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Crash pilots questioned on flight's last minutes Asiana 214 pilot realised plane flying too low
(about 3 hours later)
The pilots of a plane that crash landed at a San Francisco airport on Saturday are being questioned about the final moments before the impact. The senior pilot in the cockpit of Asiana flight 214 realised the plane was too low when it was flying at only 500ft (152m), an official has said.
National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) chief Deborah Hersman told CNN the interviews would help understand "what they were experiencing". The Boeing 777 crash-landed at the San Francisco airport on Saturday, killing two passengers and injuring 180.
Two people were killed and 180 injured when the Asiana Airlines Boeing 777 clipped a seawall. The pilot at the Korean plane's controls was about half-way through his Boeing 777 training, an official said.
Authorities say one of the dead may have been run over by a fire truck. Investigators have indicated the plane was flying too slowly when it struck a sea wall before crashing on the runway.
The dead have been identified as Chinese teenagers Ye Mengyuan and Wang Linjia. Final moments described
Ms Hersman has said airport surveillance video did not conclusively show whether an emergency vehicle had run over one of the students, and a county coroner has said he would need at least two weeks to rule on the death. In a press briefing on Tuesday, National Transportation Safety Board Chairman Deborah Hersman cautioned against speculating about the cause of the crash.
The two teenagers had been sitting in the rear of the plane, where many of the most seriously injured passengers were seated, but their bodies were found on the tarmac. Ms Hersman also revealed that two flight attendants who had been sitting at the back of the plane were ejected when the plane crashed and thrown onto the tarmac. They survived but were seriously injured.
NTSB officials have said it was too early to speculate on the precise causes of the accident, but they have revealed the plane was approaching the runway too slowly and the pilots had tried to abort the landing less than two seconds before the plane struck the seawall and smashed into the ground. The two passengers who died have been identified as Chinese teenagers Ye Mengyuan and Wang Linjia. Police are investigating whether one of them survived the crash only to be run over by an emergency vehicle deploying to the crash site.
Joint interviews An account has emerged in recent days of Asiana 214's final moments.
South Korean transport minister Choi Jeong-ho told reporters that two of the four Asiana pilots aboard the flight, Lee Kang-kuk and Lee Jeong-min, were questioned on Monday, and the two others would be interviewed on Tuesday. As the flight bound from Incheon in South Korea approached San Francisco after its 11-hour journey across the Pacific Ocean, three out of four pilots aboard were in the cockpit.
The pilot interviews will supplement data already obtained from the flight data recorder and the cockpit voice recorder, authorities say. Lee Kang-kuk, who was still completing his initial training on the Boeing 777 and had never before flown one into San Francisco, was at the controls, Ms Hersman said on Tuesday.
"The pilots can provide us outstanding observations from their experiences on the flight deck," Ms Hersman said. "They can tell us what was happening, what they know, what procedures they're following." Beside him and in command of the aeroplane was an instructor pilot, flying in that capacity for the first time, Ms Hersman said.
Korean officials were expected to join the interviews. 'Pull back'
In the jump seat behind the two pilots was a relief first officer who had flown to San Francisco five or six times as a monitoring pilot. A fourth crewman, serving as relief captain, was in the cabin as the plane landed, and was still being interviewed by investigators on Tuesday.
As the plane approached on a clear day, the pilot in control of the plane was cleared to land. About 34 seconds prior to impact, the plane was flying at 500ft and at about 134 knots (154mph; 248km/h), when the instructor pilot realised it was flying too low.
He told the pilot to pull back on the stick, and seconds later he realised that the automated throttle controls, which had been engaged, were not maintaining the correct speed of 137 knots. About eight seconds before impact, the pilot in control pushed the throttles forward to speed up.
Less than two seconds before the crash, the pilot tried to abort the landing, but it was too late. The plane came in much too shallow. The main landing gear struck a sea wall well short of the end of the runway, then the tail struck and was ripped off the rear of the aircraft.
The aeroplane then rotated left and went into 360-degree spin before coming to rest to the left of the runway.
The first officer was hospitalised with a cracked rib, and neither of the two pilots were seriously injured.
At least 30 surviving passengers remain in San Francisco hospitals, many with serious spinal injuries.At least 30 surviving passengers remain in San Francisco hospitals, many with serious spinal injuries.
Airline executive arrives 'Regrettable'
On Sunday, the Korean airline revealed that the pilot at the controls during the final approach was landing a Boeing 777 at San Francisco for the first time. The two teenagers who died had been sitting in the rear of the plane, where many of the most seriously injured passengers were seated, but their bodies were found on the tarmac.
They said Lee Kang-kuk had only 43 flying hours in a Boeing 777, and was assisted by another more experienced pilot as he landed. He had logged thousands of hours on other types of aircraft. Ms Hersman has said airport surveillance video did not conclusively show whether an emergency vehicle had run over one of the students, and a county coroner has said he would need at least two weeks to rule on the death.
Large teams of investigators have begun sifting through the wreckage.
Asiana Airlines President Yoon Young-doo arrived in San Francisco on Tuesday to visit victims in hospital and apologise for the crash. He was mobbed by dozens of reporters at the San Francisco airport.Asiana Airlines President Yoon Young-doo arrived in San Francisco on Tuesday to visit victims in hospital and apologise for the crash. He was mobbed by dozens of reporters at the San Francisco airport.
Mr Yoon spoke briefly in Korean and was then escorted back into the terminal by police. He is also scheduled to meet with NTSB investigators and tour the accident site.Mr Yoon spoke briefly in Korean and was then escorted back into the terminal by police. He is also scheduled to meet with NTSB investigators and tour the accident site.
South Korean President Park Geun-hye has sent a condolence letter to China President Xi Jinping and the families of the two deceased young women, calling the crash "regrettable".South Korean President Park Geun-hye has sent a condolence letter to China President Xi Jinping and the families of the two deceased young women, calling the crash "regrettable".
The Boeing 777 has a good safety record, and this is thought to be the first fatal crash. The Boeing 777 has a good safety record, and this is thought to be the first crash involving fatalities.