Plane crashes in Hudson River in NYC

[snoot]

As the story goes, some 90 seconds after takeoff the aircraft apparently struck two large packs of geese, then immediately began wheeling around and descending once the engines flamed out. Four minutes later they were touching down in the Hudson river at approximately 125 miles per hour.

By all accounts, it does appear the crew overlooked activating the ditch switch during the affair. But fortunately, without suffering serious structural damage due to the skillful landing, the plane did not quickly fill with water, so the pilot was able to walk the entire aisle, twice, checking for any passengers who may have been left behind. As the Mayor of New York rightfully said, that entire 5 person crew pulled off a masterful job from beginning to end. Likewise the NYC emergency responders and passenger ferries in coming to their aid as quickly as they did.

The last time I recall of a successful glide maneuver of this magnitude (dual engine flameout, with no airport close enough to land at) was from a South American pilot named Carlos Dardano and his eagle eye flight officer who landed their crippled plane on a levee embankment in New Orleans some 20 years ago with less than 3 minutes of flight time available. The crew's initial plan was to ditch the aircraft on a waterway they targeted, but the levee presented itself at the last moment as an alternative go-to. Captain Dardano is something of a legend, as it was the second time he had saved his passengers from an emergency. The first time was somewhere over his native El Salvador when the commercial airliner he was piloting was shot at by rebels on the ground. He took a bullet in the face but kept flying the plane until he could land it safely. A true cowboy in the air, famous for the dark shades he's known to wear. What a stud!

US Air Captain Sullenberger is an old PSA (Pacific Southwest Airlines) pilot, the now defunct airline often remembered for their airliner that struck a Cessna on a bright, sunny morning in San Diego back in 1978. Seconds later, both aircraft crashed into the north of the city, resulting in no survivors and many homes destroyed. The good news is, from those ashes of yesteryear arose a Phoenix on the Hudson in 2009!

Thanks to Villavic for that map, and Tracker for the amazing video footage.

[Mad4stevie]

Originally Posted by snoot

US Air Captain Sullenberger is an old PSA (Pacific Southwest Airlines) pilot, the now defunct airline often remembered for their airliner that struck a Cessna on a bright, sunny morning in San Diego back in 1978. Seconds later, both aircraft crashed into the north of the city, resulting in no survivors and many homes destroyed. The good news is, from those ashes of yesteryear arose a Phoenix on the Hudson in 2009!

I didn't know he was a former PSA pilot. I knew he flew in the Air Force and had been with US Airways more than 20 years. I have seen photos and heard the CVR of the PSA crash - scary stuff indeed.

My fiance is a commercial airline pilot and we often have conversations about airline incidents, both fatal and non-fatal. He knew one of the pilots that took off on the too short runway back in August 2006, and his explanation of that situation makes me realize that we (the public) know so little about what really happens in these situations.

[snoot]

Originally Posted by Mad4stevie

I didn't know he was a former PSA pilot. I knew he flew in the Air Force and had been with US Airways more than 20 years. I have seen photos and heard the CVR of the PSA crash - scary stuff indeed.

Right, that's because US Air purchased PSA in the late 80's. Sullenberger joined PSA just after that famous crash.

Heather you are so right about reviewing CVR recordings or transcriptions. They are NOT for the feint of heart, or anyone who take to the skies uneasily! Beyond that, most of the ones that are made public are of just the worst incidents. Think how many - no doubt equally compelling - never get released since the outcomes do not result in disaster or loss of life. Yes, scary stuff indeed.

Originally Posted by Mad4stevie

My fiance is a commercial airline pilot and we often have conversations about airline incidents, both fatal and non-fatal. He knew one of the pilots that took off on the too short runway back in August 2006, and his explanation of that situation makes me realize that we (the public) know so little about what really happens in these situations.

Quite true. Pilots and navigators are paid handsomely due to the responsibilities of having others entrusted to their care. One tiny wrong move, one monetary lapse, can often spell disaster. It's a flat out miracle more incidents along these lines don't happen, and a credit to the airliner industry on the whole that its overall safety record is as outstanding as it is. But as we both know, it only takes one tiny miscalculation or uncontrolled mishap - like some bloody birds! - and everything can go up in smoke in the blink of an eye.

I remember reading of an Air Canada flight years ago where the First Officer inadvertently deployed the spoilers only 50 feet or so above the runway during an otherwise routine landing, causing the aircraft to fall like a led balloon, resulting in the loss an engine upon hitting the tarmac. The pilot attempted an emergency TOGA [Take Off, Go Around] but eventually stalled the craft due to a lack of power, right about the time one of the wings was falling off the plane from an ensuing engine fire. It was sad as heck to hear the co-pilot apologizing over and over as they tried to right his wrong from that one tiny but critical lapse: "Sorry, so sorry, Pete!" [Pete being the captain].

There's another incident where the last words spoken on the CVR are from the Flight Engineer, realizing the peril they were in after a series of mistakes were made by the pilot while attempting to land in fog, and the emergency "Pull up!" alarms were going off: "That's it, I'm dead" he says. Seconds later he was, along with the rest of the crew and hundreds of passengers.

We can only rejoice in the fact that these incidences are relatively isolated. I wish your fiancé well. That's a noble and proud profession, one that demands the utmost responsibility.