Bird Strike

[G-ManBart]

Airbuses (airbi?) are fly by wire.

No hydraulics. So as long they have electrics they're good to go.

Not exactly. Yes, it's FBW, but the control surfaces are all operated by hydraulic motors/jacks. The FBW system electrically connects the control stick to the hyraulic motor that moves the surfaces. Turns out the hydraulic motors are electrically powered rather than engine driven....although there is still an engine driven hydraulic pump on each engine (the APU can also power the hydraulics). I'm guessing the engine pumps are used for high volume applications like the gear where electric motors would have trouble with the required output and pressure required.

So, they'd need to have at least one of the engines running to turn a generator, or the APU running to have full control authority. I believe it also has a RAT (ram air turbine) but they don't work well at low speeds. Manual reversion likely doesn't provide full control authority...almost never does. Without full elevator authority the likely outcome would have been bad...can't hold the nose high enough or slow it's rate of drop after the tail contacts the water, it hits hard and Airbus would have it's first submarine.

Airbus made a lot of improvements to the A320 after they put the first one in the trees at the Paris Airshow...maybe the work following that tragedy help prevent one today.

No matter what the final details, it was some d@mned fine flying by the crew!

[Slabbie Shooter]

well the next question is what is US Airways policy on APU usage during climbout? I would think they'd barely have time to fire it up after a double bird strike.

With or without full control authority, this water landing was textbook perfect. Having a bank angle of zero is what kept them from ending up like that Ethiopian Airways 767 did. Once an engine nacelle touches the water, it turns into the world's most effective speedbrake.

[JACKAL]

This is what my wife was telling me about.

[mpeltier]

Wow, I keep thinking about what those people just went thru and lived to tell about it. Truly amazing. That pilot will hopefully have an experiance and new found knowledge to share with other pilots.

On our last vacation to Mexico when taking off I witnessed a seagul hit the engine cowling as we ascended at take-off. It kinda startled me and concerned me. I later learned that birds that small (i know they are not that small) are not usually a hazard. It sure did leave a big mess on the engine cowling, I even took a picture of it.

[G-ManBart]

well the next question is what is US Airways policy on APU usage during climbout? I would think they'd barely have time to fire it up after a double bird strike.

With or without full control authority, this water landing was textbook perfect. Having a bank angle of zero is what kept them from ending up like that Ethiopian Airways 767 did. Once an engine nacelle touches the water, it turns into the world's most effective speedbrake.

In talking with my father about that he said it was pretty universal to leave the APU on for takeoff on twin engine airplanes, so it's likely they had it on.

Yeah, the EA hijacking crash had a couple of things go wrong....I recall a fight with the hijackers is what cause the plane to bank before contact with the water, but they were totally out of fuel so no engines, no APU and all they had was the RAT which is really limited.

I just heard there's a Facebook fan club for the pilot now! He deserves it

[Seth]

No substitute for experience, it seems...

Captain Chesley B. Sullenberger, III

Age 58, joined US Airways (PSA Airlines) in 1980. He has a total of 19,663 flights hours

First officer Jeffrey B. Skiles

Age 49, joined US Airways (USAir) in 1986. He has a total of 15,643 flight hours.

Flight attendant, Shelia Dail

Age 57, joined US Airways (Piedmont Airlines) in 1980 and has more than 28 years experience with the airline.

Flight attendant, Doreen Welsh

Age 58, joined US Airways (Allegheny Airlines) in 1970 and has more than 38 years experience with the airline.

Flight attendant, Donna Dent

Age 51, joined US Airways (Piedmont Airlines) in 1982 and has more than 26 years experience with the airl

Edited January 17, 2009 by Seth

[d5357]

That is very impressive!

[BNorth]

Definitely nice flying and I"m glad all made it out safe. But I bet that water was COLD!!!

[Kimberdude]

I was living in Anchorage AK when that AWACS went down, knew one of the folks on it. On my way to work and saw the smoke column, over the AFB couldn't be good. I have been all over Elmendorf AFB, seen the propane cannons working to no effect, geese are within 25 feet of them when they fire, the geese never even raise thier heads from eating to see what the comotion was.

At the small (largest float plane base in North Americo) Lake Hood area the city put hogs out on the islands the geese lived and nested on, and guess what???? NO MORE GEESE! The they raffled off the hogs at the end of the year, egg fed, must have been yummy.

Hopefully the pilot of this plane will get a very hefty bonus, he has earned it.

[Hank Ellis]

Random thoughts:

The incident will be classed as an accident rather than an incident due to the cost of damage to the aircraft.

Wish the media would quit using the term crash in this instance. Forced landing is the proper term.

The NTSB will be looking for what went right just as much as what went wrong. Scholars of aviation safety will be going over this one with a microscope.

Bird strikes are more common than most people think. In my corner of aviation we have one or two bird strikes a year at my location. But we're into helicopters and we fly much lower than the heavy iron. Even had a bird strike with a helicopter sitting on the ground at idle. Pilot doing his engine cooldown at idle minding his own business. Flock of pigeons came down the flyway, rose up, then went straight down through the main rotor. At least 6 strikes with dead and injured pigeons going everywhere. No damage to the aircraft but took four of us an hour to clean up the mess. Wish I had it on video.

Capt. Sullenberger was the right man at the right time. From what I gathered he just loved to fly. As his wife said he "loved the art of the airplane". Well put. Safety geek (not a disparaging term) who owns and runs his own safety consulting company. A 'good stick' we call in the industry. He is two years away from the mandatory age 60 retirement rule. People like this is why I think the rule needs to be revoked.

The rest of the crew was well seasoned and obviously did their job well. Hats off to them.

Engineers will be looking at this one as well. What made the engine choke and what can we do to help prevent this? A lot of people will be studying this one for a while.

[rrflyer]

A 'good stick' we call in the industry. He is two years away from the mandatory age 60 retirement rule. People like this is why I think the rule needs to be revoked.

age 60 rule was overturned a little over a year ago. Mandatory retirement age is now 65.

[Hank Ellis]

A 'good stick' we call in the industry. He is two years away from the mandatory age 60 retirement rule. People like this is why I think the rule needs to be revoked.

age 60 rule was overturned a little over a year ago. Mandatory retirement age is now 65.

How did I miss that one? Granted we fly Part 135 where there is no mandatory retirement age and I'm in maintenance so it slipped between the cracks. Either way, good start. Just as soon revoke the whole rule in my opinion.

Thanks for the update.