This Monday, the United States celebrates the 15th anniversary of “Miracle on the Hudson,” a heroic story in which a commercial airliner, commanded by pilot Chesley “Sully” Sullenbergmanaged to land in the waters of the Hudson River, New York, without any casualties being recorded during US Airways Flight 1549, which took off from LaGuardia Airport, bound for Charlotte, North Carolina.
A total of 155 passengers and crew were saved and rescued by emergency services and nearby ships after Sullenberger, as well as his co-pilot, Jeffrey Skiles, after a group of birds hit the plane, causing damage to the engines with temperatures of 6 degrees below zero.
Faced with the impossibility of achieving a safe landing, Sullenberg was forced to perform an emergency maneuver to end up in the waterwhich occurred without surprises and major damage, reported The Associated Press.
After the 155 people were unharmed and without serious injuries from Sullenberger’s maneuver, the rescue efforts included local ferries and tugboats. Police helicopters, boats and lifeboats also appeared on the scene, while low temperatures forced quick action.
Rescue boats float near a US Airways plane that floats in the water after crashing into the Hudson River on the afternoon of January 15, 2009 in New York City. (Photo: Neilson Barnard/Getty Images)
Although there were no serious injuries, 78 people suffered minor injuries, of which four were treated for hypothermia and one flight attendant suffered a fracture. The injured were treated at Saint Vincent’s Catholic Medical Center and St. Luke’s-Roosevelt Hospital Center.
Dramatic stories with a happy ending
Brian Siegel, a member of the board of directors of the Sullenburg Aviation Museum, told WSOC-TV what he experienced when the engine began to fail and the plane began to fall, something that caused a desperate moment inside the plane.
“I remember looking out the window to my right because we were actually taking off over what was then the new Yankee Stadium.”Siegel said. “And it was right at that moment, as he was looking out the window, there was a loud thud and the plane dropped, you know, a little bit and, you know, people were gasping.”
The passenger added that pilot Sullenberger came over the intercom and told passengers to prepare for impact.
For his part, another witness named Ben Von Klemperer, quoted by CNN, added that The experienced pilot managed to land on the river at low speed, thus avoiding aggressive contact with the water.
In statements to BBC Mundo and ABC News, another witness, whose identity was not revealed, assured that Sullenberger’s action prevented a greater tragedy.
“From my window I saw the aircraft flying below the radar zone. “I thought it could be a terrorist attack or something like that, but it seemed as if the plane was having trouble gaining altitude,” the witness said. “He made it for a few seconds and then the plane hit the water. “If it had not been for that maneuver, the entire fuselage could have been damaged.”
NTSB Final Report
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) issued the final report of the investigation more than a year later, on May 4, 2010, and determined that the accident was due to the ingestion of large birds by the engines, which resulted in the almost total loss of thrust in both thrusters.
The agency’s report emphasized that the Good decision making by the pilot and teamwork by the cabin crew were key to avoiding a catastrophe.
The NTSB also indicated that good visibility and the short response time of ferry operators and emergency services also influenced the successful landing.
Keep reading:
– FAA announces investigation into Boeing after fuselage incident on Alaska Airlines plane
– 5 unknowns left by the case of the Alaska Airlines plane that lost part of the fuselage in mid-flight
– They identify the three people who died in a small plane crash in Oregon that crashed into power lines
2024-01-15 19:34:26
#commemorates #years
