The pilot who landed the plane on the Hudson. "Get ready to strike!" The True Story of the Miracle on the Hudson

America

Ryan Heck, Kevin Ishioka, more

  • The film is based on the autobiography Highest Duty, which was co-written by Chesley Sullenberger and Geoffrey Zeslow. She talks about the crash landing of US Airways Flight 1549, known as the "Miracle on the Hudson", which occurred on Thursday, January 15, 2009. The plane managed to gain a height of 975 meters, after which it collided with a flock of geese. As a result, both engines failed. The captain of the aircraft, Chesley Sullenberger, managed to land the plane on the waters of the Hudson River in New York, while all 155 people on board survived.
  • This is the first collaboration between Clint Eastwood and Tom Hanks.
  • Clint Eastwood shot this film almost entirely on the new ALEXA IMAX 65mm cameras.
  • The song "A Real Hero", written by the French electronic artist College in collaboration with Electric Youth and released in 2010, was written specifically about Captain Chesley Sullenberger. The song was inspired by Electric Youth frontman Austin Garrick when his grandfather called Sullenberger a real hero.
  • This is the second time that Tom Hanks plays a real person and the events described take place in 2009. The previous such film was Captain Phillips (2013).
  • Laura Linney has previously starred with Clint Eastwood in Absolute Power (1996) and Mystic River (2003).
  • Laura Linney and Aaron Eckhart co-starred on Frasier (1993-2004).
  • Co-pilot Jeff Skiles, played by Aaron Eckhart, appeared in an episode of American Collectors (2010).
  • This is the 35th feature film directed by Clint Eastwood.
  • Clint Eastwood's first project since Fire Fox (1982) that was not edited by Joel Cox.
  • For 2016, this is the shortest feature film directed by Clint Eastwood.
  • The film used an Airbus A320-200. Especially for filming, two decommissioned aircraft of this model were bought.
  • Ferry captain Vincent Lombardi played himself in the film. He really was the captain of the first ferry that got to the plane.
  • The crash landing rescue scenes were filmed at the same location in the Hudson River where the actual rescue took place. At the same time, shots of lifeboats surrounding a large empty area were filmed on the Hudson, and then shots of the A320 aircraft filmed in the artificial lake "Falls Lake" of Universal Studios, located in southern California, were added to them.
  • While preparing for his role, Tom Hanks dated Chesley Sullenberger. Sullenberger said he was impressed with how well the actor portrayed his character on screen.
  • Tom Hanks said that the most difficult thing for the make-up artists was lightening his hair.
  • Some scenes were filmed at the New York Marriott Downtown Hotel, where real passengers flight after the crash.
  • Laura Linney said that, despite the fact that their characters had common scenes, she and Tom Hanks did not intersect on the set, but in the scenes with telephone conversations, they actually were in touch with each other.
  • While Sally runs through Times Square, you can see advertising signs for other Clint Eastwood films - Gran Torino (2008) and Jersey Boys (2014).
  • The large blue stone ring worn by Tom Hanks is the ring of the United States Air Force Academy where Chesley Sullenberger studied. Hanks previously wore a military ring in Apollo 13 (1995), where he played a US Naval Academy graduate.
  • Katie Couric, who interviews the Tom Hanks character in the film, interviewed the real-life Chesley Sullenberger for 60 Minutes (1968). It was episode 18 of season 41 and aired on February 8, 2009, just twenty-four days after the tragic incident.
  • The film entailed scrutiny by major newspapers such as the New York Times and The Guardian. They compared the way the story was told in the film with the official investigation reports of the case and concluded that the National Transportation Safety Board was unfairly portrayed in the film as an incompetent organization that violated its own protocols and was allegedly hostile to tuned in to Captain Sullenberger.
  • Ann Cusack previously co-starred with Tom Hanks in A League of Their Own (1992). In that film, she played the role of a player on the team that Hanks was the manager of, and in this film, Cusack is a member of the crew, of which Hanks is the captain.
  • During Sally's flashback, when he flies a biplane as a teenager, the sign of the Civil Air Patrol is clearly visible on the airport building. This service, among other tasks, was engaged in coastal patrols, and also performed courier duties during the Second World War. Today, this service is responsible for all domestic search and rescue operations in the United States and operates one of the largest aircraft fleets in the world.
  • The biplane Sally flies in flashback scenes is a rare Stearman Cloudboy. At the time of filming, it was one of six aircraft of this model still flying.
  • During filming, the real Chesley Sullenberger was present in the studio and helped the filmmakers in every possible way.
  • Brett Rice and Tom Hanks previously starred together in Forest Gump (1994).
  • Mike O'Malley and Max Adler previously starred together on Losers (2009-2015).

