I've been watching the news from New York tonight - and thank God everyone made it out of that aircraft....
It sounds like the pilot did the most amazing job.
It sounds like the pilot did the most amazing job.
US Airways Crash into the Hudson... alll safe
- Thread starter Neilda
- Start date
Empty Pockets
ex-GT Owner
And it's no wonder if you read his "creds"! :thumbsup:thumbsup
(But, given the famous polution levels in the Hudson, one would have thought the river should have been solid enough to USE as an emergency runway... :biggrin )
(But, given the famous polution levels in the Hudson, one would have thought the river should have been solid enough to USE as an emergency runway... :biggrin )
I thought it might have had some more discussion here - it's a big news story in the UK. The pilot is being hailed as a hero*, rightly so.
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*This expression is subject to the normal terms and conditions, the value of your house may increase or decrease subject to market forces. These vouchers may not be redeemed against food items in any of our stores. If in doubt consult with your Doctor.
tpraceman
THEE GT OWNER
Oh the new mega million $$$ Obama wild party event is over shadowing everything.
Hero's are made when people act with selfless abandon and quickly. One would have to beleive this as a miricle. The crash is one thing, enough birds to knock out both jets yikes, The jets and fuel not exploding holy cow, freezing sub temperatures another, and water temp was 32 and the plane not breaking into peices and everyone rescued......in the dark cold freezing night time.
Got to be one for the record books.
I got sever gray hairs thursday night when I was in my car and all I could hear was interviews and about the pilot. I knew it was US Air and Ney York......Well I one a customer who spent all day and was flying back to NY on US Air about the same time and I had my VP flying back leaving NY on US Air from a Meeting......I could not get wither of them on the phones and it turned out not to be the flight but it was a long 1/2 hour ride wondering. They both were trapped at the air port for a very long time.
Hero's are made when people act with selfless abandon and quickly. One would have to beleive this as a miricle. The crash is one thing, enough birds to knock out both jets yikes, The jets and fuel not exploding holy cow, freezing sub temperatures another, and water temp was 32 and the plane not breaking into peices and everyone rescued......in the dark cold freezing night time.
Got to be one for the record books.
I got sever gray hairs thursday night when I was in my car and all I could hear was interviews and about the pilot. I knew it was US Air and Ney York......Well I one a customer who spent all day and was flying back to NY on US Air about the same time and I had my VP flying back leaving NY on US Air from a Meeting......I could not get wither of them on the phones and it turned out not to be the flight but it was a long 1/2 hour ride wondering. They both were trapped at the air port for a very long time.
Empty Pockets
ex-GT Owner
I saw a vid of the plane taking off...they highlighted a bird crossing the plane's path AS it was taking off... that's when the starboard engine started "pulsing" flames on the assent. Also, they interviewed a guy sitting two rows aft of the PORT engine, and he said IT was on fire.
So, there you go.
And besides, "Sully" seems by all accounts to be waaaaaaaay too savvy to do anything inadvertently!:lol
What pbly was the real key factor in how smooth (relatively) the landing turned out was the fact that "Sully" evidently is an experienced GLIDER PILOT as well.
Oh. One other thing. There are also vids from security cameras on buildings around the area that show the plane did have both engines when it was just a few feet above the water as it was decending. :wink:cheers
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B O N Y
MODERATOR & FGT OWNER
Empty Pockets
ex-GT Owner
And the flight crew back aft as well. They did EVERYTHING "by the numbers" and got everybody out wiki-wiki.
And how about the rescue personnel? They were all ON SITE in less than 5 mins. SOME (who were already close by) were there within a minute or two!
B O N Y
MODERATOR & FGT OWNER
Hammer
GT Owner
This was a really great story, in which it looks like almost everyone did well - from the captain, (who reportedly eased the plane onto the water beautifully, then walked the length of it twice as people were getting out, to make sure that he was the last one off), to the flight attendants, to the passengers (who reportedly helped the elderly and infirm first, then each other), to the ferry and tour boat operators who immediately came to help, to all the emergency personnnel who were on scene within minutes. Sometimes we're lucky enough to see the best of what people can do for each other in the most difficult moments.
glord
GT Owner
Very nicely put. I have one close friend who was supposed to be on the flight but fortunately was delayed and missed it as well as a coworker who was on the flight. As with most this is a story that my wife and I have been following closely and your message struck a cord with both of us.
GT38
GT Owner
I've seen no evidence to support this scenario. Some eye-opening reading on bird strikes:
http://www.birdstrike.org/commlink/top_ten.htm
http://www.birdstrike.org/events/signif.htm
At Webb AFB in the early '70s we lost a T-38 due to a double bird strike on takeoff - one fatality. The T-38 has tiny little intakes (i.e. two very small bird targets) compared to the Airbus, but the flock of birds still took out both engines.
