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Former Inspector General Assesses Airline Safety Training; Obama Announces Cost-Saving Measures; Terrorists Bomb Pakistani Hotel; Suspect Doctor Murderer Speaks Out

Aired June 09, 2009 - 13:00   ET

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

KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Tony, thanks so much. We are pushing forward.

So you think you've heard all about U.S. Air Flight 1549 and the Hudson River. Well, think again.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It was actually quite tranquil once we had gotten there. The plane slowly floating down, seemingly everyone out, and it seemed to be pretty much under control.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: Did he say tranquil? We're pushing forward with the passengers' story and Captain Sully himself this hour.

We're inside the jail, inside the mind of the man accused of gunning down an abortion doctor in church. CNN's Ted Rowlands joins us live with his exclusive interview.

And an L.A. cop sworn to serve and protect, not to bite, beat and shoot a romantic rival. Now the detective is charged with murder.

Hello, everyone, I'm Kyra Phillips live at the CNN world headquarters in Atlanta. You're live in the CNN NEWSROOM.

Well, the White House calls it pay-go and if it's not in your vocabulary, don't feel bad. It's an alien concept in Washington, too. It's actually short for pay as you go, which is the opposite of buying on credit. Any second now, President Obama, due to speak out for spending cuts or other types of offsets to make up for new programs or tax cuts. We're going to bring you his comments live.

And we're also following two other stories right now. Search- and-rescue teams looking for three people after an explosion and roof collapse at a food plant in Garner, North Carolina, just outside Raleigh. The mayor says that toxic fumes and burning chemicals injured about a dozen employees. Twenty people were taken to the hospital.

And just in last hour, news about the confirmation hearing for Supreme Court nominee Judge Sonia Sotomayor. It's scheduled to start on Monday, June 13. The date's in line with President Obama's request that the Senate vote on judge Sotomayor before its August recess. And the pilot who will go down in history for the way his plane went down in the Hudson River says that all pilots ought to be trained on water landings. U.S. Airways Captain Chesley Sullenberger is the star witness at NTSB hearings that are due to run through Thursday in Washington.

We all remember Captain Sully's steely calm as he guided Flight 1549 back from the brink of catastrophe, and today he said virtually everyone kept a cool head, even though the plane was taking on water, and even though he hadn't specifically warned passengers they were headed for the river.

An investigator asked him why not.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CAPT. CHESLEY SULLENBERGER, PILOT, US AIRWAYS FLIGHT 1549: They had more time to more fully apprise the flight (ph) and attend to the situation that we faced. I probably spent some amount of time -- I would guess I had maybe four or five seconds, to decide to make the announcement and what I should say. I chose my words carefully.

My highest priority at that moment was to avoid passenger impact injury. I didn't know at that moment how successful I would be at trading airspeed for sink rate to cushion the touchdown. So my immediate concern, my highest priority had to be to avoid passenger injury at landing.

So, I chose the word "impact" and "brace" to indicate that they needed to brace themselves to avoid an impact injury. I knew that the flight attendants would do their assessment prior to opening the doors. And I wish I could have told them that it was a water landing, but had I done that, they might have been begun getting people to put on life vests and not being in the brace position at impact. So, it was a balancing act with the situation that we faced and the time that we had available.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: Well, if Sully is the pilot we all hope to have when we get on a plane, some of his colleagues on smaller airlines especially may not measure up.

We learned in the wake of the February crash of a Colgan airplane in Buffalo that the pilot never had hands-on training with an anti- stall device and had failed two exams.

"USA Today" reports that eight of the past nine regional airline crashes involved pilots who'd failed at least two so-called check rides. The FAA is now saying that it's stepping up inspections of training programs for regional airline flight crews.

Well, the goal is to make sure that all pilots in all airlines get all the training that they need, but Sully says even that's not always enough.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SULLENBERGER: We didn't have time to consult all the written guidance. We didn't have time to complete the appropriate checklists, so Jeff Skiles and I had to work almost intuitively in a very close- knit fashion without having a chance to verbalize every decision, every part of the situation, by observing each other's actions and hearing our transmissions and our words through -- to others, we were able to quickly be on the same page, know what needed to be done, and begin to do it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: Well, this brings me to Mary Schiavo, former inspector general with the Transportation Department, now a lawyer specializing in aviation.

And Mary, you know, that's exactly the part of that hearing that you and I were talking about, that there are just certain things in training that you can't learn, and what we do want in our pilots is that instinct. It's that life experience that Sully had.

