'Sum Ting Wong': Intern blamed for leaking fake names of pilots aboard plane that crashed in San Francisco (2024)

During a live newscast Friday, KTVU Channel 2 reported the names of the flight crew as: 'Sum Ting Wong,' 'Wi Tu Lo,' 'Ho Lee Fuk,' and 'Bang Ding Ow'

Author of the article:

Alexandra Bosanac

Published Jul 12, 2013 • 1 minute read

A summer intern acting “outside the scope of his authority” is responsible for erroneously confirming the names of the pilots aboard the Asiana Airlines flight that crashed Saturday to an Oakland news station, the National Transportation Safety Board said.

During a live newscast Friday, KTVU Channel 2 reported the names of the flight crew as: “Sum Ting Wong,” “Wi Tu Lo,” “Ho Lee Fuk,” and “Bang Ding Ow.”

Article content

Asiana Flight 214 collided with a rocky seawall at San Francisco Airport, just short of its intended runway last Saturday. Three people were killed and dozens of others injured. Investigators have said the plane came in too low and slow.

A representative for the transportation agency would not say whether the intern was fired for blunder. “We’ve taken the appropriate action,” Kelly Nantel told the National Post.

The agency’s policy is to never release or confirm the names of crew members or people involved in transportation accidents to media, Ms. Nantel said.

The station reacted by quickly issuing an apology later on during the newscast as well as on its website and social media accounts, but that didn’t prevent major media outlets including The Los Angeles Times, The New York Times and CNN from scooping up the story.

“We made several mistakes when we received this information. First, we never read the names out loud, phonetically sounding them out,” read the statement.

Advertisement 2

Story continues below

This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.

THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS

Enjoy the latest local, national and international news.

Exclusive articles by Conrad Black, Barbara Kay and others. Plus, special edition NP Platformed and First Reading newsletters and virtual events.
Unlimited online access to National Post and 15 news sites with one account.
National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.
Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword.
Support local journalism.

SUBSCRIBE FOR MORE ARTICLES

Enjoy the latest local, national and international news.

Exclusive articles by Conrad Black, Barbara Kay and others. Plus, special edition NP Platformed and First Reading newsletters and virtual events.
Unlimited online access to National Post and 15 news sites with one account.
National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.
Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword.
Support local journalism.

Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.

Access articles from across Canada with one account.
Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments.
Enjoy additional articles per month.
Get email updates from your favourite authors.

THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK.

Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.

Access articles from across Canada with one account
Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments
Enjoy additional articles per month
Get email updates from your favourite authors

Don't have an account? Create Account

View more offers

'Sum Ting Wong': Intern blamed for leaking fake names of pilots aboard plane that crashed in San Francisco (2024)

References