05/04/2010. Planning on flying?

An Engineer's Analysis
*title:
Hudson River Ditching
Lessons Learned
*What was the life and death situation?
US Airways Flight 1549 had just taken off from LaGuardia Airport in New
York on Jan. 15, 2009
It struck a flock of migratory Canada geese, sucking geese into both eng
ines.
The Airbus A320 lost all power in one engine and nearly all power in the
second,
leaving both unable to provide the thrust necessary for flight.

1.)THE GOVERNMENT REGULATORS anticipated this scenario?

current procedures assume engine power will be lost at a high altitude
with enough time to recover. How convenient...
Thus, No.
2.)THE AIRLINE TRAINERS trained the pilots for this scenario?
Program for landing on land. But NO program for landing on WATER
including landing WITHOUT engine power.
The captain, Chesley B. Sullenberger III, and the first officer, Jeffrey
B. Skiles
by happenstance were knowledgeable about 'gliding.' Most pilots are not
.
In major cities like New York City, there are almost NO open spaces to
land. Even the highways are over-crowded.
Thus, no.
3.)THE AIRLINE TRAINERS wrote the correct procedures in the emergency manual?
The emergency manual stressed attempting to restart the engines,
but on Flight 1549 it was impossible.
So any time the crew members spent trying to restart the engines
with only a few moments to decide what to do was wasted.
4.)THE LAWYERS and JUDGES stated CORRECT party was at fault?
Most of crashes are blamed on pilot error.
Pilots are scapegoated, regardless of whether the manual and/or training
is wrong.
Likely, No.
5.)THE AIRPORT effectively reduces birds and other wildlife on airport property?
Likely, No.
6.)THE AIRPLANE DESIGNERS designed a failure sensor for cockpit instrumentation?
Presently, pilots are NOT alerted immediately if engines aren't capable
of being restarted.
Pilots waste precious time trying to restart them.
Thus, No.
7.)The AIRPLANE DESIGNERS designed the engines to withstand bird strikes?
The engines on the ditched airliner were designed to withstand a collisi
on with a bird weighing up to 4 pounds.
Some more recent jet engines are required to withstand a bird weighing u
p to 8 pounds.
But a large Canada goose can weigh almost twice that much.
Thus, No.
8.)Does THE AIRLINE OPERATORS provide flotation devices?
flotation devices are NOT required for that particular flight.
The devices were left on by happenstance.
Thus, No.
9.)Does THE AIRLINE OPERATORS plan proper procedure to DECIDE to emergency land
on
river or at the LaGuardia airport?
 Key factor is visibility, so it may be better to go to the Hudson River.
No.
10.)Do GOVERNMENT REGULATORS understand airplane structure engineering?
aviation authorities approved the airplane design based on the idea that
a pilot could bring it down
at a rate of about 3.5 feet per second, which would allow a touchdown wi
thout structural damage.
But that descent rate may be unrealistic, experts said.
The Airbus A320 came down at about 13 feet per second.
This caused severe hull damage.
This resulted in the planeâ s taking on water.
11.)Do GOVERNMENT REGULATORS understand emergency exit planning?
The approval was based on assumptions that all four floor-level exits wo
uld be available, two front and two rear.
Also based on 2nd assumption that over-wing exits would not be used.
But in the Hudson River crash, passengers in the emergency rows took mat
ters into their own hands and
opened the over-wing exits.
Because there were NO rafts located over the wings, passengers who exite
d through those openings
could have been marooned in the frigid water.
Winter means water temperature of 36 degrees. Death from hypothermia re
sults in minutes.
Opening the REAR exits, which were partly submerged would have flooded t
he plane faster.
11b.)Did ALL PASSENGERS take a life-vest?
1.)front left slide failed to operate as intended
2.)One rear door was opened by a panicked passenger, causing the aircraf
t to fill more quickly with water.
The flight attendant in the rear who attempted to reseal the rear door
was not successful in doing so.
3.)impact with the water had ripped open a hole in the underside of the
airplane and twisted the fuselage,
causing cargo doors to pop open and filling the plane with water from
the rear.
Need for better crash proof latches on the cargo doors?
4.)Evacuees, some wearing life-vests, waited for rescue on the partly su
bmerged slides, knee-deep in icy river water.
Others stood on the wings or, fearing an explosion, swam away from the
plane.
12.)What are the most important factors in passenger survival in this crash?
Reduction of birds around airports
NY Waterways Ferry was close by.
If NY Waterways Ferry was closed AT DARK from 8pm to 7am, then likely no
rescue boats close by.
Survival in frigid water is less than 10 minutes.
Similar situation was the sinking of the Titanic.
13.)The AIRLINE FLIGHT ATTENDANTS instructed the passengers carefully?
passengers also evidently assumed that the wing slides were also rafts,
but they are not.
The flight attendants DID NOT say: the ONLY RAFTS available are the two
in front.
Do NOT go through the rear since under water.
Thus, No.
14.)The AIRLINE Accident Experts say we were prepard for this accident?
Only by "a series of fortuitous circumstances" were the Flight 1549 pass
engers able to survive,
said Jason Fedok, an NTSB expert on accident survivability.
NOT just one lucky circumstance. A SERIES!
 Thus, no
*****
*Grade: weight * score
1.)THE GOVERNMENT REGULATORS 10 0
2.)THE AIRLINE TRAINERS 05 0
3.)THE AIRLINE TRAINERS 05 0
4.)THE LAWYERS and JUDGES 05 0
5.)THE AIRPORT 20 0
6.)THE AIRPLANE DESIGNERS 05 0
7.)The AIRPLANE DESIGNERS 05 0
8.)THE AIRLINE OPERATORS 07.5 0
9.)THE AIRLINE OPERATORS 07.5 0
10.)THE GOVERNMENT REGULATORS 10 0
11.)THE GOVERNMENT REGULATORS 10 0
11b.)THE PASSENGERS
12.) blank
13.)The AIRLINE FLIGHT ATTENDANTS 05 0
14.)THE AIRLINE ACCIDENT EXPERTS 05 0
--- ---
100% 0
Final Score: ZERO out of a 100.
*****
What is America's Grade on Infrastructure?
D
http://www.infrastructurereportcard.org/
What is America's Grade on Major City Airline Crash?
F or ZERO out of a 100.
****
*ref:
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/05/nyregion/05ntsb.html?hp=&pagewanted=print
May 4, 2010
*title
Airbus Criticized for Hudson Crash
http://www.newsobserver.com/2010/05/04/466449/ntsb-weighs-lessons-from-hudson.ht
ml
*title
NTSB weighs lessons from Hudson River ditching
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/US_Airways_Flight_1549

http://fliiby.com/file/627538/sghx0lon3z.html
*title
NTSB Crash Animation US Airways 1549 w/ CVR and audio Hudson
****