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Erin Burnett Outfront

Protests Across U.S. Over Police Shootings; Video Shows Officer Ramming Suspect With Car; Report: Newer Planes Vulnerable to Hackers. Aired 7-8:00p ET

Aired April 14, 2015 - 19:00   ET

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

[19:00:08] ERIN BURNETT, CNN ANCHOR: OUTFRONT tonight, breaking news. Protests across the nation after the white volunteer deputy charged with manslaughter in the shooting death of a black suspect turns himself in. Was he qualified to be on the street or did he pay to play?

Plus, more breaking news tonight. Stunning new dash cam video just in of a speeding police car ramming a suspect. Justified or excessive force?

And planes with Wi-Fi vulnerable to terrorist attacks. A new report tonight says, yes, all it takes is a laptop. Let's go OUTFRONT.

And good evening. I'm Erin Burnett, OUTFRONT, the breaking news. Protests across the nation tonight after another deadly shooting involving a white officer and an unarmed black man. You're looking at the crowds taking to the street right here in New York. They're blocking traffic on New York's Brooklyn Bridge at this moment. There's also another rally going on in San Francisco already, as you can see, crowds are gathered there with signs that read "Black Lives Matter." These are scenes repeated in several other cities tonight, including Tulsa, where today, 73-year-old volunteer deputy turned himself in after being charged with second degree manslaughter. Robert Bates is his name and he said he accidentally shot Eric Harris, the man you see running away, during an undercover sting operation. There are growing questions tonight though about whether Bates who is a former insurance executive who had donated thousands of dollars to the sheriff's department in Tulsa, was qualified to be on the street.

Ryan Young is live in Tulsa, Oklahoma tonight. And Ryan, I know you have been digging, investigating into Bates' past, what have you learned today?

RYAN YOUNG, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, we have been talking to a lot of law enforcement officials just about how even the taser and gun is set up. In fact, most law enforcement agencies across the country, the gun is on one side, the taser is on the other side, to make sure no one gets confused when they grab either one.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

YOUNG (voice-over): Seventy three-year-old Robert Bates turned himself into the Tulsa County jail before posting bail. The insurance CEO and volunteer deputy now faces second degree manslaughter charges for the death of Eric Harris during an undercover operation that went wrong fast. This video shows the moment Harris makes a run for it after deputies say he tried to sell them a gun.

UNIDENTIFIED MAN: Stop right there!

YOUNG: You could hear Bates say he's going to use his taser. Instead, he pulls his gun and fires a shot. That ultimately kills Harris.

UNIDENTIFIED MAN: I shot him. I'm sorry.

YOUNG: You can hear Harris screaming in pain while the officers continue to restrain him.

UNIDENTIFIED MAN: Stop fighting.

YOUNG: There are plenty of questions about how this 73-year-old Bates could end up on an operation of this high risk. Many wonder if Bates' close relationship with the sheriff led to this assignment. Over the years, Robert Bates has donated several vehicles including a dodge charger, a crown Victoria and a Toyota Avalon along with video equipment and $2500 donations to the sheriff's re-election campaign.

CORBIN BREWSTER, ATTORNEY FOR TULSA COUNTY RESERVE DEPUTY ROBERT BATES: They have taken the fact that this man has been good to the community and has been benevolent to the community and has been a great citizen for our town, and made it something bad or sinister. And that's the unfortunate thing.

YOUNG: His lawyer talked about Bates' emotions about the shooting that has this sheriff's office defending his use of volunteer deputies.

SCOTT WOOD, ATTORNEY FOR TULSA COUNTY RESERVE DEPUTY ROBERT BATES: You know, obviously, he is very upset about what happened. He feels badly. The incident completely took him by surprise. He has all the requisite training. He is taser certified. And if you watched the video, you know he was quite shocked when his gun went off.

YOUNG: Bates was a police officer for a year back in the 1960s, and he received 300 hours of training since becoming a reserve deputy in 2008. His attorney says Bates assisted on more than 100 operations but always in a supporting role, not the one making an actual arrest. As you can imagine, Eric Harris' family attorney does not see Bates' involvement in the same way.

DANIEL SMOLEN, HARRIS FAMILY ATTORNEY: If that gentleman out there, and it will be shown over the next, I hope, several weeks, that Mr. Bates lacked really any kind of training. And Mr. Bates had been a Tulsa Police Department officer from 1964 to 1965 for one year. And never passed his probationary period.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

YOUNG: And we know in the next hour or so, there's planned protests that should be happening in the city.

BURNETT: All right, Ryan, thank you very much.

