Ntsb Advisory, Fourth Update Of Investigation Into Ditching Of Us Airways Jetliner
 

************************************************************
NTSB ADVISORY
************************************************************
National Transportation Safety Board
Washington, DC 20594
February 12, 2009
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FOURTH UPDATE ON INVESTIGATION INTO DITCHING OF US AIRWAYS
JETLINER INTO HUDSON RIVER
************************************************************
The following is an update on the National Transportation
Safety Board's investigation of US Airways flight 1549,
which ditched into the Hudson River on January 15, 2009.
The bird remains found in both engines of US Airways flight
1549 have been identified by the Smithsonian Institution's
Feather Identification Laboratory as Canada Goose (Branta
canadensis).
The lab made the identification for the NTSB through DNA
analysis as well as through morphological comparisons in
which feather fragments were compared with Canada Goose
specimens in the museum's collections; the microscopic
feather samples were compared with reference microslide
collections.
A total of 25 samples of bird remains have been examined as
of today. Additional analysis will be conducted on samples
received from the NTSB to attempt to determine if the Canada
Geese were resident or migratory. While no determination has
been made about how many birds the aircraft struck or how
many were ingested into the engines, an adult Canada Goose
typically ranges in size from 5.8 to 10.7 pounds, however
larger individual resident birds can exceed published
records.
The accident aircraft was powered by two CFM56-5B/P turbofan
engines. The bird ingestion standard in effect when this
engine type was certified in 1996 included the requirement
that the engine must withstand the ingestion of a four-pound
bird without catching fire, without releasing hazardous
fragments through the engine case, without generating loads
high enough to potentially compromise aircraft structural
components, or without losing the capability of being shut
down. The certification standard does not require that the
engine be able to continue to generate thrust after
ingesting a bird four pounds or larger.
NTSB investigators worked closely with wildlife biologists
from the United States Department of Agriculture, both at
the scene of the accident in New York City and during the
engine teardowns at the manufacturer's facility in
Cincinnati, to extract all of the organic material that was
identified today.
###
NTSB Media Contact: Peter Knudson
(202) 314-6100
[email protected]

Documentry On Hudson Plane Crash
 

Heads up guys for people on the forum who have access to Channel 4

Next Thursday 19th Feb 10pm to 11.15pm "The Miracle of the Hudson Plane Crash"

The story of the US Airways flight forced to make a landing on the Hudson River should be interesting.

landing lights
 

It also saves on fuel.

Dispatch deviation list quotes 3% increase if stuck in the open position.

I am not sure that they actually scare birds away so the fuel saving is a relevant reason to retract landing lights below 10,000.

10kg each sector for 7 sectors each day for 29 aircraft flying 330 days each year.

do the maths.

Can I just point out that this in Channel 4 in the UK, other countries may have a Channel 4 too.

I'm not living in UK,could you give time in UTC,(though I may have an idea).
Thanks

The programme on Channel 4 may be available for viewing online after it has been broadcast in the UK.

Link to C4 webpage about the prog. Miracle of the Hudson Plane Crash - Channel 4

Minimum crew
 

I don't know if this info is already here..there are too many pages to browse.. In the interview i've seen 2 pilots and 3 cabin crew, shouldn't 4 cabin crew be the minimum crew for A320? This minimum crew requirment, is it set by Airbus or the relevant autority..
Thank you.

K.

Minimum crew
 

Suggest you start at page 1 and read on, it was covered quite early in the thread as to why they only needed three flight attendants.

:ugh:

Q. A. Relevant authority

US FAA part 121.391

For airplanes having a seating capacity of more than 100 passengers—two flight attendants plus one additional flight attendant for each unit (or part of a unit) of 50 passenger seats above a seating capacity of 100 passengers.

(b) If, in conducting the emergency evacuation demonstration required under §121.291 (a) or (b), the certificate holder used more flight attendants than is required under paragraph (a) of this section for the maximum seating capacity of the airplane used in the demonstration, he may not, thereafter, take off that airplane—

(1) In its maximum seating capacity configuration with fewer flight attendants than the number used during the emergency evacuation demonstration; or

(2) In any reduced seating capacity configuration with fewer flight attendants than the number required by paragraph (a) of this section for that seating capacity plus the number of flight attendants used during the emergency evacuation demonstration that were in excess of those required under paragraph (a) of this section.

(c) The number of flight attendants approved under paragraphs (a) and (b) of this section are set forth in the certificate holder's operations specifications.

(d) During takeoff and landing, flight attendants required by this section shall be located as near as practicable to required floor level exists and shall be uniformly distributed throughout the airplane in order to provide the most effective egress of passengers in event of an emergency evacuation. During taxi, flight attendants required by this section must remain at their duty stations with safety belts and shoulder harnesses fastened except to perform duties related to the safety of the airplane and its occupants.

I know this is a dumb question, but can someone tell me why USAir is designated "Cactus?"

Thanks

It was the callsign of America West, which bought US Air. AW is based in Phoenix, hence "Cactus".

GF

Ah ha..thank you..makes complete sense

And even though America West was the "surviving" corporate entity, having purchased the stock of US Air, they decided that US Air was a better name for the merged carrier to have going forward, both domestic and international.

Yes they also have to consider the negativity factor of public memory names like America Worst and US Scare

or Better On A Camel.

The age old question is answered SLF's may find this humorous
 

Ntsb To Hold Public Hearing On Us Airways Ditching Accident In Hudson River
 

************************************************************
NTSB PRESS RELEASE
************************************************************
National Transportation Safety Board
Washington, DC 20594
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February 19, 2009
SB-09-07
************************************************************
NTSB TO HOLD PUBLIC HEARING ON US AIRWAYS DITCHING ACCIDENT
IN HUDSON RIVER
************************************************************
Washington, D.C. - The National Transportation Safety Board
will hold a two-day public hearing as part of its ongoing
investigation into the ditching of a US Airways Airbus A-320
into the Hudson River in New York City in January.
The hearing, which will be held at the NTSB's Board Room and
Conference Center in Washington, D.C., is expected to be
scheduled for late spring or early summer; the exact dates
will be announced within the next few weeks.
"Based on what we have learned so far about this accident,
we know that many things went right," said NTSB Acting
Chairman Mark V. Rosenker. "But no matter how many things
go right, we've found that each accident presents safety
issues that we can learn from - both to further our
investigation, and ultimately, to make the skies even safer.
This hearing will move us closer toward those goals."
At about 3:30 p.m. EST on January 15, 2009, an Airbus A-320
operated as US Airways flight 1549 on a scheduled flight
from New York's LaGuardia Airport to Charlotte, North
Carolina, ditched into the Hudson River shortly after the
aircraft struck Canada geese, resulting in an immediate loss
of thrust in both engines. While there were no fatalities
among the 155 passengers and crew, two individuals were
seriously injured.
The public hearing will focus on the following issues:
- Training of crew members on emergency procedures
- Certification requirements for the Airbus A-320 related to
the structural integrity of the airframe during ditching
- Bird ingestion certification standards for transport-
category turbofan engines
- New and developing technologies for detection of large
groups of birds and procedures to avoid conflicts with birds
in the general vicinity of airports
A list of those expected to testify will be released closer
to the date of the hearing.
###
NTSB Media Contact: Peter Knudson (202) 314-6100
[email protected]
************************************************************

Yes , its quite interesting. Not a bad program by todays standards of journalism.

Yep. Wish they'd got someone who was awake to narrate the program, but parts of the second half are interesting. I wish they had more from the crew though. The majority of it seems to be regurgitated news bulletins and stating the bleeding obvious.