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Early Start with John Berman and Zoraida Sambolin

"For God's Sake, Open The Door"; Media: Co-Pilot Suffered Mental Illness; Arab Nations Forming Military Coalition; Governor Pence Defends "Religious Freedom" Law; Strong Dollar, Cheap Travel. Aired 5:30-6a ET

Aired March 30, 2015 - 05:30   ET

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

[05:30:00]

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JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: The final moments of Germanwings Flight 9525, desperate pleas from the captain locked out of the cockpit by the co-pilot. New clues paint a disturbing picture of that co-pilot's mental health. Search crews scouring the Alps for the plane's black box. We have live coverage breaking down new developments this morning ahead.

CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN ANCHOR: Two days left to make a deal with Iran. The U.S. working overtime on nuclear negotiations, but will a new roadblock stop months of progress?

BERMAN: The violence escalates in Yemen this morning. Chaos breaking out in once was a key ally of the United States. There is now a new partnership of Arab nations joining together putting troops on the ground. What are the implications of this development? That's ahead as well.

Welcome back to EARLY START, everyone. I'm John Berman.

ROMANS: I'm Christine Romans. It's 31 minutes past the hour this Monday morning. We are hearing chilling new details this morning about the last minutes of Germanwings Flight 9525. They come from a purported summary transcript of the cockpit voice recording published by German newspaper "Bild."

CNN has translated the report, but cannot independently verify it. The most terrifying is the description of Captain Patrick Sonderheimer's frantic efforts to get back into that cockpit, banging on the door, screaming, quote, "For God's sake, open the door."

Standing by in Cologne, Germany with more is senior international correspondent, Frederik Pleitgen -- Fred.

FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Christine. It seems as though this flight started off fairly normally, however, it was delayed. And apparently even before the flight took off, Patrick Sonderheimer told his co-pilot, Andreas Lubitz, that because of the delay, he had not managed to go to the bathroom while they were still in Barcelona. And immediately Lubitz said, "Don't worry, you can go anytime," which seems to indicate that he may already have been setting Patrick Sonderheimer up to leave the cockpit.

Now the flight then takes off and once they reach a cruising altitude of 38,000 feet, once again Lubitz says to Sonderheimer, you can go now. At that point, his chair is heard going backwards and Sonderheimer leaves the cockpit.

Now that Lubitz is in the cockpit alone, shortly afterwards the plane begins to descent. This is something that's picked up by air traffic control radar, shortly after that.

At 10:32 local time, air traffic control tries to get in touch with the plane, but receives no response. Shortly after that, a loud bang is heard on the cockpit door and Patrick Sonderheimer is heard screaming "For God's sake open the door."

At that point, or almost at the same time, there is a warning inside the cockpit saying sink rate, which means that the plane is sinking very fast. Again, a few minutes later, about 90 seconds later, Sonderheimer is heard again banging on the door with a metallic noise.

And this is the time where he said, "Open the God damn door." Shortly after there is a terrain warning. The plane sounds an alarm saying terrain, pull up. Keep in mind, we are in the Alps.

So at this point in time, the plane sees that it is going down towards the ground and it is not in a landing configuration. So therefore it notices something is wrong.

At this point in time, also, the passengers are heard screaming as well. Then at 10:40 a.m., local time, the investigators believe they hear the plane's right wing scrape the top of the mountain. There are screams heard from the cabin one more time and then the recording stops.

It is indeed an absolutely chilling read. One that the French investigators say never should have been leaked. They say they are dismayed. However, they also did not question that what we got from that transcript is in fact authentic. Again, we cannot independently verify the authenticity -- Christine.

ROMANS: All right, Fred Pleitgen for us this morning. Thank you, Fred.

BERMAN: New this morning, several publications reporting new details on the medical condition of Andreas Lubitz. He was suffering from depression and anxiety and vision problems, which may have put his career and lifelong ambition to fly at risk.