And I want to bring in now Scott Wood, Deputy Robert Bates attorney. Scott, I know you're with us last night. And I appreciate you coming back to talk to us. So, he's been referred to by your colleague, they say some people are painting your client in a bad and sinister light. Let me just ask you about this fundamental question, though, because you heard Ryan Young laying out that he's bought cars, he donated to the sheriff's re-election campaign. There are people who say that adds up to him essentially paying his way onto the force. Paying to play.

[19:05:23] WOOD: Erin, that's not true. I know it's being said repeatedly. But that's not the case. Deputy Bates had all the requisite training and experience. I think I mentioned that last night, that he had been involved in over 100 of these types of operations. And if you look at the layout of where they were, when this gun buy goes down, he's over a third of a mile away from that location.

BURNETT: So let me just ask you, though, because of the things we know about Bates' past and his training do raise some questions. As you point out, he had training. However, he had only briefly worked for the Tulsa Police Department as an officer, that was back in 1964. So, one year back in the mid-1960s, and really his expertise obviously has success was an insurance company executive. But then again in 2012, he was the man who chaired the re-election campaign for the Tulsa sheriff. The chair of that campaign. When you look at that again, it does raise the questions, whether he really was qualified to be involved in this operation, which was a dangerous undercover sting operation which involved a weapon transfer.

WOOD: Yes. You know, he was never intended to be involved in the weapon transfer or the takedown of Eric Harris after the purchase of the weapon. His job was to leave that gas station where he was, a third of a mile to the north, and proceed over to the apartment complex where a search warrant was going to be served. He served as a scribe. He takes down information about the evidence and so forth. And so it was Harris that thrust himself onto Bates, and that's how the two came together in the middle of north Harvard here in Tulsa.

BURNETT: So, you're saying it was the suspect, not him. Now, let me just ask you about this though, the age question. Right? It's a delicate one, but still it's important, and it's fair, I believe, sir. In Oklahoma, officers can retire after 20 years on the force. And once you have been on the force for 30 years, you benefits don't accrue anymore. So, that's it. So, as a result, most of them retire, which means most of them leave the force in their 50s. Even here in New York City, the biggest police force in the country, almost all the officers retire in their 50s. We were able to confirm today. This is the way it is in this country. Bates was 73 years old. The victim's family says they don't believe it was reasonable for a 73-year-old to be involved in this type of work, to be wielding a weapon. Isn't this a fair question as to whether Bates was too old to have that gun on the streets? WOOD: You know, I think what you really have to do is look at

people on an individual basis. I know in the last couple months, I have seen two news stories where police officers that were in their 80s retired. I think San Francisco officer was 81, obviously, was not out in the field. But the pension aspect of it, I mean, all of this time is donated. That has nothing to do with it. This has to do with Bob Bates wanting to be a part of this community and do something good. And that's what his intention has always been. Does being a reserve prohibit you from donating to a sheriff's campaign fund? They have known each other for years and years. But the bottom line is, he had been doing this role with the task force for quite some time. And if you'll talk to any squad officers or people who serve search warrants together on a regular basis, if they have a link in their chain, they're the first ones to say something about it. Everybody's life is at stake.

BURNETT: All right. Thank you very much Scott Wood, as we said the attorney for Deputy Robert Bates.

OUTFRONT now, our legal analyst Paul Callan and Marc Lamont Hill. Good to have both of you with us. Mark, let me get your reaction first. You just heard Mr. Wood defending his client, saying he was not too old and that he was absolutely qualified to be on the streets carrying that weapon. What's your reaction?

MARC LAMONT HILL, HOST OF BET NEWS AND HUFFPOST LIVE: That is not surprising as his attorney, but a bizarre explanation. At best, you can make a case that a 73-year-old man has the ability to have an auxiliary role with the police, but an auxiliary police officer typically does things like chalk out body outlines or put the tape up or act as a scribe. They don't get this close to the action. As you pointed out, quite accurately, most people retire in their 50s. This is absurd, it's absolutely no defense for this. And the fact that he donates to the sheriff's fund isn't a problem per se, but it might suggests that this is somebody who is wealthy and someone who was connected and took advantage of that. Maybe with good intention, but to terrible detriment.

BURNETT: And Paul, let me get to this point about the wealth. Obviously, his attorneys trying to say no, no, no, that had nothing to do with it. He was trying to make the difference. Well, that may be the case, but he's donated multiple vehicles, he donated computers, he donated forensic cameras, guns, he donated video equipment. He was the chair of the sheriff's re-election campaign and gave him the $2,500 maximum donation. He says that doesn't mean he paid his way onto the force, but it certainly creates what seems to be a very fair question as to whether that's really true.