MARY SCHIAVO, FORMER INSPECTOR GENERAL, TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT: That's right. And one of the things Airbus testified after -- after Captain Sullenberger did. And they said, well, for example, at this point what you need to do is you need to resort to the manual. And then they further said, "Well, you can find it on page 27."

And Sully testified, "You don't have time to read the manuals and clear back on page 27." And that really does seem to make the difference in an awful lot of close calls, is that training and years of experience.

PHILLIPS: And, OK, so let's lead to another example, then. You know, like you said there's no check lease -- checklist for landing in the Hudson, right?

SCHIAVO: That's right.

PHILLIPS: Now, some situations turn out great like what we saw with Sully. Other situations, for example, the Alaska Airlines crash, even though that had a bad ending, explain to our viewers, Mary, how even in that situation, life experience had those pilots calm and fighting all the way to the very end.

SCHIAVO: It's one of the really sad things about my job, is when you prepare the case, do the investigation, get ready for trial. You do have to hear a number of the cockpit voice recordings, not just read the transcripts, but hear them.

And what has been very striking over the years is on a number of these accidents, some with a good ending, some with a very awful ending, but the pilots in many of them remain very calm. And they fight to the end. And they mentally go through lots of different scenarios: can we do this, can we do that, let's try this, work with me. And it's always surprising in some of these how incredibly calm and relying on the experience these pilots remain literally until the very end.

For example, in Alaska 261 that you mentioned, they said, you know, work with me, pull with me, OK we're flying, but we're flying upside down. Kick the left rudder. And they had to -- they tried everything. Not just that, with many other accidents where they really just rely on their experience, and they don't have time to leaf through the manual.

PHILLIPS: Mary, stay with me. Because we'll segue into regional pilots and the training for them.

Straight to the president now at the White House, speaking out on spending cuts and other types of offsets to make up for new programs or tax cuts.

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: ... taxpayer dollars were used to stabilize the financial system at a time of extraordinary stress. And these funds were also meant to be an investment, and they were meant to be temporary. And that's why this morning's announcement is important.

Several financial institutions are set to pay back $68 billion to taxpayers. While we know that we will not escape the worst financial crisis in decades without some losses to taxpayers, it's worth noting that, in the first round of repayments from these companies, the government has actually turned a profit.

Now, this is not a sign that our troubles are over. Far from it. The financial crisis this administration inherited is still creating painful challenges for businesses and families alike. And I think everybody sees it in their own individual districts. But it is a positive sign.

We're seeing an initial return on a few of these investments. We're restoring funds to the treasury, where they'll be available to safeguard against continuing risks to financial stability. And as this money is returned, we'll see our national debt lessen by $68 billion. Billions of dollars that this generation will not have to borrow and future generations will not have to repay.

I've said repeatedly that I have no interest in managing the banking system, or, for that matter, running auto companies or other private institutions. So, today's announcement is welcome news to me.

But I also want to say, the return of these funds does not provide forgiveness for past excesses or permission for future misdeeds. It's critical that, as our country emerges from this period of crisis, that we learn its lessons, that those who seek reward do not take reckless risks, that short-term gains are not pursued without regard for long-term consequences.

At the same time, as we seek greater responsibility from those in the private sector, it's my view, and the view of those who are standing behind me today as well as those in the audience, that greater responsibility is required on the part of those who serve the public, as well. As a nation, we have several imperatives at this difficult moment in our history. We're confronting the worst recession this country has faced in generations, and this has required extraordinary investments in the short term.

Another imperative is addressing long-deferred priorities -- health care, energy, education -- which threaten the American economy and the well-being of American families. And we've begun to tackle these problems, as well.

But we are also called upon to rein in deficits by addressing these and other challenges in a manner that is fiscally responsible. This, in part, requires the kind of line-by-line review of the budget that is ongoing to remove things that we don't need and make the programs we do need work more efficiently. There are billions of dollars to be saved this way. But much of our effort will entail going after the big-ticket items that drive the deficits.

By ending unnecessary no-bid contracts and reforming the way government contracts are awarded, we can save the American people up to $40 billion every year. In addition, Secretary Robert Gates has proposed a badly needed overhaul of a defense contracting system riddled with hundreds of billions of dollars in cost overruns. And the cancellation of superfluous defense systems unnecessary to combat the threats of the 21st century.

