US Airways A320 Down in NYC Hudson River

[Planesntrains]

Listening to EWR Tower with the conditions getting fun outside. Found it twistedly amusing that today he's making a point to emphasize every bird report a bit more urgently than the previous norm. COA505 asked if they were Canadian Geese. No response from the tower... :D

Also for the techies, I pulled this info about 1549/N106US's engines off the U.S. Airways site...

Engines: CFM56-5B4/P

Engine 1 (left)
Installation date: Jan. 15, 2008
Total flight hours: 19,182.10

Engine 2 (right)
Installation date: May 28, 2006
Total flight hours: 26,466.08

So...if this is correct. The left engine, the one that broke away, was installed one year to the day of the crash. Kinda freaky coincidence.

[emshighway]

Listening to EWR Tower with the conditions getting fun outside. Found it twistedly amusing that today he's making a point to emphasize every bird report a bit more urgently than the previous norm. COA505 asked if they were Canadian Geese. No response from the tower... :D

Also for the techies, I pulled this info about 1549/N106US's engines off the U.S. Airways site...

Engines: CFM56-5B4/P

Engine 1 (left)
Installation date: Jan. 15, 2008
Total flight hours: 19,182.10

Engine 2 (right)
Installation date: May 28, 2006
Total flight hours: 26,466.08

So...if this is correct. The left engine, the one that broke away, was installed one year to the day of the crash. Kinda freaky coincidence.

So it's still under warranty?

[emshighway]

I think the TSA/Customs should be to blame for this incident.. Everyone is saying Canadian geese... but did anyone think to check their passports??

Hey, Hey, they went on all the proper papers... :shock:

[PhilDernerJr]

INSURANCE JOB!! haha

[emshighway]

So what are they going to call LGA's third Runway?

Hudson Right?

[AA 777]

Looks like some additional footage has surfaced regarding the cause of the crash...WOW

[njgtr82]

Listening to EWR Tower with the conditions getting fun outside. Found it twistedly amusing that today he's making a point to emphasize every bird report a bit more urgently than the previous norm.

This is always to be done anytime theres a specific report of birds for at least 15 mins or until It was this way before this even happened. Bird strikes happen pretty often and the FAA keeps track of every time it happens. Here's what happened to a Continental 737 engine last year when it hit a flock of birds on take off. http://www.jetphotos.net/viewphoto.php?id=5952327

COA505 asked if they were Canadian Geese. No response from the tower... :D

I don't remember anyone asking me that, because they were seagulls at or below 100 feet

[Planesntrains]

Haha. Nice to put some identity to the voice Bill. :)

[Matt Molnar]

Forgot about this one...guessing this van doesn't get to visit Manhattan all too often.


Sidenote: are there any vans in new colors? :)

[Matt Molnar]

WOW.

An anetter happens to live in a high rise apartment on River Terrace right across the street from the spot where the plane was tied up and he filmed just about every second the plane was there, and posted the vids online as time lapse footage. Pretty amazing.

http://www.kontain.com/david/#entries/entry/11659

[StealthZ]

Great coverage guys.
Comments and photos added background that was otherwise impossible for those of us in the antipodes to get.

Thanks to all that braved the weather (and autorities)

Cheers

Chris

[Derf]

WOW.

An anetter happens to live in a high rise apartment on River Terrace right across the street from the spot where the plane was tied up and he filmed just about every second the plane was there, and posted the vids online as time lapse footage. Pretty amazing.

http://www.kontain.com/david/#entries/entry/11659

WOW Amazing Videos and Photos! He Just pulled every photo of his from Anet due to issues he had with the forums. His
comments below explain his issue with them. He has some amazing stuff there. I would love to see all his still. The shots I
have seen look great.

[Matt Molnar]

Tuesday update:

* US Airways has mailed a $5,000 check to each passenger to compensate for lost belongings.
* NYPD continues to search for the left engine and has brought in a sonar expert from the NOAA to assist.
* They have not found the engine, but they have found 35 flotation seat cushions, 12 life jackets, 15 pieces of luggage, two briefcases, 11 purses, 15 suit jackets and shirts, four shoes and two hats

[Midnight Mike]

Here is the experience levels of the other crew members. Remember the pilot has 19 to 20K hours.

