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Live from Inside Submarine; How MH370 Debris will reach the Surface; Heroes' Welcome for Pro-Russian Forces

Aired April 17, 2014 - 10:30   ET

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

MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Take a look. We're looking out their glass. This always worries me. What if the -- how thick is this glass?

PHIL NUYTTON, SUBMERSIBLE CAPTAIN: It's about this thick. About three inches thick.

SAVIDGE: OK so it's a good three inches. It gives you a fantastic, you know, sort of panoramic view and if you ever get any sense of claustrophobia, it's great to sort of lean forward here and have a look. But the water out here and we've got -- what are the lights that are illuminating? We should point out it would be pretty doggone dark without them, right?

NUYTTON: Yes sure we've got an array of lights here -- 200 watts HMI lights and 600 watts HMI lights. These are the same lights that are used in Hollywood to light up sets. So they're very, very bright. But we can't use too much light. Otherwise, it illuminates the turbidity water just like turning your headlights on in the fog.

SAVIDGE: Right. You almost get too much light and then it bounces right back at you.

NUYTTON: That's right.

SAVIDGE: And the murkiness of the water, and we've talked about this, Phil that at that potential depth, they talked about silt and that's a problem because any movement of this vessel is going to kick it up, and we've seen that here.

NUYTTON: And you see the way it hangs. Once you kick it up, it hangs in a dust cloud, and you have to wait sometimes minutes, sometimes much longer for it to settle down and you have to be very careful and just inch your way along. Not to kick it up further. So it's a very -- you have to be very patient in this whole game.

SAVIDGE: And you know and the other thing, Carol, is that I -- well, it's just out of view, but there is a black box down here that we've got and the difficulty is that just one slight movement, maybe it's the current, maybe it's something else in the way it drifts here. You lose sight of it, and I have to say within three or four feet, it's gone.

NUYTTON: Right.

SAVIDGE: And then trying to relocate it once again, it becomes a real challenge.

NUYTTON: Sure does. Yes absolutely. So you can appreciate that the finding the aircraft, of course, is the biggest challenge at this time, but once found, the very delicate task of locating and recovering the data recorder is a huge task, monumental task. And not -- not the least of the problems is the wreckage may well be scattered, and you know, you could be delve right into the midst of the wreckage cutting with cable saws and that sort of thing.

So all in all, it's -- at that depth, it's a very difficult and very big challenge.

SAVIDGE: And last but not least, I should point out, you aren't going down in some giant submarine, say, that somebody may picture in a military operation. You are going down in a relatively -- not relatively -- it's a doggone small sphere that we're in.

NUYTTON: Well you have to make the thing as small as you possibly can in order to make them be able to make them thick enough to stand the pressure, et cetera. The larger you make the submarine, the thicker the walls have to be, the heavier the sub is and on and on. So it's a -- that is to keep the pilots compartments as small as possible, and that's what we've done here. And you can see --

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I got --

SAVIDGE: I got a very good sense of that. And maybe I don't know if you can show poor Jeff who sits in the back. He is the pilot. He is the man that has to sort of navigate. Say hello, Jeff. How tall are you, Jeff, by the way? You are about six something?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Six foot even.

SAVIDGE: Yes. So he is crammed back there trying to navigate. We've got a photographer in here. We've got Phil here. You have me here who is remarkably adapting well.

NUYTTON: Remarkably calm.

SAVIDGE: Thank you. We'll see how this goes. And we're also laying down. That's the other way that this is operating. We do not have enough room to sit up, so it's sitting down and it's operating and we could -- I should point out just in case anything were to go wrong, not that anything will, how long could we stay down here Phil?

NUYTTON: About three days -- 72 hours.

SAVIDGE: About 72 hours. It's a wonderful thought.

So Carol -- there you have it. I mean some of the challenges right now that we're trying to deal with -- relocate the black box and try to retrieve it. Even at this depth which is nowhere near what they're dealing with, extremely difficult.

CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Yes. Thank you so much. Fascinating demonstration -- it certainly does illustrate the difficulties in finding something so deep under and you're not even that far deep down, right? So amazing.

SAVIDGE: Right.

COSTELLO: Thank you so much. Thank you so much Martin Savidge and Captain Phil, too.

SAVIDGE: You bet, Carol.

COSTELLO: We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Continuing our coverage of the missing Malaysian Airlines Flight 370 now. Officials pinning a lot of their hopes on the Bluefin-21 submarine vessel but if this vehicle does manage to find traces of Flight 370, what will the next steps in bringing the debris to the surface involve?

