A TV station based out of Oakland, Calif. is facing a lawsuit from Asiana Airlines after the station broadcast a segment following the recent plane crash of a news anchor reading fake and racially stereotyped names, alleged to be the names of the pilots on the fateful flight.
According to a report from The Inquisitr, the crash occurred at San Francisco International Airport. After being given the go-ahead to report on the incident by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), TV station KTVU broadcast the bogus names. In its segment, KTVU reported that the pilots involved in the crash were named "Sum Ting Wont" and "Ho Lee Fuk" amongst others.
KTVU apologized directly after the on-air error, through its website and social media accounts. The NTSB also issued an apology for giving out false information.
Asiana Airlines had planned to sue both the NTSB and KTVU, but decided to drop its NTSB suit. However, the airline proceed with its lawsuit against the TV station, the company said.
"This legal action is being taken because of the KTVU report that not only disparaged Asians in general, but also severely damaged the reputation of Asiana Airlines," the company said in a statement.
KTVU said it wouldn't have gone through with the broadcast without permission from the NTSB, while the NTSB insists it confirmed the false names, blaming the mistake on an unpaid summer intern, according to a report from the Washington Times.
"A summer intern acted outside the scope of his authority when he erroneously confirmed the names of the flight crew on the aircraft," the agency said in a statement. "We work hard to ensure that only appropriate, factual information regarding an investigation is released and deeply regret today's incident."
CNN reports that the NTSB did not identify the intern by name, but said "appropriate actions will be taken to ensure that such a serious error is not repeated."
The Asiana Airlines crash last week resulted in three deaths and over 100 injuries. An exact cause for the crash has not yet been determined, but an investigation is underway.