[19:10:26] PAUL CALLAN, FORMER PROSECUTOR: Well, we lawyers have a phrase called the appearance of impropriety. And it certainly looks like he bought his way onto the police force. And, you know, getting to this issue that you raised quite rightfully so before. His being 73-years-of-age, reflexes, fast reflexes in the apprehension of a criminal suspect, very important thing for a police officer to have. And I don't think a 73-year-old man has those reflexes, and I think it was reflected in part in what happened in this case. BURNETT: Reflexes start dropping off a lot before, which is

maybe part of the reason that most of these police officers start to retire decades before that. Now Mark, Bates' attorney also said it was the victim. The victim forced the 73-year-old to act because he basically forced himself into that situation. I know that you actually have been focusing on one other thing though. One of the other officers on the video, you hear him when the suspect says I can't breathe, I can't breathe, after he's been shot. This officer says f-your breath. Does this whole situation, you have white cops, you have a black man being shot. We haven't talked about race here. Do you think we should be?

HILL: We absolutely should. And to be clear, any case of excessive force could be explained away by saying if the criminal hadn't done X, why wouldn't that have happened? Sure. If he wouldn't have gotten out of bed that morning, he wouldn't have gotten shot either. And you can always make that argument, that sort of an absurd argument. But the bigger point here is how is this person treated. Excessive force seemed to have been used here, almost indisputably so. Does race play a factor on that? I do believe so. Do I think that this man pulled out a gun and said I'm going to shoot a black guy? Absolutely not. Do I think he may even have well intention? Absolutely.

But the way that race often plays out is because in the psyches of people, black people tend to be read as more dangerous. A study from Stanford University recently showed that police tend to look at young men as older and more dangerous than they really are, older and more guilty than they really are. So, there's a precedent psychologically of looking at them that way.

BURNETT: Paul?

CALLAN: I think it's unfortunate to jump to a conclusion that all of these shootings are race based. There are some really legitimate ones and there's no evidence of it here. You got to be careful. I always look at these cases and say if I was trying to prove a hate crime here, was there evidence of a hate crime? What would you offer in court? I don't see anything except that one of the officers was white and the victim was black. That doesn't prove a case.

BURNETT: You both have fair points.

(CROSSTALK)

You're talking about something more insidious. More insidious. Right.

HILL: Right. To be clear, I'm not saying this is a hate crime, number two, and number two, I didn't that say all of these cases were race based.

CALLAN: Well, how do we know -- we're talking about this case. Is there evidence -- no, Mark, is there evidence in this case of race? HILL: Paul, what I said is, we should investigate to see if

there is evidence of racism. We can't dismiss race out of hand. I don't think that's unreasonable.

CALLAN: All I'm saying is, I haven't seen anything, Mark, I haven't seen anything in all the facts that have come out that supports a claim that there was racial bias here. If you have seen something so far, I would go along with you. It could be a race case. I just haven't seen it so far.

BURNETT: All right.

HILL: Well, the reason is because the way we assess race cases is typically to say, did this person have the intent of shooting a black person. And I'm saying, it's something far more nuanced, I know we have to ran, but it's something more nuanced and hopefully we can talk about it.

BURNETT: Yes. Well, I mean, it's a fair point. It's more nuanced and people don't actually always doing it on purpose but it's in the back of their minds and their subconscious. Thanks to both.

And OUTFRONT next, breaking news, video you actually have to see to believe. We're going to show you a cop in Arizona flooring his cruiser to hit a suspect head on.

Plus, a frightening new study shows how terrorists can hack into passenger Wi-Fi taking a plane down using just a laptop.

And a terrifying landing, passenger jet overshoots the runway, spinning a full 180 degrees, and we're going to show you what happened.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[19:17:50] BURNETT: Breaking news tonight. Shocking video just in from Arizona. This is of a police officer using his cruiser to take out a suspect. I want to warn you, this video is graphic. It's going to jolt you when you see it the first time. But I want you to know, when you do watch it, that the man that you see in this does survive.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MAN: Stay off. Man down.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BURNETT: The video shows that officer striking Mario Valencia, the suspect in a recent string of robberies. Earlier in the video, there's an apparent gunshot that we also heard.

Miguel Marquez is OUTFRONT. Miguel, watching that from the actual dash cam video of the cruiser that hit that man is hard to watch. You do, it's scary and you feel jolted. Walk us through it. MIGUEL MARQUEZ, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: It's hard to watch

it, but I think that any of us, if Mr. Valencia, who was a 36-year- old, was walking down the street and doing what police say he did and that we can see on other dash cam video, there were several police cars on the scene that day. One of them, it's not clear who is speaking in which one, but I want to show you a clip here of another police car, not the one that you showed leading into this, but another police car who appears to be giving orders and concerned that Mr. Valencia, who has just fired off a rifle shot in front of police, that other officers may be heading into an ambush. Watch this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(INAUDIBLE)

UNIDENTIFIED MAN: All right. One round just went out. Into the sky. It's definitely unlocked now. It's definitely loaded. Be prepared.

