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179 Killed, Two Survive Fiery South Korea Plane Crash; At Least Three People have Died as Storms Charge Through Southeast; Azerbaijan President: Russia Covering up Cause of Airliner Crash. Aired 3-4p ET
Aired December 29, 2024 - 15:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[15:00:04]
RAHEL SOLOMON, CNN HOST: Hello and welcome and thanks for joining me. I'm Rahel Solomon, live in New York, in today for Fredricka Whitfield.
We start this hour with breaking news, a deadly plane crash killing nearly everyone on board in South Korea, 179 people died as their Jeju Air jet skidded across the runway in Muan. It exploded into a ball of fire after reaching the end of the tarmac, witnesses describing the chaotic moments.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
IM YOUNG-HAK, CRASH WITNESS (through translator): I think it was about 9:00 or 8:50 AM. I heard a bang. At first, I thought it was an oil tanker accident as we can see a lot of oil tankers nearby. Then I felt different.
So I went outside and I saw a big dark smoke, then I could hear a big explosion sound, not the one from the crash itself. Then I heard more explosions, at least seven times.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOLOMON: Now, before the crash, a passenger sent this text message to a friend: "Wait a minute, we can't land because a bird or birds caught in our wing." "Since when?" the friend says. "Just now. Should I leave my last words?" The passenger responds.
Miraculously, two people, both crew members, survived the crash. They are now recovering in the hospital, and in the last hour, President Biden released a statement saying that he was "deeply saddened by the crash" and offered to provide any necessary assistance.
The National Transportation Safety Board now says that it is sending its leading team of investigators to assist in the case.
CNN's Mike Valerio has more from Seoul.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MIKE VALERIO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): The cataclysmic scene stunning South Korea, a Jeju Air Boeing 737 800 with 181 people aboard, the planes landing gear, local officials saying, likely failed.
The aircraft's belly scraping, the pavement coming down close to the end of the runway before crashing into an embankment and exploding.
A breathtaking plume of smoke seen for hours. In its wake, hundreds of mourners, families of the dead crowding into the Arrivals Hall at South Korea's Muan International Airport.
The man in the white helmet, tasked with naming those who would never come home. Their bodies identified with loss and unspoken farewells, too much for families to bear.
(UNIDENTIFIED MALE speaking in foreign language.)
VALERIO (voice over): "I'm going crazy," a man shouts, shattered by the calamity.
(UNIDENTIFIED MALE speaking in foreign language.)
VALERIO (voice over): According to South Korean officials, on Sunday, 8:57 AM local time, the flight arriving from Bangkok, Thailand was contacted by the Muan Airport control tower, an air traffic controller warning of birds near the runway and a danger of potential bird strikes.
Two minutes later, at 8:59 AM, the pilot makes a mayday call, and at 9:03 AM, the plane crashes. Two crew members miraculously survived. They were both sitting in the back of the 737 800 near the tail of the aircraft.
Authorities hope the survivors can shed light on what happened. The voice and flight data recorder also recovered.
VALERIO (on camera): Now, for a country that has been through so much with martial law declared earlier this month, this catastrophe has certainly cast a pall over South Korea, adding to the urgency to find out just how this could have happened.
Mike Valerio, CNN, Seoul.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SOLOMON: And for more on all of this, we are joined now by Peter Goelz. He is a former managing director for the National Transportation Safety Board.
Peter, good to have you today.
I want to start there with the NTSB saying that it is sending federal investigators out to aid in this crash probe. What role will they play in this investigation?
PETER GOELZ, FORMER MANAGING DIRECTOR, NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOARD: Well, the NTSB has a role in these kinds of investigations guaranteed by the ICAO, the International Civil Aviation Organization Treaty, we are a signer of it, Korea is a signer of it, and it guarantees that the manufacturing country of the plane involved has a role in the investigation, and the NTSB is the accredited representative.
They have a long standing, solid relationship with their Korean counterparts. I worked with them extensively when I was at the board. They are first rate.
They are on their way and they will participate fully in the investigation.
SOLOMON: And to that point, as you mentioned, and sort of allude to Boeing there, so this was, we know, a 737 800, obviously, Boeing has been the center of controversy in the last few years because of other safety issues.
I am not saying that this is necessarily a Boeing issue, but my question is, how will Boeing be involved in this investigation into ultimately determining what was the cause?
