Asiana 214 Crash: Pilot Says He Was Blinded by Light

Stephen Pope

Thursday, July 11, 2013 at 08:00 PM ET

Verified

** Courtesy of NTSB**

Key Takeaways:

The pilot of the Asiana Boeing 777 that crashed reported being temporarily blinded by a "bright light" at 500 feet during the approach.
The aircraft's approach was unstable, starting high, then descending too low and straying laterally, with the pilot leaving power at idle, assuming autothrottle would maintain speed.
The plane's airspeed dropped significantly below its target, falling to 103 knots just before crashing short of the runway.
The NTSB is investigating the role of crew actions and cockpit automation, as well as the reported "bright light," in the accident.

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The National Transportation Safety Board on Wednesday revealed that the Asiana pilot at the controls of the Boeing 777 that crashed at San Francisco International Airport over the weekend has told investigators that he was temporarily blinded by a “bright light” on the approach while passing through 500 feet.

NTSB Chairman Deborah Hersman said it wasn’t clear what could have caused the light and refused to speculate about its possible source when she was asked if a laser could be the culprit. It was also unclear why the pilots didn’t immediately execute a missed approach at that point. Hersman made her comments at a daily press briefing on the Asiana Flight 214 crash, which left two dead and 168 others injured.