We're also going to eliminate unwarranted subsidies, currently lavished on health-insurance companies through Medicare, which will save roughly $177 billion over the next decade. And this is part of broader health reform, about which I'll have more to say in the coming days, which will both cut costs and improve care.

So, all told, in the next four years, the deficit will be cut in half. Over the next decade, non-defense discretionary spending will reach its lowest level as a share of our national income since we began keeping records in 1962.

But we must go further. And one important step we can and must take is restoring the so-called pay-as-you go rule or pay-go. This is a rule I championed in the Senate and called for time and again on the campaign trail. Today, with the support of these legislators, including the speaker of the House, my administration is submitting to Congress a proposal to codify this rule into law. And I hope that the House and Senate will act quickly to pass it.

The "pay as you go" rule is very simple. Congress can only spend a dollar if it saves a dollar elsewhere, and this principle guides responsible families managing a budget, and it is no coincidence that this rule was in place when we moved from record deficits to record surpluses in the 1990s. And that, when this rule was abandoned, we returned to record deficits that doubled the national debt.

Entitlement increases and tax cuts need to be paid for. They're not free. And borrowing to finance them is not a sustainable, long- term policy. Paying for what you spend is basic common sense. Perhaps that's why here in Washington it's been so elusive. Of course, there have been those in Washington leading the charge to restore pay-go, and many of them are here today.

I want to recognize Congressman George Miller, who introduced the first pay-go bill in the House. I want to thank the House blue dogs and their leader, especially Baron Hill, who's been a driving force in favor of pay-go.

I want to acknowledge Senator Claire McCaskill, who's shown real leadership on this issue in the Senate.

And as I said I want to -- as I said, I want to acknowledge the speaker of the House, as well as leader Steny Hoyer, who are here because they understand the importance of this principle and are fully supportive of our efforts.

In fact, two years ago a new Democratic Congress put in place congressional rules to restore this principle but could not pass legislation without the support of the administration. I want you all to know, you now have that support.

The fact is, there are few who aren't distressed by deficits. It's a concern that cross the party lines, geographic boundaries, and ideological divides. But often in the give and tack of the political process, the vested interest of the few overtake the broader interests of the many. The debate of the day drowns out those who speak of what we may face tomorrow, and that's why pay as you go is essential. It requires Congress to navigate the ebb and flow of politics, while remaining fixed on that fiscal horizon.

The reckless fiscal policies of the past have left us in a very deep hole, and digging our way out of it will take time, patience, and some tough choices.

I know that, in the face of this historic challenge, there are many across this country who are skeptical of our collective ability to meet it. They're not wrong to feel that way. They're not wrong to draw this lesson after years in which we've put off difficult decisions, in which we've allowed our politics to grow smaller as our challenges grew ever more daunting.

But I think everybody understands this is an extraordinary moment, one in which we are called upon, not just to restore fiscal responsibility, but to once again live up to the broader responsibilities we have to one another.

And I know that we can summon that sense of shared obligation, that we have the capacity to change and to grow, and to solve even our toughest problems. And that's at the heart of why we're here today.

I appreciate the work of the people in this room, who have shown a willingness to make hard choices and do the hard work that's essential to overcoming the challenges of the present while leaving our nation better off in the future.

So, this is going to be a lift. We know it's going to be tough. I think we can get it done, especially with the extraordinary leadership that is on display here today.

Thank you very much, everybody. Take care.

PHILLIPS: All right, bottom line for the president of the United States there at the White House, discussing this need for "pay as you go" budget rules. Bottom line: rein in the red ink. You're more fiscally responsible, you bring down the debt, you save money. We all win.

He is hoping to require, you know, the government to budget the same way any responsible family would budget their money. He said Congress can spend a dollar if it saves a dollar elsewhere. We'll follow this, of course, and see how successful this move will be.

Also happening right now, as we're following the president, apparently a blast striking a Pakistani hotel. Reports are at least five people dead right now. It's a large explosion, we're told, that hit this major hotel. It's northwest of Pakistan, actually, in Peshawar. The reports are five people dead, at least 25 others wounded.

It's the Pearl Continental Hotel, according to information that we are getting now. Our Reza Sayah is working this for us and hopefully will bring us more information as we get it.

Now, we were talking about at the top of the hour the testimony that we were hearing from the hero of that plane landing, remember, on the Hudson River, Sully Sullenberger. And we were listening to his testimony, and just the experience, the life experience, that he had, and the instinct that he talks about that helped bring this situation, that could have been fatal, to a very successful landing.

