South Korea’s Asiana Airlines declared that it would not proceed with any legal action against the NTSB (National Transportation Safety Board). But a lawsuit will still be filed by Asiana Airlines against KTVU-TV, a television station based in Oakland, California.
An airline spokesperson said that the reputation of Asiana Airlines was damaged by the airing of the Bay Area television station of fake and inappropriate names with racist undertones. The bogus names released in a news report referred to the four pilots in charge of the stricken passenger Flight 214.
The airline earlier stated that the NTSB’s confirmation of the bogus names of the four pilots of Flight 214 was very demeaning. An NTSB summer intern confirmed the fake names – an act that the airline deemed was inaccurate and racially offensive. But Asiana decided not to continue legal action against the NTSB.
Crash landing
On July 6, 2013 Asiana Airlines Flight 214 crash-landed at the San Francisco International Airport causing three fatalities and injuries to 180 people. Flight 214 was carrying 291 passengers and 16 crew members. The Asiana Airlines Boeing 777 clipped a seawall on final approach and crash landed on the runway. There were four pilots in the cockpit. The four airline pilots who survived the incident were already questioned by a team comprising American and South Korean investigators. The pilots have since returned to South Korea.
Lawsuit against KTVU-TV
Asiana spokesperson Na Chul-hee confirmed that the airline has hired a law firm to file a claim since the network’s reporting has severely damaged the company’s image. The lawsuit will be filed in a United States court.
A KTVU-TV anchor read the bogus names in a recent news broadcast. The fake names were used instead of the pilots’ real names in order to protect their identities. The report also featured a graphic presentation listing the phony names. After a break, the anchor apologized while on the air. An apology was also posted on the network’s website, but the damage has been done.
Two of the fake names that were broadcast were “Sum Ting Wong,” “Wi Tu Lo,” which sounded very close to “something wrong,” and “way too low.” The airlines said that the names sound derogatory and defamed not just the pilots but Asiana Airlines as well. It has not been revealed where the bogus names came from.
According to the NTSB, the agency does not release the real identities of flight crew involved in accidents. The Board has since apologized to the airline and the intern is no longer affiliated with the NTSB.
Sincere apology
KTVU/KICU vice president and general manager, Tom Raponi said that the network regrets the error. He reiterated that the network prioritizes “accuracy and integrity.” He added that they are in the process of reviewing their procedures so that mistakes such as this do not happen again.
The executive director of First Amendment Coalition based in Bay Area, Peter Scheer said that in the manner of damaged reputations, it is the reputation of the network and its anchors that have been damaged more than Asiana’s.
Photo Credit: The salvaged wrecked fuselage of Asiana Boeing 777
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