More facts (+25)

Mistakes

  • In one of the scenes at the beginning of the film, footage of the streets of New York is shown, in which you can see a taxi with an advertisement for the film The Revenant (2015). However, the events of the film take place in 2009.
  • When Tom Hanks' character runs through Times Square, advertising posters for the production of Aladdin are visible on poles. This production premiered on Broadway in 2014.
  • In some scenes at LaGuardia Airport, the modern livery of United Airlines and American Airlines aircraft is visible. However, these companies began to paint aircraft in this way only in 2010 and 2013, respectively.
  • In the scenes at LaGuardia Airport at the beginning of the film, a Continental Airlines Boeing 737 shows mated wingtips, consisting of two winglets pointing in opposite directions, with saber-shaped end fairings. Such endings began to be installed on commercial aircraft only in 2014.
  • In the film, a Toyota Prius V taxi can be seen as Sullenberger walks the streets. This car appeared only in 2011.
  • Some scenes show the skyline of Manhattan, but they are different from what it looked like in 2009. In particular, you can see the skyscraper 432 Park Avenue, the construction of which began only in 2012.
  • When Sullenberger runs through Times Square, a Halloween advertisement is seen, but the movie takes place in January, nine months before Halloween.
  • At LaGuardia Airport, an American Airline plane is next to a UsAirways plane. In 2009, the aircraft of these companies were at different terminals.
  • In the scene in Times Square, people can be seen sitting outdoors at tables in a dedicated area for pedestrians. This zone did not appear until May 2009, a few months after the events of the film. And metal tables and chairs appeared in Times Square only in August 2009.
  • During a trip to New York, you can see an advertisement for the upcoming Cal Swindell show. Swindella appeared on the music scene only in 2013.
  • During the listening session, when the simulation is run, right before landing, marks are visible indicating that the plane was almost out of the runway (that's one white line on both sides, and then a double white line). Then there is a frame change and it turns out that the plane is at a different point relative to the runway.
  • A Ford C-Max taxi can be seen in the film. In the US, such cars were only introduced in 2012 as a 2013 model.
  • When Sally runs through Times Square in the evening, she stops at West 44th Street and there is an advertisement for a production of Matilda that is playing at the Schubert Theatre. The premiere of "Matilda" took place only on April 11, 2013.
  • A view of the waterfront in Weehawken, New Jersey shows buildings that didn't exist in 2009.
  • In the towing scene, you can see that he has IAE V2500 engines, but in most of the rest of the shots he has CFM 56 engines.
  • In the Museum of Sea, Air and Space "Intrepid" you can see a large pavilion that was built to house the spacecraft "Enterprise" between 2012 and 2013. At the time of the events of the film, this pavilion did not yet exist.
  • In a flashback scene, Sullenberger is approaching runway 22 and says he is heading for 020 after seeing the runway clearly. In fact, the lane number corresponds to magnetic course, which for the 22nd lane would be "220". Heading "020" means turning 200 degrees to the left of the current heading, or 160 degrees to the right.
  • When flight attendants talk about safety rules, the position of the lever shows that the left front boarding door is in manual mode. When taking off, the door should be set to automatic mode, then when the door is opened, the emergency slide will be automatically thrown out.
  • On the boat, Geoffrey Nordling's character gets a hat to keep warm, then the hat disappears for a while and then reappears.
  • When the passengers are being rescued, one person is wearing the shirt of one of the pilots, however, moments later, both pilots are shown both wearing shirts.
  • In a flashback, Sullenberger is instructed to land the plane on the 2-1 runway. However, in the end, the plane lands on runway 22.
  • During an interview with Katie Couric, the ring on her left ring finger appears and disappears.
  • When Sullenberger is in Manhattan looking at the reporters through the window, at least two news vans are visible among them, which are representatives of the San Francisco affiliates (KRON 4 and KTVU 2), although there should be only New York representatives.
  • In one scene, the aircraft appears on the radar display as "USA1549". US Airways and America West Airlines merged in 2005 and received a single certification in 2008. Since the accident happened in 2009, instead of "USA1549" on the radar, "AWE1549" should be displayed.
  • As Sullenberger lands the plane on the Hudson, he sees through the cockpit windshield the approaching river. In fact, given the tilt of the plane, he could only see the approaching river through the side window, and through the front window he would only see the sky.
  • During each successful landing simulation, an audible alert would have to sound for the pilots to change the position of the thrust levers for landing.
  • In the last simulation, the plane is clearly stalling on its wing before impact. However, at such moments, a special signal should sound, warning of approaching a stall on the wing.
  • On the panel of the A320 aircraft, a pressure gauge is visible, showing the degree of air compression in the engine. In 2009, US Airways A320s had CFM engines that did not have these gauges.