You know, the complete opposite of what we were seeing with regard to regional carriers and regional pilots when we saw what happened in the Colgan air flight that went down, killing everybody on board.

And that's why we've been talking to Mary Schiavo as we've been listening to the hearings today. Mary is a former inspector general with the Transportation Department. She's a lawyer that specializes in aviation.

And just before we went to the president, Mary, we were telling our viewers just about life experience: going on instinct. That's what helps pilots like Sully get through such a disastrous experience.

So, let's push it forward now and talk about how the FAA is now coming forward, saying, "OK, we've got to crack down now on the regional carriers and the training going on for pilots there."

You know, what does that mean, cracking down on regional training? How do you do that?

SCHIAVO: Well, hopefully what that means is the FAA will be deploying more of their inspection resources on the regionals. Certainly, they do have limited resources. They're about 3,800 FAA inspectors, and they have to virtually cover all FAA-inspected facilities, airlines, manufacturing, pilot training, the world over, at least that have any interest in the United States' aviation.

And what this usually means when they announce a crackdown is they will deploy more of their resources to overseeing the regionals.

What people don't realize is most of the inspections of aviation in this country are self-inspections. You have designated examiners who work for persons other than the FAA, and they do the inspections. And this hopefully, will mean that they are going to try to ensure that the regionals meet the same kinds of training standards that the majors do.

And on the break, while we were listening to the president, there was additional testimony, and they actually had looked at accidents and those that were textbook accidents, meaning that they were like ones they had seen in training in their textbooks, they got a good outcome. If it was an accident they hadn't trained in, and it wasn't in the textbook, they got a bad outcome, which points, again, for better training.

PHILLIPS: And bottom line, those regional pilots say they've got to have more hours, and that's exactly what Sully had.

We're going to track it, Mary. We'll keep following the hearings, of course, and the changes that will be made and what the FAA is doing. Thanks so much for rolling with the punches today. Really appreciate it.

SCHIAVO: Thank you.

PHILLIPS: We want to get back to Pakistan now and that blast that we reported on there at the Continental Hotel, the Pearl Continental Hotel in Peshawar.

Reza Sayah working this for us now.

Are you on the phone with us, Reza? No, you're live. We got you live. Can you bring us up to date on what's going on?

REZA SAYAH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: No, no. Yes. Yes, Kyra. This looks bad. This incident happened about 40 minutes ago. We're working to get you as many details as possible, but here's what we know.

This is a powerful blast at a very upscale hotel in the city of Peshawar. This is the capital of Pakistan's northwestern frontier province. Police don't know yet whether this was a suicide attack, but they say about five people have been killed, more than 20 people injured. But based on the pictures that we're seeing, expect the number of casualties to go up.

This hotel is the Pearl Continental. Described as a five-star hotel, a very upscale hotel, one of the few upscale hotels in Peshawar, a favorite destination for diplomats and foreigners. I've been to this hotel. And what's interesting is this hotel is set back from the main road. In order to get into this hotel, you have to pass a security checkpoint and a gate.

Based on the pictures and what police officials are telling us, this explosion happened inside the hotel grounds. So, whoever did this, whether it was a suicide attacker or someone who brought in the explosives, they somehow infiltrated this checkpoint and this gate, because the explosion, it looks like, it happened right at the entrance of this hotel.

And as is often the case, the pictures we're seeing, they're awful. They're showing debris and rubble at this hotel. Bloody victims being carried away by people.

This attack comes at a time when the Pakistani security forces over the past month have been taking on the Taliban just about 100 miles north of this location, in the Swat Valley. And during this offensive, the militants, the Taliban, have promised reprisal. They've been mostly attacking security forces.

What stands out about this attack is that it targeted a civilian location, a very popular hotel in the heart of Peshawar. Again, Kyra, at this point, five people killed, more than 20 injured.

PHILLIPS: We'll keep tracking it with you. Reza Sayah, appreciate it so much.

We're going to take a quick break. More from the CNN NEWSROOM straight ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Bringing you up to date now on that explosion in Pakistan. It -- actually, it took place in the city of Peshawar at an upscale, five-star hotel, the Pearl Continental Hotel, a place where a lot of diplomats, foreigners stay.

Is this a response to a crackdown on Taliban militants? Not sure yet.

But as our Reza Sayah was saying, that it's a hotel that's tucked far back off the main street. There's a large security area that you have to go through in order to enter this hotel. And obviously, whomever is responsible for this attack -- not sure if it's a suicide attack or not. The details are still working in to the story. We're getting -- trying to get that information.

