A Few Seconds To Ditch The Plane …

A Veteran Pilot Describes Emergency Landing Procedure Likely Used By Flight 1549

(CBS)  CBSNews.com spoke with a veteran pilot with a major airline who has 35 years experience flying, including the A320 liner used by U.S. Airways. The pilot preferred to be unidentified but shared some insider insight into what it would have been like to be sitting in the chair of pilot Chesley B. "Sully" Sullenberger III and his crew when the engines failed on U.S. Airways Flight 1549.

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On Friday, the day after a crash landing on the Hudson river that miraculously ended with no fatalities or serious injuries to the 155 people aboard, President Bush spoke to Chesley B. “Sully” Sullenberger, the pilot of Flight 1549. The president praised him for his amazing skills in bringing his plane down safely, for his bravery, and for his heroic efforts to ensure the safety of his passengers and the people in the area.

Sullenberger and his crew followed a well-practiced ditching procedure to land the plane safely on water. Here's a look at the equipment, procedures and thinking that went into the successful landing, now being known as "the miracle on the Hudson."

The A320 is computer controlled, so electric power is required to operate the flight controls.

If the engines were turning they may have provided some electric power.

The alternatives to generate power are an auxiliary power unit on the tail of the aircraft, but the pilots may not have had time to start it.

The other source is the RAT, Ram Air Turbine, which is a propeller-driven device that projects out of the plane, turning into the windstream to generate power.

As they were dealing with the situation, the co-pilot would have read the “ditching checklist,” a sequence of procedures to be followed. Pilots and flight attendants are very familiar with the procedures. Procedures are done in a specific orders and include items such as pushing the ditch button, which seals the underbelly of the plane to make it more buoyant

If the pilots had time they would have briefed the flight attendants in the rear of the aircraft.

The pilot would have told the passengers to brace for impact, by bending forward and folding their arms around the back of the seat in front of them, a few minutes before hitting the ground.

The pilot uses a joystick to provide input to the computer systems, which take the input and determine the optimal way to fly the aircraft. For example, in a wind shear situation, the pilot manipulates the joystick and the computer optimizes the position of the plane and holds it. If all the computers on an A320 are working, the plane won't stall.

It’s possible that the aircraft could have made it to the Teterboro airport, according to the pilot who spoke with CBSNews.com. He said the pilot probably felt that from the aircraft’s descent rate, it was smoother to ditch in the water than on a concrete runway. There could have been a huge drag if the landing gear were down, and he might not have made it, the pilot said.

The landing involves slowing the plane down as much as possible, with the flaps up to slow the aircraft and the landing gear up. The water landing procedures come from the manufacturer of the aircraft.

The tail hits the water first, making sure the wings are level or the aircraft will cartwheel, probably ripping the wings and tail off.

The nose is flared in an up position, as in a normal landing.

The tail of the aircraft and the angle of the wings helps it gently slow.

Once the nose is down and the engines hit the water, the plane would stop rapidly, creating the impact that the passengers felt.

The aircraft probably had only about a third of its fuel capacity (nearly 8,000 gallons when full), sufficient for the trip from New York to North Carolina. In today's economy, aircraft are not usually loaded with extra fuel, the pilot said. The smaller fuel load helps with the buoyancy, as did the ditch switch and air in the plane.

And despite the extremely cold weather, the elements helped in other ways. The water in the Hudson, which can be quite choppy, was relatively smooth with litle wind or tide influence.



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Add a Comment See all 20 Comments

by chiguy1111 January 17, 2009 9:57 PM EST

1. The story is slightly inaccurate. The reporter apparently assumes that having less fuel in the tank makes the plane more likely to float because it weighs less. However, jet fuel is actually lighter than water, so having more fuel onboard would have made it more buoyant, not less buoyant.

2. Jeers to the homophobe ranting about the ad with two females kissing. Why be a hater. I agree with the 6 year old. What''s the big deal?

Reply to this comment

by pizzanick January 17, 2009 5:59 PM EST

If any of you have flown a plane you would appreciate the skill of Captain Sullenberger. There were so many variables that could have gone wrong.

Reply to this comment

by dnamj January 16, 2009 9:39 PM EST

Kudos to the design of the plane and the control software as well.

Reply to this comment

by ronjjj157 January 16, 2009 8:45 PM EST

If you think this man is not a hero you should try to remember anything even remotely similar with a commercial airlines. I assure you this will be a world wide story and it sure will not be sarcasm. Had he accomplished such a feet with only a few casualties he would still have been a hero.

Reply to this comment

by questionnews January 16, 2009 8:09 PM EST

The WISDOM of the Pilot gave the passengers a Miracle. Wisdom is only gained from many years of experience.

I only wish that the Wisdom of Americans would have given us much better Presidents and No SubPrime Mortgages and No SUVs.

Posted by lovegetpeace at 04:54 PM : Jan 16, 2009

So you don''t think Obama is an improvement?

Reply to this comment

by lovegetpeace January 16, 2009 7:54 PM EST

The WISDOM of the Pilot gave the passengers a Miracle. Wisdom is only gained from many years of experience.

