'Double bird strike' suspected in Hudson River landing incidentMonday January 19, 2009 A preliminary US FAA report released Friday said a US Airways A320-200 "made a forced landing on the Hudson River after striking birds and losing engine power" moments after taking off from New York LaGuardia.Flight 1549 was on its way to Charlotte but wound up ditching in the river (ATWOnline, Jan. 16).
A National Air Traffic Controllers Assn. spokesperson told the Associated Press that Capt. Chesley Sullenberger III, 57, reported a "double bird strike" less than a minute after taking off. Images of all 150 passengers and five crew evacuating safely were broadcast around the world and Sullenberger and copilot Jeff Skiles were hailed as heroes for their work in safely bringing down the aircraft, after which the cabin staff successfully carried out the evacuation. The flight crew was scheduled to meet with investigators late Friday or Saturday, and meanwhile were "safe and doing well," according to US Chairman and CEO Doug Parker.The only serious injury reported was to one woman who suffered two broken legs. Around 80 others were treated for hypothermia and minor injuries.
The aircraft remained in the water Friday afternoon, tethered to a ferry pier on the southern part of Manhattan and mostly submerged. A crane and barge reportedly were being brought in to salvage the plane.US said the CFM56-5B4/P-powered A320 was completed on June 15, 1999, and entered service with the carrier on Aug. 2, 1999. It was on lease from Wells Fargo Bank Northwest and had flown 25,241.1 hr. over 16,299 cycles. It last underwent an A check on Dec. 6, 2008, and a C check on April 19, 2008.According to AirSafe, Thursday's flight was the first controlled ditching of a commercial jet since May 1970, when an ALM DC-9 on its way from New York JFK to St. Maarten executed a water landing after three missed approaches and an attempted diversion to St. Croix.
Twenty-three of the 63 people onboard were killed. In October 1963 an Aeroflot Tu-124 diverted to Leningrad with a landing gear problem and ran out of fuel. It landed in the Neva River. All 52 onboard survived. A more recent event involved an attempted water landing that went awry. In November 1996, an Ethiopian Airlines 767-200ER crashed while attempting to ditch during a hijacking. The aircraft had run out of fuel and the cockpit crew reportedly was battling a hijacker for control as it hit the water wingtip first and broke up, killing 125 of the 175 on board. It did not appear to be configured for landing.
by Brian Straus