UNIDENTIFIED MAN: Suspect shooting or did you shoot?

UNIDENTIFIED MAN: Negative, I did not shoot. Unit right there, just standoff, standoff. The gun is loaded. Unit on -- stay off. Oh. Jesus Christ! Man down.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MARQUEZ: It is probably more disturbing to see that piece of video because you can see Mr. Valencia fly into the air. He was taken to the hospital. He has been released. He's also been charged with at least 15 different counts. It was a crime spree that began in Tucson, just south of Marana, Marana is a town along I-10 between Phoenix and Tucson. Among others things, he robbed a 7-Eleven early in the morning, he set fire to a church, he did broke into a house that was unknown to him, and then he stole a car. Later in the day, he went to Marana just north of Tucson, stole a rifle from Walmart, was aiming the rifle bolt at his own head and firing it into the air in front of police. And that's why when the police chief of Marana has just said that they aren't going to Monday morning quarterback this. The individual was close to homes, close to the doorways, another 10 or 15 seconds, the police chief says, it could have been a national tragedy -- Erin.

BURNETT: All right, Miguel, thank you very much.

And I want to bring in Eugene O'Donnell here watching this with me. Former NYPD officer. Professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice. Okay, you watched those videos from both perspectives from the cruiser as you see the one zoom by and hit Mr. Valencia and from the actual cruiser who hit him. When you watch this and you ask yourself the question of was this appropriate, was this excessive, what do you think?

EUGENE O'DONNELL, FORMER NYPD OFFICER: I think it's ugly and it's imperfect, and it's improvised and this is what the police do. They're not trained to use a car to stop the guy, but they have to figure this out in real time. And if they cannot take his life and save their lives and the lives of others and he only ends up being injured, and it's very imperfect and not good ending, but it could have been a much worse ending.

BURNETT: It doesn't look like and I'm just saying this as a lay person watching that video, it doesn't look like that guy speeding up cared whether he lived or died though.

O'DONNELL: It remains to be seen. We do know he was started to self-armed, arm others, he was armed, had he turned around with a weapon, that probably would have cost him his life. So, the cops will get no points here for doing a pretty thing, but they may have actually saved his life. In that sense, they deserve credit for that.

BURNETT: So, Mr. Valencia, who as we said has now been charged with 15 counts, armed robbery, and we saw he had the gun, you saw him shoot it in the air. There's no question was the guy armed or was the gun loaded. We know the answer to both those questions is yes. I'm sorry, the rifle. His attorney tells CNN, quote though, "Everything in the video seems to point towards an obvious excessive use of force. Officers didn't take into account Mr. Valencia's mental state. He didn't want to hurt anyone. My client's back was turned, the officer drove right into him. Isn't that dissimilar to a police officer shooting a fleeing suspect in a back."

Obviously, he's referring to the South Carolina situation. But what about the crucial point that he raises? This man was walking, not running, and he had his back to the car.

O'DONNELL: If you're a police officer who can take a life and you can avoid taking a life, you get to it later, you can deal with that in civil court. So, as long as you are clear of your conscience that this is a situation where you could probably, could legally have taken his life and you didn't do that, see you in civil court.

[19:22:52] BURNETT: All right. Thank you very much Eugene O'Donnell.

All right. What happens when cannabis meets capitalism, CNN's new original series "High Profits," it premieres on Sunday night to give you exclusive access to a couple who say they will be the first ever moguls of marijuana. And I have a very quick peek for you.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MAN: They're parasites.

UNIDENTIFIED MAN: They have no contribution to this society.

UNIDENTIFIED MAN: They're preying on our community and our kids.

UNIDENTIFIED MAN: It's going to end badly. Exactly $100,000 in cash in the back of his car. I put those guys right there in that prison for doing just what we're about to do.

UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN: I want the cannabis -- club to be a household name.

UNIDENTIFIED MAN: This is a pioneering new industry.

UNIDENTIFIED MAN: He's going after every resort town in Colorado.

UNIDENTIFIED MAN: This is a big boy operation.

UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN: We're not Amsterdam --

UNIDENTIFIED MAN: Absolutely unbelievable to us that this has happened so quickly.

UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN: That's when the town erupted.

UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN: I think we have an image to protect.

UNIDENTIFIED MAN: -- definitely put the pressure on.

UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN: Everyone is playing everyone.

UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN: They're going to have a target painted on their back.

UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN: That is a real threat.

UNIDENTIFIED MAN: Two billion dollars to be had next year. I plan to take more than my fair share.