Rosa Flores has more for you.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ROSA FLORES, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): This could be the key to solving the mystery of Flight 370. It's a remotely operated vehicle, or ROV, for short. Once wreckage of Flight 370 is identified, an ROV like this one is likely the next crucial step in finding the plane's black box.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: ROV hydraulics running.

FLORES: It's controlled from the surface using this joy stick, has lights to illuminate the stark black of the ocean deep, cameras transmitting back footage in real time, and high frequency sonar to combat the notoriously difficult visibility in the area of the Indian Ocean where the plane is believed to be.

But most importantly, the ROV has robotic arms called manipulators.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The arm has jaws. You open and close the jaws.

FLORES: They are essentially mechanical hands able to retrieve objects from the ocean floor far deeper than any human could with stand.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Stand and retract.

FLORES: A second manipulator can be equipped with tools for cutting through metal, such as on the fuselage of a plane.

MARTIN STITT, ROV SUPERINTENDENT: It would be ideal for a black box. No problem at all for an ROV to pick it up, put it in a basket and take it up to the vessel.

FLORES: Experts say top priority for investigators is to retrieve both the flight data recorder and the cockpit voice recorder. This ROV call the Trident XLS can go to depths of around 10,000 feet, but the ROV that is brought to the wreckage of Flight 370 could have to withstand the pressure of around 15,000 feet of water.

Under water pulses were detected at that depth last week. And unlike the Bluefin, searchers are currently using the ROV is connected to the boat through a line called an umbilical and has a constant power source and is able to feedback information immediately.

STITT: The ROV can stay submerged for days.

FLORES: And the hope is with these capabilities, the ROV will finally manage to bring some answers to the surface.

Rosa Flores, CNN.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: I want to Les Abend he's a CNN aviation analyst and 777 captain and Rob McCallum, an ocean search specialist who led an expedition to the wreckage of the Titanic. Good morning, gentlemen.

LES ABEND, CNN AVIATION ANALYST: Good morning.

ROB MCCALLUM, OCEAN SEARCH SPECIALIST: Good morning.

COSTELLO: Good morning. Thanks for being here.

Rob, the Bluefin has had some difficulties in its first few trips down under the Indian Ocean. Are there any scenarios in which the ROVs would be deployed even if the Bluefin fails to capture any specific data?

MCCALLUM: No. You know the Bluefin and any sonar asset the analogy I would use is that a sonar asset is like an ultrasound or an X-Ray. It enables you to examine the broader scene if you like. And then the ROV or the manned submersible is the surgical tool that you go in and do the mission with. And although submersibles and ROVs do have very small fine scale sonar for orientation purposes, they're not equipped to search broad areas.

COSTELLO: Got you. Les, officials say there's probably just a few days left in the air and surface search. Still no debris, the oil slick that was found has now been ruled out. Realistically what are the leads should investigators pursue?

ABEND: I mean this is all they have Carol, it's you know between the INMARSAT data leading to that -- to that position and pings that they've got, I mean this is -- any investigator will tell you, you go with the leads that you have.

I think there may be a reanalysis just to be sure if these days with the Bluefins don't turn up anything. If the Bluefin 21 doesn't turn anything, but, you know, it's certainly -- it's perplexing. I was very disappointed about the oil slick not -- not having evidence of being the airplane. And I can't imagine how the families feel.

COSTELLO: I'm with you. It's just -- it's just unbelievable that no sign of this plane has picked -- has been picked up for more than 40 days. So Rob along those lines Malaysia says that they need to reconsider its approach to the search if nothing is even found by this Bluefin 21. So how would they reassess the search underneath the water?

MCCALLUM: Well I think the next phase that this you know the pinger reports don't pan out, then the only other thing that's left to do is to start working down that satellite gained or the aircraft track if you like start working our way down there and scanning either side of that with broad scale sonar, so, you know, we all know about the ark that the aircraft supposedly took. You deploy sonar on either side of that track, and work your way from south to north.

COSTELLO: Go you. You know, I was just wondering about the criminal investigation because it's ongoing. Although Malaysian authorities aren't releasing much information. Les, do you expect anything new to come of that in the coming days? No one has been able to find anything, you know, remotely suspicious about anyone on board that aircraft.

ABEND: Well, Carol, your guess is as good as mine. That's not my field of expertise, of course. But you know it's -- it's hard to say. I mean, it is an investigative process. Maybe there's data that once again the Malaysians aren't releasing to us. But like you said I mean there's no indication, no passengers or crew members that have any nefarious intent, there's no collusion between anybody that they can find. So you know, it seems that the riddle just keeps remaining status quo.

COSTELLO: Yes the mystery keeps getting deeper. Les Abend, Rob McCallum thanks so much for your insight. I appreciate it.