Regarding Sully's airmanship: His military flight training was from an era when, to borrow Neil's phrase from another thread, there were no "electronic nannies" to help make decisions. Sully and his co-pilot are A#1 in my book. :thumbsup
Empty Pockets
ex-GT Owner
Earlier this evening, a news program I was watching ran a security camera video (from between 2 of the buildings located exactly at the point the plane touched down) which shows the plane contacting the river. It APPEARED to be a lot smoother "contact" than it evidently was. But, it sure looked textbook to me! 'Plane was in a slightly "nose up" attitude as it landed...and it appeared that the plane then stayed "level" on the surface of the water from there 'til it stopped.
'Pretty amazing footage...
B O N Y
MODERATOR & FGT OWNER
Some cut and pastes from AV News that I hope you find as interesting as I did...
Hudson "Hero" To Inauguration
The first public appearance by the "hero of the Hudson" could be at the most publicized event of the year. President-elect Barack Obama has invited Flight 1549 Capt. Chesley Sullenberger to his inauguration on Tuesday. Sullenberger has been kept under wraps by authorities investigating the dramatic ditching of the US Airways A320 in the Hudson River last Thursday and has not spoken to anyone but them, his family, Obama and other politicians since. His wife Lorrie told reporters in their home of Danville, Calif., about the invitation to the inauguration and says she and her teenage daughters are excited. Meanwhile, NBC's Today Show says Sullenberger will appear in his first media interview this morning on their program.
The Contra Costa Times reported Saturday that Sullenberger's family was scheduled to fly to New York for a reunion on Sunday. It also said that the Air Line Pilots Association has asked Sullenberger to refrain from public comment until after investigators are finished interviewing him.
1549 FO "A Modest Man"
Jeffrey Skiles is the kind of guy who'd give you the shirt off his back if you needed it. And that, says his mother Deloris, explains why one of the passengers interviewed after being rescued from Flight 1549 was wearing the tunic with the three stripes that clearly identified it as coming from Skiles, who was first officer on the flight. Skiles, 49, of Oregon, Wisc., was the flying pilot when the aircraft took off from LaGuardia Airport on Thursday but handed the aircraft over to Capt. Chesley Sullenberger after both engines quit. Although the precise tasks he performed in the ditching haven't been detailed, he was undoubtedly busy, but his mother told The Associated Press he won't be bragging about it. "I know he did everything he could," his mother said. "He's a modest fellow and a very modest man."
Skiles' wife Barbara said her husband needed clean clothes but was otherwise unruffled by the mishap. "Someone was kind enough to give him clean underwear," she said. Skiles grew up in a flying family. Both his parents had pilot certificates and he and his brothers frequently flew with them. But his mother said his siblings didn't catch the bug. "They didn't take to flying," Deloris Skiles said, "but Jeff did."
"We're Gonna Be in the Hudson"
A first look at ATC tapes and crew interviews revealed Sunday that US Airways Flight 1549 suffered a dual engine loss a mere 90 seconds after takeoff. Quoting from the ATC transcript, the NTSB's Kitty Higgins said at 3:27:32, the flight was instructed to turn left to 270 degrees. The crew responded: "Ah, Cactus 1549 … hit birds, we lost thrust in both engines. We're turning back toward LaGuardia." At 3:28:05, 33 seconds later, ATC asked if the crew wanted to return to LaGuardia. "We're unable. We may end up in the Hudson," came the reply, according to Higgins' reading of the transcript.
"There was some discussion whether the airplane could land at Teterboro, off the airplane's right, about six miles. And the pilot responded, "We can't do it … we're gonna be in the Hudson.'" That was the last communication from the aircraft.
Although it had previously been reported that the A320's ditching switch had been activated, The Associated Press said Saturday that it appears it had not been. The ditching switch automatically closes the cabin outflow valve, avionics vents and other through-hull openings to make the cabin more watertight. The AP also reported that once the aircraft was in the water, a quick-thinking flight attendant stopped a passenger from opening one of the rear doors, which was by then below the waterline. This may have reduced flooding and given the passengers precious seconds to exit the cabin.
