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US Airways Flight 1549: Difference between revisions

Coordinates: 40°46′10″N 74°00′17″W / 40.769498°N 74.004636°W / 40.769498; -74.004636
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'''[[US Airways]] Flight 1549''' was a scheduled commercial passenger flight from [[LaGuardia Airport]] in [[New York City]] to [[North Carolina]]/[[Washington]], that on January 15 2009 [[Water_landing#Commercial_aircraft|ditched]] in the [[Hudson River]] about six minutes after takeoff.<ref name="tracklog">{{cite web|url=http://flightaware.com/live/flight/AWE1549/history/20090115/2026Z/KLGA/KLGA/tracklog|title=FlightAware > Live Flight Tracker > Track Log > AWE1549 > 15-Jan-2009 > KLGA-KLGA |publisher=Flightaware.com |date= |accessdate=2009-01-16}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title= US Airways Flight 1549 Initial Report |url=http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=196799&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=1245239 |publisher=[[US Airways]]|date=2009-01-15 |accessdate=2009-01-15}}</ref><ref name="newsarticle1">{{cite news|title= US Airways Flight 1549 Update # 2 |url=http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=196799&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=1245262 |publisher=[[US Airways]]|date=2009-01-15 |accessdate=2009-01-15}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Airbus crashes in New York river |date=2009-01-15 |accessdate=2009-01-15| url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/7832191.stm}}</ref> While climbing to an [[Altitude#Altitude_in_aviation|altitude]] of 3,200 feet about two minutes after takeoff, the crew reported by radio to New York Terminal Radar Approach Control that their twin-jet [[Airbus_A320#A320|Airbus A320]] had been [[bird strike|struck by birds]] in both engines resulting in bilateral [[compressor stall]]s and partial or complete loss of thrust in both powerplants.<ref name=New York Times>{{cite news|url=http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/16/nyregion/16pilot.html?hp=&pagewanted=print|title=Plane Crew Is Credited for Nimble Reaction|date=2009-01-16}}</ref>
'''[[US Airways]] Flight 1549''' was a scheduled commercial passenger flight from [[LaGuardia Airport]] in [[New York City]] to [[North Carolina]]/[[Washington]], that on January 15 2009 [[Water_landing#Commercial_aircraft|ditched]] in the [[Hudson River]] about six minutes after takeoff.<ref name="tracklog">{{cite web|url=http://flightaware.com/live/flight/AWE1549/history/20090115/2026Z/KLGA/KLGA/tracklog|title=FlightAware > Live Flight Tracker > Track Log > AWE1549 > 15-Jan-2009 > KLGA-KLGA |publisher=Flightaware.com |date= |accessdate=2009-01-16}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title= US Airways Flight 1549 Initial Report |url=http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=196799&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=1245239 |publisher=[[US Airways]]|date=2009-01-15 |accessdate=2009-01-15}}</ref><ref name="newsarticle1">{{cite news|title= US Airways Flight 1549 Update # 2 |url=http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=196799&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=1245262 |publisher=[[US Airways]]|date=2009-01-15 |accessdate=2009-01-15}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Airbus crashes in New York river |date=2009-01-15 |accessdate=2009-01-15| url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/7832191.stm}}</ref> While climbing to an [[Altitude#Altitude_in_aviation|altitude]] of 3,200 feet about two minutes after takeoff, the crew reported by radio to New York Terminal Radar Approach Control that their twin-jet [[Airbus_A320#A320|Airbus A320]] had been [[bird strike|struck by birds]] in both engines resulting in bilateral [[compressor stall]]s and partial or complete loss of thrust in both powerplants.<ref name=New York Times>{{cite news|url=http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/16/nyregion/16pilot.html?hp=&pagewanted=print|title=Plane Crew Is Credited for Nimble Reaction|date=2009-01-16}}</ref>
All on board survived the accident.<ref name="CNN">{{cite news|url=http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/01/15/new.york.plane.crash/index.html|title=Airplane in Hudson River after failed takeoff, FAA says|date=2009-01-15|work=[[CNN]]|accessdate=2009-01-15}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|author=Michelle Maskaly, AP|title=Pilot in Hudson River Crash Flew Air Force Fighter Jets|url=http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,480108,00.html|work=[[Fox News]]|date=2009-01-16|accessdate=2009-01-16}}</ref>
All on board survived the accident.<ref name="CNN">{{cite news|url=http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/01/15/new.york.plane.crash/index.html|title=Airplane in Hudson River after failed takeoff, FAA says|date=2009-01-15|work=[[CNN]]|accessdate=2009-01-15}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|author=Michelle Maskaly, AP|title=Pilot in Hudson River Crash Flew Air Force Fighter Jets|url=http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,480108,00.html|work=[[Fox News]]|date=2009-01-16|accessdate=2009-01-16}}</ref> The largest previous zero fatality water landing for a commercial airliner was [[Japan Airlines Flight 2]], with 96 survivors in 1968. The last water landing comparable in aircraft size to Flight 1549, [[Ethiopian Airlines Flight 961]], resulted in 125 fatalities and 50 survivors, although this was complicated by the presence of hijackers on the flight deck.


