Asiana Airlines said on Monday the pilot at the controls when a 777crashedat San Francisco Saturday, killing two girls and injuring dozens of passengers, was in training on the 777, and was landing the airplane at SFO for the first time. The pilot is an experienced captain with a total time over 10,000 hours, but he had only eight previous flights and 43 hours as 777 crew. He had landed at SFO previously as captain of a 747, the airline spokesperson said. NTSB investigators said on Monday morning in San Francisco they planned to begin interviews with all four pilots in the 777 crew. “We really do need to understand who was the pilot in command, who was the pilot flying at the time, what kind of conversations were they having,” said Deborah Hersman, NTSB chairman.
So far, investigators have not reported any sign of a mechanical problem with the airplane, but Hersman said investigators will look at all possibilities for the crash. “Everything is on the table,” she said. News reports said on Monday 161 people were treated for injuries and eight remained in critical condition. It also was reported that one of the girls who died was found 30 feet from the airplane and may have been hit by a rescue vehicle, but officials said it would take up to three weeks to investigate that incident. Investigators also said on Monday they are working on a transcription of the cockpit voice recorder, which is in both English and Korean, and will provide a translation. The safety board has posted photos of the wreckage, inside and out, onFlickr.
