US Airways Flight 1549
Evacuation of the aircraft as it floats on the Hudson River | |
| Accident | |
|---|---|
| Date | January 15, 2009 |
| Summary | Ditched following bird strike and dual-engine failure |
| Site | Hudson River, New York City, New York, United States 40°46′10″N 74°00′17″W / 40.7695°N 74.0046°W |
| Aircraft | |
| N106US, the aircraft involved in the accident, seen in 2008 | |
| Aircraft type | Airbus A320-214 |
| Operator | US Airways |
| IATA flight No. | US1549 |
| ICAO flight No. | AWE1549 |
| Call sign | CACTUS 1549 |
| Registration | N106US |
| Flight origin | LaGuardia Airport, New York City, United States |
| Stopover | Charlotte Douglas International Airport, Charlotte, North Carolina |
| Destination | Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, Seattle |
| Occupants | 155 |
| Passengers | 150 |
| Crew | 5 |
| Fatalities | 0 |
| Injuries | 100 |
| Survivors | 155 |
US Airways Flight 1549 was a regularly scheduled US Airways flight from New York City's LaGuardia Airport to Charlotte and Seattle, in the United States, that ditched into the Hudson River shortly after takeoff on January 15, 2009 due to a birdstrike-induced engine failure. The Airbus A320 operating the flight, registered N106US, struck a flock of Canada Geese shortly after takeoff from LaGuardia, losing all engine power. Given their position in relation to the available airports and their low altitude, pilots Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger and Jeffrey Skiles decided to glide the plane and ditch on the Hudson River near Midtown Manhattan, doing so without significant damage to the aircraft.[1][2]
All 155 people on board were rescued by nearby boats. There were no fatalities, although 100 people were injured, 5 of them seriously. The time from the bird strike to the ditching was less than four minutes.
The then-Governor of New York State, David Paterson, called the incident a "Miracle on the Hudson"[3][4] and a National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) official described it as "the most successful ditching in aviation history".[5] Flight simulations showed that the aircraft could have returned to LaGuardia, had it turned toward the airport immediately after the bird strike.[6] However, the NTSB found that the scenario did not account for real-world considerations, and affirmed the ditching as providing the highest probability of survival, given the circumstances.[7]: 89
The pilots and flight attendants were awarded the Master's Medal of the Guild of Air Pilots and Air Navigators in recognition of their "heroic and unique aviation achievement".[8]
- ^ Grant, Eryn; Stevens, Nicholas; Salmon, Paul (September 7, 2016). "Why the 'Miracle on the Hudson' in the new movie Sully was no crash landing". The Conversation. Archived from the original on December 17, 2018. Retrieved December 16, 2018.
- ^ Clark, Andrew (January 15, 2009). "Plane crashes in Hudson river in New York". The Guardian. Archived from the original on October 29, 2018. Retrieved January 28, 2019 – via www.theguardian.com.
- ^ "US Airways Flight 1549 Initial Report" (Press release). US Airways. January 15, 2009. Archived from the original on May 4, 2020. Retrieved February 9, 2009.
- ^ "US Airways Flight 1549 Update # 2" (Press release). US Airways. January 15, 2009. Archived from the original on September 3, 2020. Retrieved February 9, 2009.
- ^ Olshan, Jeremy; Livingston, Ikumulisa (January 17, 2009). "Quiet Air Hero Is Captain America". New York Post. Archived from the original on January 4, 2013. Retrieved February 12, 2009.
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