==Flight==
==Flight==

Revision as of 18:45, 16 January 2009

US Airways Flight 1549
Airbus A320 floating in the Hudson River
Occurrence
DateJanuary 15, 2009 (2009-01-15)
SummaryMultiple bird strikes (preliminary)
Emergency water landing
SiteHudson River between New York City Near 48th Street and Port Imperial at Weehawken, New Jersey, United States
40°46′10″N 74°00′17″W / 40.769498°N 74.004636°W / 40.769498; -74.004636 (approximation)[1]
Aircraft typeAirbus A320-214 (c/n 1044)
OperatorUS Airways
RegistrationN106US
Flight originLaGuardia Airport, New York City
StopoverCharlotte/Douglas International Airport
DestinationSeattle-Tacoma International Airport
Passengers150[2]
Crew5
Fatalities0
Injuries78[3]
Survivors155 (All)

US Airways Flight 1549 was a scheduled commercial passenger flight from LaGuardia Airport in New York City to North Carolina/Washington, that on January 15 2009 ditched in the Hudson River about six minutes after takeoff.[4][5][6][7] While climbing to an altitude of 3,200 feet about two minutes after takeoff, the crew reported by radio to New York Terminal Radar Approach Control that their twin-jet Airbus A320 had been struck by birds in both engines resulting in bilateral compressor stalls and partial or complete loss of thrust in both powerplants.Cite error: The <ref> tag has too many names (see the help page). All on board survived the accident.[8][9] The largest previous zero fatality water landing for a commercial airliner was Japan Airlines Flight 2, with 96 survivors in 1968. The last water landing comparable in aircraft size to Flight 1549, Ethiopian Airlines Flight 961, resulted in 125 fatalities and 50 survivors, although this was complicated by the presence of hijackers on the flight deck.

Flight

The plane in the Hudson River surrounded by U.S. Coast Guard, FDNY, NYPD, and ferry boats

On January 15, 2009, Flight 1549 took off from Runway 4 at LaGuardia Airport in New York City at 3:26 p.m. EST (20:26 UTC)[10] with 150 passengers and five crew members.[2]. The regularly scheduled route of Flight 1549 is a domestic flight, flying first to Charlotte/Douglas, North Carolina, and then on to Seattle-Tacoma in Washington.

FAA spokeswoman Laura Brown said that preliminary information indicates the plane's engines were damaged by a double bird strike shortly after takeoff. Unofficial radar returns show that the flight rose at most 3,200 feet (975 m) before beginning its descent.[4] The captain radioed to air traffic control that he had experienced a bird strike and declared an emergency. Passengers reported smelling fuel before the landing.[11]

The flight's captain was Chesley B. "Sully" Sullenberger III, of Danville, Ca., a United States Air Force Academy graduate who flew F-4 Phantoms for the U.S. Air Force from 1973 to 1980 and US Airways aircraft thereafter.[12][13][14][15] The co-pilot was Jeffrey Skiles, 49, of Oregon, Wisconsin.[16][17][18]

Ditching

One of the pilots initially requested permission to attempt an emergency landing at an airport he saw. Air traffic controllers identified the airport as Teterboro Airport in Bergen County, New Jersey. The instruction to land at Teterboro was the last communication with the plane[19] before the pilots decided to ditch on the Hudson River due to a lack of altitude. The captain said, "Brace for impact."[8] Air traffic control at LaGuardia reported seeing the aircraft pass less than 900 feet (270 m) above the George Washington Bridge.[8]

