The Asiana Airlines flight crew mismanaged the descent of a 777 into San Francisco International Airport last July, the NTSB said in its probable-cause hearing in June. The pilots made several mistakes and by the time they decided to go around it was too late. The airplane hit the seawall, causing a fiery crash that killed three passengers and seriously injured 49. The board also found the “complexities” of the auto-throttle and autopilot flight director systems contributed to the crash, and should have been more clearly described both in Boeing’s documentation and in Asiana pilot training. Crew fatigue also was a factor. The board also said emergency responders on the scene, who ran over one of the crash victims with a fire truck, should have been better trained and equipped. The board followed up with 27 safety recommendations to the airline, Boeing, the aircraft firefighting group, and the city and county of San Francisco.
To fly around the world powered only by the sun is a goal that has inspired the Solar Impulse project for more than 10 years. In June, the team drew nearer to that flight with the successful launch of Solar Impulse 2. The solar-electric aircraft, with wings stretching 262 feet across, flew from its base in Switzerland and stayed aloft for about two hours, with test pilot Markus Scherdel at the controls. The airplane carries electric motors that are powered from 17,000 solar cells on the wings. On the test flight, the aircraft reached altitudes up to 5,500 feet and averaged a 30-knot ground speed. The team plans to launch the ‘round-the-world flight next year.
