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San Francisco Crash Victims Identified As Chinese Girls

By Dana Farrington,
Mark Memmott
Published July 6, 2013 at 2:14 PM CDT
Asiana Airlines Flight 214 from Seoul, South Korea, crashed at San Francisco International Airport on Saturday. Two of the 307 people on board were confirmed dead.
1 of 16  — Asiana Airlines Flight 214 from Seoul, South Korea, crashed at San Francisco International Airport on Saturday. Two of the 307 people on board were confirmed dead.
The remains of the plane lie burned on the runway after the crash.
2 of 16  — The remains of the plane lie burned on the runway after the crash.
Smoke rises from the crippled Boeing 777 in this photo provided by Scott Sobczak.
3 of 16  — Smoke rises from the crippled Boeing 777 in this photo provided by Scott Sobczak.
A photo of the aircraft provided by Zach Custer. One witness inside the terminal said travelers couldn't hear the crash, but as soon as they saw the plane "there was just a lot of uncertainty and commotion."
4 of 16  — A photo of the aircraft provided by Zach Custer. One witness inside the terminal said travelers couldn't hear the crash, but as soon as they saw the plane "there was just a lot of uncertainty and commotion."
Passenger accounts and eyewitness reports in the first hour afterward indicated that many of those on board were able to escape. Two were confirmed dead, and dozens were injured and taken to local hospitals.
5 of 16  — Passenger accounts and eyewitness reports in the first hour afterward indicated that many of those on board were able to escape. Two were confirmed dead, and dozens were injured and taken to local hospitals.
The investigation of the crash was turned over to the FBI, which said there was no indication of terrorism involved.
6 of 16  — The investigation of the crash was turned over to the FBI, which said there was no indication of terrorism involved.
Witnesses and passengers say the tail of the plane hit the tarmac first.
7 of 16  — Witnesses and passengers say the tail of the plane hit the tarmac first.
The cause of the crash was unknown.
8 of 16  — The cause of the crash was unknown.
The National Transportation Safety Board said investigators were being deployed to the scene.
9 of 16  — The National Transportation Safety Board said investigators were being deployed to the scene.
Investigators pass the detached tail and landing gear.
10 of 16  — Investigators pass the detached tail and landing gear.
San Francisco International Airport public information officer Doug Yakel updates the media on the status of the investigation and those who were onboard.
11 of 16  — San Francisco International Airport public information officer Doug Yakel updates the media on the status of the investigation and those who were onboard.
From left, Alphonse Roig, his wife Christine Roig, and daughters Nanine and Lana, wait for the British Airways counter to reopen. The family was trying to make it home to France.
12 of 16  — From left, Alphonse Roig, his wife Christine Roig, and daughters Nanine and Lana, wait for the British Airways counter to reopen. The family was trying to make it home to France.
Traffic backs up on Route 101 after the crash.
13 of 16  — Traffic backs up on Route 101 after the crash.
Friends and relatives await updates outside the Reflection Room at the airport.
14 of 16  — Friends and relatives await updates outside the Reflection Room at the airport.
People watch a news program reporting on the accident at Seoul Railway Station in South Korea. The writing on the screen reads, "Fire on the ceiling of the airplane."
15 of 16  — People watch a news program reporting on the accident at Seoul Railway Station in South Korea. The writing on the screen reads, "Fire on the ceiling of the airplane."
A United Airlines plane taxis on the runway with the Asiana Airlines plane in the background. After initially halting all flights, the airport slowly cleared the way for some flights.
16 of 16  — A United Airlines plane taxis on the runway with the Asiana Airlines plane in the background. After initially halting all flights, the airport slowly cleared the way for some flights.

Two people died Saturday in the crash-landing at San Francisco International Airport of Asiana Airlines Flight 214 from Seoul, South Korea, San Francisco's fire chief says.

Fire Chief Joanne Hayes-White says everyone who had been on board the flight is accounted for.

National Transportation Safety Board chairwoman Debbie Hersman said investigators were being deployed to the scene.

"Obviously, we have a lot of work to do," she said, noting that it was too early to tell what had caused the crash.

Passenger accounts and eyewitness reports in the first hour after the crash indicated that many of those on board were able to escape before the crippled Boeing 777 caught fire. Videos and photos showed the escape ramps deployed and passengers walking away.

Stephanie Turner, a visitor to California, was walking back to her hotel in view of the airport when the crash occurred. She had taken out her camera to snap a shot of a jet waiting on the runway, but then saw the Asiana plane coming in for a landing.

"And then I noticed that the tail was very, very low. The angle was bad. And so as it came in, the tail of the plane struck first," she tells NPR. Turner says the tail of the plane broke off and the aircraft twisted down the runway, smoke rising. When the white escape slides appeared against the black smoke, she took it as a positive sign.

"We're just thrilled and stunned that so many survived the crash. We didn't think it was possible," she says.

The crash happened around 11:30 a.m. local time (2:30 p.m. ET) Saturday. We're following the news as it comes in and have been posting updates.

Update at 7:40 a.m. ET 7/7. Crash Victims Identified:

Chinese state media has identified the two crash victims as Ye Mengyuan and Wang Linjia, both 16-year-old middle school students from China's Zhejiang province.

At least 70 Chinese students and teachers were on the flight en route to summer camps, the Associated Press is reporting.

