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ATC audio from the crash http://wandr.me/Audio/AAR214-KSFO-Crash.mp3 http://wandr.me/Audio/AAR214-KSFO-Crash.mp3

by jcdavis 13y ago

ceejayoz 13y ago
I know they train for it, but the coolheaded professionalism there is remarkable - tower, other planes, all of them.
- jlgaddis 13y ago
  Agreed. It was like it didn't even phase the controller. Wow.
- InclinedPlane 13y ago
  That's why airlines like to get pilots with military experience. They are exposed to more crazy scenarios in training and work and generally keep a cool head better under stress.
  - duncan_bayne 13y ago
    Hmmm - but: military pilots are also known (especially in some cultures) for an over-strong respect for hierarchy, resulting in a willingness to go along with dangerous instructions. Also, at least some military pilots are trained to have a higher risk acceptance than civilian pilots. Personally, I'd be very happy having an ex-military pilot flying me around; I think the pros definitely outweigh the cons. But do be aware that the cons exist.
    - coopdog 13y ago
      Actually Korean pilots (civilian) are also known to have too strong a respect for hierarchy. I remember seeing an episode of air crash investigating where that was officially reported as a factor, so it isn't even just the military where that can be a risk.
      - mseebach 13y ago
        This is the most famous incident, and the one that lead to the development of Crew Resource Management, a process to make sure decisions are taken by consensus, not by deferring to authority. The crew in question, by the way, was dutch. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tenerife_airport_disaster https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tenerife_airport_disaster
    - eshvk 13y ago
      > Hmmm - but: military pilots are also known (especially in some cultures) for an over-strong respect for hierarchy, resulting in a willingness to go along with dangerous instructions. Also, at least some military pilots are trained to have a higher risk acceptance than civilian pilots. Can you elaborate more on what how dangerous instructions would work in a civilian scenario? Where does a hierarchy come into the picture?
      - brazzy 13y ago
        Person A, in authority but missing a critical piece of information (e.g. senior pilot who mistakenly believes airspeed is high when the plane is nearly stalling) gives disastrous instruction (pull up) to person B (co-pilot) who has the crucial information, but obeys rather than contradicting A, due to hierarchy.
- maxcan 13y ago
  ATC operators must be the most underrated people in our transportation system.
  - skeletonjelly 13y ago
    Underrated by who? Society? What's the most highly rated profession in transportation?
    - maxcan 13y ago
      Maybe unappreciated is a better choice of words. Overrated would be taxi drivers and municipal taxi regulators.
robbiemitchell 13y ago
Amazing. Wish I understood what's happening in each exchange.
- tdenkinger 13y ago
  Basically, the United flight holds short of runway 28 as he may need a little more time (this is the United flight CNN showed sitting there, probably). The ATC controller knows something has happened because the first time we hear from 214 heavy, the controller tells the pilot emergency vehicles are on the way. Then some captains on final announce they're going around and some ask for redirect (one clearly to San Jose). The controller then tells some flights on final to go around. Finally he's directing rescue units to cross all runways where normally they'd hold at each runway to be directed.
- 8ig8 13y ago
  I found these comments helpful. They breakdown the exchange between the tower and the approaching planes. The first is from an air traffic controller. http://www.reddit.com/r/worldnews/comments/1hrewx/asiana_airlines_boeing_777_has_crashed_at_the_san/cax80de http://www.reddit.com/r/worldnews/comments/1hrewx/asiana_air... http://www.reddit.com/r/worldnews/comments/1hrewx/asiana_airlines_boeing_777_has_crashed_at_the_san/cax7r3t http://www.reddit.com/r/worldnews/comments/1hrewx/asiana_air...
rapsourly 13y ago
Is there a transcript available?
- Stratoscope 13y ago
  I transcribed part of it: 0:00-0:02 - Tower: "Asiana 214, San Francisco Tower, runway 28 left, cleared to land" 0:02-0:04 - Asiana 214 pilot: "Cleared to land left, Asiana 214" 0:05-0:08 - Tower: "Skywest 5427, fly runway heading and contact (north cal?) departure" (plane took off and is making a straight-out departure, and now will contact departure control) 0:09-0:12 - Skywest 5427 pilot: "OK, going to departure, Skywest 5427 (free?)" 0:12-0:14 United 885 pilot: "United 885" (pilot makes a quick break call to tower before making a longer request) 0:14-0:16 Tower: "United, uh, 85, OK?" (tells pilot to go ahead) 0:17-0:21 United 885 pilot: "Yes, United 885 at the end, we might need a few more minutes, just a heads-up" (It sounds like 885 is next for takeoff and has taxied into position next to the runway) 0:21-0:25 Tower: "United 885, roger, hold short of runway 28 left, let me know when you're ready" 0:25-0:27 United 885 pilot: "Hold at 28 left, United 885" 0:27-0:32 Skywest 5452 pilot: "San Francisco Tower, Skywest 5452, (quite ?), 28 right" 0:32-0:36 Tower: "Skywest 5452, San Francisco Tower, runway 28 right, cleared to land" 0:36-0:38 Skywest 5452 pilot: "Clear to land, 28 right, Skywest 5452" 0:38-0:41 Tower: "Three Sierra Fox... (garbled)" 0:39-0:41 Voice in background (in tower?) "What? Hell? What happened?" 0:43-0:50 Skyhawk 737ZD pilot: "San Francisco Tower, Skyhawk seven three seven zulu delta (garbled, another transmission saying 'GO AROUND') (something) plus 500 feet please, over San Carlos" (A four seat Cessna is over the San Carlos airport just southeast of SFO and wants to cross the SFO airspace. 737ZD [if I have it right] is the aircraft's tail number, no connection to the Boeing 737.) 0:50-0:52 Tower: "Skyhawk 6389, maintain 3000 [feet altitude]" (It sounds like 6389 is on approach to land and tower is telling him to go around? Not sure) 0:53-0:54 Skyhawk 6389 pilot: "(something) 3000, yes, 389" (speaking quickly to keep the channel clear) 0:55-0:57 Asiana 214 pilot (!!): "Tower, Asiana 214!" 0:57-1:00 Tower: "Asiana 214 heavy, emergency vehicles are responding" ("heavy" refers to any large aircraft) 1:00-1:01 Asiana 214 pilot: "214" (acknowledging) 1:02-1:03 Tower? "Emergency veh(something)" 1:03-1:09 Asiana 214 pilot: "OK, now, uh, uh, and ten or twelve (?) (unintelligible)" 1:10-1:16 Tower: "Cessna 737 Zulu Delta, San Francisco Tower, remain clear of the San Francisco (Fox Bravo?) airspace, contact San Carlos Tower" 1:17-1:21 Skyhawk 737ZD pilot: "Seven Zulu Delta, contacting San Carlos Tower, and remaining clear" There's another minute or so on the recording, but my nerves are shot after doing that much. If anyone would like to pick it up from there, correct it, etc., please do.

