Asiana crash should not affect confidence in Korean carriers

An Asiana Airlines passenger jet crashed while trying to land at San Francisco International Airport Saturday, killing two and injuring about 180 others on board. As the accident occurred at around 3:00 a.m. Sunday (Korean time), many Koreans woke up to the surprising news. Officials at the airline industry often talk about the “evil 11 minutes,” as most flight accidents occur during the first three minutes of takeoff or the last eight minutes before landing. The latest disaster also happened during the “evil 11 minutes.”

It seems that the rear landing gear of the Asiana flight hit a sea wall as the jetliner entered the airport at a lower altitude than it was supposed to, damaging its rear wheels. It caused the flight’s tail to hit the runway and get torn off. The two passengers killed in the accident have been confirmed to be Chinese nationals seated in the rear part of the plane. After the passengers evacuated, the fuselage caught fire, which burned through the cabin’s roof before being put out. The situation could have led to a large-scale disaster. It is fortunate that swift evacuation limited the causalities.

It has been confirmed that a pilot from the plane communicated with the air traffic control center. The pilot asked for ambulances, and a controller replied, “We have emergency vehicles responding.” However, it is not clear yet whether the accident was caused by the pilot’s error or mechanical and airport controlling problems. The San Francisco International Airport’s accident rate for the last five years is the fourth highest in the United States. The Asiana flight was a seven-year-old Boeing 777 and had no engine problem.

The Land, Infrastructure and Transport Ministry on Sunday dispatched government investigators, 30 Asiana officials and a diplomat to San Francisco. The investigators will work with those from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) to determine the cause of the accident. The NTSB said that the situation was very unique.

South Korean President Park Geun-hye said, “All relevant bodies in our government will work together and make every effort to quickly deal with the aftermath of this accident.” U.S. President Barack Obama directed his team to stay in constant contact with federal, state and local partners as they investigate and respond to the accident. Relevant authorities of South Korea and the U.S. should closely cooperate to determine what caused the accident under the unique situation.

What is the most urgent right now is to respond to the situation, including treating injured people. Asiana, U.S. hospitals and authorities, and the South Korean consulate should put a cooperation system in motion to minimize additional casualties. Due measures should be taken, including compensations for the victims and their families, to prevent secondary damage.

The latest fatal accident is the third one that Asiana has had since its founding. Some foreign media are reporting on past safety issues and accidents involving South Korean airline companies. Those involved in the tragedy should be held responsible, depending on the results of the investigation. Measures should be drawn up thoroughly to prevent the recurrences of such accidents so that international confidence in the South Korean airline carriers does not crash. We offer our deepest condolences to the victims and their families who have sustained damage from the unexpected accident.