Asiana Crash Probe: Is Autopilot Making Flying Less Safe?

As the Asiana Airlines jet neared Los Angeles International Airport, Captain Vic Hooper told his Korean co-pilot to make a visual approach—that is, fly the plane manually instead of letting automation do the work. The co-pilot froze, leaving the plane too high and off course, says Hooper about the incident, which occurred several years ago. Hooper, a former Delta Air Lines captain who flew for the Korean carrier from 2006 to 2011, says he had to take over the controls to get the Boeing 777 back on track. “I don’t need to know this. We just don’t do this,” Hooper says the Korean co-pilot told him later, explaining why he balked at a maneuver that’s second nature to most U.S. airline pilots.

As U.S. investigators look into what caused the crash of Asiana Flight 214 in San Francisco on July 6, they are examining the manual flying skills and cockpit teamwork among the pilots of the 777. Three teenage girls from China died in the accident; two other passengers remain in critical condition.