A US Airways airliner has crashed into a New York river just minutes after take-off. The aircraft departed LaGuardia airport at 3.03pm local time, and within 5 minutes ‘ditched’ in the Hudson River.
Early theories suggest a bird-strike. It’s a regular occurence for birds to fly into aircraft engines during take-off and landing, and this normally does not bring the plane down. However, it does appear that both engines were affected, and therefore the pilots lost all engine power.
The good news is, ALL 155 passengers onboard have been accounted for, and are safe. Some are being treated in local hospitals for hypothermia, shock, and other minor injuries.
So, why am I sharing this news with you on a website that’s supposed to help you with your fear of flying? Because I’m not here to lie to you, or hide the facts from you. Aircraft do crash, but not very often. When they do, you are still safer than you are in any other form of transport.
So, let’s talk about this case. Please note that I am forming my own opinions here, based on news reports. The incident will be fully investigated by the Federal Aviation Administration.
There is talk of a bird strike, or more specifically, the aircraft flying into a flock of geese. As I mentioned above, birds and aircraft regularly collide. I have experienced this once – in my first week as a flight attendant.
There is a POSSIBILITY that this particular flight flew into a flock of large birds shortly after take-off this afternoon, causing both engines to fail. As I’ve previously mentioned on this site, an aircraft can glide with no engines. For how long depends on altitude. Obviously this aircraft had not long departed, and therefore had not climbed that high.
Therefore, it seems likely that the pilot initially attempted to turn around and immediately head back to LaGuardia Airport. It probably became apparent quite quickly that he/she was not going to make it that far.
So, the river was likely to have been a chosen landing spot. No pilot will choose to land on water if there is any other possible location, but in this case, all other areas would have been too built-up. The risk of fatalities and injuries to members of the public on the ground would be far too great to risk.
If my theory is correct, the pilots made a brave decision to land on the Hudson River, but the right one. Not just that, but they executed it perfectly. Pilots train hard for any eventuality, and usually never have to use their skills. In this incident, however, all that training has paid off. A perfect landing, and no casualties.
This is another example of how highly trained these men and women are and that’s why I feel so safe when flying. As a flight attendant, I obviously hope I never have to deal with a situation like this, but if I do, I know I can trust the pilots and the flight attendants working with me to act appropriately, and with extreme professionalism.
Well done to all the crew at US Airways for saving lives……
Please Note: Once again, the events I have described are my theories only, based on media reports. They are not to be taken as fact, as the incident is yet to be investigated.
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