User:That Thing There/1549
From Encyclopedia Dramatica
Flight 1549, or "The Miracle on the Hudson"; is 2009's sensationalist news story of the year. Some argue that this event will go down as the "greatest heroic action of all time"; when they are wrong.
Let's start with the basics, shall we? US Airways flight 1549, a scheduled LGA-CLT-SEA flight on an Airbus A320 departed LGA (LaGuardia, New York) at or around 15:00 (3pm, EST). A few seconds after takeoff the plane hit a flock of geese, causing dual engine failure. This is abnormal in terms of aviation, dual engine failures are highly uncommon but crews are trained to handle the situation with professionalism while maintaining the ANC rule.
Rule of flight:
- Aviate
- Navigate
- Communicate
Meaning, fly the plane, figure out where you are, THEN talk to atc. So far, looks like Cpt. Sullenberger and First Officer Skyles were just following the rules. They flew, they tried to navigate to the nearest airfield (TEB, Teterboro, NJ), decided they were unable and located the safest, most open space to "ditch". That area happened to be the Hudson River.
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A deeper look (Or really, a debunking)
A successful water landing in a commercial aircraft with no significant loss of life is however quite a big thing. Very few pilots have been able to sustain a water landing without killing most of the passengers, or themselves. Flight 1549 sustained one serious injury, 50 or so minor and the rest were uninjured. Why?
Some key factors in the success of flight 1549's survival rate:
- The plane had just departed. Airspeed and altitude were minimal, meaning impact forces would be lesser than other water landings.
- The crew (2x pilot, 5x F/A) were senior staff. Their total seniority years totaled over 100, meaning they had plenty of training and experience.
- Weather was clear, no wind, no precipitation, no clouds, just clear skies and sunshine. Seems like every time New York gets clear weather like that, a plane (or 2, lol) crashes.
- The aircraft itself was a modern Airbus A320 with safety systems designed to compensate for situations like these.
Looking above, we see that everything was in order for success. Experience, weather, a clean place to ditch, slow and low flight; other than selecting the location and following procedure, Cpt. Sullenberger was no more a hero than you, doing your taxes by the book.
But wait, there's more heroism!
Cpt. Sullenberger paced the isle of the jet twice after the passengers had evacuated, double-checking for passengers left behind or trampled to death. Some call this heroism, but according to other airline manuals, checking the aircraft is further procedure.
So.. What?
Cpt. Sullenberger, F/O Skyles and the cabin crew were not heroes. They did not act in a heroic manner, they did not save lives by putting themselves in undue risk. They followed guidelines that were time-tested, they kept calm and acted in an orderly and quick fashion. They deserve commendation, but not a gigantic media circle-jerk. As a pilot, I have dealt with situations (though not as extreme) that put lives in danger. Was I a hero for preventing an aviation incident? No. It is a pilot's duty to maintain the integrity of his aircraft and the lives of his passengers. There is no heroism in flying a plane, there is no heroism for landing a burning one. It's part of the job.
In conclusion
Congratulations to Cpt. Sullenberger, F/O Skyles and the cabin crew for being one of the first to have a 100% successful ditch. To the old media, please quit hyping everything up. Bird strikes are common, quit making it sound like they happen once every hundred years.