I only wish that the Wisdom of Americans would have given us much better Presidents and No SubPrime Mortgages and No SUVs.

Reply to this comment

by lovegetpeace January 16, 2009 7:54 PM EST

The WISDOM of the Pilot gave the passengers a Miracle. Wisdom is only gained from many years of experience.

I only wish that the Wisdom of Americans would have given us much better Presidents and no SubPrime or Jumbo Mortgages.

Reply to this comment

by lovegetpeace January 16, 2009 7:52 PM EST

The WISDOM of the Pilot gave the passengers a Miracle. Wisdom is only gained from many years from experience.

I only wish that the Wisdom of Americans would have given us much better Presidents and no SubPrime or Jumbo Mortgages.

Reply to this comment

by legacyabq January 16, 2009 7:49 PM EST

Sounds like the computer does a lot of the work..
Still, this is a great story, and much praise should be given the pilots.. Great job guys!!

Reply to this comment

by ddaryl1 January 16, 2009 7:43 PM EST

I agree this is a fantastic story and one the brings out some good feelings. We have all forgotten what good news is like.

Now all we need is the made for TV movie version

Reply to this comment

by questionnews January 16, 2009 7:41 PM EST

I guess it''s a good thing the plane sank. I would hate to be the guy that had to clean all those airline seats.

Reply to this comment

by whymayiask January 16, 2009 7:30 PM EST

"whymayIask," I think there is great interest in this story for several reasons, and not just here in America, check the BBC news website, it was a headline story this morning. The reasons it generates so much interest is that it is one of the very rate instances of a successful ditching where no one was killed. Also, the locale of the accident did bring back memories of 9-11 but the ending was far, far, far better. The skill of the pilot was amazing, and with so much bad news these days, I think that people want to celebrate a happy ending to what could have been a tragic way to begin the new year.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Posted by raflin0010

It is called sarcasm

Reply to this comment

by chyenna-2009 January 16, 2009 7:24 PM EST

How many article is CBS going to print about this plane ditching, obviously the entire page under US news. Give me a break, the shock and horror was over yesterday. Give it a rest, I think one or two articles would have been sufficient. You act like its the World Trade Center all over. Posted by onlythereal




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Posted by whymayIask

You are right. There are alot of articles about the crash, which doesn''t bother me at all. Doesn''t it feel good to hear great news for a change? Bring it on. BTW-you don''t have to read anything. Relax and enjoy

Reply to this comment

by mikefl11 January 16, 2009 7:23 PM EST

Sully for head of FAA!

Reply to this comment

by texassteven January 16, 2009 7:01 PM EST

The answer to your question is YES, the world IS so full of incompetent people that somebody simply "doing their job" with a spectacularly successful outcome IS news.

Reply to this comment

by texassteven January 16, 2009 7:00 PM EST

The answer to your question is YES, the world IS so full of incompetent people that somebody simply "doing their job" with a spectacularly successful outcome IS news.

Reply to this comment

by mbourn2 January 16, 2009 6:11 PM EST

How many article is CBS going to print about this plane ditching, obviously the entire page under US news. Give me a break, the shock and horror was over yesterday. Give it a rest, I think one or two articles would have been sufficient. You act like its the World Trade Center all over. Posted by onlythereal




--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Posted by whymayIask at

No kidding! These stories are taking up valuable space which could be used for stories like the one about Obama''s cell phone!

Reply to this comment

by whymayiask January 16, 2009 5:50 PM EST

Oh yeah! lets just hear some bad news.. Good news sucks. huh??


------------------------------------------------
How many article is CBS going to print about this plane ditching, obviously the entire page under US news. Give me a break, the shock and horror was over yesterday. Give it a rest, I think one or two articles would have been sufficient. You act like its the World Trade Center all over. Posted by onlythereal

Reply to this comment

by onlythereal- January 16, 2009 5:34 PM EST

How many article is CBS going to print about this plane ditching, obviously the entire page under US news. Give me a break, the shock and horror was over yesterday. Give it a rest, I think one or two articles would have been sufficient. You act like its the World Trade Center all over.

Reply to this comment

by dbstevens January 16, 2009 5:26 PM EST

I''m impressed with the pilots'' skill, and grateful to both the pilot and copilot for doing such a good job. I''m also grateful to everyone else involved who did a great job with the rescue. But let''s no abuse the definition of the word "hero." Sully would be a hero if he landed that plane against all odds...if it was missing wings, or on fire, or had no electrical power or control at all. If he landed in the river against the currrent or with high winds, etc. I''m not trying to diminish him at all...what he did was an EXCELLENT job. But he was doing his job. Are we a world so full of incompetent people that someone who does their job right is unusual and considered a hero? ::Grin::

Sully deserves the praise and the gratitude.

Reply to this comment

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[chiguy1111]

1. The story is slightly inaccurate. The reporter apparently assumes that having less fuel in the tank makes the plane more likely to float because it weighs less. However, jet fuel is actually lighter than water, so having more fuel onboard would have made it more buoyant, not less buoyant.

