Comments for More on US Air 1549

More on US Air 1549

2009-02-06T15:49:27Z

You can listen to the transcript of the (very short) flight transmissions here.

The first voice (taking the active for departure) is the First Officer. That's standard--the Captain taxies the jet on the ground and the FO does the talking. After takeoff, you can hear Sullenberger talking to Tower and Departure as he gave the airplane to the FO when they lined up on the runway. Since it was the FO's leg ("pilot flying"), Sully does the talking as "pilot monitoring" once he passed control to the FO.

When the emergency occurred, Sully kept the radios to talk to the controller but I'll bet he had taken the jet back from the FO. This makes sense. In a serious emergency the Capt often takes the controls. This, coupled with the extreme speed at which the situation was deteriorating, makes me think Sullenberger was talking while flying--it's faster than going through the FO, i.e., letting him make the transmission on what they were contemplating (landing in the Hudson).

Comment from Josh on 2009-02-06

2009-02-07T04:53:43Z

Hmph. With "gratitude" like that, they might as well instruct their pilots to just make sure the passengers die on landing, a living plaintiff ALWAYS gets more money than a dead one...

Comment from DL Sly on 2009-02-06

2009-02-07T01:18:55Z

"Many US Airways (LCC) passengers who endured a crash landing in the Hudson River 12 days ago say they appreciate the $5,000 that the airline has offered — but some say it's not enough."

As Cassandra said, "A village somewhere is missing it's idiot."

Comment from Josh on 2009-02-06

2009-02-06T22:51:14Z

Are people suing over this already?

Comment from DL Sly on 2009-02-06

2009-02-06T21:14:09Z

Makes you wonder about those who survived, for the most part unscathed, who now see fit to sue for "damages". Gratitude is apparently nothing more than 15% tacked onto a restaurant tab.

Comment from MaryAnn on 2009-02-06

2009-02-06T19:56:03Z

Sully first mentions the Hudson just 30 seconds after reporting the bird strike. Think about that. Yes, he also asks about Teterboro and ATC later helpfully mentions Newark, but within 30 seconds Sully had already come up with a "worst case" option.

I'm from NJ. EWR, LGA, and JFK are my "home" airports. TEB is located just minutes from where my parents live. Unlike takeoff/approach from/to JFK, which is near the ocean, the areas around EWR, LGA, and TEB are the most densely populated anywhere. There is no open space to ditch without killing hundreds of people on the ground.

Except the river.

My awe of Sully and everyone else involved in this incident just keeps growing the more I think about it.

Comment from HomefrontSix on 2009-02-06

2009-02-06T18:27:18Z

I could just bask in the professionalism that radiates from that link.

Yes. It gives me chills to listen to it. I want that man flying my planes as well. Heck, I'd book a flight on US Airways if I could just because they had Sully on their payroll.

Comment from MCart on 2009-02-06

2009-02-06T17:59:03Z

That is amazing. No chatter, no swearing, just business. I have a LOT to learn from people like these.

Comment from Boquisucio on 2009-02-06

2009-02-06T17:44:22Z

Idem!!!

Comment from FbL on 2009-02-06

2009-02-06T17:13:39Z

I could just bask in the professionalism that radiates from that link.

Yup. And what struck me the most was that you can hear the emotion/tension in their voices (it was subtle, but there) but it didn't overwhelm them or interfere with the professionalism of their words and decisions.

Although, the tone of voice in the last transmission from LGA Departure Control could break your heart--obviously the initial burst of adrenaline was beginning to wear off and he was losing the detachment that had gotten him through the event, and now only knowing that the jet had crashed somewhere...

Comment from John of Argghhh! on 2009-02-06

2009-02-06T16:46:44Z

What strikes me most about this is the calm, cool, professionalism on the part of everybody on that net.

I want guys like Sully and his FO flying my birds, and guys like that ATC dude controlling the air lanes.

I could just bask in the professionalism that radiates from that link.

Comment from Oldloadr on 2009-02-06

2009-02-06T16:31:45Z

Dusty - now that you have joined the ranks of commercial aviation pilots as a former combat pilot: Do you think Sully's fighter pilot experience aided in his ability to handle a catastrophic failure of his aircraft? One of the the reasons I ask is I remember reading somewhere (probably when I was a student at ERAU) that up until the 90s something like 86% of commercial pilots were military trained but now it's down to 50% (which, of course, means there is a hight probability that one of the 2 pilots in the cockpit are former military).