Pilots union says probe of Asiana crash revealed too much, too fast

By Alwyn Scott

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The world's largest pilot union rebuked the federal agency handling the investigation of Saturday's passenger jet crash in San Francisco, saying it had released too much information too quickly, which could lead to wrong conclusions and compromise safety.

Releasing data from the flight's black boxes without full investigative information for context "encourages wild speculation" about the cause of the crash, the Air Line Pilots Association International said in a statement late on Monday.

The criticism came after the National Transportation Safety Board gave a detailed account of the flight's final minutes in a regular daily update on the crash.

The NTSB is the lead investigator of Asiana Airlines flight 214, a Boeing 777 that broke apart and burned after crash-landing short of the runway. Two teenage Chinese passengers were killed, and more than 180 other people were injured in the first fatal accident involving a 777 since the plane was introduced in 1995.

Answering ALPA's criticism, NTSB spokeswoman Kelly Nantel said the agency routinely provided factual updates during investigations.

"For the public to have confidence in the investigative process, transparency and accuracy are critical," Nantel said.

Continue reading: http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/07/09/us-usa-crash-asiana-pilots-idUSBRE9680YK20130709