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Early Start with John Berman and Zoraida Sambolin

AirAsia Flight 8501: Wreckage Believe To Be Found; Sony Hack Attack: An Inside Job?; College Football Playoff Preview

Aired December 31, 2014 - 05:00   ET

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

ANNOUNCER: This is CNN breaking news.

CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN ANCHOR: Breaking new this morning: the wreckage of AirAsia 8501 believed to be found under water. Sonar technology spots the plane on the ocean floor as more bodies of those onboard are recovered. But right now, the mystery of why this jetliner fell from the sky remains and the efforts to recover the plane's black boxes gets tougher.

Live team coverage breaking down the very latest on our big story this morning.

Good morning. Welcome to EARLY START. I'm Christine Romans. It is Wednesday, December 31st, New Year's Eve. It is 5:00 a.m. in the East.

Let's begin with word that sonar has detected objects believed to areas of Flight 8501 on the bottom of the Java Sea. Now, it's still not known if the airbus is in one piece or broken up. Meantime, officials say a seventh body was recovered overnight. They include one of the plane's flight attendants.

The first two bodies you can see them there just arrived back in Surabaya. Right now, dozens of ships and planes are combing the area in what is now a search and recovery operation -- a search and recovery operation that has been halted now because of bad weather. Investigators hope they are a step closer to finding the flight and data recorders, the so-called black boxes that could help them determine exactly what brought down that plane.

I want to go to CNN's Gary Tuchman. He's live from Indonesia.

And again, they have halted the recovery operation. The search for bodies in the wreckage has halted because of weather for now.

What's happening where you are, Gary?

GARY TUCHMAN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Christine, that is the news within the last 15 minutes. The decision has been made that the 30 or so planes that are out there, the 40 or so ships, have stopped their operations because of the fog, because of the high winds, because of the murky seas. And that's been a problem all day, and this is monsoon season. It could continue to be a problem. They will continue again tomorrow.

The fact is right now, it is 5:00 p.m., seven hours from the New Year, 2015. And that's an ironic thing about this whole situation. That a lot of people who are flying on this AirAsia flight were going Singapore to celebrate New Year's. Eight hours away from the New Year, one hour ago, that's when the two bodies came in a very ceremonial and emotional ceremony at a naval air base not far from this airport.

The air force plane landed. They brought out 100 honor guards. Put out two caskets. One casket had the number 001 on it, the in next one, 002. The victims there, they don't know the names of the victims. They're unidentified at this point.

As you said, a total of seven victims have been recovered so far. Six of them passengers. One of them a flight attendant. It was known she was a flight attendant because she was wearing her uniform.

Right now, we are outside the crisis center of the Surabaya airport. The crisis center is where family members have been gathering since this happened. They've given each other support. They have religious leaders inside, they have counseling, they have food, they have water, they also have televisions where they're watching all of the coverage of this.

Many of them acknowledged the fact that their loved ones are not going to come back. Their number one goal -- and this is what officials here are telling us -- is, please, tell me when will the body of my loved one be brought back?

What we can tell you, Christine, that ceremony that we just witnessed in person, which is very moving, will be repeated for each and every one of the victims as their bodies are recovered -- Christine.

ROMANS: And that will be a long and emotional process, Gary, especially since the search for those bodies, the search for the research has been halted at least for now.

Gary Tuchman in Surabaya, Indonesia -- thank you.

So far, searchers have recovered seven bodies from AirAsia Flight 8501. And again, the search is paused because of the fog, because of the monsoon condition. And there is word that the plane itself has been found on the bottom of the Java Sea. They'll have to wait a bit before they can get there again to try to look for it.

CNN's David Molko live at a police hospital in Surabaya where the bodies will be taken to be identified -- David.

DAVID MOLKO, CNN SENIOR PRODUCER: Hi, Christine.

About 30 minutes' drive from where you spoke to Gary there at the Juanda International Airport, here at this police hospital, an extremely sobering scene as well. I can confirm that the first two bodies, the remains from presumably passengers or crew from the AirAsia flight arrived here about 15 minutes ago. Brought down this road by ambulances and through the gate just behind me, escorted by about a half dozen police cars.

Now, we were here an hour ago and we're able to take a closer look at the area where the remains will be held. And the identification process will take place.

And I have to tell you, Christine, it's on this road, about 500 meters behind me, some containers, makeshift morgues on the street, refrigerated. You open the doors, there's shelving on the sides. They're really getting ready for perhaps dozens of bodies to be brought to this location if they can be recovered from the Java Sea and the aircraft.

