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Asiana passengers on crashed flight begged for more ambulances Asiana passengers on crashed flight begged for more ambulances
(2 months later)
Passengers who called 911 minutes after a Boeing 777 crashed at San Francisco International Airport said not enough help had arrived and they were doing their best to keep the critically injured alive, according to call recordings that portray a scene of desperation.Passengers who called 911 minutes after a Boeing 777 crashed at San Francisco International Airport said not enough help had arrived and they were doing their best to keep the critically injured alive, according to call recordings that portray a scene of desperation.
Asiana Airlines Flight 214 crash-landed Saturday when it came in too low and too slow, killing two passengers and injuring many others as it skittered and spun 100 feet.Asiana Airlines Flight 214 crash-landed Saturday when it came in too low and too slow, killing two passengers and injuring many others as it skittered and spun 100 feet.
"We've been on the ground, I don't know, 20 minutes, a half hour," one woman said in a 911 call released late Wednesday by the California Highway Patrol. "There are people laying on the tarmac with critical injuries, head injuries. We're almost losing a woman here. We're trying to keep her alive.""We've been on the ground, I don't know, 20 minutes, a half hour," one woman said in a 911 call released late Wednesday by the California Highway Patrol. "There are people laying on the tarmac with critical injuries, head injuries. We're almost losing a woman here. We're trying to keep her alive."
Another caller told a dispatcher: "There's not enough medics out here. There is a woman out here on the street, on the runway, who is pretty much burned very severely on the head and we don't know what to do."Another caller told a dispatcher: "There's not enough medics out here. There is a woman out here on the street, on the runway, who is pretty much burned very severely on the head and we don't know what to do."
The dispatcher told the caller: "OK. We do have help started that way. You said that they're there, but there's not enough people, correct?"The dispatcher told the caller: "OK. We do have help started that way. You said that they're there, but there's not enough people, correct?"
"Yes," the caller said. "She is severely burned. She will probably die soon if we don't get help.""Yes," the caller said. "She is severely burned. She will probably die soon if we don't get help."
The dispatcher responded: "We are working on getting additional ambulances to you."The dispatcher responded: "We are working on getting additional ambulances to you."
San Francisco officials said ambulances could not come too close out of concern that the plane would explode.San Francisco officials said ambulances could not come too close out of concern that the plane would explode.
Authorities have said that during the chaos, one of the emergency response trucks might have run over one of the two Chinese teenagers killed in the crash.Authorities have said that during the chaos, one of the emergency response trucks might have run over one of the two Chinese teenagers killed in the crash.
Meanwhile, federal investigators are examining the cockpit interaction of two Asiana Airlines pilots who had taken on new roles before the crash of Flight 214 – one of whom had seldom flown a Boeing 777 and an instructor who was on his first training flight.Meanwhile, federal investigators are examining the cockpit interaction of two Asiana Airlines pilots who had taken on new roles before the crash of Flight 214 – one of whom had seldom flown a Boeing 777 and an instructor who was on his first training flight.
There were four pilots on board, but the National Transportation Safety Board is focusing on the working relationship between Lee Gang-kuk, who was landing the big jet for his first time at San Francisco International Airport, and Lee Jeong-Min, who was training him.There were four pilots on board, but the National Transportation Safety Board is focusing on the working relationship between Lee Gang-kuk, who was landing the big jet for his first time at San Francisco International Airport, and Lee Jeong-Min, who was training him.
While the two men had years of aviation experience, this mission involved unfamiliar duties, and it was the first time they had flown together.While the two men had years of aviation experience, this mission involved unfamiliar duties, and it was the first time they had flown together.
The pilots were assigned to work together through a tightly regulated system developed after several deadly crashes in the 1980s were blamed in part on inexperience in the cockpit, NTSB chairman Deborah Hersman said Wednesday.The pilots were assigned to work together through a tightly regulated system developed after several deadly crashes in the 1980s were blamed in part on inexperience in the cockpit, NTSB chairman Deborah Hersman said Wednesday.
"We are certainly interested to see if there are issues where there are challenges to crew communication, if there's an authority break in where people won't challenge one another," she said."We are certainly interested to see if there are issues where there are challenges to crew communication, if there's an authority break in where people won't challenge one another," she said.
Pilots are trained to communicate their concerns openly, she said, "to make sure that a junior pilot feels comfortable challenging a senior pilot and to make sure the senior pilot welcomes feedback in a cockpit environment from all members of the crew and considers it."Pilots are trained to communicate their concerns openly, she said, "to make sure that a junior pilot feels comfortable challenging a senior pilot and to make sure the senior pilot welcomes feedback in a cockpit environment from all members of the crew and considers it."
Hersman said the pilot trainee told investigators he was blinded by a light at about 500 feet, which would have been 34 seconds before impact and the point at which the airliner began to slow and drop precipitously. She said lasers have not been ruled out. It was unclear, however, whether the flash might have played a role in the crash.Hersman said the pilot trainee told investigators he was blinded by a light at about 500 feet, which would have been 34 seconds before impact and the point at which the airliner began to slow and drop precipitously. She said lasers have not been ruled out. It was unclear, however, whether the flash might have played a role in the crash.
Hersman also said a third pilot in the jump seat of the cockpit told investigators he was warning them their speed was too slow as they approached the runway.Hersman also said a third pilot in the jump seat of the cockpit told investigators he was warning them their speed was too slow as they approached the runway.
And she said when the plane came to a stop, pilots told passengers to stay seated for 90 seconds while they communicated with the tower as part of a safety procedure. Hersman said this has happened after earlier accidents and was not necessarily a problem. People did not begin fleeing the aircraft until 90 seconds later when a fire was spotted outside the plane.And she said when the plane came to a stop, pilots told passengers to stay seated for 90 seconds while they communicated with the tower as part of a safety procedure. Hersman said this has happened after earlier accidents and was not necessarily a problem. People did not begin fleeing the aircraft until 90 seconds later when a fire was spotted outside the plane.
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