More bugs (+25)

Plot

Beware, the text may contain spoilers!

On January 15, 2009, US Airways pilot Captain Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger and First Officer Jeffrey Skiles took off on Flight 1549 from LaGuardia Airport and proceeded on their route to international Airport Charlotte Douglas. Less than three minutes into the flight, at an altitude of about 850 meters, their plane, an Airbus A320, collided with a flock of Canadian geese. Both engines failed as a result of the collision.

Without engines, the captain of the airliner could not fly to the nearest airport, and he decides to land the plane on the Hudson River. Sullenberger manages to do this, and in doing so, all passengers and crew remain alive. The press and the public immediately make him a hero, but after what happened, Sally begins to suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder. Thoughts that the plane could crash into the building constantly climb into his head.

Sally then learns that preliminary data from the aircraft's address reporting system suggests that the left engine was still idling. Theoretically, this would give the plane enough thrust to return to LaGuardia Airport or land at the nearest airport, Teterboro. In addition, the commission of inquiry into this case states that, having simulated this situation on a computer using all available data, they came to the conclusion that the plane could have been safely landed at any of the airports, even if both engines were not working. Sally claims that both engines failed and that the plane was not high enough to have the time or speed to make a safe landing at either airport.

Sally begins to realize that the National Transportation Safety Board is reducing everything to the fact that the pilot made a mistake, which will put a fat cross on his career. In an attempt to salvage his reputation, he arranges for the pilots in the simulator to hold a public demonstration during the hearing of the case. When both simulation pilots successfully land the plane at the airport, Sally argues that this simulation of the situation is not correct, because the pilots know in advance what awaits them and how they should act. This does not take into account the human factor and the amount of time that it would take pilots to actually assess the situation and unsuccessfully attempt to restart inoperative engines. Under pressure, the commission admits that the pilots repeatedly worked out this situation on the simulator before they were able to conduct a successful demonstration at the hearing.

Making a concession to Sullenberger, the commission decides to run the simulation again, now adding a 35-second pause after the moment of the bird strike, thereby taking into account the human factor. After the changes made, pilots are unable to make a safe landing either at LaGuardia Airport or at Teterboro.

After a short break, the commission reports that the left engine was pulled from the Hudson River, that there were undeniable signs that it was completely destroyed by a bird strike. In the light of this information, the commission formally acknowledges that the loss of Flight 1549 was inevitable and that Sullenberger was right to land the plane on the river, as it was the only option that passengers and crew could have survived.

On a frosty day in January 2009, a US Airways plane took off from New York's LaGuardia Airport somewhere in North Carolina. Two minutes after takeoff, a flock of geese slammed into it, knocking out both engines. A few minutes later, the crew chief Chesley Sullenberger, whom everyone naturally called Sally (Tom Hanks), and co-pilot Skyles (Aaron Eckhart) landed the airbus in the middle of the Hudson River, directly opposite Manhattan. None of the 150 passengers died, and one flight attendant injured her leg.

Eastwood, based in particular on the quickly released , reconstructs the recent amazing story with maximum accuracy. The country wears Sally in its arms, his portraits are on all the front pages, Obama calls him to the inauguration (this is no longer in the film). Meanwhile, invisible to the world - but central to a film that needs conflict - a professional drama develops: the commission of the aviation department tries to find out if it would not be easier to land the plane less spectacularly, at one of the nearest airports, and seems to be inclined to the fact that yes, easier.

