An Asiana Airlines aircraft recently experienced an altitude issue during its landing approach at San Francisco International Airport. The plane, arriving from Seoul, descended more than expected when it was still three miles away from the runway.
On February 23, an Asiana Airlines Airbus A350-900 performing flight OZ-212 was on its final approach to San Francisco International Airport (SFO) when air traffic control noticed an anomaly in its altitude.
According to a report by The Aviation Herald, the San Francisco Airport tower contacted the A350’s cockpit crew and issued a low altitude alert, asking them to check their altitude. The Asiana cockpit crew then initiated a go-around and landed safely on their second approach after 16 minutes.
The Aviation Herald reported: “According to ADS-B data the aircraft was descending through about 650 feet AGL (325 feet according to transponder measuring to standard pressure corrected for actual ambient pressure) when the aircraft should have been at 1000 feet 3.05nm before the runway threshold. ”
Seoul-San Francisco is a busy route with several airlines offering services. According to data by Cirium, an aviation analytics company, there are more than 135 flights from Seoul to San Francisco in February. United Airlines, Korean Air, and Air Premia also operate this route.
Pilots are trained for missed approaches with standard procedures in place to execute these maneuvers safely. A missed approach does not necessarily reflect pilot error and is considered part of standard procedure to ensure safety.
Once it is decided that an approach is no longer safe, the aircraft must climb back to a designated altitude. The pilot increases engine power retracts the landing gear and establishes a safe climb. After going around following specific instructions from air traffic control may involve joining a holding pattern or being vectored for another approach.
Similar incidents have occurred in the past involving other airlines. In June 2024 a Southwest Airlines aircraft came close to ground level while miles away from Oklahoma City’s Will Rogers World Airport triggering a low-altitude warning prompting ATC intervention. The Boeing 737-800 descended to around500feet while still nine miles out but returned for successful landing after going- around.
Photo: Robin Guess | Shutterstock
A month later another Southwest Airlines Boeing737 faced similar challenges during its approach Tampa International Airport(TPA).The aircraft came perilously close Tampa Bay waters reportedly reaching height150feet amid inclement weather conditions.An air traffic controller advised pilots check altimeter settings ensuring correct readings.The pilots executed go-around eventually diverting Fort Lauderdale.Southwest had multiple safety-related incidents last year resulting increased oversight Federal Aviation Administration(FAA).The review concluded December without identifying significant safety issues.
