Asiana Flight Tried To Abort Landing Before Plane Crash

Asiana Airlines Flight 214 tried to abort its landing before Saturday’s fatal plane crash at San Francisco International Airport.

The news comes from a statement by National Transportation Safety Board chief Deborah Hersman at a news conference on Sunday. She added that the recorder showed a call to increase airspeed about two seconds before the impact.

A federal safety official also stated on Sunday that the cockpit voice recorder from the crashed plane showed that the airliner attempted to abort its landing 1.5 seconds before the crash. However, before that there was no indication that the aircraft was having any issues.

Investigators recovered the plane’s two black boxes and sent them to Washington, D.C., for examination. They will also interview passengers, the crew, and the pilots. The knowledge that the Asiana flight tried to abort its landing seconds before impact will likely be a talking point with the plane’s crew and pilots. Hersman stated on Sunday’s Meet the Press:

“I think we’re very thankful that the numbers were not worse when it came to fatalities and injuries. It could have been much worse.”

Officials announced that two people lost their lives in the plane crash and 182 people were injured, while 123 other passengers walked away.

Clues have started to emerge following the plane crash as to what may have happened. Officials have already ruled out a mechanical error, making it possible that the accident may have been caused by pilot error instead. Witnesses recalled seeing the airplane hit something before it turned counterclockwise and came to rest on the runway.

Mike Barr, a former military pilot and accident investigator, suggested that it is possible the landing gear or the plane’s tail hit the seawall. If that happened, then the aircraft would have been slammed into the runway. San Francisco International Airport borders the San Francisco Bay. Because of this, it has a wall at the end of the runway that prevents planes from sliding off the end and into the water.

Witnesses also recalled that the plane was very low to the ground before impact. They added that it sounded like the plane’s engines revved before impact, suggesting that the pilots realized how low the aircraft was and attempted to pull up. The witness testimony backs up the flight recorder’s statement that the Asiana flight attempted to abort its landing.