Plane Crash at San Francisco Airport

[GobbleDog 1,010]

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-201_162-57592529/plane-crash-at-san-francisco-airport-2-dead/

An Asiana Airlines flight from Seoul, South Korea, with more than 300 people aboard crashed while landing at San Francisco International Airport on Saturday, littering the runway with debris, and forcing passengers to jump down the emergency inflatable slides to safety.

 

San Francisco Fire Department told CBS News that two people were killed. At least 73 people have been taken to area hospitals for injuries, some critically.

 

San Francisco General said they have received 10 of the critically injured, including two children. A spokesperson for San Francisco General said most, if not all, of the passengers taken to the hospital are Korean-speaking. We are working to get interpreters for them," she said, "but they are quite critically injured so there is not a lot of discussion with them at this time."

 

Early reports indicate that Asiana Airlines Flight 214 made a hard landing, with the tail of the plane striking the runway and breaking off. The resulting fire sent black smoke billowing into the air, visible for miles.

 

"The plane started coming in at an odd angle, there was a huge bang and you could see the cloud of huge black smoke," Kate Belding, who was jogging near the airport at the time of the crash, told KPIX.

 

"It was a horrible thud," said Kelly Thompson, who observed the crash a hotel parking lot at the airport. She said the plane bounced, then slid on the runway. Rescue vehicles were on the scene immediately afterwards, with fire trucks spraying a white fire retardant on the wreckage.

 

Spokesperson Lt. Cdr. Shawn Lansing told CBS News that the U.S. Coast Guard flew two people with burns from the triage center via helicopter to Stanford University Hospital. The severity of the burns is unknown.

 

The airport was closed for several hours, with flights diverted to Oakland, Sacramento, Los Angeles, San Jose and Seattle. At about 3:30 p.m. PT, the airport announced that two runways have reopened.

 

[Giants Fan 85]

Obummer!

[GobbleDog 1,010]

The plane reportedly came in at a 45 degree angle and the tail clipped the seawall several feet before runway. No emergency calls from pilots before the crash.

[joeshushu 51]

Yea all over the local news here.

[GobbleDog 1,010]

The lack of emergency calls makes it seem like pilot error, but that's hard to believe given the good weather and way in which it hit. One news source speculated potentially a sudden loss of power or possibly the airport beacon was wrong. Who knows...

[Drizzay 746]

Only 2 people dead is suprising. That roof looked like a charred mess.

[BiPolarBear 495]

I hope it didn't land on any of the goats.

[shotsup 835]

Any video footage yet ?

[MedStudent 56]

So, it looks like the fire really didn't get blazing until after everyone was out? And the two people who died were found on the runway? I guess they were in the back part when the tail came off? I also read that when the fire rescuers came a few people were coming out of the water but they weren't sure if they just went to the water and came out or if they came out of the tail section and landed in the water. I don't know how they don't know this unless these people didn't speak English. Amazing if only 2 people died.

[GobbleDog 1,010]

And the two people who died were found on the runway? I guess they were in the back part when the tail came off?

So technically, they did make it to San Francisco. No refunds!

 

In some crashes, the experts have no clue what happened in the first few days, weeks or months. Other times, the experts know exactly what happened early on, but nothing is revealed until after the investigation. That could be the case here. I'm going to venture a guess that this is 100% pilot error, based on the lack of emergency calls, good weather, and reportedly good history of this newer type of aircraft. I heard on NPR that the autoland feature at the airport was down. We'll find out in about 2 months or so what really did happen.

 

It is incredible that only 2 people died. Although some of the injured reportedly have severe spinal damage and are now paralyzed.

[shotsup 835]

Any video footage yet ?

CNN has a video of it

[Recliner Pilot 61]

[Voltaire 5,491]

fire trucks spraying a white fire retardant

 

 

They should have just let FlaHawker burn.

[shotsup 835]

AP reports one of the dead may of been hit and killed by an emergency response vehicle.

[GobbleDog 1,010]

AP reports one of the dead may of been hit and killed by an emergency response vehicle.

 

"Holy crap, I can't believe I survived that crash! I'm the luckiest person in the world..."

[shotsup 835]

 

"Holy crap, I can't believe I survived that crash! I'm the luckiest person in the world..."

Squash.

[kutulu 1,707]

An hour later you want to crash again.

[shotsup 835]

An hour later you want to crash again.

 

that's Chinese food this was Korean fud.

 

Make a difference?

[kutulu 1,707]

Was the pilot Asian?

[Voltaire 5,491]

Was the pilot Asian?

I dunno, but the mechanic was Sux.

[wiffleball 4,797]

Was the pilot Asian?

Reports are coming in that the plane travelled the last 400 miles with its left blinker on.

[Voltaire 5,491]

Reports are coming in that the plane travelled the last 400 miles with its left blinker on.

That rules out asian, they don't use turn signals. They prefer to honk their horns nonstop instead.

[Patriotsfatboy1 1,433]

Plane was going too slow and they had an Asian driver with little experience in the 777. Whoops.

[DankNuggs 305]

training flight gone wrong... 1.5 seconds before ground contact pilot tried to abort landing.... "Milk was a poor choice"