Russian trailer "Miracle on the Hudson"

The "Miracle on the Hudson", like any miracle, by the way, first of all causes skepticism. Old Eastwood once again explores the nature of American heroism, Tom Hanks once again plays an American hero, and it all looks like the movie Crew (with Denzel Washington, not ours) minus vodka and cocaine (that is, the most interesting).

Indeed, the picture in some places may seem insipid or even cloying. The nerve of The Sharpshooter, Eastwood's previous work, with which it is difficult to avoid comparison, fought due to the fact that the hero killed 150 people - an achievement is still undeniable. Sally saved 150 people: what is there, in theory, to talk about. Even if the plane could be landed in the traditional way, who really cares, except for the airline, the winners are not judged. The struggle of good against the best, brush mustaches that make two main characters at once (especially Eckhart) look like good-natured dogs, telephone conversations with his beloved wife (Laura Linney), applause in pubs, hugs strangers, Letterman's ether, and so on.

But this is nothing more than an event outline, which Eastwood sets out with the strict straightforwardness characteristic of him in recent years. What happens on the screen is actually, on the contrary, the debunking of heroism, or, more precisely, the romantic myth about it. There was no miracle, says Eastwood. The triumphant three minutes were only possible because Sullenberger had 40 years of flying before that. Already in the river, people did not die from hypothermia, because there was a ferry nearby and rescuers quickly worked. The co-pilot did something, the dispatcher did something, the flight attendants did something, the passengers themselves did something. In other words, landing an airbus on the water is not a feat; it's a feat to put on your pants every morning, go to work and try to do it well.


© Karo Premier

This simple consideration is exactly what haunts Sullenberger all the way while the crowd rocks him, and perhaps this is what Clint Eastwood and Tom Hanks are thinking about when they receive another Oscar. Both, professionals to the marrow of their bones, perform here emphatically discreetly, almost dryly. Hanks, who has already replayed everything, it seems, the facets of human dignity, again finds some unique nuances in a character that is positive to the teeth gnashing. Eastwood seems to be passive in the conversational scenes, but when it comes to the main number, the actual disaster, the director's composure works wonders - even not in IMAX, these scenes get goosebumps. Miracle on the Hudson, with its allusions to 9/11 and the 2008 crisis, is an anthem to New York and, of course, a tribute to Chesley Sullenberger, but in essence it is a deeply unpretentious film - and that is why it is so compelling. Clapping a pilot, he says, is not necessary at all when landing. And not necessarily the pilot.

One of the most anticipated premieres in September is the American film Miracle on the Hudson, directed by Clint Eastwood. The scenario of Todd Komarnika is based on the real events of 01/15/2009, when the pilots of the New York - Charlotte flight made an emergency landing on the Hudson of a US Airways aircraft 308 seconds after takeoff. The article is devoted to one of the few aviation incidents that did not cause loss of life due to the impeccable actions of the crew.

Air accident

Flight 1549 took off late from LaGuardia Airport. Due to bad weather, one hundred and fifty passengers and five crew members were waiting for takeoff clearance until 15:24. The sky cleared, but a storm was expected, so people dreamed of getting to their destination as quickly as possible. French-made was in operation for only 10 years and was known as a fairly reliable aircraft, so there were no signs of trouble. For the experienced crew, the fourth day of flights was coming to an end, after which rest was to follow.

At the 91st second, with peripheral vision, the co-pilot saw a flock of birds, after which there was a feeling that the liner stopped abruptly, hitting a concrete wall. Both engines stalled, while the left one started a fire. Having transmitted a distress signal, the crew began to check their actions with the procedures. Restarting the engines turned out to be impossible due to the low altitude, and the proposed airport controller landing strips did not guarantee success. Emergency landing The A320 to the Hudson seemed like the only way out in a difficult situation. The captain of the airliner had only seconds to make a decision on the fidelity of which the lives of 155 people depended.

Crew

By the will of fate, the liner ended up in the hands of an experienced crew.

Captain Chesley Sullenberger, born in 1951, was due to celebrate his fifty-eighth birthday in a few days. Behind him are years of military service and a flight time of 19663 hours. He spent twenty-nine years as a top-class pilot in civil aviation, he was an expert in flight safety.

