The pilot of a Boeing 777 that crashed in San Francisco killing two passengers was in training on that type of jet, a spokesman for Asiana Airlines revealed today.
Lee Kang-kook, 48, had only 43 hours experience flying 777s and had never been at the controls to land one at that airport before Saturday’s crash.
Investigators said the aircraft was “significantly below” its target speed and the pilot tried to abort the landing just before the impact.
Film shows the aircraft hitting a sea wall, ripping off its tail. Passengers and crew escaped down emergency slides as it burst into flames.
Police officers threw knives up to crew members inside the burning wreckage so they could cut away passengers’ seat belts. One of the two
16-year-old Chinese girls who died may have been hit by a rescue vehicle.
Injuries to some passengers suggested they were dragged along the ground as the jet careered on the runway.
There were 291 passengers and 16 crew on board Flight 214 which had come from Shanghai via Seoul. Mr Lee, who started his career at Asiana in 1994, has 9,793 hours flying experience other types of aircraft for the company. His co-pilot Lee Jeong-min, who has 3,220 hours of flying experience with 777s, was helping him in the landing, a spokesman for Asiana said. The spokesman added: “It was Lee Kang-kook’s maiden flight to the airport with the jet. He was in training. Even a veteran gets training (for a new jet).”
Both men were tested for alcohol, drugs and fatigue. Asiana said mechanical failure did not appear to be a factor in the crash.
Deborah Hersman, head of the National Transportation Safety Board, said the jet was below the planned 137 knots (158mph) speed as it approached the runway. The pilot requested to abort the landing and “to go around” 1.5 seconds before impact.
Ms Hersman added: “We are not talking about a few knots here or there. We’re talking about a significant amount of speed below 137.”
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Passenger Eugene Anthony Rah told the Wall Street Journal how flight attendant Jiyeon Kim helped the injured, “carrying people piggyback” from the wreckage who could not walk.
Five people are still in a critical condition at San Francisco General Hospital today. Three others are being treated at Stanford Hospital. A total of 181
people were taken to hospital, mostly with minor injuries.