Now CNN is working to confirm these details which may shine new light on the events surrounding this disaster. CNN's Diana Magnay live for us in Dusseldorf with the latest. Good morning, Diana.

[05:35:07] DIANA MAGNAY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, John. We are expecting the Dusseldorf state prosecutor to make some kind of a statement later today to verify. Something of the reports that have come out over the weekend citing official sources close to the investigators.

And here I'm citing the "Bild," one of a German national paper, saying that in the apartment, prescription drugs were found, and anti- depressants. They characterized this illness, this medical condition that Lubitz has a severe psychosomatic illness.

And they that they've concluded that because there were personal writings also in the apartment which led them to believe that this illness was psychosomatic and also that he was suffering from severe burnout, which is why he took that break from his training with Lufthansa back in 2009.

The French daily is characterizing what he had as a generalized anxiety disorder. So these details are coming out again citing officials close to the investigation very high.

This as we have new video showing Lubitz in his gliding training about ten years ago, we believe. We know from my reporting down in Montabaur where he grew up, he started gliding at the age of 14. That it was a real passion for him.

So there is a lot of speculation, of course, that this medical condition that he had might he realized have in some way curbed or stopped his potential to fly. We know that he had his last medical overview last summer.

That is a requirement by Lufthansa of all pilots. He was presumably coming up for that. Again, big questions as to whether this medical review would have prevented him from flying -- John.

BERMAN: Diana Magnay for us. Thanks so much, Diana.

ROMANS: Talks to curb, Iran's nuclear program is intensifying this morning as the deadline for a framework deal nears, two days, just two day left. Western diplomats say the differences are now down to a small handful of key sticking points that has Iranian negotiators balking among them.

Iran now firmly rejecting pressure to ship its stock pile of enriched uranium to Russia even though a deal is yet to be struck, Israel is already calling it a disaster. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the evolving agreement is quote, "fulfilling our deepest fears and even worse."

BERMAN: Saudi Arabia and coalition of Arab nations are preparing to launch a ground offensive in Yemen. The Egyptians have already pledged troops to the Saudi-led mission to try to root out the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels.

Yemen's foreign minister says he is expecting Arab coalition forces to begin the operation within days. CNN's Ian Lee tracking developments live from Cairo. Ian, you know, Egypt contributing a great deal to this coalition. IAN LEE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right. They have pledged their naval, their air and their ground forces, a ground force if that were to occur. They are not the only one. They are part of a nine-nation coalition that pledged to use this sort of force if it is necessary.

That includes six members of the Gulf Cooperation Council as well as Jordan, Sudan and as well as Egypt. This is not unanimous vote that we saw in the Arab summit. There was dissension from Iraq and Lebanon.

These are predominantly Shiite countries. They are heavily influenced by Iran. They were not alone. The international community is also looking for a diplomatic solution including the United Nations.

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BAN KI-MOON, SECRETARY GENERAL OF THE UNITED NATIONS: I share those deep concerns. I have repeatedly condemned the attack attempts by the Houthis and former President Saleh to undermine the agreement by military force. I take note that military action has been undertaken at the request of Yemen's sovereign and legitimate leader, President Hadi.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEE: The diplomatic window has not been closed. There are still talks and consultations, but right now, John, the drums of war are beating. The momentum is with a potential ground invasion.

BERMAN: Ian Lee for us in Cairo, dramatic developments happening in that part of the world. Thanks so much, Ian.

ROMANS: All right, Indiana facing a business backlash after a religious freedom law passes. New drama unfolding after the break.

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[05:43:10]

BERMAN: The governor of Indiana claims the state's controversial new Religious Freedom Law is misunderstood. Critics claim the measure will allow businesses to turn away gay customers on religious grounds. This is triggering quite a backlash. Let's get more now from CNN's Shasta Darlington.

SHASTA DARLINGTON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: John and Christine, Indiana Governor Mike Pence is on the defensive over the new Religious Freedom Bill that is sparking protests and boycotts.

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DARLINGTON (voice-over): Opponents say it will allow businesses to turn away gay and lesbian customers on religious grounds.