Flight 1549 Crew: Birds Filled Windshield
The NTSB said over the weekend that the first officer of US Airways Flight 1549 clearly saw the formation of birds seconds before they were ingested in the Airbus A320's engines, causing immediate loss of thrust and an eventual ditching in the Hudson River. The NTSB said Saturday that interviews with Captain Chesley B. Sullenberger and First Officer Jeff Skiles revealed that Skiles had seen the birds approaching in perfect formation and made note it. An instant later, Sullenberger said the windshield was filled with big, dark-brown birds. "His instinct was to duck," the NTSB's Kitty Higgins told The Associated Press, in summarizing the crew interview. Skiles was flying the leg from LaGuardia to Charlotte on Thursday afternoon, but immediately after the bird strike, Sullenberger assumed control and began the sequence of events that ultimately resulted in a successful ditching in the Hudson with all occupants surviving. As the engines spooled back, the smell of burning birds and fuel filled the cabin air system.
In frigid temperatures on Saturday, a heavy-lift crane removed the A320 from the Hudson and placed it on a barge. "The plane is full of water, as you would expect. It has the approximate weight of an A380, so in its current condition, it's about a million pounds," she said in a press conference Saturday. The airplane's right wing was wedged under a seawall where the airplane had been secured on Thursday evening. The aircraft was lifted a foot at time to allow water to drain, reducing its weight. The lift revealed that the right engine was still attached to the wing and that wing and engine panels were damaged or missing. The safety agency is still searching for the left engine, which was sheared off during the ditching sequence. The NTSB also said that Flight 1549's flight data and cockpit voice recorders have been recovered and sent to Washington for analysis.
Airliner Ditchings: Not Great Odds
U.S. Airways Flight 1549's ditching into the Hudson is all the more remarkable given the relatively poor odds of all occupants surviving such an accident. But it has happened at least once before. In 1963, an Aeroflot twin-engine Tu124 enroute to Moscow ran out of fuel after trying to sort out a landing gear problem. The crew ditched on the Neva River, the aircraft remained afloat and was towed to shore. All 52 occupants survived.
In May 1970, a DC-9 enroute to St. Maarten from New York ran out of fuel after three missed approaches at St. Croix. After a ditching in poor weather, 22 of the 57 passengers died, along with one crew member.
One of the most spectacular ditchings occurred in 1996 and was caught on video by a tourist. An Ethiopian Airlines 767 had been hijacked and forced to re-route to Australia. It ran out of fuel and ditched off the Comoro Islands, midway between Madagascar and the African coast. Ten of the 12 crew members and 117 of the 160 passengers were killed, despite almost immediate rescue efforts from people nearby on the beach. Later analysis of the video showed that the aircraft dragged its left wing, initiating a turning moment and break-up sequence.
By comparison, historical ditching survival rates for light aircraft are quite good. An Aviation Safety magazine study of light aircraft ditchings found than nearly 90 percent of the occupants egress and survive light aircraft ditching events.
Hudson "Hero" To Inauguration
The first public appearance by the "hero of the Hudson" could be at the most publicized event of the year. President-elect Barack Obama has invited Flight 1549 Capt. Chesley Sullenberger to his inauguration on Tuesday. Sullenberger has been kept under wraps by authorities investigating the dramatic ditching of the US Airways A320 in the Hudson River last Thursday and has not spoken to anyone but them, his family, Obama and other politicians since. His wife Lorrie told reporters in their home of Danville, Calif., about the invitation to the inauguration and says she and her teenage daughters are excited. Meanwhile, NBC's Today Show says Sullenberger will appear in his first media interview this morning on their program.
The Contra Costa Times reported Saturday that Sullenberger's family was scheduled to fly to New York for a reunion on Sunday. It also said that the Air Line Pilots Association has asked Sullenberger to refrain from public comment until after investigators are finished interviewing him.
1549 FO "A Modest Man"
Jeffrey Skiles is the kind of guy who'd give you the shirt off his back if you needed it. And that, says his mother Deloris, explains why one of the passengers interviewed after being rescued from Flight 1549 was wearing the tunic with the three stripes that clearly identified it as coming from Skiles, who was first officer on the flight. Skiles, 49, of Oregon, Wisc., was the flying pilot when the aircraft took off from LaGuardia Airport on Thursday but handed the aircraft over to Capt. Chesley Sullenberger after both engines quit. Although the precise tasks he performed in the ditching haven't been detailed, he was undoubtedly busy, but his mother told The Associated Press he won't be bragging about it. "I know he did everything he could," his mother said. "He's a modest fellow and a very modest man."
Skiles' wife Barbara said her husband needed clean clothes but was otherwise unruffled by the mishap. "Someone was kind enough to give him clean underwear," she said. Skiles grew up in a flying family. Both his parents had pilot certificates and he and his brothers frequently flew with them. But his mother said his siblings didn't catch the bug. "They didn't take to flying," Deloris Skiles said, "but Jeff did."