UNIDENTIFIED MAN: High profits, series premiere Sunday night at 10:00.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BURNETT: And OUTFRONT next, passenger jets in the sky at risk. A new report tonight says terrorists can take them down using just a laptop.

And a plane crash lands today. The airline is one of the world's top rated and most respected. But this has happened to them before, and we have a live report.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[19:28:23] BURNETT: Breaking news tonight. A government report warns that a terrorist could bring down a passenger plane with just a laptop and Wi-Fi. According to the Government Accountable Office, there are hundreds of planes in service right now that are vulnerable, including Boeing's new Dreamliner, that's the 787. The report says hackers could use the plane's Wi-Fi to break their way into a flight's control system. And commandeer an aircraft.

Aviation correspondent Rene Marsh is OUTFRONT live in Washington. Rene, this is a terrifying report when you read through it, I mean, because among many things, the hacker doesn't actually even have to be onboard the plane to take it down. RENE MARSH, CNN AVIATION CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely right, Erin.

You know, this report says that these airplanes are connected to the internet, and the planes are basically flying routers which can be compromised by someone who is on the plane or someone who is on the ground. Now, this is all based on interviews with cybersecurity experts, aviation experts. They essentially all agree that using a laptop, someone in theory, as you mentioned, could commandeer an aircraft, put a virus into the flight control computers. Jeopardize the safety of the flight by taking control of the plane's computers, or they could even take over warning systems or even navigational systems.

The report also explains that, you know, as the air traffic control system is upgraded to use more internet based technology both on the ground and in planes, the avionics of these aircraft can be compromised. We do know that older planes, they're not as highly connected to the internet so the risk is a lot less for aircraft 20 years and older. I do want to bring up one thing. One of lawmakers who requested this study, this is Congressman DeFazio. He essentially said this to CNN. He says, what needs to happen now is that the FAA has to focus on aircraft certification standards that would essentially prevent a terrorist group from using a laptop either onboard or on the ground and take control of the airplane. He ends his statement by saying this is extremely alarming -- Erin.

BURNETT: It certainly is that. Thank you very much, Rene Marsh.

OUTFRONT now, aviation analyst Mary Schiavo, also, of course, transportation director.

Mary, extremely alarming, I would say, is a downbeat way of describing this. How serious a threat it is that someone could use Wi-Fi to commandeer a jet -- and by the way, some of the most sophisticated in the world, the new Dreamliner 787.

MARY SCHIAVO, CNN AVIATION ANALYST: Right. Well, the newer the plane, the better the plane, this report makes it most alarming to those models. But I think what's important about the GAO report, the Government Accountability Office, is this is the second in a series of reports. They did the first one in January. And in January, they found that the FAA had failed to take this into consideration in building their new air traffic control system, which is wonderful if it's ever finished, but it relies on satellite and computer interfacing literally to fly around the world seamlessly.

And so, now, the second part says, and not only did the FAA not take into consideration cybersecurity and developing this system and putting up good firewalls in air traffic control. They haven't looked at the aircraft and made sure that the aircraft can withstand cyber attacks.

And so, the alarm now is for the government to go back and apply these standards and really develop a threat model so they can defend against it.

BURNETT: I mean, it's scary, Mary, because the report says it's possible. This is one of the key things I noticed. Someone on the plane or on the ground could hack into the flight control systems, all right?

Now, to me, that's a game changer in a lot of ways, not least of which is the fact a terrorist can take down a jet without having to be onboard, right? Without having to be willing to kill yourself to do it.

SCHIAVO: Right.

BURNETT: It's not like 9/11 where all the hijackers had to get past security and go through that process and be willing to die themselves. Doesn't that raise the risk there would be a lot more people who'd be wanting to try this?

SCHIAVO: Oh, absolutely. It raises the risk exponentially and globally, because so much relies on this satellite-based system, and literally, on the fact that it is a flying router. And because of that, it's not just in the United States, but it's literally potentially limitless. Someone intends on doing harm could reach aircraft around the world through the satellite and wireless systems.

BURNETT: Which is scary. You know, I was on a flight from Asia that had Wi-Fi all the way, right, which they didn't used to be able to do. Now, you can be over the Pacific or the North Pole and wherever you are, and you have the Internet. And people want that. They will pick planes that provide that. But airlines market themselves based on that access.

Is there any solution really other than saying, you know what, take it off, no Wi-Fi?

SCHIAVO: Well, there's going to have to be a solution because our entire worldwide air traffic control system has gone too far down this pike. Next, the air traffic control system that started all this off is that's what we have gone to already.

So, at this point, sounding the alarm bell is very important because the FAA and the nations of the world have to defend against this and come up with these firewalls. This is hugely important. They need to do it now before someone is able to actually carry out this kind of an attack.