ATC audio from the crash http://wandr.me/Audio/AAR214-KSFO-Crash.mp3 http://wandr.me/Audio/AAR214-KSFO-Crash.mp3

by jcdavis 13y ago

ATC audio from the crash http://wandr.me/Audio/AAR214-KSFO-Crash.mp3 http://wandr.me/Audio/AAR214-KSFO-Crash.mp3

ceejayoz 13y ago

I know they train for it, but the coolheaded professionalism there is remarkable - tower, other planes, all of them.

jlgaddis 13y ago
Agreed. It was like it didn't even phase the controller. Wow.
InclinedPlane 13y ago
That's why airlines like to get pilots with military experience. They are exposed to more crazy scenarios in training and work and generally keep a cool head better under stress.
- duncan_bayne 13y ago
  Hmmm - but: military pilots are also known (especially in some cultures) for an over-strong respect for hierarchy, resulting in a willingness to go along with dangerous instructions. Also, at least some military pilots are trained to have a higher risk acceptance than civilian pilots. Personally, I'd be very happy having an ex-military pilot flying me around; I think the pros definitely outweigh the cons. But do be aware that the cons exist.
  - coopdog 13y ago
    Actually Korean pilots (civilian) are also known to have too strong a respect for hierarchy. I remember seeing an episode of air crash investigating where that was officially reported as a factor, so it isn't even just the military where that can be a risk.
    - mseebach 13y ago
      This is the most famous incident, and the one that lead to the development of Crew Resource Management, a process to make sure decisions are taken by consensus, not by deferring to authority. The crew in question, by the way, was dutch. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tenerife_airport_disaster https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tenerife_airport_disaster
  - eshvk 13y ago
    > Hmmm - but: military pilots are also known (especially in some cultures) for an over-strong respect for hierarchy, resulting in a willingness to go along with dangerous instructions. Also, at least some military pilots are trained to have a higher risk acceptance than civilian pilots. Can you elaborate more on what how dangerous instructions would work in a civilian scenario? Where does a hierarchy come into the picture?
    - brazzy 13y ago
      Person A, in authority but missing a critical piece of information (e.g. senior pilot who mistakenly believes airspeed is high when the plane is nearly stalling) gives disastrous instruction (pull up) to person B (co-pilot) who has the crucial information, but obeys rather than contradicting A, due to hierarchy.
maxcan 13y ago
ATC operators must be the most underrated people in our transportation system.
- skeletonjelly 13y ago
  Underrated by who? Society? What's the most highly rated profession in transportation?
  - maxcan 13y ago
    Maybe unappreciated is a better choice of words. Overrated would be taxi drivers and municipal taxi regulators.