"We're Gonna Be in the Hudson"
A first look at ATC tapes and crew interviews revealed Sunday that US Airways Flight 1549 suffered a dual engine loss a mere 90 seconds after takeoff. Quoting from the ATC transcript, the NTSB's Kitty Higgins said at 3:27:32, the flight was instructed to turn left to 270 degrees. The crew responded: "Ah, Cactus 1549 … hit birds, we lost thrust in both engines. We're turning back toward LaGuardia." At 3:28:05, 33 seconds later, ATC asked if the crew wanted to return to LaGuardia. "We're unable. We may end up in the Hudson," came the reply, according to Higgins' reading of the transcript.
"There was some discussion whether the airplane could land at Teterboro, off the airplane's right, about six miles. And the pilot responded, "We can't do it … we're gonna be in the Hudson.'" That was the last communication from the aircraft.
Although it had previously been reported that the A320's ditching switch had been activated, The Associated Press said Saturday that it appears it had not been. The ditching switch automatically closes the cabin outflow valve, avionics vents and other through-hull openings to make the cabin more watertight. The AP also reported that once the aircraft was in the water, a quick-thinking flight attendant stopped a passenger from opening one of the rear doors, which was by then below the waterline. This may have reduced flooding and given the passengers precious seconds to exit the cabin.
Flight 1549 Crew: Birds Filled Windshield
The NTSB said over the weekend that the first officer of US Airways Flight 1549 clearly saw the formation of birds seconds before they were ingested in the Airbus A320's engines, causing immediate loss of thrust and an eventual ditching in the Hudson River. The NTSB said Saturday that interviews with Captain Chesley B. Sullenberger and First Officer Jeff Skiles revealed that Skiles had seen the birds approaching in perfect formation and made note it. An instant later, Sullenberger said the windshield was filled with big, dark-brown birds. "His instinct was to duck," the NTSB's Kitty Higgins told The Associated Press, in summarizing the crew interview. Skiles was flying the leg from LaGuardia to Charlotte on Thursday afternoon, but immediately after the bird strike, Sullenberger assumed control and began the sequence of events that ultimately resulted in a successful ditching in the Hudson with all occupants surviving. As the engines spooled back, the smell of burning birds and fuel filled the cabin air system.
In frigid temperatures on Saturday, a heavy-lift crane removed the A320 from the Hudson and placed it on a barge. "The plane is full of water, as you would expect. It has the approximate weight of an A380, so in its current condition, it's about a million pounds," she said in a press conference Saturday. The airplane's right wing was wedged under a seawall where the airplane had been secured on Thursday evening. The aircraft was lifted a foot at time to allow water to drain, reducing its weight. The lift revealed that the right engine was still attached to the wing and that wing and engine panels were damaged or missing. The safety agency is still searching for the left engine, which was sheared off during the ditching sequence. The NTSB also said that Flight 1549's flight data and cockpit voice recorders have been recovered and sent to Washington for analysis.
Airliner Ditchings: Not Great Odds
U.S. Airways Flight 1549's ditching into the Hudson is all the more remarkable given the relatively poor odds of all occupants surviving such an accident. But it has happened at least once before. In 1963, an Aeroflot twin-engine Tu124 enroute to Moscow ran out of fuel after trying to sort out a landing gear problem. The crew ditched on the Neva River, the aircraft remained afloat and was towed to shore. All 52 occupants survived.
In May 1970, a DC-9 enroute to St. Maarten from New York ran out of fuel after three missed approaches at St. Croix. After a ditching in poor weather, 22 of the 57 passengers died, along with one crew member.
One of the most spectacular ditchings occurred in 1996 and was caught on video by a tourist. An Ethiopian Airlines 767 had been hijacked and forced to re-route to Australia. It ran out of fuel and ditched off the Comoro Islands, midway between Madagascar and the African coast. Ten of the 12 crew members and 117 of the 160 passengers were killed, despite almost immediate rescue efforts from people nearby on the beach. Later analysis of the video showed that the aircraft dragged its left wing, initiating a turning moment and break-up sequence.
By comparison, historical ditching survival rates for light aircraft are quite good. An Aviation Safety magazine study of light aircraft ditchings found than nearly 90 percent of the occupants egress and survive light aircraft ditching events.
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I still think the whole story to be incredible - whilst it was an accident nobody wanted, it gave New York a wonderful news story and has lifted everyone's spirits.