BURNETT: Very, very frightening report. Mary Schiavo, thank you very much.

And we're following another airline story tonight: an Asiana Airline flight skidding off the runway. This had almost 200 people onboard. Two dozen of them injured. They're investigating now reports that the plane may have hit something.

Here's the thing -- this is one of the world's top rated airlines, one of its supposedly most luxurious and safest, but it's not its first disastrous landing. One of them was right here in the United States.

And Will Ripley is OUTFRONT.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WILL RIPLEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A terrifying end to Asiana Airlines Flight 162. In the final seconds of an hour and ten- minute flight from South Korea to Japan, this Airbus A320 overshot the runway, turning a full 180 degrees. The plane with visible damage, carrying eight crew members and 73 frightened passengers, including an infant.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It was kind of shocking seeing.

RIPLEY: The Japanese Transportation Ministry tells CNN at least 23 people have minor injuries. The accident closed Hiroshima airport Tuesday night. One passenger says it felt like the plane was speeding just before landing.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The plane came in very fast. It hit the runway and just exploded. Like the wheels -- seems like the wheels broke.

RIPLEY: Investigators are looking into early reports the airliner may have hit an antenna on the runway. Airbus, the plane's manufacturer, is also investigating.

[19:35:00] Asiana is the same airline that suffered a disastrous landing in San Francisco in 2013. Flight 214's pilot botched the approach and landing of this Boeing 777, killing three people and injuring 187 others. The crash raised serious safety questions about pilot training and procedure in Asia's booming airline industry.

This latest hard landing is the sixth serious incident involving Asian-based airlines in the past 13 months, including February's crash of TransAsia Flight 235. Pilots turned off the wrong engine, sending the plane careening over a Taiwan bridge, 43 people died. It's still too soon to know if pilot error played a role in Japan, the latest air scare in a region rattled by aviation disasters.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BURNETT: Pretty scary, Will, when you think about some of these cases, so clearly pilot error. In San Francisco, pilot error. Taiwan, pilot error.

We don't yet know in this case, but we do know it was a very bad weather.

RIPLEY: Yes, Japan has had record rainfall in recent days, Erin. However, at the time of this crash, it was not raining at the Hiroshima Airport and there were light winds which is why they're looking right now at the pilot, the trajectory of the plane, the speed, when it was going down.

Also, just minutes ago, we got some new information from the Japan Transport Ministry. They're now saying 27 people were hurt here. There were two Americans on the flight. And to think of all these repeated incidents in the last 13 months, it is -- it is frightening for passengers who are flying here, knowing that new pilots are being hired all the time, and these takeoffs and landings, the most dangerous time of the flight when there's a chance something can go wrong.

BURNETT: Of course, when something has gone wrong in each of these cases.

Will Ripley, thank you very much, reporting live from Tokyo tonight.

And OUTFRONT next, Hillary Clinton post-Chipotle. I said it right, naysayers, I said it right tonight. She hit the trail in Iowa today. Will the new Hillary sell? Our live report.

Plus, new images of one of the most mysterious women in the world tonight. We have a special report of a surprising woman married to North Korea's Kim Jong-un.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[19:40:54] BURNETT: Hillary Clinton wrapping up her first official day on the campaign trail and her first stop was a coffee shop in a small town in Iowa, dressed for spring. Then a roundtable conversation at a community college.

John King is OUTFRONT.

You know, John, I felt guilty commenting on her clothes, but I think they're part of the image. It was an edgy, nice, young look she had going on, very different than her 2008 campaign. She speaks to 1,400 people in a high school, right, big group, and the pearls, OK.

Very different. This time, small, low-key events. Things you would normally see from a candidate who doesn't have many. She does have pearls on, but they're smaller. Somehow better.

All right. Can this tactic work?

JOHN KING, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Will it work is a different question than can it work?

BURNETT: Yes.

KING: We'll know that answer in six months or 19 months if she's the nominee of the Democratic Party.

But can it work? Yes, it can work. Why? Because it's what she wants.

She's rusty, remember? She hasn't run for office. She hasn't asked anyone for their vote since she lost back in 2008. She wants to get back on the bike, if you will, get into the environment. She wants to look like she's listening more than lecturing. So, she likes the smaller events. And this is what the people of Iowa like. It becomes kind of a

cliche, when you go to Iowa, people say, well, I like her but I've only met her once. I don't know if I'm going to vote for her, yet.

Some of that is a joke, some of it is cliche, but some of it is the culture of Iowa.

So, she wants to do it this way. The people of Iowa want her to prove that she respects them and wants to do it their way. Look, there's a TV ad crew following her around. The reporters outside running around crazy, look pretty silly, politicians like to make our business look silly.