But at this point, we are told at least 5 people have been killed, at least 25 others wounded. Those numbers may change, and we are trying to find out, indeed, the motive behind that attack. And if, indeed, it is a response to the crackdown takes place on Taliban militants there in Pakistan. We're following that explosion out of Peshawar this hour.

Well, we're also following another story right now. Search-and- rescue teams looking for three people after an explosion and roof collapse at a food plant in Garner, North Carolina. That's just outside Raleigh. The mayor says that toxic fumes and burning chemicals injured about a dozen employees. Twenty people were taken to the hospital there.

CNN's Ted Rowlands just got through speaking with Scott Roeder. He's that man accused of killing Dr. George Tiller. You may remember, that prominent abortion provider in Kansas.

Roeder actually raised some concerns in an earlier interview, saying that similar events are planned around the country as long as abortion remains legal.

Ted was the only TV journalist to talk with him. He joins us now live from Wichita.

So, Ted, what did he tell you?

TED ROWLANDS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, a number of things, Kyra. One of the things when you bring up the -- sort of the statement that he had told the A.P. earlier about other plans that were about to maybe happen around the country. I asked him about that, and he said he was misquoted in the AP.

In fact, the first half of this interview -- we were allotted 30 minutes inside the jail. We talked with a glass partition over a phone, looking at each other.

During the first about 15 minutes of the interview, he really didn't want to talk about much of anything, saying that he was misquoted in this article and he was upset by it. He did say that -- after complaining about the conditions a little bit in jail, saying it was cold and he didn't like solitary.

But he did say he was feeling, quote, feeling good because he was getting encouraging letters, believe it or not, from many people around the country that were sending him mail here at the jail in Wichita, I guess saying, you know, good job or something to that effect. But he said that he's getting a lot of encouraging mail.

I asked him about the incident itself with Dr. Tiller, and he refused to talk about details at first. But then I said, "Well, what's your reaction to this man, his murder, just generally about him being dead?"

He said that he was -- he said the fact that Dr. Tiller -- this is a quote. "The fact that Dr. Tiller's clinic is closed is a victory for all of the unborn." He went on to say, quote, "No more slicing and dicing of the unborn in the mother's womb, and no more needles of poison into the baby's heart to stop the heart from beating."

And when he -- when he talked about the details of an abortion, he sort of picked up his pace and was a little bit more militant, rattling off these details.

I said, "Listen, let's be frank here. There are witnesses that saw you at this church go up and shoot this man. You pointed the gun in other people's faces. Then you got in your car. They saw you leave and got your license plate number. The other -- the evidence against you is overwhelming. What -- can you tell us what your side of the story is? Why did you do this?"

He said, "Well, I'm not going to admit guilt, but in the end, if I'm found guilty at a jury trial then," quote, "the entire motive was the defense of the unborn."

Something he didn't say, Kyra, "I'm the wrong guy; get me out of here." He seemed calm throughout the entire interview. We talked for the entire 30 minutes until we were told that our time was up. And then we had -- and then I had to leave.

PHILLIPS: What about any word from the Tiller family? Have they reacted to his comments or to your interview?

ROWLANDS: No. We've reached out to them. We've talked to their lawyer. And they are making a statement available to us. And we do expect that shortly. And when we get it, we'll pass it along.

PHILLIPS: Ted Rowlands, great job. Appreciate it.

Tiller's clinic in Wichita, Women's Health Care Services, will not reopen its door. The family has decided to close it permanently and will not be involved with any clinics like this. The Tiller family says that, in a statement, they will honor his memory through private, charitable activities.

And we're still following that explosion in Pakistan. It happened in the city of Peshawar, upscale hotel, the Pearl Continental Hotel. Not sure yet if this is retaliation in response to the crackdown on Taliban militants. But we can tell you at least five people have been killed, at least 25 injured.

As you heard our Reza Sayah, just a few moments ago, it is a hotel that is tucked far off the main street. It has a large security area. So, whoever got inside and past those gates knew exactly what they wanted to do. Is it a suicide attack? Don't know, still trying to confirm that information.

We're working that story for you. More after the break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: And bringing you more information on the breaking news out of Pakistan right now. The Pearl Continental hotel, a very popular hotel for diplomats and foreigners has experienced an explosion. We're told at least five people killed, possibly 25 or more wounded. As you know when these explosions happen, the number is usually billed because things are usually pretty chaotic at the beginning of these explosions.

