat of economic news that just doesn't quit.
HARRIS: Yes.
ROMANS: Circuit City, we knew it had been in bankruptcy, the company had been trying desperately to find a buyer to stay alive. It will liquidate. This means, unfortunately, 30,000 workers ...
HARRIS: Whoa!
ROMANS: ... are now out of work. They're going to get rid of all of the inventory of all of the Circuit City at some 567, I think, stores. This is the American economic and financial crisis coming to your neighborhood here, right here, folks. If you haven't seen it yet, this is it.
Circuit City will be going out of business. They had already closed, I think, some 155 stores. A lot of people had already lost their jobs and had been in the process of losing their jobs this year. This company was looking for a buyer, and they just couldn't find it.
So, what it's going to mean to your neighborhood is your Circuit City is going to be liquidating. That means big sales are going to be getting rid of the flat screen TVs and all of the stuff that's in there. Folks will likely have a job for the foreseeable future until that happens. I know with Linens 'n Things, it was liquidating ...
HARRIS: That's right.
ROMANS: ... and people still had their jobs for a while, because they were trying to clear out the inventory and clear out all the stuff. This is the story, Tony, for 2009. A lot of the -- and you've heard -- you've heard us saying this, you've heard the analysts and the experts, you know, could you see a major, major pare down of the retail sector. A lot of those household names are going to be in trouble here, and Circuit City is just the latest one.
So, unfortunately, the company says, "Regrettably, for more than 30,000 employees at Circuit City and for our loyal customers, we were unable to reach an agreement with our creditors and lenders." And that's it. This is the only possible path for the company.
So, that's it -- John?
HARRIS: And this is really -- this is really evidence of what we talk about so much here. Two-thirds of this economy is fueled by you spending, by me spending, by Americans spending. And this is a clear sign of this doubt (ph), we're just not spending, we're pulling back. ROMANS: And they, you know, they had filed for bankruptcy back in November.
HARRIS: Yes.
ROMANS: And they had mentioned the deteriorating economic picture and then tighter vendor agreements. That means that their vendors were also saying, "Hey, look, you know, you can't buy as much on credit as you used to, you know, and then knowing you were going to sell it and then pay us back." The whole credit thing from top to bottom was kind of reverberating -- sorry -- and so that's part of the story, too, John.
HARRIS: OK. Boy, all right, Christine, we're going to talk about TARP next hour.
ROMANS: Sure. OK.
HARRIS: All right. See you then.
The president-elect makes his pitch for that economic stimulus plan, just about an hour and 45 minutes from now. The size of the plan, boy, just growing -- from the $775 billion that Barack Obama was asking for, to $825 billion now, an information circulated by House Democrats. The stimulus plan, topic one for Barack Obama, 1:00 p.m. Eastern Time. CNN, of course, will bring it to you live.
And coming up: In our noon Eastern hour, we will talk with former Labor Secretary Robert Reich. We will ask him about the economic stimulus plan, the recession, and challenges facing the new administration. But who am I kidding here? Mostly, we will talk to him about the TARP program.
And what do you and your neighbors think about the bailout? We will get the results of a new poll that asks, "How do you feel?" That's in our noon Eastern hour.
When we come back, we will hear from more of the survivors of flight 1549. We're back in a moment.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARRIS: Passengers on that plane that landed in the Hudson are calling the pilot a hero, C.B. Sullenberger, nicknamed "Sully." We will learn more about him in the next hour of the CNN NEWSROOM.
And incredible stories from the passengers on US Airways Flight 1549. They described the situation on board just before the plane crash-landed in New York's Hudson River. Here's part of an interview with CNN's Campbell Brown from last night.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ALBERTO PANERO, PLANE CRASH SURVIVOR: Once the pilot made a u- turn, and, you know, calmly said, "Brace for impact," I think that's when people ... CAMPBELL BROWN, CNN ANCHOR: He calmly said, "Brace for impact."
PANERO: Yes, calmly said, "Brace for impact." I think that's when everybody knew that, you know, something was going to happen. And, you know, you could see the plane -- I was on one of the windows so I could see the water just getting bigger and closer, and, you know, it was inevitable that we were going to hit.