2. Jeers to the homophobe ranting about the ad with two females kissing. Why be a hater. I agree with the 6 year old. What''s the big deal?

[pizzanick]

If any of you have flown a plane you would appreciate the skill of Captain Sullenberger. There were so many variables that could have gone wrong.

[dnamj]

Kudos to the design of the plane and the control software as well.

[ronjjj157]

If you think this man is not a hero you should try to remember anything even remotely similar with a commercial airlines. I assure you this will be a world wide story and it sure will not be sarcasm. Had he accomplished such a feet with only a few casualties he would still have been a hero.

[questionnews]

The WISDOM of the Pilot gave the passengers a Miracle. Wisdom is only gained from many years of experience.

I only wish that the Wisdom of Americans would have given us much better Presidents and No SubPrime Mortgages and No SUVs.

Posted by lovegetpeace at 04:54 PM : Jan 16, 2009

So you don''t think Obama is an improvement?

[lovegetpeace]

The WISDOM of the Pilot gave the passengers a Miracle. Wisdom is only gained from many years of experience.

I only wish that the Wisdom of Americans would have given us much better Presidents and No SubPrime Mortgages and No SUVs.

[lovegetpeace]

The WISDOM of the Pilot gave the passengers a Miracle. Wisdom is only gained from many years of experience.

I only wish that the Wisdom of Americans would have given us much better Presidents and no SubPrime or Jumbo Mortgages.

[lovegetpeace]

The WISDOM of the Pilot gave the passengers a Miracle. Wisdom is only gained from many years from experience.

I only wish that the Wisdom of Americans would have given us much better Presidents and no SubPrime or Jumbo Mortgages.

[legacyabq]

Sounds like the computer does a lot of the work..
Still, this is a great story, and much praise should be given the pilots.. Great job guys!!

[ddaryl1]

I agree this is a fantastic story and one the brings out some good feelings. We have all forgotten what good news is like.

Now all we need is the made for TV movie version

[questionnews]

I guess it''s a good thing the plane sank. I would hate to be the guy that had to clean all those airline seats.

[whymayiask]

"whymayIask," I think there is great interest in this story for several reasons, and not just here in America, check the BBC news website, it was a headline story this morning. The reasons it generates so much interest is that it is one of the very rate instances of a successful ditching where no one was killed. Also, the locale of the accident did bring back memories of 9-11 but the ending was far, far, far better. The skill of the pilot was amazing, and with so much bad news these days, I think that people want to celebrate a happy ending to what could have been a tragic way to begin the new year.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Posted by raflin0010

It is called sarcasm

[chyenna-2009]

How many article is CBS going to print about this plane ditching, obviously the entire page under US news. Give me a break, the shock and horror was over yesterday. Give it a rest, I think one or two articles would have been sufficient. You act like its the World Trade Center all over. Posted by onlythereal




-------------------
----------------------------------------
---------------------

Posted by whymayIask

You are right. There are alot of articles about the crash, which doesn''t bother me at all. Doesn''t it feel good to hear great news for a change? Bring it on. BTW-you don''t have to read anything. Relax and enjoy

[mikefl11]

Sully for head of FAA!

[texassteven]

The answer to your question is YES, the world IS so full of incompetent people that somebody simply "doing their job" with a spectacularly successful outcome IS news.

[texassteven]

The answer to your question is YES, the world IS so full of incompetent people that somebody simply "doing their job" with a spectacularly successful outcome IS news.

[mbourn2]

How many article is CBS going to print about this plane ditching, obviously the entire page under US news. Give me a break, the shock and horror was over yesterday. Give it a rest, I think one or two articles would have been sufficient. You act like its the World Trade Center all over. Posted by onlythereal




--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Posted by whymayIask at

No kidding! These stories are taking up valuable space which could be used for stories like the one about Obama''s cell phone!

[whymayiask]

Oh yeah! lets just hear some bad news.. Good news sucks. huh??


------------------------------------------------
How many article is CBS going to print about this plane ditching, obviously the entire page under US news. Give me a break, the shock and horror was over yesterday. Give it a rest, I think one or two articles would have been sufficient. You act like its the World Trade Center all over. Posted by onlythereal

[onlythereal-]

How many article is CBS going to print about this plane ditching, obviously the entire page under US news. Give me a break, the shock and horror was over yesterday. Give it a rest, I think one or two articles would have been sufficient. You act like its the World Trade Center all over.

[dbstevens]

I''m impressed with the pilots'' skill, and grateful to both the pilot and copilot for doing such a good job. I''m also grateful to everyone else involved who did a great job with the rescue. But let''s no abuse the definition of the word "hero." Sully would be a hero if he landed that plane against all odds...if it was missing wings, or on fire, or had no electrical power or control at all. If he landed in the river against the currrent or with high winds, etc. I''m not trying to diminish him at all...what he did was an EXCELLENT job. But he was doing his job. Are we a world so full of incompetent people that someone who does their job right is unusual and considered a hero? ::Grin::

Sully deserves the praise and the gratitude.