Great rescue operation!
I put my hats off to the crew of the US Airways Flight No. 1549. In aviation there are many safety equipments available both in aircraft as well as on ground. These equipments are kept serviceable all the time so that whenever any mishap takes place they can be used and loss of life minimized. This was a unique example of handling the emergency in an efficient manner. the crew here gets hundred percent marks.
We are amazed to see that all the life rafts and individual life vests worked well for which those are carried on board during every flight. I think it has never happened in aviation history that passengers are calmly waiting on the submerging aircraft wing to be rescued. Passengers were taken to safety by coast guards & other rescue agencies. We also appreciate the cabin crew who handled and guided the passengers in such a precarious situation. It had 155 persons on board out of which only two had minor injuries.
New York Times electronic version on 17th January 2009 reported that the aircraft A-320 was built by Airbus Industry in 1999 for US Airways. The US investigation agency NTSB member Kathryn Higgins told that the aircraft was equipped with advanced data recorders which records power level in each engine, fuel flow, altitude, airspeed, angle, position of flight controls like Ailerons and rudder etc. The Flight Data Recorder and Cockpit voice recorder was recovered as well. The team has also lifted the airplane having 1 million pounds of weight for further investigation.
It was the right decision for the pilot in command to prepare for a ditch instead of trying to reach another aerodrome across the Hudson river, as the aeroplane was having no power and height left to reach the alternate aerodrome. The captain also used his glider pilot's experience to make this safe landing on a waterway instead of runway.
Now the world has to wait to see what actually comes out of investigation carried out by the veteran chief investigator Robert Benzon of NTSB who has extensive experience in handling such investigations as American Airlines A-300 crash after take-off from JFK in November2001 killing 260 on board and 5fiveon ground.
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