And just at the dirt road from there, they've set up about a dozen tents and about a dozen gurneys waiting there. It's a grim sight. It's a process that's going to take days, if not weeks, depending on how tough that search is.

And I should tell you, Christine, as well, just next to where I am at the hospital is East Java police headquarters. And that will become the new crisis center for families. There's a big auditorium that they've set up with 200 chairs, big screen TVs. That's where family members will be able to come and wait word of their loved one's fate -- Christine.

ROMANS: All right. David Molko, thank you for that in Surabaya, Indonesia, this morning.

Right now, as we told you, the search has been halted due to bad weather.

Meteorologist Pedram Javaheri has more on that.

PEDRAM JAVAHERI, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Good morning.

Very rough conditions across the Java Sea and over the next couple of days, active thunderstorms going to develop as well. But I want to show you the satellite perspective as we have under an hour of daylight left across this region. Thunderstorms across the northern fields of the debris field, the strongest out of the field of the debris field, so that's good news. Of course, with limited daylight, not much going to be done as far as the next hour or so is big concern.

But the bigger issue a look at this line of weather that moves in, right across the debris field, this is accompanied by pretty powerful winds. And you get a repeat performance come Friday morning as well. So, the next couple of days, the storm across this region is really going to blossom. I want to show you the wind speeds as they're expected. Sometime over the next 24 hours, 2:00 or 3:00 in the afternoon on Thursday, wind speeds across the debris field could easily exceed 55 to 65 miles per hour. That translates into wave heights across the open waters waves, upwards of 18 to 25 feet.

So, you get to that sort of scenario, you know any sort of search operation has to be halted just because of how dangerous it would be to be across some of these areas. But the ocean currents on this region also would take what is a debris field across to the north, the coastal portions of Borneo, the island of Borneo nearby here, the marshy landscapes. So, this is what you're locking at and that complicates the matters when it comes to this pattern over the next couple of days with the rough water in the forecast.

Let's send it back to you.

ROMANS: All right. Pedram Javaheri, thank you for that, Pedram.

Relatives of 165 aboard AirAsia 8501, they are dealing with unimaginable grief. Just hours after the crash was confirmed Tuesday, AirAsia CEO Tony Fernandes, he delivered this apology to the families.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TONY FERNANDES, AIRASIA CEO: The only slight benefit is that for the people in there, there is some closure. This is a scar with me for the rest of my life. It doesn't change anything. And -- but, a little percent, there is at least some closure, as opposed to not knowing what's happened and holding out hope.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMANS: He has been tackling AirAsia's first major crisis really head on. Soon after the plane disappeared, the CEO took to Twitter to send out messages of support. Yesterday, Fernandes posted that his heart is, quote, "filled with sadness" for all of the families involved.

And soon after the plane disappeared, the company changed its logo from red to gray on social media sites.

But Fernandes no stranger to tough challenges. You know, back in 2001, he bought the failing company for a token 25 cents. At that time, the carrier had two planes and $11 million in debt. He was a music industry executive who turned around and took on an airline.

Now, AirAsia is the biggest low-cost carrier in the region. Shares of it are down, less than 1 percent right now in Asian trading. Just two days ago, AirAsia had its biggest one-day decline in more than three years on news of the initial crash but the stock is still up more than 20 percent this year.

Meanwhile, excuse me, the news of AirAsia 8501 has been found, taking a tough toll on family members of those onboard the still missing Malaysian Airlines Flight 370.

Sarah Bajc whose partner was onboard that plane, she explains how this new air tragey trigged so many emotions.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SARAH BAJC, PARTNER WAS ONBOARD MH370: For days, I've just been hoping and hoping that there would be some survivors, you know, the plane was able to make it to land or something. And when I heard news that they found bodies floating, I mean, my heart just sunk. But at the same time, at least they know, you know, that the first couple of months after 370 went down.

It was just constant cycle. It wasn't just a few days. It was months of debris sightings and false reports and false chasing of pings. And all of that exacerbated the trauma to such a degree that I think we're all just kind of battered and bruised and shaken and most of us haven't even come to the next step of closure.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMANS: We'll be covering the flight recovery efforts all morning long. Again, they've been halted because of weather.

But next, a grief counselor whose helping those aboard this plane -- she joins us live. That's next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ROMANS: We are following breaking news this morning. Search crews using sonar believe they have found the wreckage of AirAsia Flight 8501 on the bottom of the Java Sea. Grief-stricken families were informed of the discovery by Indonesian officials. Overnight the body of a seventh victim was retrieved from the water. Right now, the search and recovery operation has been halted due to bad weather.