It happened in the Pakistani city of Peshawar. As our Reza Sayah was telling us, this hotel is sort of set back from the main road. It's not an easy place to access. There is a security checkpoint in front of that hotel. But you may remember the Marriott hotel in Islamabad, which was destroyed last year in an attack. It also had the same type of security setup in front, and that hotel -- this hotel, actually, is owned by the same group as that Marriott hotel in Islamabad, that was destroyed last year in a suicide attack.

We're going to continue to follow this story, bringing you as much information as we can, as we get it.

We're also following another story right now. The search-and- rescue teams are looking for at least three people after an explosion and roof collapse at a food plant in Garner, North Carolina, that's just outside Raleigh. 20 people were taken to the hospital there. Fire crews were trying to contain an ammonia leak and they put out a fire that was still burning. It's still not clear what caused that explosion.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Continue to follow that explosion out of Pakistan.

Reza Sayah joining us live, once again from Islamabad.

Reza, the same hotel is owned by the -- or this hotel, rather, owned by the same group as the Marriott hotel in Islamabad, which we remember experienced that suicide attack last year. And I can't remember if this is the hotel where that wedding was taking place, but it was horrific.

Do you think there could be a connection here with the suicide bombers and this response toward the crackdown on the Taliban militants?

REZA SAYAH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, it's too early to tell, Kyra. But what stands out is this is a huge civilian target and this is the heart of the Peshawar, Pakistan's third largest city.

Of course, you mentioned the attack on the Marriott. That was September of 2008, and that changed a lot of things throughout Pakistan. Shortly after that attack, you had a lot of diplomats and foreigners sending their families home. You had security tightened throughout the federal capital of Islamabad and larger cities, in Peshawar. And now you have this attack, tonight, I'd say about an hour ago, in Peshawar.

We have new information. We now know, according to officials, that this was a car bomb targeting the Pearl Continental, a five-star, upscale hotel in Peshawar. This is a favorite destination for foreigners and diplomats. And what's interesting is this hotel is set back inside the main road. If you want to get into this hotel -- and I've been to this hotel, you have to get through a gate and a security check post.

We don't know if this was a suicide attacker. But whoever it was somehow managed to get this vehicle with this bomb past this gate, past this security check post. And the bomb exploded, right at the entrance of this hotel. And some awful pictures we're seeing on local television. Debris and rubble at the entrance. Bloodied victims being carried out by rescuers and civilians it looks like.

And at this point, the death toll is at five and according to an official, 25 people have been injured -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: We'll keep following it with you, Reza. Appreciate it.

Well, everybody on board US Airways Flight 1549 lived to talk about the incredible day on the Hudson River and today some of them are. That includes Captain Chesley Sullenberger, who tells investigators he wasn't the only one to keep a cool head. It also included passenger Bruce Campbell, who described the evacuation as, would you believe, tranquil. That's doubly amazing when you hear Campbell talk about Flight 1549's run-in with a flock of Canada geese.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BRUCE CAMPBELL, PASSENGER OF FLIGHT 1549: A large explosion. And sitting on the left-hand side I was able to see out the window. And I quickly, like most of the passengers, was startled because the plane shuddered. And the engine, the left engine, was on fire.

I've flown many flights, and actually -- excuse me -- had a number of friends who are aerobatic pilots who I've flown a lot, and I've seen engines sparking and a little bit of flame coming out occasionally in other aircraft, but nothing like this. But my best description of that engine was almost a bonfire. And it -- it continued to flame like that pretty much until we were near impact on the river.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: Well, we asked what you think about, or, take into consideration when booking a flight. Here's some of your tweets.

Orskany writes, "Airline tickets, cheapest win. Businesses out west don't give us fancy retirement packages."

Anmedic (ph), "I consider the type of plane and try to get an exit row, extra leg room close to the exit. I do consider the carrier also.

And then carsforcharity writes, " Seeing as I am not a fan of flying, I always look to make sure I am flying a larger jet. No turbo props."

Next hour I'm going to put some of your questions to pilot Patrick Smith, so please keep those tweets coming.

And for all these years, has a killer been walking and working among them? Well, the L.A.P.D. suspect in a cold case suspect, an L.A.P.D. veteran.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) PHILLIPS: Want to quickly bring you up to date on a breaking news story that we're following. Since the top of the hour that explosion in Pakistan, the city of Peshawar. We can tell you right now at least 5 people killed, at least 25 injured. Our Reza Sayah reporting that it was a car bomb that went off here at the Pearl Continental hotel.

