Korean Pilots Association and Asiana Pilots Union Issue Statement

The Asiana Pilots Union (APU) and Air Line Pilots Association of Korea (ALPA-K) have issued a statement on the events and investigation surrounding the crash of Asiana Flight 214 -- and they don't sound happy -- no doubt prompted by rumors of the possibility of criminal actions against the flight crew from South Korea.

“Accidents that occur in aviation are not due only to a single cause, but from many causes. The list of causes often includes defects in aircraft, airline policies, pilot duty hours, working environment, issues which hinder the safety in the aerodrome area, weather conditions, ATC situations, and pilot error.”

“The purpose of an accident investigation is not to benefit national interest of one country or enhance the corporate image of an airline, but to prevent the same or similar accidents from occurring in the future. In order to achieve this, the investigation must rule out any elements, including any prejudices or intended plans, which could affect the result of an investigation.

“Through the International Federation of Air Line Pilots Association (IFALPA) and the Air Line Pilots Assn., Int'l (ALPA), APU and ALPA-K have conveyed our concerns about the possibility of inaccurately identifying the cause of the accident, due to NTSB's press conferences which only give prominence to the possibility of a pilot error and unprecedented speed in disclosure of related materials to the public.

“From the moment we were first informed of the accident, the Asiana Pilots Union, in coordination with ALPA-K, dispatched a member pilot who has aircraft accident investigation committee qualification and experience to the accident site. We will continue to keep in close contact with IFALPA and ALPA and we thank them for their continued assistance in receiving the latest developments on the investigation."

FMI: www.ifalpa.org/about-us/member-associations.html