Joining us to talk to AirAsia families and how they're dealing with this unimaginable grief, let's bring in Margaretha. She's a psychological counselor to the AirAsia families. She is in Surabaya.

Can you hear me?

MARGARETHA, GRIEF COUNSELOR: Yes, I can hear you. I'm Margarita.

ROMANS: Margarita, so nice to have you here, but for such a sad, sad reason.

Can you tell me how the families are coping right now?

MARGARETHA: Yes, we're dealing with the situation crisis here because the report we've been here for four days and Sunday, where the first -- the second day, they were faced -- the family faced with uncertainty, because they haven't known what happened to their family yet. So, they have this feeling of hoping, but also feeling kind of sadness because they didn't know what happened to their family. However, since yesterday, that changed because the government officially say that it is an accident. And then the shocking responses, and then some emotional responses started to come out from the family members of the passengers.

ROMANS: I can imagine, two days of uncertainty, your heart must be hoping that there could be any chance that someone would have survived but to see the images of rescuing, retrieving the seven bodies to see the two caskets with the numbers 001 and 002, coming off the plane, how is that affecting these families?

MARGARETHA: Yes. We can see now, psychologically, they're dealing with stress and grief situation which is a natural response towards something that is this big. You know, just heard that your family member, your loved one, disappeared and then having this accident. And therefore, we are dealing with people who show emotional responses connected with grieving.

So there are sadness, anger, and guilty and still persisting with their hope. And from the Indonesian Psychological Society that provides psychological services for those who are need for extended family member or family group even from the crew or the passenger, we try to provide psychotherapy, or trauma healing basic one, at least for the family members who reside here at the crisis center.

ROMANS: Margaretha, what do you tell someone, what do you tell someone who's in that room whose husband or wife or child or father was on that plane, what are the words that you say?

MARGARETHA: Well, I cannot really explain to you in detail with a specific case. However, we do face with family member who show guilt or remorse because felt being -- he should be in that plane. However, it was exchanged for another family member. Then, it shows some kind of guilt.

So we try to make re-stabilization of emotion. We provide like calming strategies so he can relax, like calming down. And we help them, we assist them to continue with the procedure of an investigation, especially from DVI, where the family member provide information about the physical characteristic of the passenger.

For some family, it is OK just to provide that, with their having social support, not family member. However, there are family who find it very difficult. And therefore, we're here to help them, to stabilize their emotional responses. And then we expect them to be able to give information more clearly to the investigators.

ROMANS: So, calm people down, help the families who need the help, giving the pictures or even DNA or whatever they need to give to authorities so the process can move forward.

MARGARETHA: Yes, yes.

ROMANS: I can imagine psychological help will be helpful on that. Margaretha --

MARGARETHA: Physical characteristic, yes.

ROMANS: Yes. Margaretha, thank you so much, and we're certainly glad that you're there helping those people. Our thoughts and prayers are with all of those families, thank you.

All right. Turning to get other news of the U.S.

Publicly, the Obama administration still blaming North Korea for the cyberattack on Sony pictures. It says that it's likely, the North Koreans had some help. But cyber security experts now telling the FBI that it is possible that the Sony hack may have been an inside job.

Let's get more on that from CNN's Pamela Brown. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PAMELA BROWN, CNN JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: Well, good morning, Christine.

FBI officials we've been speaking with are adamant that the initial assessment that was publicly revealed that North Korea and solely North Korea was behind the unprecedented Sony hack is still the case.

Officials say they're view has not changed. Even after FBI agents in St. Louis met with cyber experts with the security firm called Norse. And this firm launched its own investigation, and they claim they found evidence that it was actually an insider job, that a disgruntled Sony employee who had been with the company for 10 years and was let go last May was actually the one who used the administrative credentials to take over the Sony system, and actually played a role with the hackers who called themselves Guardians of Peace.

But the FBI officials we've been speaking with say that what they presented was essentially misinterpreted. That it was just a narrow part of the investigation.

This was not the company in the private sector that was brought in to help with the investigation. So, this company was not on the frontlines of what was going on. So, FBI officials say the conclusion they reached was from not only their own intelligence, but as intelligence from other agencies within the intelligence community and the U.S., as well as the Department of Homeland Security, and foreign partners.