The big speeches will come when she lays out her policy proposals and the like. But for now, as she gets back into it, this is what she wants. It's very well-scripted. It's very well-controlled. It works for her at the moment.

BURNETT: All right. So, here's my question. When you bring up, they have a TV crew following them around for ads, and they have, you know, I don't know how many reporters it was, 20 or more -- can she sustain that level of interest? I mean, to me, this is the thing. You're 19 months out. How can you sustain day to day interest that high?

KING: It is part of the challenge. Now, when she goes into the small towns, she's both a politician and a celebrity. She is somebody who sort of has pop culture and political and this media environment. So she's unique in that way. So, she will always have attention. Part of the attention is trying to see if she trips up, if she makes a mistake.

And so, for now, yes, I bet she would dream in the I'll join you in the post-Chipotle era, I bet she would dream of going to a place like Chipotle and have nobody recognize her. That's probably rare in her life, right?

But that world is not going to exist. She's out there now. Just note on this front, what is she talking about? She talked today about the economy. She went to a community college. She says she wants to do things that work.

She's going to have to lay out her policy proposals, but she's being very smart. She's talking about jobs, right? What are liberals saying? We want somebody to talk about the economy, want someone to talk about jobs, want someone to stand up to Wall Street, and she also told Phil Rucker of "The Washington Post" today, she'll soon have a new campaign finance plan, again something that progressives want, a lot of independents like that.

She was beat on the left in Iowa in 2008 by Barack Obama, largely because of Iraq. She's making sure there's no room to her left in this race.

BURNETT: Hmm. That's going to be interesting how that plays in the general. We usually ask these questions about the Republicans, they're going too far right. How do you do in the general? See how it goes with her to the left.

Thanks so much to John King, the man who knows more about that than anybody when he's covering these candidates.

And OUTFRONT next, the Kate Middleton of North Korea. Kim Jong- un's wife, we have new and rare pictures in our special report on Ri Sol-ju.

And Jeanne Moos with Zeke. Clearly, Zeke is not happy. But you will never guess why.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BURNETT: Tonight, a rare appearance by Kim Jong-un's wife, Ri Sol-ju. We want to show you some new pictures. These are just in. This is the couple at a soccer game.

North Korea's mysterious first lady has not been seen in public since mid-December. She's known for her sense of style. She often sports designer items.

For example, take a look at this. This is a Christian Dior handbag. It is worth $1,600, which is important because it was 31 times the monthly salary of the impoverished average North Korean.

Paula Hancocks is OUTFRONT with tonight's money and power.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In a country often cloaked in secrecy, North Korea's first lady is its mystery woman. These are the first images of Ri since almost four months ago, reportedly cheering alongside her husband Kim Jong-un at a soccer match.

In stark contrast to Kim's severe haircut and shaved eyebrows, Ri has become a fashion icon.

Recently, a young North Korean defector talked to Erin Burnett about her.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think she's a beautiful woman. She's our generation. She wanted to somehow through her fashion style she wanted to bring reform to North Korea.

BURNETT: But she's changed things?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes, she's changed fashion a lot.

HANCOCKS: Ri's public appearances are rare. During one extended disappearance, some speculated she was being punished, her transgression, according to South Korean media, not wearing the official North Korean label pin.

In 2012, Ri again disappeared from public view when reports of a possible pregnancy surfaced. [19:50:04] A year later after former basketball star Dennis

Rodman return from a visit with Kim Jong-un --

DENNIS RODMAN, FORMER BASKETBALL STAR: He's my friend, first. He's my friend. I don't (EXPLETIVE DELETED). He's my friend.

HANCOCKS: Rodman let slip that he held their previously unannounced baby, a girl, named Jua (ph), something still not officially confirmed. Ri is thought to be 25-30 years old. She reportedly studied singing in China and visited South Korea in 2005 as part of a cheerleading squad.

And speaking of squad, there is no word on Ri's reaction to reports from a South Korean newspaper that her husband has reinstituted the "Pleasure Squad", teams of young women available to serve their supreme leader's every whim.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BURNETT: And this pleasure squad is still so bizarre to comprehend. But, Paula, today was a very big day for the, quote- unquote, "royal family" of North Korea.

HANCOCKS: Absolutely, yes. This is basically the most important day of the North Korean calendar. This is the anniversary of the birthday of Kim Il-sung, that's Kim Jong-un's grandfather, the founder of North Korea.

So, everybody in the whole country have the day off effectively. But what they're expected to do is to pay tribute to the man that they credit with founding this country. Now, we will expect some festivities, we could see the highly choreographed military parades and the pomp and ceremony that North Korea is so well-known for.

