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Tributes Pour In For Late President Jimmy Carter; Officials: Pilot Reported Bird Strike Before Deadly Crash Landing. Aired 1-1:30p ET

Aired December 30, 2024 - 13:00   ET

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

[13:01:02]

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN HOST: A one term president with an enduring legacy. The world is mourning and honoring former President Jimmy Carter. We'll look back at his remarkable life.

And in South Korea, families grieving the 179 people killed in the country's deadliest air disaster in decades and demanding answers. Details on what happened just before Sunday's crash that only two people survived.

Plus, today is one of the busiest travel days of the year, and winter storms and staffing shortages could impact your New Year's plans.

We're following these major developing stories and many more, all coming in right here to CNN NEWS CENTRAL.

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KEILAR: Hello. I'm Brianna Keilar in New York. Boris Sanchez is on assignment and we are learning some new details this hour about the funeral plans for former President Jimmy Carter, as tributes and remembrances continue to pour in.

Carter passed away in his hometown of Plains, Georgia, at the age of 100, surrounded by loved ones. And today he is being remembered for the arc of his extraordinary life, from peanut farmer to the 39th president of the United States. He served just one term in the White House, but he redefined what a post-presidency could look like.

Today, many are honoring him for his humanitarian work and the deep love that he shared with his wife of 77 years, Rosalynn Carter.

Now, the nation prepares to honor Jimmy Carter with a state funeral as President Biden declares January 9th a national day of mourning across the U.S.

CNN's Ryan Young is in Plains, Georgia, this afternoon. But let's begin with Julia Benbrook, who is in the Virgin Islands, where President Biden is on holiday.

Julia, there are some new details on Carter's funeral. What can you tell us about that? JULIAN BENBROOK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Brianna, a White House official

tells our team that President Joe Biden will deliver a eulogy at the funeral service for former President Jimmy Carter. And this is something that we did expect. In fact, Biden actually let it slip at a fundraiser last year while speaking with supporters that Carter, who was on hospice at the time, had asked him to deliver remarks and he will join others on that national day of mourning, January 9th, in paying his respects. Biden did speak here in Saint Croix last night as well, though, and he called Carter an incredible humanitarian leader, statesman and a dear friend.

These two have a long standing relationship, one that goes back more than five decades. In fact, Biden was one of the first U.S. senators to endorse Carter in his 1976 presidential bid. And he said that one of his fondest memories, he said this last night while speaking, one of his fondest memories with Carter was when Carter grabbed him by the arm and said, I want your help with my campaign. And the two have kept in touch throughout the years.

Carter was not able to attend Biden's inauguration four years ago because of the coronavirus pandemic, but the two spoke on the phone, and then Biden thanked Carter for his commitment and lifetime of service during that speech. The current president and current first lady visited the Carters in Georgia in 2021 and have, like I said, kept in touch. They've had this strong relationship throughout the years.

KEILAR: Yeah, they certainly have. Julia, thank you for that report.

Let's go to Ryan Young in Plains, Georgia.

Now, Ryan, how is that community remembering Carter today?

RYAN YOUNG, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: So much love is outpouring from this community. You got to think how small Plains is. You're talking about a town of 700 people. The downtown is pretty much right behind me. You think about how Jimmy Carter scored in life. Not only did he win in love, being married for 70-plus years, but this community really loved the former president.

Everywhere around here, there's some sort of remembrance of him down the street. There's the high school. He went to the museum is that direction. His house is only about five houses down from where we're standing.

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And the more and more you talk to people, they reflect about the idea about how he got started as a peanut farmer, how he was able to raise himself up and go to the naval academy, serve on a nuclear submarine, and then rise to the level of governor and then president. So you understand the outpouring of support and love from this place, because so many people have Jimmy stories. In fact, take a listen to some of the folks we talked to earlier this afternoon.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) SHANNON TILLEY JONES, GEORGIA NATIVE: You know, I grew up in Albany, which is 35 minutes from here. And when I think of Albany, you think about, you know, a small town. Well, Plains is way smaller than Albany is. And the fact that this man made such a name for himself and did so many amazing things in the world. Like I said, it's, you know, I told my kids, it doesn't matter where you come from, you can be president, you can do anything you want.

