San Francisco plane crash pilot still ‘in training’

Officials from the South Korean airliner Asiana say the pilot of the jet that crashed as it tried to land at San Francisco airport was still “in training” to fly the Boeing 777, and had never been at the controls of the aircraft before.

Lee Kang-kuk was one of four pilots on board at the time, and had just 43 hours of flying experience with the long-haul plane. Officials said he was being supervised by a more experienced pilot when he attempted the landing.

The crew tried to abort the landing about two seconds before it hit a seawall as it approached the runway, striking the tarmac and bursting into flames. Two teenage Chinese girls, who were on their way to summer camp, were killed, and dozens of people were injured.

President and CEO of the airline, Yoon Young-doo, said the pilot’s training was “common throughout the global aviation industry. All responsibilities lie with the instructor captain”.

Earlier, US accident investigators said the plane had been travelling “significantly below” the recommended speed of 137 knots, or 157 miles an hour. Using information from the cockpit voice recorder and flight data, National Transportation Safety Board chief Deborah Hersman said: “We’re not talking about a few knots”.

Attempt to abort landing

Ms Hersman said the pilot had asked to abort the landing and “go around”, just seconds before the crash. “Everything is on the table”, she said. “It is too early to rule anything out.”

New footage obtained by CNN, along with accounts by witnesses and survivors, appears to suggest that the plane came into the runway too low, tried to gain some altitude, but hit the tarmac, bouncing several times after clipping the sea wall.

It has also emerged that a navigation system at the airport which was meant to help pilots make safe landings was turned off for routine maintenance, although Ms Hersman insisted the weather and visibility had been good. “You do not need instruments to get into the airport,” she said.

I just crash landed at SFO. Tail ripped off. Most everyone seems fine. I’m ok. Surreal… (at @flySFO) [pic] â?? https://t.co/E6Ur1XEfa4

— David Eun (@Eunner) July 6, 2013

Information from survivors indicates there was huge damage to the inside of the plane, as well as the fuselage. San Francisco mayor Ed Lee said 225 emergency workers had rushed to the scene.

“As chaotic as the site was yesterday, I think a number of miracles occured to save many lives”, he said, although he did not comment on reports that one of the Chinese teenagers who died may have been run over by an emergency vehicle.

According to the city’s fire department, “one of the deceased did have injuries consistent with having been run over by a vehicle”.

The two students, Ye Mengyuan and Wang Linjia, were friends at the Jiangshan Middle School in the Chinese province of Zhejiang. They were part of a group of pupils and teachers on their way to a summer camp in the United States.

Their parents are due to fly to San Francisco later today, according to reports in the People’s Daily.