[15:05:00]
GOELZ: Well, Boeing, the aircraft manufacturer, the engine manufacturer from the US will participate through the NTSB.
The NTSB will have the role Boeing and anyone else who is bringing technical expertise will do so through the NTSB.
They will not be a lone ranger in this thing. They work through a very structured process.
SOLOMON: We have two survivors from this incident. I mean, looking at this video is incredible that two people managed to survive. We know that they were apparently sitting closer to the tail end, which is what ultimately was salvageable, sadly.
One of them is already conscious, that person already speaking. How vital will their firsthand account be in terms of determining what happened?
GOELZ: Well, it will be important, but it will not be critical. What's most important will be the voice recorder discussing what's going on among the crew members as they are bringing the plane in.
Was there pandemonium in the cockpit? Were they running a smooth ship? Were they prepared for the landing?
Was there a bird strike? Did they shut down the correct engine? The voice recorder will be critical. The data recorder will put a firm timeline on exactly what they were facing.
The question is, why weren't the landing gears down? And that will be a major part of the investigation.
SOLOMON: Yes and I am curious to that point, local fire officials and aviation experts said that there was some sort of landing gear malfunction, but we also heard from fire officials that there was potentially a bird strike in the area moments before the crash.
In the last hour when we spoke to Peter Soucie, who is obviously another aviation safety expert, he said, those two things don't necessarily have anything to do with one another. I'm curious how you see it.
GOELZ: Right. I mean, the bird strike, which apparently took place about four minutes before the accident, pilots trained for engine out situations. They train for bird strikes. The planes are designed to fly with one engine, even at a critical time, like takeoff and landing.
That in and of itself should not have caused this accident. The question is, what happened afterwards and why wasn't the landing gear able to be deployed? And why did the plane come down hot and long on that runway?
The runway is over 8,000 feet long. There was plenty of room to put that plane down and skid to a stop without going into the overrun area and hitting that embankment.
SOLOMON: Yes, you know, in the past, with some of these really catastrophic plane crashes -- and the public and the families of the victims have had to wait years before getting sort of conclusive details about what happened.
Do you expect something similar here or might this -- might a conclusion be reached sooner?
GOELZ: Well, I think this will be a complex accident, but I think they're going to get to the bottom of it, you know, in a standard time, which is about a year.
They have the data recorders, they have a couple of survivors. They've got a lot of videotape. They'll be able -- the investigators will be able to put this investigation to bed, I think within one year.
SOLOMON: Okay, Peter Goelz, we appreciate your time and expertise today. Thank you.
GOELZ: Thank you.
SOLOMON: All right, coming up next for us, a severe weather system moving east after spawning deadly tornadoes that slammed Texas and Mississippi and could snarl holiday travel.
We will have a live report.
Plus, growing concerns about the spread of bird flu following the first severe human case in the US. We will discuss the latest.
And we continue to follow the latest developments on that fatal plane crash in South Korea. More on our top story straight ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[15:12:40]
SOLOMON: At least three people are dead after severe weather left a trail of destruction across the south. Now the cleanup is underway in Alabama after Saturday's damaging storms moved through the state.
This all happening as people in parts of the Carolinas are under a severe Thunderstorm Watch until 5:00 PM Eastern Time.
Let's bring in CNN's Rafael Romo, who joins us now. So, Rafael, I mean, as we see those images, as we see the pictures, they're incredible. They're mind boggling.
What more are you hearing?
RAFAEL ROMO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Rahel. Mind boggling, not only because of how spread they have been, but also the severe impact they've had.
This weather system that moved through the south has not only left a trail of devastation and destruction, it has also had a severe impact on holiday travel.
More than 375 flights within, into, or out of the United States have been canceled today, and over 6,400 flights have been delayed, including hundreds of flights headed into or out of North Carolinas.
American Airlines hub, Charlotte Douglas International Airport according to the flight tracking website, FlightAware.
And take a look at this massive tornado that touched down in McCall Creek, Mississippi, located about 70 miles southwest of Jackson. It was a violent long track tornado that moved through the southwest part of the state, tearing through many homes.
These images from Athens, Alabama show debris covering the streets around the town square, as well as trees that were uprooted by the storm in this community located about 94 miles north of Birmingham, and this is the scene captured by a resident in the town of New Caney, Texas in the aftermath of yet another tornado that destroyed his neighborhood on Saturday.