For forty-nine-year-old Jeffrey Skiles, this was one of the first flights on the Airbus A320. But he was perfectly prepared theoretically, because he had just completed retraining for this class of aircraft, having a total flying time of 15643 hours.

Landing A320 on the Hudson seemed the only thing to both possible way avoid disaster. A transcript of the conversations in the cockpit of the liner will show how accurate and cold-blooded their actions were, which will allow the mayor of New York to name Chesley Sullenberger "Captain Tranquility." The flight attendants were also experienced, preventing panic on board. Each of them gave aviation more than 25 years.

emergency landing

When the smell spread through the cabin and the sound of the engines died away, fear seized the passengers. Hearing the characteristic sign of the microphone being turned on, everyone hoped for a message that the plane would return to the airport and everything would be fine. But the captain of the liner announced that he was ready for a hard landing. Chesley Sullenberger turned the A320 south towards the river, although it was moving into northeast direction. The co-pilot provided the tightness necessary for splashdown. Landing on the Hudson required filigree accuracy of maneuver, otherwise disaster became inevitable. The electronic brain continued to work. The crew commander managed to equalize the balance, without hitting and at minimum speed, land the plane in front of Manhattan.

It seemed that the liner immediately rushed to the bottom. Some parts were cut off from him, people were thrown around the cabin, but after a short time, he floated to the surface like a float. A leak formed somewhere, the interior began to fill with ice water. The crew organized the evacuation of passengers. Having seized the boats, people began to get out through emergency exits to the wings. No one knew whether an explosion of an airliner was possible, but the low temperature of the water did not allow them to swim on their own. Only 10 minutes later the first rescue ferries arrived, the evacuation of the victims began, 78 of whom received various injuries. But, most importantly, everyone was alive.

Time

15:31 EST (20:31 UTC)

Character

Emergency water landing

Cause

Engine surging due to collision with a flock of Canada geese

Place

Hudson River, New York, USA

Coordinates

40°46′10″ s. sh. 74°00′17″ W  / 40.769498° N sh. 74.004636° W e. / 40.769498; -74.004636 (G) (O)Coordinates: 40°46′10″ N sh. 74°00′17″ W  / 40.769498° N sh. 74.004636° W e. / 40.769498; -74.004636(G)(O)

dead Wounded Aircraft

Airbus A320-214 of US Airways, identical to the one that splashed down on the Hudson

Model Airline Departure point

LaGuardia, New York, USA

Stopovers

Charlotte Douglas North Carolina US

Destination

Seattle/Tacoma, Seattle, USA

Flight Board number Date of issue Passengers Crew Survivors Images at Wikimedia Commons

Aviation incident that occurred on January 15, 2009. An Airbus A320-214 operated by US Airways, flying AWE 1549 (callsign Cactus 1549) on the New York-North Carolina-Seattle route, with 150 passengers and 5 crew members on board. 90 seconds after takeoff, the airliner collided with a flock of Canadian geese and both engines failed. The crew landed the plane safely on the waters of the Hudson River in New York. All 155 people on board survived, 5 people were seriously injured (one flight attendant suffered the most) and 78 were minor.

In total, 11 cases of controlled forced landings of passenger airliners on the water are known. This case is the fourth one without any casualties.

  • 1 Aircraft
  • 2 Crew
  • 3 Chronology of events
  • 4 Aircraft damage
  • 5 Investigation
  • 6 Consequences
  • 7 Further fate aircraft
  • 8 Cultural aspects
  • 9 See also
  • 10 Notes
  • 11 Links

Airplane

Flight N106US during the period of work in the US Airways Shuttle

Airbus A320-214 (registration N106US, serial 1044) released in 1999. The first flight was made on June 15, 1999 under the test number F-WWII. On August 2 of the same year, it was transferred to US Airways and received tail number N106US. in the early 2000s flew for subsidiary airline US Airways - US Airways Shuttle. Equipped with two CFM International 56-5B4/P engines. On the day of the incident, he completed 16299 takeoff and landing cycles and flew 25241 hours.

