Accessibility links

Breaking News

US Fines Asiana Airlines Over Crash Response


U.S. regulators are fining South Korea's Asiana Airlines $500,000 for failing to adequately help the families of passengers involved in a fatal crash in San Francisco last year.

Three passengers died and more than 180 were injured when the jet hit a seawall while landing at the airport on July 6.

The U.S. Department of Transportation says the airline took two days to successfully contact the families of most of the 291 passengers. It says some families were not contacted until five days after the crash.

Most of the passengers were Korean or Chinese. U.S. officials say Asiana lacked interpreters and also failed to publicize a toll-free telephone number for families to get information until the day after the crash.

Asiana responded to Tuesday's action with a statesment saying it "provided extensive support to the passengers and their families following the accident and will continue to do so."

U.S. law requires airlines to help passengers and their families after a crash. Asiana is the first airline to be fined under the law.
XS
SM
MD
LG