As you can see, debris is everywhere and a reported tornado tore off the roofs of at least a couple of houses.
One of the hardest hit areas was Brazoria County, Texas, located south of Houston along the Gulf Coast. We heard earlier today from two survivors, including a woman who said she and her husband only had a few seconds to find shelter when a tornado touched down. Let's take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANA PETERSEN, RESIDENT OF BRAZORIA COUNTY, TEXAS: I heard it and it flew -- the back door flew open and I told my husband, "Run!" And we hid in the closet with our puppies. And about two or three minutes later, it was over. And then we opened the front door to see, and it was all gone.
[15:15:00]
MAYOR DAN DAVIS, MANVEL, TEXAS: We all stepped out to help each other. So my son and I have been out here surveying the damage and finding ways to utilize the resources and the network that we have to help those in need.
Brazoria County, we all band together to help each other out in times of need and especially when disasters strike.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROMO: Tragically, Rahel, this weather system caused at least three deaths as it moved east from Texas. A high school student died in Natchez, Mississippi after a tree fell on a home according to Adams County emergency officials. The other death was reported in Brazoria County, Texas where a tornado touched down in four separate locations, according to the local sheriff. A third person died in North Carolina when a tree fell on a vehicle in Iredell County, according to a local sheriff.
To put it in perspective, just on Saturday, Rahel, this weather system that is still active along the East Coast was responsible for 150 storm reports, including more than 30 reported tornadoes -- Rachel.
SOLOMON: Rafael Romo reporting there. Rafael, thank you.
Well, from devastating wildfires to record breaking rain and scorching temperatures, the impacts of global warming on our planet dominate the climate stories throughout 2024.
CNN chief climate correspondent Bill Weir has a look at the top ten.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BILL WEIR, CNN CHIEF CLIMATE CORRESPONDENT (voice over): At number ten, a rare moment of national unity and wonder.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Wow.
WEIR: Thanks to the celestial dance of sun and moon. April's eclipse stretched from Texas to Maine, putting over 30 million Americans in the path of totality. We won't see another one over the US until 2044.
At number nine, this year's hajj fell in June, drawing millions of Muslim pilgrims to Mecca just as thermometers hit 125 degrees. And the Saudi kingdom reported over 1,300 heat-related deaths.
At number eight, wildfire nationwide. While July's Park Fire was the fifth biggest in California history, Texas saw their biggest ever with the million acre Smokehouse Creek blaze. And in the northeast, the worst drought in decades led to over 500 wildfires just in New Jersey.
At number seven, and fueled by record high ocean temps, Hurricane Beryl roared to Category Five strength in July. The earliest storm to ever hit the top of the scale. While it hit Texas as a weaker Cat One, millions lost power around Houston, and it took nearly two sweltering weeks to get the air conditioning back on.
At number six, tornadoes, and lots of them, the most in a decade. Of the two dozen billion-dollar disasters this year, over half included twisters. And while Oklahoma saw two monster EF-4s, climate change is shifting tornado alley from the Great Plains to the Southeast.
At number five, earth's overheating atmosphere is like a giant sponge in the sky, soaking up more water, wringing it out with a vengeance, and causing the National Weather Service to issue an unprecedented 91 flash flood emergencies this year.
And at number four, the deadliest rain fell in Spain, where in late October a year's worth fell in hours around Valencia. The surge broke riverbanks, turned streets into raging rapids and took over 200 lives.
At number three, the devastating duo of Helene and Milton. Back-to- back hurricanes that began with a 15-foot surge in Florida's Big Bend, but got worse in the mountains of Appalachia. Up to 30 inches of rain around Asheville, North Carolina, brought horrific flooding, while spun up tornadoes helped make Helene the deadliest since Katrina.
And then came Milton, just two weeks later, jumping from a tropical storm to a Category Five in 24 hours. Milton is just the latest example of rapid intensification in the age of climate change.
But at number two, we have the rise of climate denial. After promising fossil fuel executives deregulation, Donald Trump retakes power with a promise to hamstring the nations clean energy momentum and pull the US out of the Paris Climate Accord for a second, and possibly final time.
The American election cast a pall over COP 29 in Azerbaijan, where petrol states that agreed to transition away from fossil fuel at COP 28 transition back to praising oil.
