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 Asiana pilot involved in the crash reported being temporarily blinded by a "bright light" at 500 feet during the approach, though the NTSB has not identified the light's source.
Investigators found the Boeing 777 was initially high but then descended too low, strayed laterally from the approach course, and was flying significantly below its target airspeed.
The pilot flying raised the nose but left the power levers at idle, while the training captain assumed the autothrottle would maintain the selected approach airspeed.

See a mistake? Contact us.

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.