The huge total flight experience among the crew contributed to the successful outcome :


First Officer Jeffrey B. Skiles, joined US Airways (USAir) in 1986. He has a total of 15,643 flight hours and previously flew as Captain with US Airways.
Flight Attendant Sheila Dail joined US Airways (Piedmont Airlines) in 1980 and has more than 28 years experience with the airline.
Flight Attendant Doreen Welsh joined US Airways (Allegheny Airlines) in 1970 and has more than 38 years experience with the airline.
Flight Attendant Donna Dent joined US Airways (Piedmont Airlines) in 1982 and has more than 26 years experience with the airline.
NTSB PRESS CONFERENCES:

Onboard was one lap child and one toddler.

Since the weight of the airplane full of water was approximately 1 million pounds, it needed to be lifted very gradually to let water drain from the aircraft.
Water depth at impact was 50-55 feet.

A correction to prior information, the right engine is still attached; still looking for the left engine.

ATC communications were read out loud: of particular interest to us was the crew stating, "Cactus 1549 hit birds - lost thrust both engines – turning back to LGA"

TEB airport was discussed, pilots stated, "...we can't do it..."

Two Flight Attendants were interviewed. They reported hearing loud thuds/thumps and all engine noise ceased, aircraft sounded, "...like a library..."

Captain announced, "brace for impact;" F/A's yelled, "Brace, Brace, Brace"

Left front slide required manual inflation.

Front exit door, 2'-3' was above water line.

Although the rear emergency exit door was partially beneath the water. One of the passengers attempted to open it. An alert, experienced flight attendant prevented him from opening the door.

Captain returned to aircraft twice to check for passengers. Captain and each of the crew members were the last to leave the aircraft.
A later press conference :

3rd F/A has been released from hospital. Her account : "loud thunk, electrical smell." Tail section experienced a harder landing than further forward. 3rd F/A had no broken bones, but deep lacerations.

Captain, 3800 hrs in A-320

First Officer, 35 hours in an A-320

First Officer was initial PF

First Officer stated he saw birds 3-5000' off to his right

Captain looked up & said the windscreen was filled w/big dark brown birds. Said his reaction was to duck

Captain smelled burning birds

Loss of thrust, Captain, "my aircraft". First Officer, "your aircraft". Captain lowered nose because speed had decreased

Captain said power loss was symmetrical

Captain took over as PF & called for the Dual Engine failure check list

Captain said initial plan was to return to LGA. He said he was too slow & too low, it was too populated. Teterboro was too far, populated and would be catastrophic if he didn't make it. As stated in earlier brief, he stated, "going to be in the Hudson".
Captain focused on flying
First Officer focused on checklist & re-starting the engines

This checklist was designed to run at FL350

Captain called for flaps 2

Captain made the "brace" call over the P/A

Captain said he had been trained to ditch near a vessel if able, so he tried to land close to a boat

The aircraft lost electrical once in the water

Captain called for Evacuation, F/A's had already initiated it

Captain stated that, " he could not be more happy that he got everyone off ."

Questioning session :

First Officer saw the birds, noted to himself that they were flying in a line

Emergency Ditching P/B was not activated to shut down various systems. Because its activation was down the checklist on page 3 ; before striking the water they didn't have time to get to page 3.

First Officer, while low time in AB, but typed in other aircraft, glass cockpit, had been a Captain before, IOE was completed.

Captain estimated the aircraft struck the birds between 220 & 250kts

How did F/A get lacerations? Doesn't know. Initialy, she didn't realize she was hurt. After she sending the passengers up the aisle, she felt the pain and noticed that she was bleeding.

[LGA777]

Here is a link with a little more detail about the checks to each passenger, which also included a refund of their entire airfare.

http://www.cnn.com/2009/TRAVEL/01/20/us ... index.html

And BTW re the US van a few photos up there are none in the new livery, most ground equipment is plain white with a new usairways wordmark. The last time I drove that van was to see the AA DC-3 in their hangar a few months ago BTW.

LGA777