Runway Cleanup Begins At Deadly SFO Crash Scene
SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) -- A clean-up crew at San Francisco International Airport has begun clearing debris from the deadly Asiana Airlines Flight 214 crash, airport officials said Wednesday.
The National Transportation Safety Board has control of Runway 28L and it remains closed during the investigation, but airport custodians have been allowed to start cleaning a peripheral area of the runway, airport spokesman Doug Yakel said.
Yakel said investigators have already combed through the outer sections and gave airport staff the OK to begin a partial cleanup.
- SFO Plane Crash: Photo Gallery | Video Archive | Latest Updates
Crews headed out Tuesday and began picking up small debris.
Yakel said the cleaning process was within the scope of the duties of custodians, who usually work inside the terminals.
The debris that is picked up is being thrown out, and does not need to be saved for the investigation, Yakel said, calling these initial efforts a small element of the entire cleanup operation.
"The big work still lies ahead," he said.
NTSB Chairwoman Deborah Hersman said Wednesday the parts of the investigation that need to occur at the runway site were wrapping up.
Within the next 24 hours, the runway will be returned to the control of the airport, and then officials will perform repair work before reopening the runway, Hersman said.
"The airport's primary goal at this point is to reopen Runway 28L as quickly as possible," SFO Airport Director John Martin said. "I want to thank all of our passengers and our airlines for their patience. We will work round the clock to make all the necessary repairs."
The work that still needs to be done includes cleaning up spilled jet fuel, checking electrical systems, repairing runway lights and fixing damage to the seawall, airport officials said. The Federal Aviation Administration will also conduct test flights to re-certify the runway for use.
(Copyright 2013 CBS San Francisco and Bay City News. All rights reserved.)