PHILIP KURLAND, OWNER, PLAINS TRADING POST: I would talk politics, especially with President Carter. With Rosalynn, it was more listening than talking. You could agree with him 100 percent on politics, but if you were in a good person, he really didn't have much use for you.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

YOUNG: It's such an American spirit here. You heard that woman talk about the fact that she talked to her kids, that you can achieve anything. I love that idea of moving forward and the idea that he inspired so many people. I've worked in Thomasville, Savannah, Atlanta, all over, people would have Jimmy Carter stories, especially when it came to Habitat for Humanity, which everyone seems to point to. That second life as a president was really something that now is the standard bearer for all presidents, because not only did he serve well as that president, now, you talk about that life afterwards.

And just to think he's a peanut farmer. Now, there are some folks from the Carter Center who in this area were digging to find out the next bits of information. We've seen this downtown sort of trying to get itself beautified because it knows more people are going to be piling in.

The other thing that hasn't stopped here, though, is the tractors and the log trucks that keep moving, because the farmers are, of course, are still working.

And all that downtown over there where they serve peanut ice cream, by the way, peanut butter ice cream, by the way, they wanted to be open because Jimmy Carter asked them to be. So when folks started arriving, they got that Plains welcomed that they're already receiving already -- Brianna.

KEILAR: Yeah, they'll get the experience there in Plains, Georgia. Ryan Young, thank you for that.

And we're joined now by Randall Balmer, who is the author of "Redeemer: The Life of Jimmy Carter", and a CNN contributor, and Leah Wright Rigueur, who is a CNN political analyst and historian.

And, Leah, it was in 2018 when Carter told CBS News's Norah O'Donnell that he wanted to be remembered as a champion of peace and human rights. Fair to say I think he's going to get his wish. What's his legacy on peace and human rights?

LEAH WRIHGT RIGUEUR, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST & HISTORIAN: So his legacy on peace and human rights can't be denied. He is absolutely inspirational. I think the biggest testament to this is his being awarded the Nobel

Peace Prize in 2002, not for any one specific act, but for a body of work that stretched the really the duration, not just of his post- presidency, but actually during his presidency.

And I think this is one of the things that has been understated about his legacy, which is that his quest for human rights actually begins far beyond the moments that we associate with him this post-presidency period. He is instrumental in redefining how we think about human rights and humanity as part of both domestic policy within the United States, but also global policy and foreign policy as president of the United States, and through the executive branch.

And so, it is, you know, without a doubt, this is something that Jimmy Carter will be remembered by. And this is, I think, why we are seeing a global outpouring and reflection that really says, this is a man -- this was a man of peace, but this was a man of humanity and human rights.

KEILAR: Yeah. And, Randall, he was a man of faith. His deep Christian faith was such an important part of his life. It also informed his priorities on peace and human rights.

RANDALL BALMER, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: No question about that. Certainly human rights was very important to him. Peace -- the fact that he devoted both his presidency as well as his post-presidency to peace and understanding among the nations, but also the fact that he was working very hard through the Carter Center to eliminate various tropical diseases that were debilitating to so many people. He saw that very much as part of his mandate as a person of faith, as a follower of Jesus.

KEILAR: Yeah. He was, as you write in your book, redeemer, the last great progressive evangelical figure, I also wonder what you thought hearing that man from Georgia who was talking about the conversations that he would have with Jimmy Carter, saying you could agree with him on politics, but if you were a bad person, he didn't have any time for you. Character mattered to him.

BALMER: It did. And character, arguably, is what got him to the White House in the first place. We have to remember that Carter was elected in 1976 after the Vietnam War, and particularly after the after the Watergate crisis, and he promised that he would never knowingly lie to the American people.

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And at that time, it was a novel idea, a president who didn't lie to us. And I think that helped to propel him to the White House. And I think it's also worth noting that no one has ever credibly accused him of reneging on that promise, as president of the United States.