BROWN: I have to ask you this ...
PANERO: Yes.
BROWN: ... because none of us can imagine what that moment is like. You know?
PANERO: Yes.
BROWN: What -- and just tell us, and as best you can describe it, what it feels like when you think, this might be it?
PANERO: Well, it was kind of like having two different voices. One was telling me, you know, oh, my God, you know, you're probably going to die. This is it. And then the other one kind of trying to calm myself down saying, hey, listen, you know, it's going to be OK somehow.
But, you know, I just thought about my family back at home and my friends, and, you know, I have -- you know, my young guy, I have a lot of things going on. I just figured, you know, that I was going to be one of those stories that I have everything in front of me, the big road to travel, and I just end up, you know, dead.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: Rob Marciano and the severe weather center. Rob, we heard from the head of the EMTS in New York talking about just how cold the water was yesterday.
ROB MARCIANO, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Yes.
HARRIS: What did is my note here, severe hypothermia, if you're submerged in that water in two to three minutes.
MARCIANO: Yes. And, I mean, your muscles pretty much stop working almost instantaneously.
HARRIS: Right. Yes.
MARCIANO: So, so many things could have gone wrong there. And obviously, everyone is thankful that that didn't happen. One thing, though, that did go wrong was that it's the coldest air of the season was happening right when that plane was going down. And it's still happening, Tony. It's minus nine right now in Chicago, minus 17 in Caribou.
I just got word that there is an unofficial report of a minus 50- degree low in one part of Maine.
HARRIS: Wow.
MARCIANO: I've got to review that and see. And if that's the case, we're talking about that's the coldest spot with this cold snap. And that's without the wind chill. So, we'll get verification on that. But the records are pouring in.
Look at this. Current temperature is 20 in Atlanta, 20 in Birmingham. You know, how about the snowbirds who head south and maybe come down to Birmingham, Alabama for the winter, and deal with 20 degrees, current temperatures, with the sun up? Waterloo, Iowa, minus 24. These were actual low temperatures this morning. Montpelier, Vermont, 26 below; Bangor, Maine, with 24.
And again, that unofficial report that I had written down. Where is that Bear River? Anyway, 50 degrees below zero. We'll get confirmation later. Six tonight in D.C., 14 in Atlanta, one degree for a low tonight in Chicago. So, one more night of really, really cold stuff.
Here is your trough. I mean, that thing has just dropped down from Canada. So, colder than normal temperatures on this side, anywhere from 15 to 25 degrees below average, all the way down to the Gulf of Mexico.
Meanwhile, when we talk about the record-breaking high temperatures out west, that will remain the case going forward. We'll get a little bit of warm up here in places like Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa that have seen those record-breaking cold temperatures this weekend, but the cold air will probably hang around on the east coast through this weekend -- and actually, Tony, right through ...
HARRIS: The inauguration.
MARCIANO: The inauguration on Tuesday. I think we'll be close to freezing for D.C.
HARRIS: Well, that's better than I had been hearing. I was hearing 19 degrees. So, well, the temperature forecast at least has improved.
MARCIANO: Yes, well, you know, I guess the high temperature will be around freezing.
HARRIS: Whoa!
MARCIANO: So right around, you know, parade time, that would be -- maybe, definitely in the 20s. Teens, not out of the question.
HARRIS: I hope it will keep you warm.
(LAUGHTER)
HARRIS: OK, Rob, thank you.
MARCIANO: (INAUDIBLE).
HARRIS: Passengers on that plane that landed in the Hudson are calling pilot a hero, C.B. Sullenberger, nicknamed "Sully." We will learn more about him in the next hour of CNN NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We have a US Airways jet in the water, approximately a 60-passenger jet. Also at this time, we have numerous people on the wings of the airplane, and like I said, we got about four or five Circle Line boats around the plane at this time. (INAUDIBLE) units are jumping on Circle Line boats and heading out to the incident. Copy?
(END AUDIO CLIP)
HARRIS: Man, that was sound from some of the early emergency transmissions following the crash landing of US Airways Flight 1549. Officials with the National Transportation Safety Board are planning a news conference on the investigation at 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time and you can see it live in the "SITUATION ROOM."