GOVERNOR MIKE PENCE (R), INDIANA: For our legislation.

DARLINGTON: On ABC's "This Week," Pence blamed the media.

PENCE: I think I understand that there's been a tremendous amount of misinformation and misunderstanding around this bill. I'm just determined, and I appreciate the time on your program, I'm just determined to clarify this

DARLINGTON: The law has come under fire from business. CEOs from Apple to Yelp are lashing out and Angie's List, which is based in Indianapolis, cancelling a planned expansion there. The NCAA which is holding its college basketball final four in Indianapolis next weekend saying it's concerned about the impact on players and employees.

Openly gay NBA player, Jason Collins, and former star, Charles Barkley, also denounced the bill. But Pence made it clear he is not going to change the law or consider a bill making gays and lesbians a protected class like in many other states.

PENCE: I will not push for that. That is not on my agenda. This is not about discrimination. This is about protecting the religious liberty of every Hoosier of every faith.

DARLINGTON: In the end, he refused to answer at least six yes or no questions about whether the measure legalizes discrimination against gays and lesbians.

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DARLINGTON: There are now about 20 states with some form of religious freedom law on the books, but with all of this controversy in Indiana, some of the other states pursuing similar legislation could think twice. Back to you, John, Christine.

[05:45:13] ROMANS: All right, Shasta, thanks for that. You know, Apple CEO Tim Cook is warning the anti-gay laws are very dangerous and completely against America's founding principles. Cook, of course, last year very high profile -- he came out last year. He said he is standing up on behalf of his company, Apple.

He wrote in a "Washington Post" op-ed quote, "These bills under consideration truly hurt jobs, growth and economic vibrancy in parts of the country where our 21st century economy was once welcomed with open arms."

Many other businesses including sales force, the NCAA, Yelp, Eli Lily, which is based obviously in Indiana, they all oppose the law saying it makes it harder to attract employees and customers to Indiana.

BERMAN: I know what you are asking right now. What's coming up on "NEW DAY?" Well, we have an answer. Chris Cuomo is here. Good morning, Chris.

CHRIS CUOMO, CNN ANCHOR, "NEW DAY": Good morning, my friends. I was asking the same question, but I read the teleprompter and now I know. We will take on the law in Indiana you are hearing because there is confusion here. Is it about state action? Does this involve people? Does this really do something potentially as bad as you are hearing with all these controversy? We will take you through it. You decide for yourself.

Also the final moments of Flight 9525, the search for why, we have new information for you. We will let you read into the transcript of what was going on in the cockpit. You will find out how the co-pilot wound up alone.

You will hear a lot of other things in terms of what was going on in that plane as it descended and then you will know the situation a little bit better.

I will tell you the latest on Andreas Lubitz because there is an issue involved here with what was known about him and how it was treated. The same thing could happen in the United States. It's a big mental health issue. We have someone on who is trying to change it.

Plus deal or no deal? Right now, it seems like the latter, Iran reportedly unwilling to go along with a key requirement of the P-5 plus one deal. We will tell you the requirement is, why they are saying they won't do it, and what it means for the deadline tomorrow.

All that on "NEW DAY" after you get your daily fill of these two beautiful people before you.

BERMAN: Chock full of news. All right, Chris, thanks so much.

Happening now, investigators searching for critical clues in that Germanwings crash, they are combing the mountains looking for the plane's missing black box. We have new information on the search ahead.

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[05:51:13]

BERMAN: Happening now, recovery crews working at the crash scene in the French Alps face another day. A huge effort to catalog and collect the scattered remains and wreckage transported all to a nearby staging area by helicopter.

I want to bring in CNN's Erin McLaughlin live at that staging area. Good morning, Erin.

ERIN MCLAUGHLIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, John. Well, recovery workers say they are making good progress. This is still an agonizing wait for the families. According to French media reports, the prosecutor has said that human rains, 70 to 80 victims have been identified using DNA analysis.