KEILAR: Yeah, and, Leah, he was, of course, a one term president. President Biden is going to be a one term president. Democrats are currently doing some serious soul searching. And you said that you recommend that almost 50 years after Carter left the White House, people should really look back on his approach to politics and the presidency with a fresh set of eyes. Talk a little bit about that.

RIGUEUR: Well, there are any number of areas where Democrats and really politicians more broadly, politicians of all parties, both of the two major political parties within the United States, should be looking to Jimmy Carter. I think one of the things that's really important is that, you know, Carter promised to bring integrity and to bring, I think, truth and honesty back into the White House. And he did that, and he did it at great personal expense.

The other thing that he, I think was, was really quite valuable about his time in office is that there are any number of initiatives, programs, policies, legislation that he put into effect. He was -- he used deregulation as a way for to get Americans on track with innovation and expansion, particularly in rail, in the airline industry and manufacturing and shipping. He kick starts the Department of Energy and kick starts the Department of Education as a way of really centralizing many of the issues that Americans are were trying to face.

So even in the midst of crisis, he is faced with inflation, stagflation, the oil crisis, foreign policy crisis is just beset by any number of issues, he finds a way to innovate and to really think long term in terms of what is America's greatness.

And so, yes, he pays the price. He's a one term president. But as we look back, one of the things that we can see is that his legacy persisted long before that and affected both Republicans and Democrats for the positive.

KEILAR: Yeah, may not pay off in the moment, but the legacy speaks for itself.

Randall, Leah, thank you so much to both of you for the conversation. I appreciate it.

RIGUEUR: Thank you.

KEILAR: And up next on CNN NEWS CENTRAL, investigators are at the site of that deadly plane crash in South Korea. What the pilot said just moments before the crash.

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KEILAR: We do have some new details on South Korea's deadliest air disaster in decades. Officials now confirming the Jeju Air pilot reported a bird strike and declared mayday just minutes before making the doomed emergency landing yesterday. Authorities say an air traffic controller had warned about birds in the area just moments before.

Video appears to show the aircraft without its landing gear, fully deployed. It's unclear why, though.

One hundred seventy-nine people died in the crash. Just two people, two crew members sitting in the tail section of the Boeing 737 survived. South Korea's acting president has now ordered an emergency safety inspection of the country's entire airline operation system, and the U.S. is sending a team to help with the investigation.

Let's talk more with this, more about this now with CNN aviation analyst Miles O'Brien.

And, Miles, just first off, we're just learning that Southwest Airlines says it's now working with investigators in the Jeju air crash.

Can you tell us why they might be involved?

MILES O'BRIEN, CNN AVIATION ANALYST: I -- you know, Southwest Airlines has an awful lot of experience with that particular 737 model. Perhaps that might have some -- they might bring some expertise to bear. They have had a couple of overrun events themselves. Beyond that, I don't know.

KEILAR: Yeah. It'll be interesting to find that out. I didn't mean to pop quiz you because were just learning these things. But we -- officials are saying that the pilot reported this bird strike before the crash. And then you also have the planes landing gear not down in the either pair of landing gear.

Could those two things be connected?

O'BRIEN: Probably not, Brianna. There's no reason to believe that an engine failure, even two engine failure, would make it impossible for the crew to bring down the landing gear. The absolute last ditch way of doing that is literally pulling on a cable which attaches to a latch, and the gear just falls down by virtue of gravity, so that is not likely.

I've come to the conclusion, Brianna, that it was the intention of that flight crew to have the landing gear up, and you may ask why? Well, if that aircraft had lost both engines and it was for all intents and purposes, a glider, they would have been trying to preserve as much distance, glide distance as possible.

And in order to do that, you don't want to put your flaps down and you don't want to put your gear down, because that reduces the amount of distance you can fly without power. So is it possible that on short final to the runway bird strike, they aborted the landing. And as they're going around to set up for another one and troubleshooting the loss of that engine, and the other engine failed in some manner, and suddenly they had no power.

