A Boeing 777 jetliner crashed at San Francisco International Airport on Saturday after a flight across the Pacific Ocean from South Korea. There was no immediate information about casualties.
The plane, Asiana Airlines Flight 214 from Seoul, came to rest beside the airport's Runway 28 — missing its tail, spewing black smoke and with most of the top of the fuselage ripped off.
Video footage showed passengers sliding down the emergency chutes. The airport suspended all flights.
Stefanie Turner, a witness, told MSNBC that she saw the plane come in with the tail in an unusually low position, then saw it cartwheel down the runway.
"The tail was too low. Instead of coming in flat it was coming in at a 45-degree angle, with the tail far too low," she said. "It really went through quite a few acrobatics on the runway."
David Eun, who was on the flight, posted to his Twitter account: "I just crash landed at SFO. Tail ripped off. Most everyone seems fine. I'm ok."
A source close to the early investigation told NBC News that the pilot did not make a distress call before landing.
Aerial footage also showed emergency teams and lines of vehicles surrounding a damaged wing and the shredded tail section. Fire crews stationed on the tarmac sprayed white foam retardant.
It appeared to be the first crash of a jumbo jet in the United States since November 2001, when American Airlines Flight 587 crashed in a New York neighborhood.
Federal sources told NBC News that there was no indication of terrorism. The National Transportation Safety Board said it was sending a full team to San Francisco. Boeing said it was gathering information.
"Our thoughts are with everyone affected by today's incident at SFO," Boeing said on its Twitter account. "We stand ready to assist the NTSB."
Crews douse flames on crashed Boeing 777 plane
Crews douse flames on crashed Boeing 777 plane
추락 한 보잉 777 비행기 승무원 끄기를 화염
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