robbiemitchell 13y ago

Amazing. Wish I understood what's happening in each exchange.

tdenkinger 13y ago
Basically, the United flight holds short of runway 28 as he may need a little more time (this is the United flight CNN showed sitting there, probably). The ATC controller knows something has happened because the first time we hear from 214 heavy, the controller tells the pilot emergency vehicles are on the way. Then some captains on final announce they're going around and some ask for redirect (one clearly to San Jose). The controller then tells some flights on final to go around. Finally he's directing rescue units to cross all runways where normally they'd hold at each runway to be directed.
8ig8 13y ago
I found these comments helpful. They breakdown the exchange between the tower and the approaching planes. The first is from an air traffic controller. http://www.reddit.com/r/worldnews/comments/1hrewx/asiana_airlines_boeing_777_has_crashed_at_the_san/cax80de http://www.reddit.com/r/worldnews/comments/1hrewx/asiana_air... http://www.reddit.com/r/worldnews/comments/1hrewx/asiana_airlines_boeing_777_has_crashed_at_the_san/cax7r3t http://www.reddit.com/r/worldnews/comments/1hrewx/asiana_air...

rapsourly 13y ago

Is there a transcript available?

Stratoscope 13y ago
I transcribed part of it: 0:00-0:02 - Tower: "Asiana 214, San Francisco Tower, runway 28 left, cleared to land" 0:02-0:04 - Asiana 214 pilot: "Cleared to land left, Asiana 214" 0:05-0:08 - Tower: "Skywest 5427, fly runway heading and contact (north cal?) departure" (plane took off and is making a straight-out departure, and now will contact departure control) 0:09-0:12 - Skywest 5427 pilot: "OK, going to departure, Skywest 5427 (free?)" 0:12-0:14 United 885 pilot: "United 885" (pilot makes a quick break call to tower before making a longer request) 0:14-0:16 Tower: "United, uh, 85, OK?" (tells pilot to go ahead) 0:17-0:21 United 885 pilot: "Yes, United 885 at the end, we might need a few more minutes, just a heads-up" (It sounds like 885 is next for takeoff and has taxied into position next to the runway) 0:21-0:25 Tower: "United 885, roger, hold short of runway 28 left, let me know when you're ready" 0:25-0:27 United 885 pilot: "Hold at 28 left, United 885" 0:27-0:32 Skywest 5452 pilot: "San Francisco Tower, Skywest 5452, (quite ?), 28 right" 0:32-0:36 Tower: "Skywest 5452, San Francisco Tower, runway 28 right, cleared to land" 0:36-0:38 Skywest 5452 pilot: "Clear to land, 28 right, Skywest 5452" 0:38-0:41 Tower: "Three Sierra Fox... (garbled)" 0:39-0:41 Voice in background (in tower?) "What? Hell? What happened?" 0:43-0:50 Skyhawk 737ZD pilot: "San Francisco Tower, Skyhawk seven three seven zulu delta (garbled, another transmission saying 'GO AROUND') (something) plus 500 feet please, over San Carlos" (A four seat Cessna is over the San Carlos airport just southeast of SFO and wants to cross the SFO airspace. 737ZD [if I have it right] is the aircraft's tail number, no connection to the Boeing 737.) 0:50-0:52 Tower: "Skyhawk 6389, maintain 3000 [feet altitude]" (It sounds like 6389 is on approach to land and tower is telling him to go around? Not sure) 0:53-0:54 Skyhawk 6389 pilot: "(something) 3000, yes, 389" (speaking quickly to keep the channel clear) 0:55-0:57 Asiana 214 pilot (!!): "Tower, Asiana 214!" 0:57-1:00 Tower: "Asiana 214 heavy, emergency vehicles are responding" ("heavy" refers to any large aircraft) 1:00-1:01 Asiana 214 pilot: "214" (acknowledging) 1:02-1:03 Tower? "Emergency veh(something)" 1:03-1:09 Asiana 214 pilot: "OK, now, uh, uh, and ten or twelve (?) (unintelligible)" 1:10-1:16 Tower: "Cessna 737 Zulu Delta, San Francisco Tower, remain clear of the San Francisco (Fox Bravo?) airspace, contact San Carlos Tower" 1:17-1:21 Skyhawk 737ZD pilot: "Seven Zulu Delta, contacting San Carlos Tower, and remaining clear" There's another minute or so on the recording, but my nerves are shot after doing that much. If anyone would like to pick it up from there, correct it, etc., please do.