'Miracle on the Hudson': the startling story of an emergency plane landing in New York

On January 15, 2009, a US Airways plane took to the skies over New York. And almost immediately an emergency happened: birds hit both engines. This forced the pilots to make an emergency landing directly into the icy waters of the Hudson River. The true story of the "miracle on the Hudson" is shared by "Arguments and Facts".

"High class pilot"

Although airplane is one of the safest modes of transport today, sometimes emergencies cannot be avoided. Landing on water is one of the most dangerous situations, and if there is at least one chance to avoid it, it should be used, according to aviation experts.

In world aviation, only a little more than a dozen of controlled forced landings of passenger airliners on the water are known. Most of them were not without casualties on board.

One of such cases took place in August 1963, when Viktor Mostovoy performed “a miracle on the Neva”. The airliner Tu-124 of Aeroflot Airlines performed a scheduled regular flight on the Tallinn-Moscow route, but after a malfunction with the landing gear and failure of both engines splashed down on the Neva River in Leningrad. None of those on board were killed or injured.

That year, the 12-year-old son of a Texas dentist, Chesley Sullenberger, became a member of Mensa's High IQ Society. Later, at the age of 16, Chesley entered a private flying club, where he became convinced that the profession of a pilot is what he wants to do all his life. In 1969, when he was 18, Sullenberger became a cadet at the United States Air Force Academy. He has collected all possible awards and incentives, having completed his studies with the qualification "top flyer" ("pilot of the highest class").

After seven years of military service, he switched to civil aviation. A specialist with military experience and high IQ was recruited to investigate plane crashes.

Much later, the pilot founded the Safety Reliability Methods company, which provides advice on safety in air transport. But flying remained the main business for Chesley Sullenberger. For nearly 30 years, he has piloted US Airways civilian ships, safely transporting passengers to their destination.

Fatal meeting

It happened on January 15, 2009. It would seem that it was a normal working day. Experienced pilot Chesley Sullenberger was to fly AWE 1549 on the New York - Charlotte - Seattle route. Departure from New York was scheduled for 15:20 local time.

The flight was performed on Airbus A320. The aircraft did not raise any concerns - it was released in 1999, regularly underwent scheduled maintenance and did not cause any complaints.

The co-pilot that day was 49-year-old Jeffrey Skiles. An experienced pilot with 23 years of experience at US Airways flew an A320 for the first time.

In total there were 150 passengers on board, two pilots and three flight attendants.

The liner took to the skies from New York Airport at 15:24. And almost immediately an emergency happened.

Usually all airports have bird scare systems. This prevents birds from colliding with aircraft, which poses a serious danger to flights.

But on this day, the Airbus A320 met a whole flock of geese on its way. The fatal encounter took place just 90 seconds after takeoff. The plane didn't even have time to maneuver to avoid a collision.

It is worth noting that for modern liners, the failure of one engine is not fatal - the plane can fly to its destination on one. But on this day, geese hit both engines, which were out of order.

A moment later, there were thuds, which were heard by the passengers in the cabin. Some even saw the fire through the windows.

"Prepare to Hit"

Sullenberger reported to the ground that there was an emergency on board, both engines were disabled, an emergency landing was needed.

The situation was almost hopeless: since the plane managed to climb only 975 meters, and the metropolis stretched below, there was no headroom, and the engine thrust was rapidly decreasing.

First, the liner commander announced that he would return to New York airport, then said that he would land at the nearby Teterboro airport. Then the connection with him was interrupted. But as the ground controllers noted, Sullenberger remained completely calm, informing them of what had happened.

When the pilots realized that they would not reach the airport, they turned the liner around and flew over the Hudson River. Soon, the George Washington Bridge rose in front of them, and the pilots miraculously passed one of New York's landmarks.

Chesley Sullenberger made the decision to land the plane on the water. Over the speakerphone, he announced to the passengers: “Prepare to strike! We land on the water. "

Operational evacuation

The Airbus A320 touched the surface of the water, raising a cloud of spray that covered it for a moment. From the side it seemed that the plane had collapsed or gone to the bottom, but then everyone saw that the liner remained on the surface.

Eyewitnesses who watched the landing of the plane were shocked - some recalled the September 11 attacks.

However, there was still a long way to a successful end. The plane could not stay on the water for a long time, and people had to be rescued. Since it was January, it was dangerous to jump into the water - it threatened people with a repetition of the fate of the passengers of the Titanic, many of whom did not drown, but died from hypothermia in the icy water.

The plane gradually sank into the water. Passengers got out on the plane of the wings and the roof. At this time, everyone who could rush to the A320 - police officers, coast guards, rescuers and simply not indifferent people who had floating crafts - to provide assistance to the victims.

The evacuation took only 24 minutes, which saved the lives of all passengers on the flight and crew members. Chesley Sullenberger, as befits a ship's captain, was the last to leave, bypassing the cabin and making sure there was no one on board.

As a result of this incident, 83 people were injured. Most of the passengers received minor frostbite, and only five were seriously injured while boarding.

Such an incident, as a result of which it was possible to do without casualties, allows us to call it a "miracle on the Hudson."

The plane was towed to the pier near the World Financial Center, and then taken out of the water. A320 no longer took to the sky. It was acquired by the Carolinas Aviation Museum in Charlotte (the liner was supposed to fly to this city during its fateful flight). Now the plane is one of the most popular exhibits.

Chesley Sullenberger became a real hero of the nation, he participated in numerous talk shows. Some, however, believed that the pilot exposed people to unnecessary risks, and the plane could be landed in a different way. However, the investigation concluded that the pilot's actions were the only correct ones, which made it possible to save the lives of everyone who was on board that ill-fated day.