President Bush is off to Camp David this afternoon for what sure to be a time of reflection and nostalgia. His next scheduled appearance comes Tuesday at the inauguration of the 44th president. Last night a somber Mr. Bush had told the nation goodbye and revisited the day that defined much of his presidency, September 11th, 2001.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: While 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.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: The president pointed out the United States has not been attacked on its soil since 9/11 and credited his terror policies. He also acknowledged some of his decisions were unpopular.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BUSH: Like all who have held this office before me, I have experienced setbacks. And there are things I would do differently if given the chance. Yet, I've always acted with the best interests of our country in mind. I have followed my conscience and done what I felt was right. You may not agree with some of the tough decisions I have made, but I hope you can agree that I was willing to make the tough decisions.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: The Bushes leave for Texas Tuesday. They will split their time between the ranch in Crawford and a multi-million dollar home they purchased in Dallas.
Attorney General-nominee Eric Holder is on Capitol Hill for a second day. Today's confirmation hearing, live pictures right now of the confirmation hearing, which is focusing on Holder's tenure as number two in the Clinton Justice Department. Holder appears headed for confirmation despite predictions a controversial pardon from Clinton's final days would hurt his chances. Former FBI Director Louis Freeh is testifying, urging the Senate to approve Holder. He says Holder was, quote, "used in the Marc Rich pardon episode and he remains a man of integrity."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LOUIS FREEH, FORMER FBI DIRECTOR: We'll make decisions from time to time with which people disagree, and that is an important facet of the service and an essential element of our democracy. I made many decisions when I was an assistant U.S. attorney, when I was a deputy U.S. attorney, certainly, when I was an FBI director that people disagreed with.
And Eric Holder has made decisions with which I disagree. And I'll talk about those briefly in a moment. But it's not the decision to me as much as the process and the principles and the integrity, independence with which that decision is made.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: OK. And looking ahead to next hour for just a moment, we will get some in-depth perceptions on the TARP and stimulus plan in our next hour. Former Labor Secretary Robert Reich is our guest. And we will ask him if he thinks the plans will help put the nation back on track.
Peddling a risky independent film in a sour economy is kind of like trying to sell a losing streak at Yankee Stadium. The story now from CNN's Ted Rowlands at the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
TED ROWLANDS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Outside the filmmaker office at Sundance, Emily Abt talks about "Toe to Toe," her film about an interracial friendship between two high schoolgirls.
EMILY ABT, FILMMAKER: I spent a lot of time building this film and I think -- I think it's really powerful. And I'm really hoping that we do get a deal so that as many people can see it as possible.
ROWLANDS: Abt is hoping to cash in here by finding a buyer willing to gamble on her movie. For the past two decades, Sundance has helped launch a steady stream of films from relative obscurity to the mainstream. This year, however, along Park City's main street, the early buzz is about the economy and the fear that film buyers may be cutting back. Organizers say there is a noticeable scaling back of the lavish giveaways and extravagant parties planned for this year's festival. Still, Sundance creator, Robert Redford, says he's optimistic for filmmakers.
ROBERT REDFORD, SUNDANCE FOUNDER: I don't think they have to be afraid. I have a hunch that this is going to be a good time for them this year. There will always be a need for new voices, new ideas, and that's what the festival is all about. So I'm optimistic about it.
ROWLANDS: Emily Abt says she's already talked to a few potential buyers who, she hopes, will like her film and will spend the money to buy it.
ABT: It's going to be really interesting to see, but I'm really optimistic that there's still going to be a lot of deals here this year. So, fingers crossed.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ROWLANDS: And, Tony, with more than 100 other filmmakers in the exact same position as Emily Abt, a lot of people have their fingers crossed this week here at Sundance.
HARRIS: Absolutely. All right, Ted Rowlands for us in Park City, Utah -- Ted, good to see you, thank you.
And take a look at this. New pictures of flight 1549 in the Hudson. Just in to the CNN NEWSROOM, we will, of course, update this story. "The Miracle on the Hudson" as it is being called, at the top of the hour right here in the NEWSROOM.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