And at number one, the heat driving so much of this destruction. Eight years ago in Paris, the world agreed to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius, but this year topped it. It was over a hundred degrees in Phoenix for 113 consecutive days, shattering the record by 37 days.
So, first responders now carry body bags and ice and the city has embraced a policy of shade, signs that humanity will have to adapt because 2024 could be the coolest year of the rest of our lives.
Bill Weir CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
[15:20:16]
SOLOMON: All right and coming up next, Azerbaijan's president is now accusing Russia of shooting down that airliner that killed 38 people on Christmas Day and he says that they are trying to cover up the truth. We will be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SOLOMON: And we continue to follow that breaking news. A fiery plane crashed in South Korea, killing 179 people. Two crew members did manage to survive. Jeju Air's Boeing 737 800 jets skidded down the runway, then slammed into an embankment before bursting into flames.
Investigators believe that a bird strike may be to blame. Officials say that both of the plane's flight data and voice recorders have been recorded and recovered. US federal investigators with the NTSB are going to South Korea to assist in the examination. Of course, we are going to stay on top of this breaking news and bring you updates as they come into our newsroom.
And today, new video into CNN shows two pilots and a flight attendant returning to their home country of Azerbaijan and being laid to rest after that deadly Christmas Day airliner crash in Kazakhstan.
The president of Azerbaijan, now accusing Russia of accidentally shooting down the jet and trying to cover up the incident. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ILHAM ALIYEV, PRESIDENT OF AZERBAIJAN (through translator): The facts indicate that the Azerbaijani civilian plane was damaged from the outside over Russian territory near the city of Grozny, and almost lost control.
We also know that the use of electronic warfare put our plane out of control.
[15:25:10]
The Russian side must apologize to Azerbaijan. Secondly, it must acknowledge its guilt. Thirdly, those responsible must be punished, brought to criminal responsibility and compensation must be paid to the Azerbaijani state, to the injured passengers and crew members.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOLOMON: With me now to discuss is William Taylor, a former US Ambassador to Ukraine.
Ambassador, good to have you today.
Just first, I mean, does it surprise you to hear these pretty strong words from the president of Azerbaijan in accusing Russia for this crash?
WILLIAM TAYLOR, FORMER US AMBASSADOR TO UKRAINE: Well, it is not surprising that the leader of that country, Azerbaijan, would demand an acknowledgment of responsibility. President Putin has said that he is sorry. He issued an apology, but
he hasn't taken responsibility and the president of Azerbaijan is also well within his rights to expect some justice, some kind of justice, some recompense for the survivors and the victims.
SOLOMON: Yes. Would you expect that justice in this situation? I mean, you'll remember that Russia never took responsibility for downing the Malaysia Airlines flight over an area in Eastern Ukraine more than 10 years ago? Would you expect this time to be different?
TAYLOR: I don't think it will be different in that, Rahel, that Putin will not admit that his military is so incompetent and made such a bad, fatal mistake that and he will admit that only under great duress. I don't think he is there yet.
I think President Putin has had some bad times in the past couple of weeks. He has lost Syria. He has had this problem. He has had ships sink in the Mediterranean. He has had a general killed in Moscow.
So President Putin is really on the defensive. Maybe he is looking for a way out. I don't think he is in the mood now to accept responsibility that his military is so incompetent.
SOLOMON: Would you expect Russia to change its behavior at all on how it uses its air defenses in the area?
TAYLOR: So they were trying to defend themselves against drones that the Ukrainians who have been fighting off the Russians, the Ukrainians have been defending from the Russian invasion for 1,040 days now.
And so the Russians have tried to disable those Ukrainian drones, and what they did was disable the navigation for the civilian airliners, that was a major mistake.
SOLOMON: And then just lastly, I mean, we've had some reporting on obviously this incident, but whether we could see any similarities with MH17 and just the disinformation campaign that came from that, I am curious if you would expect that in this situation, in this incident?
TAYLOR: So you're right, the disinformation after that 2014 shootdown was amazing. I mean, they blamed the CIA. They blamed the Ukrainian Air Force. In this case, they started, the Russians started by saying, well, it was a bird strike or it was bad weather. They've dropped that.
This is so obvious that this is hard for them to deny that this is what happened.
SOLOMON: Okay, Ambassador Bill Taylor, we appreciate your time today. Thank you.
TAYLOR: Thank you, Rahel.