Crew

  • The aircraft commander is 57-year-old Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger. A very experienced pilot, a former military pilot who flew the F-4 Phantom II from March 1973 to July 1980. Following his retirement, he continued flying as a pilot for Pacific Southwest Airlines (PSA) and US Airways. He is an expert in the field of flight safety and has a certificate for piloting gliders. He flew 19663 hours, 4765 of them on the Airbus A320.
  • The co-pilot is 49-year-old Jeff Skiles. A very experienced pilot, he worked for US Airways for 23 years. He flew 15643 hours. This was only his second flight on an Airbus A320. During the planning of the aircraft, he brought all its systems and mechanisms into a mode that ensures the tightness of the airframe of the aircraft when landing on water and the subsequent long stay afloat.

Three flight attendants worked in the cabin of the aircraft:

  • Sheila Dail (Eng. Sheila Dail). 57 years old, with US Airways since 1980.
  • Doreen Welsh. Doreen Welsh. 58 years old, with US Airways since 1970.
  • Donna Dent 51 years old, with US Airways since 1982.

Chronology of events

Flight 1549 flight pattern: after takeoff and collision with a flock of geese, turn south and land on the Hudson River

Flight AWE 1549 departed New York at 15:24 EST (20:24 UTC). 90 seconds after takeoff, the voice recorder recorded a remark from the crew commander regarding the ingress of birds. A second later, the sounds of impacts and the rapid fading of the sound of both engines were recorded.

The plane managed to gain a height of 3200 feet (975 meters). The PIC gave a distress signal and informed the dispatcher about the collision of the aircraft with a flock of birds, as a result of which both engines were disabled. The loss of thrust from both engines was confirmed by a preliminary analysis of the flight recorder records.

The pilots managed to turn the plane flying north to south, glide over the Hudson without hitting the George Washington Bridge, and splash down the liner opposite Manhattan's 48th Street without destroying the heavy refueled aircraft. Finally, he stopped in front of 42nd Street. In total, the plane stayed in the air for about three minutes.

After splashdown, the plane remained on the surface of the water, and passengers through both emergency exit came out on the plane of the wing. All passengers on board were rescued by ferries and boats that approached the plane that splashed down a few minutes later (one of the ferry crossings between Manhattan and New Jersey is located near the splashdown site).

78 people received medical care for minor injuries and hypothermia (the water temperature was quite low, various media give figures from “near zero” to sometimes negative water temperatures).

Aircraft damage

Canada goose feather found in the right engine of Flight 1549

As a result of landing, rescue and towing operations, the airframe of the aircraft received significant damage. organic remains and a bird feather were found in the right engine, the left engine separated during splashdown and sank, but on January 23 it was raised from the bottom of the river and sent for examination.

Investigation

Effects

The further fate of the aircraft

Board N106US at the Carolinas Aviation Museum

After the evacuation of passengers, the aircraft was towed to the pier near the World Financial Center (approximately 6 km from the splashdown site), where it was raised.

After the end of the investigation, the aircraft was purchased by the Carolinas Air Museum in Charlotte, North Carolina. At first the plane stood without engines. The aircraft was fully presented by the fall of 2012.

Cultural aspects

The landing of US Airways Flight 1549 on the Hudson is shown in the Canadian documentary television series Air Crash Investigation in the episode "Landing on the Hudson".

see also

  • Il-12 splashdown in Kazan
  • Tu-124 landing on the Neva

Notes

  1. Ken Belson. Updates From Plane Rescue in Hudson River. The New York Times Company (January 15, 2009). Retrieved January 16, 2009. Archived from the original on March 24, 2012.
  2. A passenger plane splashed down in the Hudson River. BBC Russian service / BBC (January 15, 2009). Retrieved January 16, 2009. Archived from the original on March 24, 2012.
  3. 1 2 (Russian) "Miracle on the Hudson": a passenger plane crashed into the river. All 155 people on board were rescued. NEWSru.com (January 16, 2009). Retrieved January 16, 2009. Archived from the original on March 24, 2012.
  4. (English) Russell Goldman. US Airways Hero Pilot Searched Plane Twice Before Leaving. ABCNews Internet Ventures / The Walt Disney Company (January 15). Retrieved January 16, 2009. Archived from the original on March 24, 2012.
  5. Pia Sarkar, Tom Liddy, Jeremy Olshan. Wife: Sully "s a" pilot "s pilot" (January 16, 2009). Archived from the original on September 6, 2012. Retrieved January 20, 2009.
  6. NTSB: US Airways jet "s engines lost power together (inaccessible link - history). The Associated Press (January 18, 2009). Archived from the original on January 19, 2009.
  7. "Jewelry Landing on the Hudson" on SMI.ru
  8. "Miracle over the Hudson" in "Rossiyskaya Gazeta"
  9. National Transportation Safety Board (January 21, 2009). NTSB Issues update on investigation into ditching of US Airways jetliner into Hudson River. Press release. Retrieved 2009-01-21.
  10. The left engine of an Airbus A-320 was raised from the bottom of the Hudson, Lenta.Ru (January 23, 2009). Retrieved 23 January 2009.
  11. Aviation Museum lands flight 1549 engines | CharlotteObserver.com & The Charlotte Observer Newspaper

