Asiana Airlines Flight 214

 

ASIANA BOEING 777-28E HL-7742 (MSN 29171)

Asiana Airlines Flight 214 was a scheduled transpacific passenger flight from Seoul-Incheon International Airport (ICN/RKSI), South Korea to San Francisco International Airport, CA (SFO/KSFO), United States of America

On the 6th July 2013 Asiana 214, operated by a Boeing 777-200ER, crashed on final approach into San Francisco International Airport. Of the 307 people on board, 3 died; another 187 were injured, 49 of them seriously. Among the seriously injured were 4 flight attendants who were thrown onto the runway while still strapped in their seats when the tail section broke off after striking the seawall short of the runway. 

It was the first fatal crash of a Boeing 777 since the aircraft type entered service in 1995.

The airplane was configured for landing with 30 degrees of flaps and gear down. Target threshold speed was 137 knots. According to preliminary information from the CVR (Cockpit Voice Recorder), the crew did not state any anomalies or concerns during the approach. The throttles were at idle and autothrottle armed.
At 1600 feet the autopilot was disengaged. The aircraft descended through an altitude of 1400 ft at 170 kts and slowed down to 149 kts at 1000 feet. At 500 feet altitude, 34 seconds prior to impact, the speed dropped to 134 kts, which was just below the target threshold speed. The airspeed then dropped significantly, reaching 118 knots at 200 feet altitude. The instructor pilot reported that he noticed four red PAPI lights (Precision Approach Path Indicators) and concluded that the autothrottle had not maintained speed. Eight seconds prior to impact, the throttles were moved forward. Airspeed according to the FDR (Flight Data Recorder), was 112 knots at an altitude of 125 feet. Seven seconds prior to impact, one of the crew members made a call to increase speed.

The stick shaker sounded 4 seconds prior to impact. One second later the speed was 103 knots, the lowest recorded by the FDR. One of the crew members made a call for go a around at 1.5 seconds before impact. The throttles were advanced and the engines appeared to respond normally.
The main landing gear and rear fuselage then struck a sea wall, just short of runway 28L. Airspeed was 106 knots. The empennage separated at the rear bulkhead. The airplane then ballooned, yawed left and spun 360 degrees before it came to rest to the left of runway 28L, 735 m (2400 ft) from the seawall.
A post impact fire occurred when a fuel tank ruptured inboard of the no. 2 engine, spilling fuel on the hot engine, causing it to ignite. The investigation by the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) concluded that the accident was caused by the flight crew's mismanagement of the airplane's final approach. Deficiencies in Boeing's documentation of complex flight control systems and in Asiana Airlines' pilot training were also cited as contributory factors.

The weather at San Francisco was fine on the day with 6-7 knot winds and a visibility of 10+ miles.

The Boeing 777-200ER was delivered new to Asiana Airlines on the 7th March 2006 and at the time of the crash had accumulated 37,120 flight hours and 5,388 (takeoff-and-landing) cycles.

Aircraft Information:

Airline: Asiana Airlines

Code: OZ/AAR

Aircraft: Boeing 777-28E

Registration: HL7742

Serial Number: 29171

Engines: Two Pratt and Whitney PW4090

First Flew:25/02/2007

Age: 7 Yrs 4 Mts