SOLOMON: And coming up next, new concerns about bird flu mutations that could make it easier to possibly spread from human-to-human. A doctor weighs in on that threat level.
And coming up later, we will take you to the Grammy Museum, where you will hear from lifelong friends of legendary singer, Luther Vandross. It is a preview to the new CNN film on his life and career airing New Year's Day. We will be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[15:32:39]
SOLOMON: Well, a terrifying train crash in Florida left 12 passengers and three firefighters hurt. This happened on Saturday morning in Delray Beach.
Video of the incident shows the fire truck, which was on an emergency call at the time of the collision, waiting for a freight train to pass before driving around the rail crossing arms. It is then struck by the passenger train traveling from the opposite direction.
The train, which is operated by Brightline provides passenger rail services between Orlando and Miami. An investigation into the crash, now underway.
At least five drone shows across the country are now canceled after several drones struck a crowd at a holiday show in Orlando, including a seven-year-old boy.
According to a GoFundMe campaign posted by the family, the boy underwent emergency heart surgery after being struck in the chest by the drone. Footage captured on September 21st shows drones colliding with each other, before then falling from the sky.
Universal Orlando, Orlando World Center Marriott, the cities of Dallas and Austin, Texas, and the New Year's Eve event in New York City's Central Park have either canceled drone shows or the drone portions of larger holiday events following the incident.
And now to worries that the bird flu could become more dangerous to people. The CDC says that samples from a hospitalized patient indicate that the virus likely mutated inside the person, making it potentially more transmissible to humans.
The agency says that the patient had been exposed to the virus from a flock of backyard birds, but that those birds did not have the mutations that showed up in the test.
Still, the CDC says that the risk to the general public remains low.
I'd like to bring in infectious disease specialist at the University of California, Dr. Peter Chin-Hong.
DR. Chin-Hong, great to have you today.
I want to start with something you said last week. You said the traffic light is changing from green to amber. What do you mean by that? DR. PETER CHIN-HONG, INFECTIOUS DISEASE SPECIALIST, UNIVERSITY OF
CALIFORNIA: What I mean, Rahel, is that even though there is still no evidence of person to person transmission, and there have only been few cases who have had severe illness, we are seeing so many transmissions.
You know, it is only a matter of time before one mutation by chance will be able to be spread from human-to-human. We don't know when that will be, but certainly the train has already left the station.
[15:35:00]
SOLOMON: When you say it is only a matter of time, I mean another way of perhaps saying that it is inevitable?
CHIN-HONG: It is inevitable. So I think interventions like what California is doing declaring a state of emergency and putting resources in, having flexibility can slow the speed of the train down so that the damage to the people would be much less than it would have been otherwise.
SOLOMON: Yes, what would you say in terms of questions or risks about whether we could be perhaps at the start of another pandemic?
CHIN-HONG: Well, I think there are good parts and bad parts. I would say overall, we are not like the early days of COVID because we have four drugs, we have a test, we have a vaccine. But I think that, you know, the devil is always in the details and it is connecting those dots, and it is really the political will that can make this all happen.
SOLOMON: And what would you say are the telltale signs of bird flu in humans? Obviously, we don't have a ton of examples, but what should someone do if they think that they've contracted it?
CHIN-HONG: Yes. So I think that's one important thing for people to know is that if they've handled dead birds or sick animals, especially cats, for example, they have ingested raw milk and they have flu like symptoms headache, sore throat, shortness of breath, cough that they let their providers know. Because time is money.
They can get antivirals like Tamiflu that can really make the difference between getting really sick and not getting sick that much.
SOLOMON: Okay, and you just mentioned California Governor Gavin Newsom declaring the state of emergency there in California for bird flu. Should other states and do you think it is likely that we will see other states follow California's lead?
CHIN-HONG: I am hoping that other states will. After all, California is just one muscle in the heart. We all need a coordinated response like we've seen in COVID.
You know, we can only do so much as a state because the virus doesn't care if you're in California or Minnesota. You know, so I am hoping that others follow and the federal government
also has a big part to play in terms of vaccines, therapy, you know, reducing the barrier to approve diagnostic tests.
SOLOMON: Yes. Dr. Peter Chin-Hong, thanks for helping us understand it. Appreciate it.
CHIN-HONG: Thanks so much, Rahel.