Links

  • (English) TV show “Hudson Plane Crash. What Really Happened.”
  • (English) Video 3D reconstruction of events
  • Miracle on the Hudson
  • "Cactus Flight 1549 Accident Reconstruction (US Airways Animation)". Exosphere3D.
p o r ← 2008 Aircraft accidents and incidents in 2009 2010 →
  • Mi-171 crash (January 9)
  • Plane crash in Makhachkala (January 15)
  • US Airways Flight 1549(January 15)
  • Mi-24 crash (February 3)
  • Colgan Air Flight 3407 (February 12)
  • Turkish Airlines Flight 1951 (February 25)
  • FedEx Flight 80 (March 23)
  • Bell 407 disaster (May 10)
  • C-130 crash in Indonesia (May 20)
  • Air France Flight 447 (1 June)
  • F-16 crash (June 22)
  • Flight 626 Yemenia (June 30)
  • Flight 7908 Caspian Airlines (July 15)
  • Disaster in Kandahar (July 19)
  • Mi-8 crash (July 22)
  • Aria Air Flight 1525 (July 24)
  • Tu-142 plane crash (November 6)
  • Northwest Airlines Flight 253 (December 25)
Crashes with 50 or more deaths are marked in italics. Highlighted biggest disaster of the year

a320 crash landing on the hudson

Emergency landing A320 on the Hudson Information About

Modern civil aviation is one of the most safe species transport. Multiple duplication of various systems makes it possible to reduce the danger of a catastrophe to a minimum.

And yet it is impossible to avoid emergencies. One of the most dangerous of them is a forced landing on the water.

Aviation experts are convinced that if there is at least one chance to avoid this, it must be used. Because even landing the liner "on its belly" at the airport leaves much more chances for the survival of passengers and crew members than splashing down.

World aviation knows only a little more than a dozen controlled forced landings of passenger airliners on the water. Most of them did not do without casualties on board.

On August 21, 1963, the crew of the Soviet Tu-124 airliner, flying from Tallinn to Moscow, committed forced landing in Leningrad, right on the surface of the Neva. liner commander Viktor Mostovoy managed to do the incredible - having avoided a collision with numerous bridges, he splashed down the plane so that all the passengers and crew members survived.

Nearly 46 years later, an American pilot appeared in the place of Mostovoy Chesley Sullenberger.

"Pilot of the highest class"

The year Viktor Mostovoy performed the "miracle on the Neva," the 12-year-old son of a Texas dentist, Chesley Sullenberger, became a member of the Mensah high-IQ community.

Passion for aviation came later, at the age of 16. Chesley entered a private flying club, where he realized that the profession of a pilot was what he wanted to do all his life.

In 1969, the US Air Force Academy was replenished with an 18-year-old cadet Sullenberger, who collected all possible awards and promotions, graduating with the qualification "top flyer" ("top-class pilot").

After seven years of military service, he moved to civil aviation. A specialist with military experience and a high IQ was brought in to investigate plane crashes.

Much later, the pilot founded the company Safety Reliability Methods, which provides advice on safety in aviation.

But the main thing for Chesley Sullenberger was flying. For three decades, he has piloted US Airways civilian aircraft, safely delivering passengers to their destinations.

Chesley Sullenberger. Photo: www.globallookpress.com

especially dangerous geese

He was to perform flight AWE 1549 on the route New York - Charlotte - Seattle. Departure from New York was scheduled for 15:20 local time.