About six minutes after takeoff, the plane touched down in the Hudson River heading southbound near 48th Street in Manhattan and Port Imperial in Weehawken, New Jersey, less than a mile from Times Square and the busy streets of Midtown Manhattan, and within 3,000 feet of three ferryboat terminals.[20]

One witness said that the plane approached the water at a gradual angle and made a big splash. From his vantage point in an office building, it appeared that the plane was not travelling at a particularly high speed, and that it made slow contact with the water.[21] By landing successfully on water, the captain "achieved one of the rarest and most technically challenging feats in commercial aviation", the Wall Street Journal said.[22]

Passengers

Local ferries, many part of the NY Waterway and Circle Line fleet, and tugs began almost immediately to rescue passengers, some of whom were standing on the wings of the floating plane,[23] while others entered life rafts.[24] Within minutes,[25] police helicopters, Coast Guard vessels, rescue divers, as well as FDNY fireboat John D. McKean were on scene to help with the rescue and recovery effort.[26] All of the passengers and flight crew were evacuated safely,[8].

FDNY had 35 ambulances ready for patients coming off the flight.[27] In addition, about 30 other ambulances were made available by other organizations, including several hospital-based ambulances (St. Vincent, St. Barnabas). Various agencies also provided medical help on the Weehawken side of the river.

There was only one major injury: a passenger who broke both legs.[28] Seventy-eight other people were treated, mostly for minor injuries [29] and hypothermia.[30]

Saint Vincent's Catholic Medical Center in Greenwich Village received patients from the incident (as well as St. Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital Center), to which five to ten passengers were taken for care, entirely due to exposure to cold conditions. Roosevelt Hospital received an additional ten patients.[31] In all, 15 passengers were treated at hospitals while others were cared for in triage facilities.[8]

Of the 155 passengers, more than 20 were employees of Bank of America, headquartered at the plane's initial destination of Charlotte, NC.[32]

Aftermath

Following the rescue, the plane remained afloat but partially submerged and was eventually moored to a pier near the World Financial Center in Lower Manhattan, roughly four miles downstream from where it had ditched, to prevent it from floating out to sea.[33]

At 4:55 p.m. (21:55 UTC) fire crews began to stand down. At 5:07 p.m. (22:07 UTC), Doug Parker, CEO of US Airways, issued an official statement during a press conference in Tempe, Arizona, in which he confirmed that the forced ditching was due to an accident.[34] The most severe injury confirmed as of 5:26 p.m. was a leg fracture received by a flight attendant, who was scheduled to undergo surgery.[35]

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has dispatched a Go Team to New York led by Robert Benzon as the investigator in chief.[36]

Mayor Michael Bloomberg described the landing as "masterful" and stated that he intended to present Chesley Sullenberger with a key to New York City while Governor David Paterson described the event as a "miracle on the Hudson."[29] President George W. Bush said he was "inspired by the skill and heroism of the flight crew," and he also praised the emergency responders and volunteers.[37]

