Asiana Airlines Blames Low Air Speed Warning For SFO Crash

SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) _ Asiana Airlines officials say a Boeing 777 that crashed at San Francisco International Airport last July had inadequate warning systems to alert the crew to problems with air speed.

In a filing with the National Transportation Safety Board released on Monday, the airline claimed there was no indication that the plane's autothrottle had stopped maintaining the set air speed.

Additionally, they said a low air speed alerting system came on too late for the pilots to avoid the crash.

Asiana also acknowledged that its crew failed to monitor and maintain a safe airspeed, but said inconsistencies in the aircraft's automation logic and deficient warning systems contributed to the failure.

The NTSB previously said the crew showed signs of confusion about the elaborate computer systems of the Boeing 777 that crashed on July 6 and resulted in three deaths.

Bob Hertan, an associate professor of Aviation Safety and Human Factors at Embry Riddle University and retired naval aviator, said the cause sounded consistent with loss of situational awareness.

"It's all about flying the aircraft. If they didn't need the pilots they'd be essentially drones up there. They'd all be electronic, computerized and they wouldn't need human interference," Hertan said.

"Humans tend to get comfortable in what they're doing and sometimes get too comfortable," he concluded.

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