COSTELLO: Still to come in THE NEWSROOM, pro-Russian forces get a hero's welcome for residents of one eastern Ukrainian city. We'll take you there next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: The conflict name game -- when is someone a terrorist and when is he a freedom fighter? That's now being played out in Ukraine. Pro-Russian militants are now firmly in control of the eastern city of Sloviansk. But while the Kiev government refers to these fighters as terrorists, the locals call them heroes.

Phil Black has more for you.

PHIL BLACK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Carol, the Ukrainian government says 300 pro-Russian militants attacked a Ukrainian national guard unit in the southern town of Mariupol. They were repelled, and the government says that three of the militants were killed, 13 injured, dozens more arrested.

The government is calling this a win. But if you visit the towns in this region that are under the control of these pro-Russian forces, it really feels like they have the upper hand.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) BLACK: Driving in Sloviansk from the north you have to pass through two checkpoints. The first -- Ukrainian police, they're organized with fortified positions. The second is a little more improvised and enforced by men wearing masks.

We find many more in the town center. They're well armed. Some don't like cameras, but they're mostly relaxed. A few are still getting comfortable with driving armored vehicles they seized them from the Ukrainian military only hours before. They're picking up guns and demanding independence. The government in Kiev calls these men terrorists but in Sloviansk, they're heroes.

This is not the sort of atmosphere you expect to find in a town that is effectively under siege. It's not a celebration, but the people here are clearly very happy, and they feel a great deal of pride in those masked men who have made this small community world famous.

Rounds of locals come to see them and thank them. Five-year-old Iego (ph) is beaming while having his photo taken aboard an armored vehicle. "It's cool. I like it," he says.

Photos with militants are very popular. Even though you can't see their faces, the men are clearly enjoying it. We hear women in the crowd complain about the mask. They can't see who is the most handsome.

Admiration for the men is unanimous, so is distrust for the national government in Kiev. But there are different views on the town's future. Some want to stay part of Ukraine, but with more autonomy. "We just want Kiev to leave us alone," this woman says. "We'll establish order here ourselves." Others tell us they want the Russian flag to fly here permanently.

The people in this crowd are smiling while knowing the government is threatening to use force against them. A woman tells me they're confident because they feel soldiers would be just like the ones who used to drive these vehicles. They'll surrender before attacking their brothers.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

The Ukrainian government has disbanded one of the military units that gave up its weapons, accusing them of cowardice, promising to prosecute those who have given up their weaponry and resources in this way. But it doesn't change the fact that here on the ground the Ukrainian government's authority is still weakening. And an attempt to change that using the military just isn't working.

Back to you -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Phil Black reporting.

Still to come in the NEWSROOM, stunning new video from that deadly plant explosion in West Texas last year -- take a look at that. We'll talk to the man who shot this video about that day next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Checking some top stories for you this morning, President Obama welcomed a group of cyclers to the white house today, not just any cyclers. Take a look. They're coming out of the White House one by one. They're part of the Eighth Annual Wounded Warrior Project called "Soldier Ride".

Now, this event helps raise awareness about the psychological and physical damages of war. These bike rides are lengthy. Some of them take four or five days, involve hundreds of miles, and it's been a touching thing to watch this during the commercial break as these soldiers, some of whom, many of whom, are amputees come out of the White House to applause and pictures. Good for them.

Shocking new video to tell you about --it shows the moment a fertilizer plant exploded in West Texas this time last year. The man who shot this video said he noticed flames from a distance, and he pulled out his cell phone to start recording. The blast destroyed more than 100 homes and damaged another 200. 15 people died including 9 first responders. A year later investigators still have not determined what caused this blast.

With all the cold rain and even snow that hammered parts of the nation this week, what will your Easter weekend look like? Well, the northeast will start to dry out. And parts of the southeast will see heavy rain with threats of flooding. In the central part of the country, some storms off and on but nothing too serious. For those of you in the northwest, it's going to be pretty soggy but at least it won't be snowing.

In documents made public by the National Highway Transportation Safety Authority, GM's luxury division Cadillac fixed a faulty ignition switch back in 2006. Testing engineers reported accidentally turning off ignition switches with their knees in the Cadillac SRX Crossover. It's similar to the problem that caused a recall of more than two million GM compact cars this year.

Thank you so much for joining me today. I'm Carol Costello.

"@THIS HOUR WITH BERMAN AND MICHAELA" after the break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

JOHN BERMAN, CNN HOST: He was responsible for hundreds of souls on board, but the captain of the sunken South Korean ferry managed to escape and survive.