We could also obviously see some unexpected surprises, observers and those in Washington watching very closely to see if there are test-firing, any rocket launches or anything like that. Remember, just a few years ago, they attempted a satellite launch on the day of Kim Il-sung's birth. That one failed, but just the fact that they tried to, breaking U.N. sanctions was significant in itself.

So, it's a very big day here in North Korea.

BURNETT: All right. Thank you very much, Paula Hancocks.

And OUTFRONT now, Bruce Klingner. He's the Heritage Foundation's Northeast Asia expert, worked in the CIA as deputy chief of the Korea division.

So, you know a lot about this, Bruce. When I spoke to the defector, it amazed me, this is someone who knew what it is like to live in North Korea, had fled North Korea, and yet, she had sort of reverence for Ri Sol-ju, saying she is of our generation, she's an icon, she's trying to bring reform to her fashion.

How significant is she in terms of her appearing and her popularity?

BRUCE KLINGNER, FORMER CIA DEPUTY DIVISION CHIEF FOR KOREA: Well, on one hand, there are like that defectors, saying that she's certainly admired, she's seen perhaps as a signal of reform.

On the other hand, other defectors also with access to friends still in North Korea will say there is resentment. As you pointed out, the fact that she's wearing clothes that cost so much more than any of them make in several years of working. And also, when she first was unveiled, when Kim Jong-un came to power, there was indication, was this a thought that Kim Jong-un would be different from his father.

But the bloom is off that rose. We've seen that he's just as resistant to reform as his predecessor and just as belligerent to the neighbors.

BURNETT: But with his father, you never saw him with his wife. I mean, how unusual is it that she is -- I mean, look, we don't see pictures but every few months. It's not that she's always out there. But she is so pretty and she is so well-dressed.

KLINGNER: Right, it's certainly is different. Just even the fact they have public pictures of her. She is certainly different from the predecessors. Just as Kim Jong-un, in his public appearances, is trying to recreate the affinity that the North Korean people had an affinity for his grandfather that they didn't share with his father, who is much more reclusive.

BURNETT: All right. Thank you very much, Bruce.

KLINGNER: Thank you.

BURNETT: And OUTFRONT next, Jeanne Moos answers the burning question: will age be a factor in the race for president?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[19:57:38] BURNETT: One young man's presidential prospects have been derailed by Hillary Clinton's campaign already.

Here is Jeanne Moos.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: His mom had just shown him Hillary's announcement video --

HILLARY CLINTON (D), 2016 PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I'm running for president.

MOOS: -- when suddenly what went running down Zeke's cheeks were tears.

ZEKE CELELLO: I wanted to run for president.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Take it out and tell us.

ZEKE CELELLO: I wanted to run for president.

MOOS: Whoo! It's official. He just threw his pacifier into the ring, Zeke for president.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Do you think you're ready to be president?

ZEKE CELELLO: Yes.

MOOS: Zeke Celello's parents used to be in Wisconsin politics, long time friends of the Clintons. But --

Has he talked about this before?

ERIN CELELLO, ZEKE'S MOM: Never. And, you know, it's not one of the things we've talked about to him. You know, he's only three. So --

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What would you do if you were president?

ZEKE CELELLO: Play.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Play?

ZEKE CELELLO: With toys.

MOOS: Now, that's an agenda that could unite the country.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Do you think you could do that when you are older?

ZEKE CELELLO: No.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No?

MOOS: That sounds familiar.

SEN. MARCO RUBIO (R), FLORIDA: I'm heard some suggest I should step aside and wait my turn.

ZEKE CELELLO: No.

MOOS: Zeke is not eligible to run for president for another 32 years.

Can you imagine if he ended up running for something?

ERIN CELELLO: Oh, my goodness. The personality on this kid, I wouldn't doubt it. He would go up and talk to anyone.

MOOS: Sure, you have to lose the pacifier on the campaign trail. There were biting comments about that. This kid is too old for a pacifier. Pacifiers caught overbites.

But hey, if it is good newspaper for Vice President Biden. The last time we have a toddler meltdown was back in 2012.

UNIDENTIFIED GIRL: I'm tired of Bronco Bama and Mitt Romney.

MOOS: But Zeke isn't sick of the candidates. He wants to be one of them.

Vote for Zeke! Pacify America.

ZEKE CELELLO: I wanted to run for president.

MOOS: Jeanne Moos, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BURNETT: So sweet. You know what? You got to say, if he does run for anything, that video will be sure to help out. By the way, layoff, people, with the pacifier criticism. Get a life.

Thanks for joining us. Be sure to set your DVR to record OUTFRONT so you can watch anytime.

"AC360" starts now.