I think you should read John Croft's report on the preliminary NTSB report this AM on the Aviation Week site, where the director states that they were "significantly below target speed", and then reread or read my first post before you go calling BS----ICE-maaaan, and tell the rest of us about Monday morning quarterbacking, and yes I am the Air Force Brat....as I stated earlier, a NO brainer, and for your info I grew up on Central Valley road and my first job was at Fuller Foods in M'boro. My Dad was an IP in the C-130, and I flew my first real airplane, a Cessna 195 from Murfreesboro Air Port, and the C-130 flight simulator that same year at Sewart AFB.
and while you're at it please accept my most sincere thankyou for serving our country in the Navy and as an LEO. thank you sir! billy magg
Lots of reasons to be "significantly below target airspeed" that have nothing to do with pilot proficiency. This a/c has had problems in the past with engine rollbacks on final due to fuel icing after long, high altitude overseas flights. The left seater was a Captain with plenty of time in heavy aircraft-over 10,000 hours-and undergoing Initial Operating Experience (IOE) under the watchful eye of a Line Check Airman. I can guarantee you that any check airman worth his salt would never have let this happen unless there were an underlying mechanical problem.
The NTSB needs to shut up about the crash until all the facts are in and the investigation is complete. It seems to me that the NTSB spokesman (woman) is playing to the press, for what reason I don't know. I would be very careful in assigning blame until all the facts are known.
Just so you know, I'm typed in the Boeing 727, 757, and 767, and current in the latter two. I also have over 11,000 hours total time. I find that critiquing someone elses mistakes until you know all the facts usually leaves you with egg on your face, and is best not done.
edited to add the following:
Release #13.35
July 9, 2013
ALPA Asks for Answers to Key Questions in Accident Investigation
WASHINGTON — The Air Line Pilots Association, Int'l, released the following statement regarding the crash landing of Asiana Flight 214 in San Francisco on Saturday, July 6, 2013.
The Air Line Pilots Association, International (ALPA), as the largest nongovernmental safety organization in the world, continues to monitor the accident investigation of Asiana 214 and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB)'s ill-advised release of partial data in the aftermath of this tragedy.
The NTSB's release of incomplete, out-of-context information has fueled rampant speculation about the cause of the accident. The field phase of the investigation is barely three days old, and the pilots on the flight deck, at the controls of the aircraft, had little opportunity to provide vital information as to what exactly happened during the event before disclosing data recorded during the last moments of the flight.
In the interest of providing context to the information already disclosed, ALPA calls on the NTSB to, at the very least, elaborate on factual material that has been excluded from public releases but must be considered in determining not only what happened, but why.
For example:
Why was the Instrument Landing System (ILS), a critical aid to pilots, out of service?
In the absence of the ILS, was an alternate space-based navigation capability, such as Required Navigation Performance (RNP), available and in use?
Were other aids to accurate vertical positioning, such as the Precision Approach Path Indicator (PAPI) lights, functional, and if not, why not?
Was the crew using onboard aids such as Vertical Navigation (VNAV) to determine a precise vertical path?
Did the crew's training include proper use of all these capabilities?
What were the indications shown on the flight instruments available to the pilots, and how did this information compare to what was recorded?
These are just some of the critical questions that need to be investigated in order to determine the entire chain of events leading to the accident. Without the full body of facts surrounding a catastrophic event, partial or incomplete information can lead to erroneous conclusions and, in turn, skew the perception of individuals' behavior. This could then lead to misguided assessments of the crew's intentions and actions.
ALPA calls on the international aviation community, including our government and industry safety partners around the world, to redouble its efforts to gather the full body of factual knowledge necessary and release that information accordingly.
Only then can the global safety community be able to identify potential hazards and continue to make safety improvements in every aspect of the aviation system.
. Very tragic.