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And if they were in that situation, they would have done exactly what they just did, which was turn around to the opposite end of the runway and try to come in like a glider, and you would not want to put the gear down or the flaps down. Now, the tricky part in this scenario, if you'll bear with me on this, Brianna --

KEILAR: Yeah. O'BRIEN: -- is that when you're coming down that fast, there's a -- there's a thing we call ground effect in aviation. It's kind of like a cushion of air. And that causes the aircraft to float as it gets closer to the ground. And so they landed very fast, which was the intent, of course, but very far down the runway.

Now that would probably be okay at a lot of airports, but at this particular airport, unfortunately, there was this reinforced concrete berm, which was the foundation of an important antenna for the instrument landing system. And so when they overran the runway, because they were fast and long, they smashed into that berm, causing that huge fireball, killing all but two people.

So I -- that's my scenario at the moment. It's the only thing that makes sense to me, because there's no reason that that gear should have been up unless the crew wanted up.

KEILAR: So what would have happened at another airport that did not have what essentially became this physical obstruction, a wall that this plane collided with?

O'BRIEN: Well, there are 112 runways in the United States that have a type of concrete that is designed to break away under the weight of an aircraft and for all intents and purposes, act like quicksand. It's called EMAS. And that would stop the airplane very quickly.

They're also, you know, even if that berm wasn't there, the overrun space between that and the edge of the field probably would have stopped that aircraft before striking that wall. Maybe not, but it would have certainly reduced the number of casualties if that obstacle wasn't there.

So as part of what South Korea does right now, they should take a hard look at how they design their airports and consider possible obstructions right at the end of a runway, which, you know, take away the safety of that overrun space by putting the berm in the way.

KEILAR: Yeah, I -- is this the kind of thing, you know, you think of a bird strike and they're scary things. We are familiar, of course, with the miracle on the Hudson landing back in 2009. Just amazing that people survived that.

But is this something that should be survivable, this kind of bird strike?

O'BRIEN: Yeah. You know, in this case, you know, a lot of people second guessed sully on his decision to go into the Hudson River. Some people said he could have turned back to the runway at LaGuardia. Well, now we know what happens when you turn back to the runway as you come in and you come in fast and long, you don't have as much concrete to play with as you think.

Now, as it happens at LaGuardia, they do have that engineered material at the end of all their runways, which might have arrested the aircraft before it would have gone into, in that case, the East River. So yes, of course, they should be survivable in this case. Its an unusual circumstance, but if it happens near an airport, which is frequently the case because the birds are at lower altitude anyway, these things happen near airports, passengers should be able to survive if, pilots are on top of their game, and if the airport is well designed. And in this case, it wasn't a well-designed airport.

KEILAR: Yeah, we've seen when these airliners overshoot the runway, how quickly people evacuate and they all get off so quickly, it's unbelievable, as we've seen in the past.

You have the NTSB leading a team to help with the investigation. Of course, there are all these, you know, informed opinions about what may or may not happened based on what we know. But there's a lot we don't know. What is that team going to be looking for, and how long is it going to take to figure it out?

O'BRIEN: Well, I would caution you, what I just gave you was one piece of potential speculation on a theory. And so with all the caveats that I gave you, it is a theory that would support everything we just saw. But it's really important when you're in crash investigations not to put blinders on and say, oh, that's what happened.

The important thing is to be in a very methodical way. Take a look at, you know, everything about the environmental situation, the weather, the possibility of the bird strike, the evidence we have that they did, in fact lose had a compressor stall in one engine, lost one engine. The radio calls.

And in this case, I think most crucially, Brianna, the cockpit voice recorder is going to tell us a tremendous amount because this crew was managing, you know, a sudden problem and doing what they could -- the best they could do given their training.

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The decision to go around in that case was probably a sound one. But when -- if they did in fact lose a second engine in the process of getting back to the airport, they didn't have much time to play with, but they did get back to that runway. They landed long and fast. And it's a shame that so many people had to die because of that one obstacle there.

KEILAR: Yeah, certainly is.

Miles, thank you so much for your insights. We do appreciate it.

O'BRIEN: You're welcome, Brianna.

KEILAR: Coming up, they were one of the longest serving protective details in history. How Jimmy Carter's Secret Service agents are now honoring the former president and why their work isn't finished just yet.

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