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Saturday Morning News

Cockpit Voice Recorder Reveals New Details in Alaska Airlines Crash

Aired February 5, 2000 - 8:00 a.m. ET

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

MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Topping our news this morning, the cockpit voice recorder is revealing new details of what happened in the final minutes of Alaska Airlines Flight 261. Experts in Washington are zeroing in on mysterious loud noises while in California investigators are mapping the crash site.

CNN's Jim Hill joining us live with the latest -- Jim,

JIM HILL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Miles, according to the National Transportation Safety Board here in Oxnard, California, searchers are beginning the phase of body recovery from the wreckage of Flight 261, which is located in about 700 feet of water roughly 10 miles off the coast of Oxnard, not too far from the Channel Island of Anacapa.

Now, this phase of the recovery comes after Monday's crash in which in the meantime they've been mapping this field very intensely with side scanning sonar and also with these submersible non-manned ROVs, these remotely operated vehicles, as they're called. But now, of course, they're in the very delicate stage of removing human remains.

Meanwhile, the National Transportation Safety Board is also going over the cockpit voice recorder, which is one of the so-called black boxes in which you can hear, according to the NTSB, not only conversations of the crew, but also some distinct noises from the tail section of the aircraft.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOHN HAMMERSCHMIDT, NTSB: After recovery from this loss of vertical control, a flight attendant advised the crew that she had heard a loud noise in the rear of the aircraft. The crew acknowledged that they had heard it, too. Observation number four, slightly more than one minute before the end of the recording a loud noise can be heard on the recording and the airplane appears to go out of control. No stall warning was heard during this event.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HILL: The flight data recorder, which is another of the so- called black boxes, is also in Washington. That is the recorder which lists a lot of technical functions on the airplane and authorities are, of course, going over that information as well. Meanwhile on the more human side, later today at five o'clock Eastern Time there will be a memorial service for the 88 victims of Flight 261. That memorial service will be at Malibu's Pepperdine University campus.

I'm Jim Hill reporting from Oxnard, California. Back to you.

O'BRIEN: Tomorrow the Coast Guard plans to drop flowers from that service which Jim alluded to at the crash site a few miles away in the Pacific Ocean.

As CNN's Jennifer Auther reports, it's just one of several memorials.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JENNIFER AUTHER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): About 250 people came to St. Anthony's Catholic Church Friday night offering solace and prayer.

REV. GEORGE SULLIVAN, ST. ANTHONY'S CHURCH: Pray for and with these 88 men, women and children, to pray for their families, whose loss we can only imagine.

AUTHER: This memorial service in Oxnard, California, 60 miles northwest of Los Angeles, was ecumenical.

SULLIVAN: We thank you very much for your presence with us today.

AUTHER: There were also thanks and prayer for those who tried to rescue the 88 men, women and children who died Monday when Alaska Air Flight 261 plunged into the Santa Barbara Channel connecting this community to this sadness.

UNIDENTIFIED CITIZEN: It's been part of our lives since the accident. So I feel the prayer service is very important.

UNIDENTIFIED CITIZEN: We ask god to take care of the deceased and to help us with our healing.

AUTHER: Earlier Friday, the U.S. Coast Guard escorted relatives aboard a private excursion vote for a shipboard memorial service. The family members dropped wreaths in Pacific Ocean waters at the edge of a five mile perimeter around the crash site. Oxnard is perhaps best known for its commercial fishing and beauty along seven miles of the city's beaches. But now the crash of Alaska Airlines Flight 261 leaves this area with another image.

UNIDENTIFIED PRIEST: Jerry Fosmire, Allen Friedmann, Jean Gandesbery.

AUTHER: One of a community coming together to care for 88 lives taken too soon.

UNIDENTIFIED PRIEST: Barbara Hathelberg (ph). AUTHER: Jennifer Auther, CNN, Oxnard, California.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

O'BRIEN: CNN is planning live coverage of the memorial at Pepperdine University today, 5:00 p.m. Eastern time, 2:00 p.m. Pacific.

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