The hotel is owned by the same group as the Marriott hotel in Islamabad, which was destroyed last year in an attack, killing 54 people and injuring at least 266 people.

We're watching live pictures right now of a briefing that's taking place on this explosion that happened today. We're told a car bomb that got through the security checkpoint of this upscale hotel where a lot of diplomat and foreigners stay. Is this a response to the crackdown on Taliban militants? We don't know yet. We are following it. We'll keep you updated.

Now, in the 23 years since the murder, L.A. homicide detectives worked the streets. They did countless interviews. They chased down leads and tips. But when they finally had enough to make an arrest, all they had to do was cross the hall.

L.A.P.D. detective Stephanie Lazarus has just been charged in a brutal beating and shooting death from 1986. The victim? Sherrie Rasmussen, the wife of the cop's ex-boyfriend. There's a lot to talk about with this case, especially since Rasmussen's family says that they told police to check her out, check out this police officer, from the get-go.

Joining us now from Washington, criminal profiler Pat Brown.

Pat, I know you've been reading up on this case. What's your first reaction?

PAT BROWN, CRIMINAL PROFILER: Well, I think we're all amazed that this woman could for 20 years could get away with this and wonder why she wasn't caught sooner.

And I think one of the things people have to remember is that when police look at a case, they look at sometimes the most likely reason and there were robberies in the area and they thought that's what it would be, because you're talking about a woman who's been beaten and shot. You don't usually have another woman committing that crime. So I think they just probably didn't think about it. And even the family said, take a look at it, they're like, oh, nah, that's not the kind of thing that happens. And I think they just basically it just didn't occur to them.

PHILLIPS: And well, when this crime happened, Lazarus had been on the force for two years. So, if indeed she is found guilty of this murder, in two years, what could she learn that would help cover her tracks in something like this?

BROWN: Well, I don't think she had to learn very much. I think people forget how easy it is sometimes to get away with crimes. You don't have to -- there's no such thing as a perfect crime, but there's a good enough crime. And if you get in there and you beat somebody and shoot them and walk away and nobody sees you do it, then you're left with what looks ;ole a stranger homicide. And of course, this wasn't a stranger homicide and perhaps they should have looked more closely at her. But, I say, it probably just never occurred to them.

So, they are looking at a stranger homicide. looking around saying, who in this area could have committed such a crime and they thought it was a robbery. So, yes.

PHILLIPS: But -- and here the parents are saying, look at her. I mean -- she's -- there's involvement. There's definitely a connection. Is it because law enforcement traditionally thinks, come on, they're one of our own? You know, they're not going to do that.

BROWN: Right. Well, I don't even think that it's so much it's law enforcement. I think -- it's very funny if you ask anybody who finds out that their brother, their cousin, the next-door neighbor is a serial killer, for example, they'll go, I can't believe he'd do hat. Hey, this is a person I had barbecues with, this is a person I went drinking with. Yes, so he he's got a few little flaws, but we all do. I can't believe he did that.

I think the police working with her every day, didn't see that in her. They saw, that was one of their comrades, you know? Somebody who has your back. This was someone they go drinking with and they talk with every day. And they just can't envision that this particular woman could have committed that kind of crime. And so --

PHILLIPS: And let me ask you this -- if indeed you know, she is found guilty -- she's been on the force for 23 years, she is a detective. You know, they always say, get into the minds of the killer.

I mean, do you think that if, indeed, she's found guilty, this same thing is what could have made her a good detective?

BROWN: Well, the fact is she probably just had good skills and understanding how the criminal mind works.

But, you know, some people also I want to point out will say this is a crime of passion. And it's not. It's a crime of psychopathy. I mean, just because you get your heart broken doesn't mean you go kill off your rival.

So, this person tends to be arrogant, narcissistic. And they really have a strong believe in what they can do. And some of these qualifications are good in police work, too. You have to have a lot of you know, guts and a lot of strength to go in there and try to you know, solve crimes and follow all those leads.

So, it's one of these things where it can make you a good cop but it also can, you know, make you what you are, which in her particular case was probably a psychopath. PHILLIPS: Well, we're going to follow the case, that's for sure. It's intriguing.

Pat Brown, always appreciate talking you.

BROWN: Thanks.