The flight was carried out on an Airbus A320. The aircraft did not cause concern - it was released in 1999, regularly underwent scheduled maintenance and did not cause any complaints.

Sullenberger's co-pilot that day was a 49-year-old Geoffrey Skiles. Behind him was 23 years of work in US Airways, but the pilot had to fly the A320 for the second time in his life.

A total of 150 passengers boarded the aircraft. In addition to the two pilots, the crew included three flight attendants.

At 15:24 the liner took off from New York airport. And almost immediately an emergency happened.

As a rule, all airports have bird scaring systems. This is necessary to prevent the collision of birds with aircraft, which poses a serious danger to flights.

But on this day, not one crazy bird, but a whole flock of geese appeared on the way of the Airbus A320. The meeting took place just 90 seconds after takeoff. The plane could not evade them, and after a moment there were thuds that were heard by the passengers in the cabin.

For modern liners the failure of one engine is not fatal - the plane can fly to its destination on one.

But on this day, the geese hit both engines, which failed. Passengers heard a loud bang and smelled smoke, some of them could see fire through the windows.

Hudson River. Photo: www.globallookpress.com

"We're on the water"

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

The situation was almost hopeless: engine thrust was rapidly decreasing, there was no headroom, since the A320 managed to climb only 975 meters, and the metropolis stretched below.

Ground controllers noted that the commander of the liner remained absolutely calm. He initially announced that he would return to the New York airport, then said that he would land at the nearest Teterboro airport. After that, the connection was interrupted.

The pilots realized that they would not get to the airport - they had only a few seconds to stay in the air. Turning the liner to the south, they took the A320 over the Hudson River. The George Washington Bridge grew in front of them, but just as the Tu-124 pilots once managed to avoid a collision with the Leningrad bridges, the Americans managed to bypass one of the New York landmarks.

There was no choice - Chesley Sullenberger decided to land the plane on the water. Confused and not really understanding what was happening, the passengers heard the voice of the commander over the speakerphone: “Get ready to strike! We're on the water."

Aircraft wreckage. Photo: www.globallookpress.com

The commander is the last to leave.

Those who were on the nearby streets experienced no less shock - the descending plane made us remember the September 11 attacks.

The Airbus A320 touched down on the surface of the water, sending up a cloud of spray that hid it for a few seconds. From the side it seemed that the plane collapsed or went to the bottom, but then everyone saw that the liner remained on the surface.

The crew managed to prevent a catastrophe, but this was not yet salvation - the plane could not stay on the water for a long time. On board were life jackets, but it was impossible to jump into the water - it was January outside, and swimming in the Hudson threatened people with a repetition of the fate of the Titanic passengers, many of whom did not drown, but died of hypothermia in icy water.

The A320 gradually sank, and its passengers got out onto the plane of the wings and the roof. At this time, the police, coast guard, rescuers and just caring people who had watercraft rushed to the plane to help those in distress.

The evacuation was carried out quickly. Chesley Sullenberger, as befits the ship's commander, was the last to leave him, bypassing the saloon and making sure that no one was left on board.

As a result of the incident, 83 people were injured, most of whom received slight frostbite, and only five were seriously injured during landing.

Such an outcome of this situation with good reason allowed us to call it the "miracle on the Hudson."

Chesley Sullenberger walks around the cabin of that same plane. Photo: www.globallookpress.com

Hanks as a hero, hero as Hanks

The aircraft was towed to a dock near the World Financial Center, where it was recovered from the water.

The A320 did not take to the skies again. 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.

And Chesley Sullenberger turned into a real "hero of the nation", a participant in numerous talk shows. True, there were those who believed that the plane could have been landed in another way, and the pilot put people at unjustified risk.

However, the investigation concluded that the pilot's actions were the only correct ones.

Seven years later, the film Miracle on the Hudson was released on world screens, in which leading role played Tom Hanks.

65-year-old Chesley Sullenberger responded to this quite unexpectedly - in the television show Jimmy Kimmel the pilot played ... Tom Hanks. Rather, he made parodies of all the famous roles of the actor from Forrest Gump before the astronaut James Lovell from Apollo 13.

Tom Hanks, who also participated in the show, after watching the parodies, remarked: “Chesley Sullenberger, I respected you so much. Now we both have dark spots in our careers."

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