Asiana A350’s Approach to San Francisco Triggers Altitude Warning

dailyblitz.de 3 часы назад

SAN FRANCISCO – An Asiana Airlines (OZ) Airbus A350-900, operating flight OZ212 from Seoul Incheon (ICN) to San Francisco International Airport (SFO), was warned by air traffic control (ATC) for descending below the proper glide path during its approach to runway 28L on February 23, 2025.

Flight OZ212 aborted the landing and performed a go-around before safely touching down on its second attempt. The incident, captured by LiveATC, reveals that the tower controller urgently instructed the flight crew to check their altitude, providing an altimeter setting of 3026.

Moreover, the controller further inquired whether the pilots were correcting their altitude before the crew ultimately decided to initiate a go-around, as reported by FlightGlobal.

Aircraft’s Low Altitude Sparks ATC Intervention

Flight tracking data indicates that the A350 was in the vicinity of Coyote Point, approximately 2.7 nautical miles from the runway, when the altitude warning was issued. While the exact altitude at which the warning was given remains unclear, the crew decided to climb to 4,000 feet before the controller instructed them to maintain 3,000 feet.

Despite the deviation from the approach path, the flight landed safely on runway 28L approximately 15 minutes after the go-around.

According to meteorological data from San Francisco International Airport, there were no adverse weather conditions or visibility issues at the time of the incident. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and South Korea’s transport safety authorities may investigate whether the crew was aware of their altitude deviation before ATC intervened.

Incident Draws Parallels to the 2013 Asiana 777 Crash

The event brings back memories of Asiana Airlines Flight OZ214, a Boeing 777-200ER crash in 2013, which also occurred on approach to San Francisco’s runway 28L. In that incident, the aircraft descended below the glide path and struck the sea wall due to pilot mismanagement of the descent and a misunderstanding of autothrottle functions.

Moreover, the crash resulted in three fatalities and numerous injuries among the 307 passengers and crew. Following the 2013 accident, Asiana Airlines retired the flight number OZ214, replacing it with OZ212, which is the same flight involved in the recent A350 low-altitude warning.

This incident occurred at a time when Asiana Airlines is under increased scrutiny following its recent acquisition by Korean Air. Additionally, South Korean aviation safety has been under government review following two fatal accidents in recent months: