Both the PAPI for 28L and 28R were up to the moment of the crash.
1.
NOTAM SFO 07/046
!SFO 07/046 SFO RWY 28L PAPI OTS WEF 1307062219
CREATED: 06 Jul 2013 22:19:00
SOURCE: KOAKYFYX
2. They were already displaced 300ft down the runway and thus matching the new 300ft displaced threshold.
3. Following the crash, 3 out of 4 lights of the 28L papi system were smashed as a result of the aircraft sliding over them.
4. The 28R PAPI system is still functioning.
Two pictures to show you the knocked over PAPI lights on 28L. (Look closely)
1.
Look at the left. You can see 4 concrete bases. The one all the way to the left still has a standing PAPI light, the three on the right dont.
2.
Look at the top of the picture. You will see the same as above.
So
functioning PAPI lights, no ILS GS for either 28L/28R as per NOTAM.
Crew knew this from the very moment they left in Seoul, and had plenty of time to brief the approach.
Regardless of how they were vectored for the visual, they could always have gone around and requested a extended downwind leg on the next try. (big loss of face for a Korean crew no doubt).
These guys managed to pull off a KAL801 in Guam, during a perfect CAVOK day at SFO in a B772.
Funny how quickly people forget what was going on with the hometown rivals of Asiana....Have some things improved since then? no doubt. Is the same culture still prevalent from the top of management to the very bottom? Absolutely.
Best thing to come out of this, is that these two will never be left at the controls of a commercial aircraft again.