US Airways A320 Down in NYC Hudson River

[Matt Molnar]

This is officially the first time a commercial jet has executed a successful water landing without any deaths.

Safe Water Landing a Remarkable Feat

By J. LYNN LUNSFORD

For the first time in 50 years of commercial jet flight, the pilots of US Airways Flight 1549 successfully executed one of the most technically challenging maneuvers, landing a jetliner on water without fatalities.

Although commercial jetliners are required to be equipped with life vests and inflatable slides for use in an emergency landing on water, it is a seldom-attempted feat. Indeed, even though pilots go through the motions of training to ditch a plane in the water, the generally held belief is that such landings would almost certainly result in fatalities.

To accomplish such a feat shortly after takeoff, while maneuvering past the skyscrapers and dense development of Manhattan, and into the crowded Hudson River, is widely being hailed as a testament to the crew's piloting skills. [Full Article]

[Derf]

Overseas National Airways DC9 did it a while ago... I think there were 9 deaths....but that was not in calm weather, that swas a stormy seas with 8ft rolling waves!!!!

[USAF Pilot 07]

The captain, C. B. "Sully" Sullenberger, has been flying for at US for 29 years and has acted as a Check Airman, an ALPA safety chairman and an accident investigator. He's also a USAF Academy grad, flew F-4s for over six years and was on a USAF aircraft accident investigation board.

Nice to see a fellow Zoomie and ex-Air Force aviator handle this so well! A lot of props to him!

Here's some more info on him (pic included):
http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/ye ... hero1.html

I just googled it and found out Canada geese often fly as high as 9,000 feet, and some geese species fly over 20,000 feet!!!

Better to hit a bird and have engine failure cruising at 20,000' than to hit one at 2,000' right after takeoff or on final.

Birds are probably the biggest everyday threat to flying operations. We get large flocks of vultures and other birds - especially during the summer - quite frequently. Birdstrikes aren't all that uncommon, and most of the time unless they end up with the aircraft making a safe landing. The biggest danger is if birds make direct hits on critical components necessary for sustained flight (engines/control surfaces etc...). There was an AWACS plane up in Alaska in the 90s that went through a similar event - unfortunately it crashed and all aboard perished.

[Delta777LR]

Think about the Thomsonfly 752 incident over a year ago in Manchester Ringway. A heron got suck into the #2 engine while rotating. There was flames coming out of the engine, but was able to make it back to Manchester safely landing with one engine.

[PhilDernerJr]

First, I'd like to say that I hope that our friends and fellow-members who work for US are ok, preferably that they had the afternoon off. Knowing one of your own planes went down has got to be a horrible feeling that I wish on no one. Touch base guys! Please!

An amazing story, without saying. This is the direct result of two things. First is the enormous skill and cool of the pilots. Second is because of safety in guidelines and design from decades of crashes that make air disasters more survivable. We can truly thank out government agencies for that.

What could have been a heartbreaking day actually became a happy and relieving one. Hats off to the US Airways crew!

[PhilDernerJr]

[Matt Molnar]

According to ACARS it "should" have been N106US

Ex-Shuttle plane. Here is the most recent photo of her in NY on anet or jpnet, from 2003, by Art Brett:

[PhilDernerJr]

Actually, Josh Akbar caught it at LGA from Planeview in May of '04.

http://www.jetphotos.net/viewphoto.php? ... 40&nseq=10

[ChrisW]

Paul caught her at PHL in June 2008: http://www.flickr.com/photos/runway27r/2579331944/

[Gerard]

>Wonder how scary it was also, seems on passur that when she was at 800 ft, there was another plane coming, head-on, N461SA at 500 ft, who turned east at the last moment.

I knew that N # sounded familiar. N461SA is not a fixed wing but a Eurocopter AS350 B2 owned by Wings Air LLC out of
White Plains. I bet they have a helluva story to tell.

http://www.wingsair.net/helicopters_charters.php

[PhilDernerJr]

Incredible photo taken before any boats showed up!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/gregorylam ... 0/sizes/o/

[G-BOAD]

Amazing job by the flight crew.
BBC has some great photos sent in by readers:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_pictures/7832390.stm
According to picture #4, it is now docked at Battery Park. I would imagine it would take some time to set up cranes in order to lift the plane and place it on a barge?

[LGA777]

Just a quick hello from US LGA, another very long day in the Tower which started before 0600 for me with lot's of deicing. As luck would have it I was the Tower Supv today, my team on both sides of the room came through this as I would expect, with flying colors. We did what we are trained to do (I went thru a company emergencey exercise only a few months ago) and we got thru it. Having everyone survive does make things much easier to deal with, regardless I am very proud of my co-workers and especially the crew of US 1549, and also Airbus for building a solid airplane.

One side note, I am now waiting for the second of two go-team flights to arrive. The first from PIT was ironically sister ship A-320 N105UW. The second, from PHX is a little more interesting, wingletted 757 N909AW, which will be leaving LGA at 1000 Friday morning if anyone wants to try and catch this rare LGA visitor.

And finally today, like every day, I am still proud to be a part of the USAirways family.

Regards

LGA777

[MarkLawrence]

Kudos to the whole team Ron! That's what team work is all about!

It was an amazing piece of airmanship, obviously the great training of all the flight and cabin crew in getting everyone out safely and without loss of life. No matter how much people knock different airlines, this is a time when everyone should be singing the praises of US Airways!

[Delta777LR]

I wonder if it will still be by there tomorrow afternoon. Do you think anyone would give me a problem if I wanted to see it and take photos of it be the dock or seawall? Ya know the whole illegal spheal?

Pretty sure no one will give you a problem about photos, but if it is still there, I think there will be a wide perimeter to keep anyone away from it. But who knows, give it a shot.

I might go down there to get a few shots