RE: [californiadisasters] most sensible article on the plane crash in San Francisco.

The sales tag was likely added by the editor, not the author, to give weight to what was said (to show that it was an expert).

 

I agree with what the author said, but I feel that the typical Asian mindset in the cockpit was still one of the factors.  While Americans say “The squeaky wheel gets the grease” the Asian counterparts are: “The nail that rises up is hammered down” or “The quacking duck gets shot”.  One follows the leader, always, without open defiance.

 

So while there are obviously many things that went wrong, an Asian underling is not likely to override a superior.  It is a deeply ingrained cultural situation; they are unable to do that.

 

The ILS was out of service and it was previously known.  Regardless of any ILS operation, the pilot must ALWAYS have visual confirmation of the runway or abort the landing.  During poor visibility, there are set levels that the pilot must confirm the runway or abort the landing.

 

From witness reports (pilots or not) and video, it is apparent that the plane was going to land short (on a weaker section of runway); that the pilot attempted to abort the landing but was too low and slow (adding power isn’t instantaneous but takes several seconds).

 

Short pilot version: the pilot got ‘behind’ the plane and the power curve; a noob problem.  Result was ‘pilot error’.

 

Sidenote:  It could have (should have) been a LOT worse than it was.  Only 2 dead (so far) and a few million dollars of property loss is NOTHING compared to the potential.

 

Rick  (private pilot license)

 

 

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From: Ed Greany
 

It would have been a PERFECT post had it not included an added footnote to sell his book.

 

Ed

 

From: jim rawls

 

    I thought this was very well written and wanted to share it with the group.

Smith: What happened aboard Asiana Airlines Flight 214? A pilot's perspective

Published: July 8, 2013 5:10 PM
By PATRICK SMITH, Slate

On Saturday afternoon an Asiana Airlines Boeing 777 crash-landed at San Francisco International Airport , killing at least two passengers and injuring dozens more, many of them seriously. I've been an airline pilot since 1990, and I'd like to offer some perspective on this still-developing story.

<SNIP>

Smith is an airline pilot and the host of AskthePilot.com. He is the author of the new book "Cockpit Confidential”

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