The National Transportation Safety Board is debating the extent to which Boeing’s automatic throttle contributed to the 777’s loss of speed before the jet slammed into a seawall in San Francisco last July 6, said three people with knowledge of the discussions.
WASHINGTON — U.S. investigators are debating whether to blame a Boeing jetliner’s design for helping cause a cascade of pilot mistakes in last year’s Asiana Airlines crash that killed three Chinese teenagers.
The sticking point within the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), in the days before its final decision is due, is over the extent to which Boeing’s automatic throttle contributed to the 777’s loss of speed before the jet slammed into a seawall in San Francisco on July 6, said three people with knowledge of the discussions. They asked not to be identified because they weren’t authorized to speak.
The safety board Tuesday will decide on the probable cause and other factors leading to Seoul-based Asiana’s crash, the first in the United States with passenger deaths in more than four years. While there’s little doubt the pilots made mistakes, a finding that equipment on the 777-200 jet confused them could open Boeing to greater liability in lawsuits and shade public opinion.