And the FBI did lay out part of their case about why they reached the conclusion they did. But we're told that that was just the tip of the iceberg. As this investigation continues, the FBI could release even more information backing up their case -- Christine.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ROMANS: All right. Pamela Brown, thank you for that in Washington.

Also here at home, Republican leaders are ringing in the New Year with some damage control, after it was revealed number three ranking House Republican, Louisiana's Steve Scalise, gave a speech to a white supremacist group back in 2002, a group founded by former KKK grand wizard David Duke. Scalise now admits he made a mistake and pleads ignorance.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. STEVE SCALISE (R), LOUSIANA: I'm not familiar with what that group was, but from what I see, they don't represent the values that I represent. I detest hate groups of any kind.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMANS: House Speaker Boehner standing by his minority whip, saying in a statement that Scalise made an error in judgment and Boehner has, quote, "full confidence in him".

Security is usually tight in New York's Times Square on New Year's Eve, but the NYPD is being extra vigilant this year, using technology to combat any violent or terrorist incidents.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JAMES O'NEIL, NYPD: There will be hundreds of cameras, some which are displayed on the screen in our JOC, our Joint Operations Center, and monitored live via the NYPD's main awareness system. This sophisticated network of closed circuit TV feeds 911 calls, suspicious package alerts and radiation level readings. This system works in real-time to send alerts to train police and security personnel.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMANS: Extra officers are also being assigned in anticipation of planned anti-police demonstrations.

College football playoff fever, Andy Scholes has it. He's live in New Orleans with the "Bleacher Report." We've got that for you, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ROMANS: All right. The wait is almost over for college football fans. Tomorrow, the inaugural playoff will take place at the Rose Bowl and the Sugar Bowl.

Andy Scholes is in New Orleans for the Sugar Bowl and has the preview of the inaugural playoff games in this morning's "Bleacher Report". And he's got one of the best assignments of the network at the moment.

ANDY SCHOLES, CNN SPORTS: New Orleans on New Year's Eve, not bad Christine. Yes. And it's New Year's Eve where we're also calling it college football playoff eve as well.

You know, I walked around here in the French Quarter yesterday. All you see is Alabama and Ohio state fans having a good time, getting ready for tomorrow's big game.

Now, the Sugar Bowl here in New Orleans, this one features two of the most successful college football coaches over the next decade. You got Nick Saban and Urban Meyer. Together, they won five of the last eight national championships.

Now, the Rose Bowl meanwhile, is being called Heisman versus Heisman, as this year's winner, Marcus Mariota, and the Oregon Ducks, are going to face off against Jameis Winston and the defending champion, Florida State Seminoles. Of course, all the action gets going tomorrow afternoon. And all four teams, they're excited to be a part of the first ever playoff.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KEANON LOWE, OREGON WIDE RECEIVER: This is a part of sports history, not just college football history. LANDON COLLINS, ALABAMA SAFETY: It's fantastic because -- I mean, why

not Alabama, you know? Why not being one of those teams always making history?

CARDALE JONES, OHIO STATE QUARTERBACK: That's not enough for us. I just want to be the starting quarterback of the playoff game that we lose and got to go home and hope to play next year. You know, we want to keep this train moving.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCHOLES: In other college football news, Jim Harbaugh is now officially the new coach of University of Michigan. The school introduced him yesterday just two days after parting ways with the San Francisco 49ers. After the news conference, Harbaugh, he made an appearance at Michigan's basketball game, and he called the return to his alma mater a homecoming for him and his family. He's going to make more than $5 million a year to coach the wolverines which is less than the record deal that many expected he would sign.

All right. And a surprising turn of events, the NFL will allow Ndamukong Suh to play against the Cowboys in the NFL wildcard playoffs game. The Lions player was originally suspended for stepping on Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers' leg during Sunday's game. Yesterday, the NFL reduced the suspension to just a $70,000 fine.

Good news for the Lions, definitely bad news for the Cowboys.

But, Christine, as you said, not a bad assignment here in New Orleans on New Year's Eve. All quiet right here in the French Quarter, I'm thinking most people are resting out to have a good time out here later on tonight.

ROMANS: Oh, yes, this is all about storing up the energy or the sleep for what's about to happen.

All right. Andy Scholes, thank you so much.

Forty-five minutes past the hour.

We are following this breaking news this morning -- sonar equipment believed to have located the wreckage of AirAsia Flight 8501 on the ocean floor. We're live with the difficult task ahead at recovering victims and figuring out what went so wrong.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)