A320 Hudson river.

[Natstrackalpha]

Would they have opened (blown) the press releif valve before the ditching, in order to equalise the diff press, or, will the emergency doors/exits just blow themselves out when the emergency handle is operated - despite what ever diff press?

[IFixPlanes]

They ditched with the out flow valve not in the closed position, so no need to equalize the pressure difference.

[C212-100]

The bird impact happened at around 3000 feet... Not much pressurization going on. Probably also both packs were off due to the eng fail...

[junebug172]

Ditching Swx was never pushed.

[3holelover]

Shame isn't it? The first time a transport aircraft that happens to have a "ditching" switch is actually successfully ditched (I think? Anyone know better?) ...and the good ol' FO merrily plods through a checklist he can't complete, and never hits the dang switch!

It might have been interesting to see how that function performed. ....at least until the aft door was opened. :hmm:

[bubbers44]

Hopefully all of us could have done as well as this great crew did. I know that is not possible so hope most of us could hand fly to a survivable touchdown in a field or river or airport and use sound judgement and coordination as these two did. WWII proved multiple times that a good crew can do it. They also hand flew their aircraft and some B17 captains were 21 years old.

[bubbers44]

German pilot in WWII spared an American B-17 pilot over Germany only to reunite 40 years later and become fishing buddies ~ News Forage (http://www.newsforage.com/2013/03/german-pilot-in-wwii-spared-american-b.html)

[bubbers44]

Isn't that something we should think about? Compassion is what makes us good. He put himself in jeopardy to save this crew.

[junebug172]

When an Airbus ditches, it's supposed to remain level in the water with all doors above the waterline. When the Airbus was ditched, the APU inlet door remained open and the impact of the water being scooped into the aft end of the aircraft via the inlet door compromised that section of the aircraft causing it to take on water.

[bubbers44]

Really? Airliners now have to go through that test?

[toffeez]

I think Concorde was also required to be "ditchable". No test of course.

Just think of those 4 holes under the wing scooping up the Atlantic.

[junebug172]

No, they don't. But engineers can calculate where the waterline and attitude end up. I have a diagram somewhere but can't readily find it.

In the mean time:

http://www.exosphere3d.com/pubwww/pdf/flight_1549/ntsb_docket/441039.pdf

[Natstrackalpha]

It might have been interesting to see how that function performed. ....at least until the aft door was opened. http://images.ibsrv.net/ibsrv/res/src:www.pprune.org/get/images/smilies/yeees.gif

LOL!:) Cool, that was funny what you said - the only time we get to see it and he never go round to it.

...which brings me back to my question, if you have all the holes closed because of the sw being pressed, then how does . . I mean, the outflow valve closes too, so how can the a/c depress if everything is closed?

more specifically how does one get the door open - I`ll go and look. . . .

[nitpicker330]

The use of the ditching PB was mute. Didn't you guys see the photos of the Aircraft and see the damage done to the rear lower fuse by water impact? Ripped open big holes.