Miami Injury Lawyer Blog
The pilot at the controls of a Boeing 777 attempted, but failed, to abort landing at the San Francisco airport Saturday after coming in too slow to land safely. It is unclear whether the Asiana plane pilot’s lack of experience with this type of aircraft and the airport played a role in the crash. Aviation and airline officials are also currently investigating whether any equipment at the airport or on the plane could have malfunctioned. Two of the three-hundred-seven passengers were killed as a result of the accident, less than two-thirds required hospitalization, and only a small number sustained critical injuries. San Mateo County Coroner Robert Foucrault stated he was investigating whether one of the two passengers that died was actually killed after being run over by a rescue vehicle rushing to the scene of the crash.
The head of the National Transportation Safety Board, Deborah Hersman, said at a news conference that the airliner was travelling at speeds well below the target landing speed of 157 mph. The slow speed triggered a warning that the plane could stall, so an effort was made to abort the landing, but the plane crashed about a second later. Seven seconds prior to the crash, Hersman said the pilots recognized the need to increase speed and three seconds later, the aircraft’s stick shaker-a piece of equipment that warns pilots that a plane is about to stall-went off. Survivors and witnesses recall that the plane was travelling too slowly, leading its tail to clip a seawall and nose to slam down into the ground.
There was no indication in the discussions between the pilots and air traffic controllers that there were any problems with the plane. Asiana airline said Monday that the pilot had little experience flying that type of plane and was landing for the first time in the San Francisco airport. Investigators are also looking at the role in the crash, if any, of the deactivation of a ground-based landing guidance system due to airport construction. These systems help pilots safely land, especially at airports like San Francisco’s where landing can be difficult because of dense fog. Saturday, conditions were nearly perfect though, with sunny skies and light winds.
Pilot in SF crash had little experience with 777s, www.palmbeachpost.com July 8, 2013
As the plane came crashing down, luggage tumbled down from the overhead bins and the oxygen masks dropped down. A United Airlines pilot radioed the control tower to alert them to passengers wondering outside the plane who were in need of medical attention. At the crash scene, police officers gave knives to crew members inside the plane to cut passengers’ seat belts and free them from the wreckage. Passengers jumped down emergency slides to get away from the burning wreckage and smoke.
Airplane accidents have unfortunately occurred much more frequently in recent years. Although many of these crashes involve small, personal or charter planes, larger planes are not immune from deadly crashes. Oftentimes these crashes occur due to power outages, mechanical failures, or inexperienced pilots. Many innocent individuals have lost their lives aboard airplanes, as these crashes almost always involve fatalities. Miraculously, in this case, most individuals escaped with minor injuries. The Broward aviation accident attorneys have over twenty years of experience helping clients and their families after motor vehicle accidents. The Coral Gables insurance litigation attorneys have dedicated their careers to recovering compensation for those who have suffered serious injuries or even wrongful death as a result of manufacturing defects or poor piloting. If you have been injured or a family member has died in a motor vehicle accident, call (305) 661-2008 today for your free consultation.
The Miami personal injury attorneys at the Friedland | Carmona handle all types of motor vehicle accidents throughout the state of Florida, including Boca Raton, Homestead, North Miami, South Miami, Miami Beach, Coral Gables, Pembroke Pines, Hialeah, Kendall, Aventura, Fort Lauderdale and Palm Beach. The Friedland | Carmona handles all types of personal injury cases, including wrongful death, defective products, medical malpractice, slip and falls and construction site injuries. Call today and let our family take care of your family!