The evacuation of Asiana flight 214 began badly.
Even before the mangled jetliner began filling with smoke, two evacuation slides on the doors inflated inside the cabin instead of outside, pinning two flight attendants to the floor.
Right before touchdown, I felt like the plane was trying to take off. I was thinking 'what's happening?' and then I felt a bang
Cabin manager Lee Yoon-hye, apparently the last person to leave the burning plane, said crew members deflated the slides with axes to rescue their colleagues, one whom seemed to be choking beneath the weight of a slide.
Composed: flight attendant Lee Yoon-hye recalls the crash landing and rescue operation at a news conference in San Francisco.
Composed: flight attendant Lee Yoon-hye recalls the crash landing and rescue operation at a news conference in San Francisco. Photo: AP
It was just one of the moments of drama described by Ms Lee of a remarkable evacuation that saved 305 of the 307 people on the plane that crashed on Saturday while landing in San Francisco.
When a teenage boy was afraid to jump on to the inflatable slide, Ms Lee said a flight attendant carried him on her back and they slid down together.
"The kid said he was scared. My colleague carried him on her back and jumped. I was inside the plane. [My colleague] was crying as parents tearfully hugged their kid after evacuating safely," Ms Lee said.
Fire damaged: two Chinese nationals were killed in the crash.
Fire damaged: two Chinese nationals were killed in the crash. Photo: Getty Images
She also said passengers were calm during the evacuation.
A pilot helped another injured flight attendant off the plane after the passengers had escaped.
Ms Lee herself worked to put out fires and usher passengers to safety despite suffering injuries.
The wreckage of Asiana Flight 214 lies on the ground after it crashed at San Francisco airport.
The wreckage of Asiana Flight 214 lies on the ground after it crashed at San Francisco airport. Photo: AP
She said she didn't know how bad she was hurt until a doctor at a San Francisco hospital later treated her.
The crash on Saturday at San Francisco airport killed two teenage girls from China, whose bodies were found outside the wreckage, and injured dozens of others. At least two others suffered paralysing back injuries, hospital officials said.
Ms Lee, 40, who has nearly 20 years' experience with Asiana, said she knew seconds before impact that something was wrong with the plane.
Smoke billows into the air just moments after the crash.
Smoke billows into the air just moments after the crash. Photo: AP
"Right before touchdown, I felt like the plane was trying to take off. I was thinking 'what's happening?' and then I felt a bang," Ms Lee said.
"That bang felt harder than a normal landing. It was a very big shock. Afterwards, there was another shock and the plane swayed to the right and to the left."
After the captain ordered an evacuation, Ms Lee said she knew what to do.
The interior of the plane: the 777 was evacuated before going up in flames.
The interior of the plane: the 777 was evacuated before going up in flames. Photo: Reuters
"I wasn't really thinking, but my body started carrying out the steps needed for an evacuation," she said.
"I was only thinking about rescuing the next passenger."
When Ms Lee saw that the plane was burning after the crash, she was calm.
The plane crashed at San Francisco airport.
The plane crashed at San Francisco airport. Photo: Reuters
"I was only thinking that I should put it out quickly. I didn't have time to feel that this fire was going to hurt me," she said.
Ms Lee said she was the last person off the plane and that she tried to approach the back of the aircraft before she left to make sure that no one was left inside.
But when she moved to the back of the plane, a cloud of black, toxic smoke made it impossible.
Overview of the plane wreckage. Click for more photos
Boeing 777 crashes at San Francisco International Airport
Asiana Airlines flight from Seoul crashes while landing in San Francisco, the plane's tail appearing to sheer off as it approached the runway. Photo: Reuters
Overview of the plane wreckage. An Asiana Airlines Boeing 777 is pictured after it crashed at San Francisco International Airport in California. The Boeing 777 airplane lies burned on the runway. A close up of the runway and debris of a Boeing 777 airplane that burned on the runway after it crash landed at San Francisco International Airport. This photo provided by Krista Seiden shows smoke rising from an Asiana Airlines plane that crashed while landing at San Francisco airport. This frame grab from video provided by KTVU shows the scene after an Asiana Airlines flight crashed while landing at San Francisco Airport. Fire crews work the crash site of Asiana Flight 214 at San Francisco International Airport. Fire crews work the crash site of Asiana Flight 214 at San Francisco International Airport. A YouTube video grab shows an