PHILLIPS: Too little experience and too little rest. Not really qualities you want in pilots who have your life in their hands. Those accusations made against a pilot training academy. But, it says investigators have it all wrong.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: And to update you on the breaking news story that we're following out of Pakistan. That explosion at the Pearl Continental hotel. Our Reza Sayah working the story for us says it was a car bomb that infiltrated the security checkpoint that exploded at that hotel. We're told at least five people were reported dead so far, possibly up to 25 people injured.

Emergency vehicles, medics surrounding the blast site right now. This hotel, by the way, owned by the same group as the Marriott hotel in Islamabad, which was destroyed last year in an attack.

If you may remember that the security checkpoint that had been infiltrated by that bomber, was actually captured on surveillance video and as they were coming to take a look inside the car is when that explosion happened. A U.S. Marine, by the way, killed in that explosion. 266 people were injured in this. 54 were killed.

Now, today, we are seeing another explosion, same company, owns the same hotel, Pearl Continental hotel. Is this the response to the crackdown on Taliban militants? Haven't confirmed that yet. But, we're following it.

Well, with their safety front and center today, we wanted to update you on a story that senior correspondent Allan Chernoff has been reporting on. Allegations of maintenance and crew scheduling violations at Gulfstream International Airlines. Also, concerns about inexperience in the cockpit. Gulfstream operates Continental connections flights in Florida. Allan returned to Florida this week and talked with Gulfstream executives.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JAMES BYSTROM, DIR., GULFSTREAM TRAINING ACADEMY: It's not the quality of time, it's the quality of training. And what we provide is a first class opportunity for them to get the right type of training.

ALLAN CHERNOFF, CNN SENIOR CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Students at Gulfstream Training Academy arrive with as little as 250 hours of flight experience. Yet, after three months of training, they will become first officers, co-pilots on commercial flights. They'll fly for the academy's parent company, Gulfstream International airline to gain an extra hours 250 hours of experience. Veteran pilots who say the hiring standard at major airlines is a minimum 1,500 flight hours believe that ticket to the cockpit is too quick.

PAT MOORE, COMMERCIAL PILOT: But I don't know how they can justify that. When I get on an airplane, I expect a fully qualified crew.

CHERNOFF: Gulfstream differs.

(on camera): Do you think the passengers sitting in the back would be comfortable knowing that the first officer had just come out of school and has perhaps, 250 hours of flight time?

BYSTROM: Right. Importantly enough I think it's important for me to reiterate, they already have all their ratings. By the time they get here, they've already completed almost 90 days of flight training before they even step in behind the wheel.

CHERNOFF (voice-over): When they get behind the controls, the new pilots who have just paid $30,000 tuition will earn $8 an hour, 79 cents above Florida's minimum wage.

(on camera): The minimum wage in Florida is $7.21. And you are saying co-pilots are paid $8 an hour. Is that really what a co-pilot should be earning?

DAVID HACKETT, PRES., GULFSTREAM INTL. AIRLINES: Well, it's a career path. And this is the first step on their career. They earn a lot more money later on.

CHERNOFF (voice-over): Later on, if hired full time, the new pilots earn about $20 an hour.

(on camera): The FDA made its investigation. Current, former employers have made some allegations against the company. Are you just saying it's all a bum rap?

HACKETT: I think there's a misunderstanding of a lot of these regulations.

CHERNOFF (voice-over): A recent FAA investigation found multiple cases of Gulfstream scheduling pilots beyond federal limits designed to prevent pilot's fatigue.

Gulfstream can see there were discrepancies between pilot log books and the computerized system tracking pilot hours. But says, the FAA got it wrong. Only once, the company claims, was a pilot accidentally scheduled to illegally work eight days in a row.

HACKETT: When you don't understand how the proper crew paperwork was done, it appeared that each time that person flew, he might have been illegal when in fact, he was perfectly illegal.

CHERNOFF: Former and current Gulfstream employees claim dispatchers would sometimes shave hours from computerized logs of prior flights so that pilots would appear to be legal to fly extra routes.

(on camera): But it is possible for somebody to go back into the system and change times, is it not?

HACKETT: It's theoretically possible. When this issue first came up, we pulled hundreds and hundreds of records to see if this was possible and we found absolutely no discrepancies, other than a few clerical errors, which had nothing to do with making a pilot illegal, who otherwise would have been legal.

CHERNOFF (voice-over): The FAA also charged Gulfstream maintenance with using automotive air-conditioning compressors in its aircrafts. The company counters it purchased the correct compressors. The only issue Gulfstream says, is that the FAA had not approved the maintenance manual Gulfstream was using.

(END VIDEOTAPE)