SOLOMON: All right and straight ahead, the word quit simply is not part of his vocabulary.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BILL BRADLEY, EPIC BILL ENDURANCE ATHLETE: I opened a video store at 23 years old. By 28, I was a self-made millionaire. By 40, I was worth $5 million. And by 45, the whole video industry had collapsed and I was bankrupt.
I go, screw being the video man. Now I am an ultra-runner.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOLOMON: Yes. Coming up, we are going to introduce you to the man named Epic Bill and his incredible journey. We will be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[15:42:12]
SOLOMON: Welcome back.
As a lot of people gear up to start their New Year's resolutions, a new documentary is showing that it is never too late to go for your goals.
"Epic Bill" tells the story of self-made millionaire, Bill Bradley, who built up a video store empire only to see it and his fortune collapse.
Well, now he is an extreme endurance athlete, taking on some of the world's toughest physical challenges. Here is a look.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BILL BRADLEY (SELF-MADE MILLIONAIRE): You feel alive because you're pushing the boundaries of what a human can do when you're in Arrowhead. I want to be that guy. The guy crossing the finish line.
Arrowhead 135 is a unsupported race. There are only three checkpoints along the 135-mile course. So you're out on the trail providing for yourself 12, 13, 14 hours.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOLOMON: And joining us now is the subject of "Epic Bill," Bill Bradley himself.
Bill, welcome.
BRADLEY: Welcome. How are you doing?
SOLOMON: I am doing great. It is so good to have you. Look, I was really excited when I heard that we were doing this segment. It is a really cool story. It is really inspiring.
Talk to us about how you got from Point A to Point B, and you turned your tragedy --
BRADLEY: First, I want to tell you, congratulations on your recent marriage. Woo-woo.
SOLOMON: Oh thank you. Thank you, thank you.
BRADLEY: And also, we have something in common. We are marathoners. Woo-woo.
SOLOMON: Yes we are. That's why I was excited to talk to you, because listening to this story --
BRADLEY: I love that.
SOLOMON: I know a little bit about suffering having done a marathon, but yes, help us get from Point A to Point B? You were a successful businessman. You had this thriving business.
BRADLEY: What happened was, I was doing Iron Mans and marathons and, you know, and triathlons. And then I went through a devastating time in my life. I went through a bankruptcy.
I had a very successful video chain that was one of the tops in the nation for independence and I went through a bankruptcy and it just absolutely devastated me to where, you know, I couldn't even look people in the eyes. I'd walk down the street and be looking at the ground.
And the fact is, during that time, my dad would call me every night, you know, and check on me. And my dad's not one of those warm, fuzzy type guys who does that.
And, I asked him later, I said, why did you check on me so much during that time? Because I was also going through a divorce at the same time, too.
And, anyway, he says, Bill, I was doing a suicide check. You were so depressed. I was worried you were going to commit suicide.
SOLOMON: Wow.
And so --
BRADLEY: And so what I did.
SOLOMON: Yes.
[15:45:08]
BRADLEY: I ran a 50-mile run on one days' notice, and then I felt better. I was standing up taller and looking people in the eyes again.
SOLOMON: But what is it about running a 50-mile or -- and let's just go over, I mean, because when we say an ultra-athlete, I mean, we do mean it. I mean, you climb mountains, you have bicycled across the country. You even broke the world record for most consecutive rim to rim runs of the Grand Canyon.
What is it about these sort of adventures that gives you that sense of confidence and purpose and self?
BRADLEY: Yes, I think in the beginning it was that I was like just desperate to feel better. I was so desperate to feel better that I went out and ran that 50 miles, because I remembered when I did like my first Iron Man triathlon, how great I felt afterwards. And so I started -- so that's why I did that 50 mile and I felt so incredible afterwards.
And my confidence went way up and I was rising from the ashes from that bankruptcy, and same thing with -- and then I just like I said, well, I think my calling in life is to do these things to inspire people because, you know, I was always into materialistic things with the video stores and just make more money, buy more things.
And then I wanted, you know, like to inspire people. So that's why I went from one thing to another and just kept raising that bar and going higher and higher and higher on what I could achieve and to inspire people.
SOLOMON: And do you ever worry about hurting yourself, Bill?
BRADLEY: No.
SOLOMON: Okay.
BRADLEY: I mean, I do. I mean, I try not -- I don't let it stop me though. But yes, I worry -- I mean, you know, like on the mountain climbing, I mean, Denali is like one of the toughest mountains in the world. And it is -- you know, it is this arguably, like the second hardest of the Seven Summits.
