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Flight 1549

Discussion in 'Fred's House of Pancakes' started by qbee42, Feb 5, 2009.

  1. qbee42

    qbee42 My other car is a boat

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  2. eagle33199

    eagle33199 Platinum Member

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    That's one flight where reading the emergency card contained in the seatback infront of you would have been useful!
     
  3. paprius4030

    paprius4030 My first Prius

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    As an ex pilot it brings back alot of old memories, amazing how matter of factly both the pilots and the controllers handeled themselves.
     
  4. pviebey

    pviebey New Member

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    Planes can pretty much land and take off today without anyone doing a thing. But, I for sure wouldn't want a computer making all the decisions when both engines quit...

    It probably would have tried to push it to a 'known' airport and bad things.

    That's what they make them pilot bucks for!
     
  5. jayman

    jayman Senior Member

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    The Airbus fly-by-wire aircraft only operate in Normal Law with all systems nominal: overspeed protection, alpha floor protection, configuration (Flaps, gear, etc) protection, etc

    Losing both engines will dump the Flight Augmentation Computer, pop the bus tie's to Emergency Essential, and put the aircraft into Direct Law.

    Once both engines spooled down, the fly-by-wire is running off the batteries. They were in the air about five minutes before ditching. It takes at least 3 minutes for the APU to start and stabalize, to provide backup power, bleed air, and hydraulic assist: a useful option at altitude if there is an engine failure(s)

    "Sully" did a perfect job, and proved that even a fly-by-wire electronic aircraft is capable of safe ditching. This may be the only successful ditching on record, and will be studied for decades. The crew deserve the highest honors

    The only mistake made, and I'm really nit-picking here, is that in the gut-wrenching realization they were going to land on the Hudson, the crew forgot to arm and set the Ditch switch.

    The Ditch switch closes the external pressure valves and exhaust ports off the packs. As the air cycle machine works by having bleed air flowing through it, it needs a fairly large opening in the belly for exhausting bleed air. Water will quickly flow into the ACM packs and start sinking the aircraft

    However, the aircraft remained afloat a *very* long time. Not sure if hitting the Ditch switch would have made any difference. One engine sheared off on landing, helping with weight right there. The tanks were full, and Jet-A is lighter than water
     
  6. jayman

    jayman Senior Member

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    This is not the first time a bird strike caused serious damage. A documentary film crew was at Manchester Ringway airport in 2007, filming a "normal" day

    A ThompsonFly 757 - with CFC engines - was captured on takeoff with the right engine ingesting a bird a lot smaller than a goose. The engine was seriously damaged and started badly surging, the "backfires" heard as the plane climbed

    This YouTube link of the event is long, but very well done



    Everything was done properly here too. The pilots kept the throttles at TOGA even though the right engine was now very seriously surging. Once they had a positive rate of climb, they then took care of the right engine, and took their sweet time to go around and do an emergency landing
     
  7. amm0bob

    amm0bob Permanently Junior...

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    It shows clearly that training for a disaster will give you the tools for saving your bottom when everything goes wrong.
     
  8. tripp

    tripp Which it's a 'ybrid, ain't it?

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    Interesting... reminds me of descriptions of AWACS controllers... smooth and sedate.
     
  9. jayman

    jayman Senior Member

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    I'm looking forward to the 60 Minutes interview of Sully which is supposed to air this Sunday.

    Sure he sounded calm and professional, but I'd bet you a bottle of gin that he had to change his underwear after he was back on shore
     
  10. qbee42

    qbee42 My other car is a boat

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    Maybe he rinsed them out in the river.

    Tom
     
  11. jayman

    jayman Senior Member

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    That would have been the ideal location to do so
     
  12. tripp

    tripp Which it's a 'ybrid, ain't it?

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    Maybe he doesn't wear underwear. :eek:
     
  13. jayman

    jayman Senior Member

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    Don't knock it till you try it
     
  14. patsparks

    patsparks An Aussie perspective

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    Well that goes without saying, once he is on dry land there was the chance he might get hit by a bus if he didn't!





    Remember what mum always told you?
     
  15. jayman

    jayman Senior Member

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    You just never know. If his luck was like mine, he'd fearlessly ditch an airliner and save all the lives on board, then drown in the tub back at the hotel
     
  16. qbee42

    qbee42 My other car is a boat

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    Before or after visiting the bar?

    Tom
     
  17. jayman

    jayman Senior Member

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    After, of course!
     
  18. jayman

    jayman Senior Member

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    Well, watched the interview on 60 Minutes. Gee-zus, but Sullenberger is one cool customer!.

    I can only hope that every airline pilot is cast from the same mould as Sullenberger was.
     
  19. qbee42

    qbee42 My other car is a boat

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    Yea, the sound of me shrieking into an open microphone wouldn't inspire much confidence.

    Tom
     
  20. Genoz World

    Genoz World ZEN-style living

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    i'm watching sully and the entire flight crew on GMA right now. he seems like a very nice guy.............calm and collected, intelligent and obviously made the absolute right decision on the face of challenge. i applaud him and the entire crew.

    you know what? no one mentioned this, but is sully atypical of a PRIUS OWNER?