While stopping short of pinpointing pilot error as the likely cause of the fiery crash Saturday, National Transportation Safety Board Chairman Deborah Hersman's comments indicated investigators were focused primarily on why the cockpit crew allowed speed to decay to such an extent—and failed to take decisive action until the Boeing BA +1.26% 777 was less than two seconds from impact.
The overnight flight from Seoul, with 307 people on board, including 16 crew members, hit a rocky sea wall, which sheared off its tail and landing gear, then slammed onto the runway, skidded, spun off the tarmac and erupted into flames.
Some passengers and witnesses said it looked as if the aircraft was too close to San Francisco Bay as it approached the runway.
"There was no feeling of anything wrong. No announcement. Then suddenly the plane went bam, bam, bam, bam," said Fawen Yan, a 48-year-old resident of the San Francisco Bay area who was sitting in economy class.