And I've like fallen in a crevice, you know, looked at a gloved hand sticking out of the wall. Somebody, I think, who had fallen in there before me.
SOLOMON: Oh, boy.
BRADLEY: You know, it just -- yes, so it hits me in the middle of the night. I will have these demons come up, man.
SOLOMON: Yes, and what do you think the message is for those watching? I mean, as you pointed out, I've done a marathon. There is nothing like getting to that 26.2 and just sort of the -- there is the thrill, of course, that you've done this physical thing, but it is so much more mental. It is so much more emotional.
What do you think the takeaway is for those watching about pursuing their goals?
BRADLEY: I think -- yes. And you know, and I want to talk about like a New Year's resolution to versus a goal because New Year's is coming up.
I say set New Year's goals and like I am obsessed with my goals and that's how you get them. You see that wall behind me, that has a lot of goals and affirmations on it. That's my vision wall.
I look at that for hours during -- every morning, you know, to get it in there. So I think the people, if you want to -- if you've got a big goal you want to go after, you need to live and breathe that or you're not going to get it.
It is really hard to get those big goals and don't let failure stop you.
SOLOMON: Yes. Listen, you are speaking my language, Bill. We could talk about this for hours, but I am glad you mentioned your back wall because I was curious if that was other people sort of writing messages to you, or if those were self-affirmations.
And you mentioned sometimes the demons get you at night, the fears or the worries. How do you sort of keep building yourself up when you're facing your next challenge?
BRADLEY: I think I just get in it, man. Like I just -- I took off eight years from swimming because the last time I was able to swim the English Channel or tried to make it, I made it 20 miles. It is one of the world's toughest swims. You go from England to France, cold water, no wetsuit, no breaks.
And I got lost from the boat. I couldn't -- you know, I was digging so hard trying to make the last three miles because it was my fifth attempt that a storm blew in and I lost -- I just lost the boat and I was like, in that "Perfect Storm" movie where the guy is treading at the end after his boat sunk and finally found the boat.
But yes, was I afraid of the water after that? Yes.
But what I do is I go back in San Francisco Bay and I jump back in. I just swam an hour and 23 minutes yesterday, 52 degrees. And if you know anything about cold water. That is cold.
And I am training for my sixth attempt at the English Channel next August because I don't quit.
SOLOMON: Wow. So that sounds like that is what you're up to next.
One question that I thought was so interesting because you sort of talk about these dual lives that you had with the video store and now being this ultra-sort of athlete. Does it sort of reframe how you see the bankruptcy now? Because sometimes when you're in the moment of failure, it feels so devastating, and then you're on the opposite end of it and you sort of have a breakthrough.
And sometimes it sort of shifts your perspective about maybe the purpose of that event in your life. How do you see that bankruptcy now?
[15:50:10]
BRADLEY: Rahel, I agree with you entirely. I really think it shaped me as a person. It made me so tough when I got everything ripped from me, you know what I mean? And to be like, you know, on top of your field and then to go down to the bottom again, like, you know, where you can't even look people in the eye and just, you know, six months before you'd been talking in conferences and you could hear a pin drop because everybody wanted to hear what you had to say because you were an expert in your field.
And you know what happens, life does this to everybody, though, and the people who make it in this life are the people who can crawl up out of that frickin' hole they're in and fight back up to the top, because that's what I had to do, I had to start fighting.
You know, I didn't sulk, I didn't -- I didn't, you know, do drugs or drinking or anything. I just -- I fought for my next goal.
And that's what I am encouraging everybody to do. If you're going through a rough time, start fighting for a big goal you have.
SOLOMON: Well, I am inspired. I am motivated, I am energized. You should maybe also think about doing motivational speaking, because I bet you'd be really good at that, too.
Bill Bradley, thank you so much for the time today, this weekend, and good luck on your next adventure.
BRADLEY: Rahel, you're amazing. Rahel Power. Woo-woo.
SOLOMON: Well, thank you. I'll pay you later. I'll send you a check in the mail.
That's Bill Bradley. Thank you.
And by the way, you can watch "Epic Bill" on streaming at pbs.com.
All right, and coming up on New Year's Day, a new CNN film follows the legendary singer Luther Vandross throughout his life and his career.