The guy is a hero. :cheers
The guy is a hero. :cheers
B O N Y
MODERATOR & FGT OWNER
H
HHGT
Guest
The Airbus Ditching Button
The Airbus Ditching Button
http://www.flightglobal.com/blogs/flightblogger/assets_c/2009/01/A320-ditching.html
There's been much discussion about US Airways Flight 1549 and the extraordinary circumstances that befell the Airbus A320-200 (N106US) and her compliment of 150 passengers and 5 crew. At least preliminarily, it appears a double bird strike disabled each of theCFM56-5B4/P engine forcingCaptain C.B. Sullenberger IIIand his First Officerto ditch the jetliner in the Hudson River.
As the aircraft was making its 'final approach' to the Hudson, the crew was preparing the aircraft and its passengers for the water landing, including, some speculate, by activating the ditching system on the A320. The button, cleverly labeled 'ditching', is located on the 'Cabin Press' section of the overhead panel shown above.
So what does that infrequently used button actually do?
When pressed, it commands the aircraft operating system to close the outflow valve, emergency ram air inlet, avionics inlet, extract valve and flow control valve. In addition, it will immediately shutdown the cabin fans. The button itself has a guard over it to prevent accidental activation. The system is available on all A320 family, A340/A330 and A380 aircraft.
According to the A320 quick reference guide, the ditching procedure calls for Flaps 3 and a minimum approach speed of 150 kts. The system should be activated at 2000 feet AGL and Airbus recommends 11 degrees of pitch at the time of touchdown.
The ultimate purpose of the system is to seal the aircraft to prevent water from undermining the buoyancy of the aircraft to keep it afloat in the event that the airframe remains intact after impacting the water. Federal Aviation RegulationPart 25, Section 801describes the safety requirements in the event of a ditching:
(d) It must be shown that, under reasonably probable water conditions, the flotation time and trim of the airplane will allow the occupants to leave the airplane and enter the liferafts required by25.1415. If compliance with this provision is shown by buoyancy and trim computations, appropriate allowances must be made for probable structural damage and leakage. If the airplane has fuel tanks (with fuel jettisoning provisions) that can reasonably be expected to withstand a ditching without leakage, the jettisonable volume of fuel may be considered as buoyancy volume.
It's not hard to imagine that this live test of the 'Ditching' system was a resounding success.
The Airbus Ditching Button
http://www.flightglobal.com/blogs/flightblogger/assets_c/2009/01/A320-ditching.html
There's been much discussion about US Airways Flight 1549 and the extraordinary circumstances that befell the Airbus A320-200 (N106US) and her compliment of 150 passengers and 5 crew. At least preliminarily, it appears a double bird strike disabled each of theCFM56-5B4/P engine forcingCaptain C.B. Sullenberger IIIand his First Officerto ditch the jetliner in the Hudson River.
As the aircraft was making its 'final approach' to the Hudson, the crew was preparing the aircraft and its passengers for the water landing, including, some speculate, by activating the ditching system on the A320. The button, cleverly labeled 'ditching', is located on the 'Cabin Press' section of the overhead panel shown above.
So what does that infrequently used button actually do?
When pressed, it commands the aircraft operating system to close the outflow valve, emergency ram air inlet, avionics inlet, extract valve and flow control valve. In addition, it will immediately shutdown the cabin fans. The button itself has a guard over it to prevent accidental activation. The system is available on all A320 family, A340/A330 and A380 aircraft.
According to the A320 quick reference guide, the ditching procedure calls for Flaps 3 and a minimum approach speed of 150 kts. The system should be activated at 2000 feet AGL and Airbus recommends 11 degrees of pitch at the time of touchdown.
The ultimate purpose of the system is to seal the aircraft to prevent water from undermining the buoyancy of the aircraft to keep it afloat in the event that the airframe remains intact after impacting the water. Federal Aviation RegulationPart 25, Section 801describes the safety requirements in the event of a ditching:
(d) It must be shown that, under reasonably probable water conditions, the flotation time and trim of the airplane will allow the occupants to leave the airplane and enter the liferafts required by25.1415. If compliance with this provision is shown by buoyancy and trim computations, appropriate allowances must be made for probable structural damage and leakage. If the airplane has fuel tanks (with fuel jettisoning provisions) that can reasonably be expected to withstand a ditching without leakage, the jettisonable volume of fuel may be considered as buoyancy volume.
It's not hard to imagine that this live test of the 'Ditching' system was a resounding success.
B O N Y
MODERATOR & FGT OWNER
Thanks Sam, WSJ touched on that this morning. They said it will be years before all the final conclusions are printed, and this ditching is a case book example that will be studied by many.
skyrex
FORD GT OWNER
Talk about coming through in the clutch. That was one of the most impressive emergency landings I have ever heard about. The pilots and crew did one hell of a job with that emergency landing. I have the utmost respect for people who rise to the situation. That is the feel good story of the decade.