I say human remains because not a single whole body has been found at the crash site. That's how devastating the impact of the crash was, human remains strewn across hundreds of meters of treacherous terrain. In fact, locals have expressed doubts that they will ever be able to recover all of the human remains. The victims may remain part of the landscape forever. The families are saying they want to visit the crash site eventually. They want to be as close to their loved ones as possible. So the local mayor says they are in the process of building a road to the site, that road over a half mile long.

He hopes it will be completed within eight days. In the meantime, the families from all over the world are coming to the small memorial. You can see police vans covering the memorial to give the families maximum privacy.

Families laying flowers and notes, trying to grieve and remember their loved ones and this has had a tremendous effect on local residents who say the families will always be welcome here, that this land is now part of their land as well -- John.

BERMAN: Erin McLaughlin live for us, those families grieving. They just want to do it in private. Thanks so much, Erin.

ROMANS: All right, Monday morning in the stock market. Short week this week because of the Easter holiday, folks, stocks are soaring. We will tell you about the hairline cracks in the American economy. Should we be concerned? We will tell you after the break.

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[05:56:43]

ROMANS: All right, let's get an EARLY START on your money, Monday edition, great day for stocks around the world, Asian shares soared. Expectations of more stimulus measures in China, yes, that's a big move.

Shares in the U.S. stock futures and Europe higher. You can see a lot to work through on Wall Street this week. We've got a March jobs street to end the week. Hiring has been very strong. Some are worried about cracks developing in other parts of the economy.

Two main problems are wages are not growing and that means Americans are not spending much plus growth concerns around the world is putting pressure on the U.S.

Here is a great story for you as you are planning your summer travel. World travel is on sale for Americans right now thanks to the strong dollar. So where to go, Europe, if you have been dreaming of Paris or Madrid or Rome, now is the time, right now one euro costs $1.09. Compare that to $1.40 a year ago.

How about Russia? Russia's ruble has been tanking with the economy. The tourism industry is trying to rebound with steep discounts on airfares and on hotels. Why don't you go Brazil? Plane tickets and hotel rooms are getting cheaper making Rio and Sao Paulo more affordable.

The real has also been weak. Norway is on sale, a 30 percent decline in the value of the Norwegian kroner over the past year. You will never forget it.

Half of Americans are saving next to nothing. According to a new bank rate, half are saving 5 percent or less of income. That is bad. That includes 18 percent who saved nothing. That is really bad. How much should you put away? Bank rate says aim for 15 percent, Berman. Are you doing that, 15 percent?

BERMAN: I will now.

ROMANS: Right now, only about 14 percent, 1 in 7 people follow that advice.

BERMAN: To get all the best advice ever about your money, especially if you are a millennial, go buy this book, "Smart Is The New Rich." now available by Christine Romans. Read it.

ROMANS: Thank you very much.

BERMAN: The final moments of Germanwings Flight 9525 revealed. "New Day" starts now.

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The captain is heard screaming for god's sake open the door.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The information apparently leaked from the cockpit voice recorder.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It sounds to me who is hand flying the airplane.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Why would the co-pilot have been prescribed both an anti-psychotic and anti-depressants?

ROMANS: Two more days to reach a deal.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Iran is demanding all United Nations sanctions be lifted immediately.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Iran will take a deep breath and make tough decisions.

PENCE: George.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's a yes or no question.

PENCE: Come on.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CUOMO: Good morning. Welcome to your NEW DAY. It's Monday, March 30th, 6:00 in the east. We have new information explaining how the co-pilot ended up alone with in the cockpit of Flight 9525, the final moments as the plane goes down.

Moments that make clear who was doing what, especially the captain, the attempts to reach the 27-year-old co-pilot as well as a call from air traffic control about why the plane was descending.

ALISYN CAMEROTA, CNN ANCHOR: It's just chilling. This as newly uncovered video was surfacing as a teenager training to fly and seeming happy. So what medical condition or issue could have made this co-pilot crash the plane and kill 149 people?