CNN's Victor Blackwell got access to the opening of the Luther Vandross Exhibit at the Grammy Museum in Los Angeles, where he spoke to Luther's lifelong friends and his collaborators. Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
VICTOR BLACKWELL, CNN HOST (voice over): Singer songwriter, producer. Eight-time Grammy winner with 11 consecutive platinum or double platinum selling albums.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Mr. Luther Vandross.
LUTHER VANDROSS, SINGER-SONGWRITER AND RECORD PRODUCER: (Singing)
BLACKWELL (voice over): Millions of fans around the world, know his unmistakable voice and classic love songs.
VANDROSS: (Singing) I can't fool myself. I don't want nobody else to ever love me.
BLACKWELL (voice over): But what you may not know is the story of how he became a star.
FONZI THORTON, MUSICIAN AND FRIEND OF LUTHER VANDROSS: The day that I met him, it was clear to me this dude is going to wind up being on the radio. First of all, he sang better than everybody. He had a vision about how he sang.
VANDROSS: I try to do songs that I think I can do differently, you know, and that I think fit me. You know, sort of like a what somebody chooses to wear.
BLACKWELL (voice over): Luther was inspired by the icons, The Supremes, Aretha Franklin, Dionne Warwick and before his solo career, Luther grew to be a top background vocalist.
VANDROSS: I used to sing background vocals for Roberta Flack on the road. And Roberta sometimes would have interviews, and sometimes shed be unable to show up at soundchecks, so I would sing her songs for her in soundchecks to test her microphone.
BLACKWELL (voice over): And throughout his career, Luther kept those friends from the early days close.
DAWN PORTER, DIRECTOR, "LUTHER: NEVER TOO MUCH": One, of the many, many things that's so impressive about Luther over the course of his life is how his friends have remained so constant. I really wanted to have people who could tell you how he laughed, could tell you how he was silly, could tell you about him as a person.
BLACKWELL (on camera): What memories come back about Luther, when you see these relics, these artifacts from that period?
MARCUS MILLER, MUSICIAN AND FRIEND OF LUTHER VANDROSS: There's people who can sing. There are people who can arrange. There are people who can play. But Luther wanted to be -- he had a vision of the entire thing.
BLACKWELL (voice over): What most fans probably don't know is that Luther meticulously designed every aspect of his shows the costumes, the lighting and choreography.
PORTER: I love talking to people who were the like OG Luther fans, and they're like, you cannot tell me something I don't know. And then they're all like, What? What? What? That's a really interesting thing with a with a Black artist is he literally was everywhere. He just wasn't always visible.
I really like to think of this as also a celebration of Black music.
VANDROSS: (Singing)
BLACKWELL (voice over): And that's what this film is, a celebration of Luther's artistry and a deeper look at the man, professionally and personally.
THORNTON: He called me from LA where he was living. He said, listen, I'm nominated for best R&B vocal. I'm not going to win anyway. Why don't you come and hang out with me? And we went to the Grammys and he won for "Here and Now". This is the dude I met in the projects, and he is winning a Grammy.
PORTER: When you kind of travel through time with this movie and with Luther's journey, you remember these moments, these spectacular moments. This is all part of American culture. It's not just Black culture, it's an American culture.
BLACKWELL (voice over): Nearly 20 years after his passing, Luther still inspires artists and fans through the power of his voice.
Victor Blackwell, CNN, Los Angeles.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
[15:55:10]
SOLOMON: And be sure to tune in to the all-new CNN film "Luther: Never Too Much" premieres New Year's Day at 8:00 PM Eastern and Pacific.
Coming up after a short break, we continue to follow that breaking news on the devastating plane crash in South Korea. US Federal officials now joining the investigation into the cause of the crash, as South Korea declares a week of mourning for the 179 people tragically killed.
We will be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SOLOMON: Hello and welcome and thanks for joining me. I'm Rahel Solomon live today in New York, in for Fredricka Whitfield.
And we begin this hour with that breaking news. South Korea in a state of mourning after the worst plane crash there in nearly three decades. A Jeju Air flight arriving from Thailand was unable to stop during its landing at Muan International Airport crashing into a ball of fire. The 179 people on board died, but astonishingly, two crew members survived.
The investigation is just getting underway. Search teams recovering the plane's flight and voice recorders. US investigators with the National Transportation Safety Board are traveling to assist local authorities. [16:00:27]
