Boeing 777-200ER accident near San Francisco, California, July 6, 2013
On July 6, 2013 at about 6:28 pm local time, a 1994 Boeing 777-200ER, registered HL7742, was destroyed in an accident during approach near San Francisco, California (San Francisco International airport). It was flown under foreign airline rules (Part 129). 3 people were killed, 50 people were seriously injured and 137 people had minor injuries; 117 others were unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The flight crew's mismanagement of the airplane's descent during the visual approach, the pilot flying's unintended deactivation of automatic airspeed control, the flight crew's inadequate monitoring of airspeed, and the flight crew's delayed execution of a go-around after they became aware that the airplane was below acceptable glidepath and airspeed tolerances. Contributing to the accident were (1) the complexities of the autothrottle and autopilot flight director systems that were inadequately described in Boeing's documentation and Asiana's pilot training, which increased the likelihood of mode error; (2) the flight crew's nonstandard communication and coordination regarding the use of the autothrottle and autopilot flight director systems; (3) the pilot flying's inadequate training on the planning and executing of visual approaches; (4) the pilot monitoring/instructor pilot's inadequate supervision of the pilot flying; and (5) flight crew fatigue, which likely degraded their performance.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 6, 2013 · about 6:28 pm local time
- Place
- San Francisco, California · San Francisco International · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 3 people were killed, 50 people were seriously injured and 137 people had minor injuries; 117 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Boeing 777-200ER, built 1994 · all 777-200ERs on the register
- Registration
- HL7742 · no longer on the register · serial 29171
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Flight · foreign airline rules (Part 129)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The Safety Board's full report is available at http://www.ntsb.gov/investigations/AccidentReports/Pages/aviation.aspx. The Aircraft Accident Report number is NTSB/AAR-14/01. On July 6, 2013, about 1128 Pacific daylight time, a Boeing 777-200ER, Korean registration HL7742, operating as Asiana Airlines flight 214, was on approach to runway 28L when it struck a seawall at San Francisco International Airport (SFO), San Francisco, California. Three of the 291 passengers were fatally injured; 40 passengers, 8 of the 12 flight attendants, and 1 of the 4 flight crewmembers received serious injuries. The other 248 passengers, 4 flight attendants, and 3 flight crewmembers received minor injuries or were not injured. The airplane was destroyed by impact forces and a postcrash fire. Flight 214 was a regularly scheduled international passenger flight from Incheon International Airport (ICN), Seoul, Korea, operating under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 129. Visual meteorological conditions (VMC) prevailed, and an instrument flight rules (IFR) flight plan was filed.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Controlled flight into terrain or object (CFIT) during approach defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Incorrect action performance › Flight crew
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Delayed action › Flight crew
- cause Personnel issues › Psychological › Attention/monitoring › Monitoring equip/instruments › Flight crew
- factor Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Auto flight system › Auto throttle system › Related operating info
- factor Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Understanding/comprehension › Flight crew
- factor Personnel issues › Experience/knowledge › Training › Training with equipment › Pilot
- factor Personnel issues › Physical › Alertness/Fatigue › Circadian rhythms or jetlag › Flight crew
- Not determined › Not determined › (general) › (general) › Unknown/Not determined
- Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Equipment/furnishings › Escape slide › Capability exceeded
- Organizational issues › Management › Policy/procedure › Adequacy of policy/proc › Emergency services
- Organizational issues › Management › Policy/procedure › Availability of policy/proc › Emergency services
- Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Equipment/furnishings › Passenger compartment equip › Not used/operated
- Organizational issues › Management › Resources › Availability of personnel › Emergency services
- Organizational issues › Support/oversight/monitoring › Training › (general) › Emergency services
- Environmental issues › Operating environment › Communication system › (general) › Not specified
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 9,684 hours in all; 33 in this make and model; 57 in the last 90 days; 57 in the last 30 days; 3,729 as pilot in command; 378 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Flight instructor
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 12,307 hours in all; 3,208 in this make and model; 211 in the last 90 days; 71 in the last 30 days; 7,510 as pilot in command; 304 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 37,111 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, July 1, 2013
- Maximum gross weight: 632,500 lb
- Seats: 312
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Pratt And Whitney PW4090 (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Pratt And Whitney PW4090 (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
- Operator: Asiana Airlines
The flight
- Departed from: ICN Seoul CA at 10:00 am
- Destination: SFO San Francisco CA
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 28L, 11,381 ft by 200 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 210° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 1,600 ft
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 50°F (10°C)
- Altimeter: 29.81 inHg
- Observation at 6:56 pm from SFO
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cabi | 8 | 2 | 2 | |
| Flight crew | 2 | 1 | 1 | |
| Passengers | 3 | 40 | 134 | 114 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.