Asiana Isn't Ready To Forgive KTVU for Racist Pilot Name 'Joke'
Pretty much everyone involved in Friday's jaw-droppingly racist moment in local TV news fails history has apologized for the incident at this point. But Asiana Airlines isn't willing to forgive and forget after KTVU falsely "identified" the pilots of the flight 214 crash as, for example, "Sum Ting Wong." According to the AP, the airline is considering legal action.
RELATED: A Flash of Light Didn't Blind the Asiana 214 Pilot
Asiana is already awaiting the results of an investigation into why one of their commercial flights missed a landing, killing three and injuring over a hundred. And they've already become the subject of ethnic-based speculation simply because the airline is Korean. So it's not surprising that the KTVU screw-up was something of a last straw: the AP reports that the airline believes the prank has "badly damaged" its reputation. They're pursuing unspecified legal action in its wake, which presumably means that they're mulling over the possibility of a lawsuit. According to CNN, that legal action would be against both KTVU and the National Transportation Safety Board.
RELATED: Investigators Dismiss Rumor That Asiana Flight 214 Descended Too Steeply
No one has owned up to being the source of the names, yet. But we do know that the National Transportation Safety Board, otherwise widely-praised for their transparency and handling of information in the wake of the deadly crash last weekend, had to apologize, too. It turned out that one of their interns confirmed the racist names to the news station before air, though the names probably originated with the station.
RELATED: Pilots' Group Wants Less Transparency on the Boeing 777 Crash
Last Saturday, a Boeing 777 crashed at San Francisco's airport when its landing gear and tail hit the sea wall before the runway. The NTSB is investigating the cause of the crash, though they have tentatively ruled out several mechanical and environmental factors. The initial death toll from the disaster was 2, both teenaged girls from China. On Friday, a third victim died in the hospital. That victim has only been identified as a female, and a minor.