References

  1. ^ New York Times blog
  2. ^ a b "US Airways Flight 1549 Update # 3" (Press release). US Airways. January 15, 2009, 5:27 ET. Retrieved January 15, 2009. {{cite press release}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  3. ^ Ian Munro (2009-01-16). "Passenger jet plunges into Hudson River". The Age. Retrieved 2009-01-15.
  4. ^ a b "FlightAware > Live Flight Tracker > Track Log > AWE1549 > 15-Jan-2009 > KLGA-KLGA". Flightaware.com. Retrieved 2009-01-16.
  5. ^ "US Airways Flight 1549 Initial Report". US Airways. 2009-01-15. Retrieved 2009-01-15.
  6. ^ "US Airways Flight 1549 Update # 2". US Airways. 2009-01-15. Retrieved 2009-01-15.
  7. ^ "Airbus crashes in New York river". 2009-01-15. Retrieved 2009-01-15.
  8. ^ a b c d e "Airplane in Hudson River after failed takeoff, FAA says". CNN. 2009-01-15. Retrieved 2009-01-15.
  9. ^ Michelle Maskaly, AP (2009-01-16). "Pilot in Hudson River Crash Flew Air Force Fighter Jets". Fox News. Retrieved 2009-01-16.
  10. ^ "US Airways #1549". FlightAware. 2009-01-15. Retrieved 2009-01-15.
  11. ^ Edith Honan, Claudia Parsons (2009-01-15). "Plane ditches in New York river, all aboard are safe". Reuters. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |1= (help)
  12. ^ Russell Goldman, Rich Esposito, Emily Friedman (January 15, 2009). "'Pilot Did a Masterful Job': Rescue After US Airways Crash In Hudson River". ABC News.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  13. ^ "Hero Pilots Disabled Plane To Safety". New York Post. Retrieved 2009-01-16.
  14. ^ "Sullenberger bio". Retrieved 2009-01-15. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  15. ^ Amy Westfeldt (January 15, 2009). "Hudson River Hero is Ex-Fighter Pilot". AP News.
  16. ^ "Hudson River hero is ex-Air Force fighter pilot" The New York Post retrieved January 16, 2009
  17. ^ "Family of copilot from Hudson River plane crash speaks" WCBD News2, Charleston, SC, retrieved January 16, 2009
  18. ^ "Wisconsin pilot on crew of US Airways jet" Chicago Tribune.com Retrieved January 16, 2009
  19. ^ David B. Caruso. "All 155 safe after pilot ditches jet in NYC river". Associated Press. Retrieved 2009-01-15.
  20. ^ "US Airways #1549 : 15-Jan-2009 : KLGA-KLGA". Flightaware.com. January 15, 2009. Retrieved January 16, 2009.
  21. ^ "US Airways plane goes down in Hudson River". AP. 2009-01-15. Retrieved 2009-01-15.
  22. ^ J. Lynn Lunsford. "Successful Water Landings of Airplanes Rare". Wall Street journal. Retrieved 2009-01-15.
  23. ^ Scott Curkin and Bob Monek (January 15, 2009). "Miracle on the Hudson". ABC News. Retrieved 2009-01-15.
  24. ^ "Airplane in Hudson River after failed takeoff, FAA says". CNN. January 15, 2009. Retrieved January 15, 2009.
  25. ^ Baum, Geraldine (2006-01-16). "All on US Airways plane are safe — within 5 minutes of crash landing". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2009-01-16. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  26. ^ Russell Goldman, Rich Esposito (15 January 2009). "Jet Crashes Into Hudson River: 'Can't Believe What I Saw'". ABC News. Retrieved 15 January 2009.
  27. ^ Michael Wilson, Al Baker (2009-01-15). "A Quick Rescue Kept Death Toll at Zero". NYTimes. Retrieved 2009-01-16.
  28. ^ Samantha Gross. "Passengers in NY plane ordeal marvel they're alive: A female passenger received two broken legs". Associated Press. Retrieved 2009-01-16.
  29. ^ a b "Pilot hailed for 'Hudson miracle'". BBC. 2009-01-16. Retrieved 2009-01-16.
  30. ^ Robert Smith (2009-01-15). "Passengers Treated For Hypothermia". NPR. Retrieved 2009-01-15. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |coauthor= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  31. ^ Susana Enriquez (2009-01-15). "Hospital checks flight 1549 passengers for deeper injuries". News Day. Retrieved 2009-01-15.
  32. ^ McFadden, Robert D. (2009-01-15). "All 155 Escape Jet's Plunge Into Hudson". The New York Times. Retrieved 2009-01-16.
  33. ^ "US Airways airplane crashes in Hudson River - Hero pilot Chesley Sullenberger III saves all aboard". Retrieved 2009-01-15.
  34. ^ "Statement From US Airways". The New York Times. January 15, 2009.
  35. ^ "Airplane crash-lands into Hudson River; all aboard reported safe". CNN. 2009-01-15. Retrieved 2009-01-16.
  36. ^ "NTSB Sending Go team to New York City for Hudson River Airliner Accident". National Transportation Safety Board. January 15, 2009. Retrieved January 15, 2009.
  37. ^ Statement by the President on Plane Crash in New York City
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