Update at 10:56 p.m. ET. All Accounted For:

Fire Chief Joanne Hayes-White said in another news conference that everyone has been accounted for, and the death toll from the accident remains at two.

San Francisco Mayor Edwin Lee noted the "tremendous city response" to the crash, including translators dispatched from various organizations to assist the passengers and grief counselors from the health department who made themselves available on the site.

Update at 8:57 p.m. ET. Breaking Down The Numbers:

Officials are giving new numbers, indicating that there is now only one person whose status is unknown. Here's the latest breakdown:

  • 307 on board

  • 2 fatalities

  • 181 transported to hospitals (49 immediately for serious injuries, 132 sent later)

  • 123 who did not need to be transported and remained in the terminals

    • Update at 7:30 p.m. ET. Fire Chief Gives New "Fluid" Numbers:

    The fire chief said there were 307 people on the plane, and that about 60 are still unaccounted for. She also said there are two confirmed fatalities, but that all numbers remain "fluid."

    At the same news conference, David J. Johnson, FBI special agent in charge of the San Francisco Division, said there was "no indication of terrorism involved." He said the FBI would continue working with the NTSB on the investigation.

    Update at 7:15 p.m. ET. Eyewitness Account:

    Krista Seiden, 26, saw the Asiana plane on the runway as she was boarding her own flight to Phoenix. The daughter of a pilot and a flight attendant, Seiden told NPR she knew it was a crash immediately: "There's really no mistaking a big commercial airliner sitting on the runway and billowing clouds of smoke."

    She said she saw the plane skidding along the runway, fuming with black smoke. Though they couldn't hear the crash from inside the terminal, as soon as passengers saw wreckage "there was just a lot of uncertainty and commotion."

    Update at 6:13 p.m. ET. Reports From San Francisco Hospitals:

    Mills-Peninsula Hospital reports having five people who were injured in the crash, but spokeswoman Margie O'Clair said "more are expected" and had no information on the patients' condition.

    A photo that passenger David Eun tweeted shortly after, he wrote, he and others on board escaped from Asiana Flight 214.
    / Twitter.com/eunner
    /
    Twitter.com/eunner
    A photo that passenger David Eun tweeted shortly after, he wrote, he and others on board escaped from Asiana Flight 214.

    San Francisco General Hospital says it has 10 patients from the accident, eight adults and two children. "All patients are in critical condition," according to a statement from the hospital's communications officer, Rachael Kagan.

    As we noted in an earlier update, the airline said 291 passengers were on board.

    Update at 4:25 p.m. ET. About The 777:

    Boeing has a considerable amount of information about the jet posted here. It comes in different configurations. The largest version can carry 365 passengers.

    Update at 4 p.m. ET. On The Passenger Who Tweeted "Everyone Seems Fine":

    All Things D profiled Samsung executive David Eun in December 2011. He's the person who tweeted "I just crash landed at SFO. Tail ripped off. Most everyone seems fine. I'm ok. Surreal..." and posted a photo of the crippled jet that is now going viral.

    Update at 3:52 p.m. ET. Nearly 300 On Board, KCBS Reports:

    "The airline said 291 people were on board, but there was no official word on any casualties," reports San Francisco's KCBS-TV.

    Update at 3:45 p.m. ET. Fire Quickly Extinguished:

    "It's not immediately known how many casualties are involved, though televised pictures and images posted online show many survivors exiting the plane or standing outside the damaged aircraft afterward," write our colleagues on KQED's News Fix blog. "Thick smoke rose from the site of the crash on an airport runway, but the fire was quickly extinguished."

    Update at 3:35 p.m. ET. "Everyone Seems Fine":

    A man who says he was on board, Samsung executive David Eun, has tweeted that, "I just crash landed at SFO. Tail ripped off. Most everyone seems fine. I'm ok. Surreal..." He has also posted a photo of what looks to be the same plane that's being seen on the cable news networks' broadcasts. The photo, taken on the ground, shows a crippled Asiana Airlines jet, smoke rising, and passengers walking away.

    Eun has also tweeted this: "Lots of activity here. Friends, pls don't call right now. I'm fine. Most people are totally calm and trying to..."

    Update at 3:32 p.m. ET. Asiana Flight 214:

    It was Asiana Airlines flight 214, which was due to land at 11:28 a.m. local time (2:28 p.m. ET).

    Update at 3:27 p.m. ET. More From FAA:

    "A Boeing 777 operated by Asiana Airlines crashed while landing at San Francisco International Airport. That's all I have for now." FAA public affairs manager Lynn Lunsford emails to NPR's Daniel Bobkoff.

    Update at 3:22 p.m. ET. FAA Confirms, AP Reports.

    The Associated Press just moved this alert: "FAA: Asiana Airlines flight crashes while landing at San Francisco airport; injuries unknown."

    Copyright 2020 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

    Dana Farrington
    Dana Farrington is a digital editor coordinating online coverage on the Washington Desk — from daily stories to visual feature projects to the weekly newsletter. She has been with the NPR Politics team since President Trump's inauguration. Before that, she was among NPR's first engagement editors, managing the homepage for and the main social accounts. Dana has also worked as a weekend web producer and editor, and has written on a wide range of topics for NPR, including tech and women's health.
    See stories by Dana Farrington
    Mark Memmott
    Mark Memmott is NPR's supervising senior editor for Standards & Practices. In that role, he's a resource for NPR's journalists – helping them raise the right questions as they do their work and uphold the organization's standards.