The United States has fined South Korea-based Asiana Airlines $500,000 for violating federal law in failing to support passengers and their families after the crash of Flight 214 in San Francisco last July.
U.S. Department of Transportation said it was the first time a fine has been issued under the statute which requires foreign airlines to adhere to a “family assistance plan.” That plan includes publicizing and staffing a toll-free number to take calls from families of passengers and to notify as soon of the identity of passengers once verified.
“The last thing families and passengers should have to worry about at such a stressful time is how to get information from their carrier,” Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx said in a statement.
The Asiana flight hit a seawall in front of the runway during its final approach at San Francisco International Airport then slammed into the ground before cartwheeling and coming to a smoky stop.
The impact tore open the rear of the plane, tossing out three flight attendants and their seats and scattered pieces of the Boeing 777 across the runway.
The July 6, 2013 crash killed three Chinese teens and injured more than 200 others out of 307 people aboard.
One of those Chinese teens, Ye Meng Yuan, 16, survived the crash but was killed by an emergency vehicle during the rescue, an autopsy revealed. Her parents have filed a claim against the city of San Francisco.
According to the U.S. DOT, Asiana failed to widely publicize any telephone number for family members to learn about the crash, with only the airline’s toll-free reservations line generally available.
And finding even that number on Asiana’s website “required significant effort,” the DOT said.
Callers then had to navigate through “cumbersome automated menus” before speaking to an airline employee.
Asiana Airlines has not commented on the fine, and a representative of the company was not immediately available to NBC News.
An Asiana Airlines Boeing 777 plane is seen after it crashed while landing at San Francisco International Airport in California.
First published February 25 2014, 12:32 PM
Jeff Black
Jeff Black is a senior editor and staff writer at NBC News who covers national and international news with an emphasis on breaking stories. He also serves as a news editor and producer of NBCNews.com's cover.
Black joined NBC News in 2004 from Microsoft where he was the channel manager for MSN Health. Previously, he was managing editor at WebMd’s consumer health portal as well as senior producer for science and technology at ABCNews.com and a senior news editor at ESPN.com. He also worked as an editor and writer for various daily newspapers, including The Seattle Times.
Black has received awards for writing and web producing from the Society of Professional Journalists, Microsoft and Gannett.
Black reports from Seattle, Wash.
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