Originally Posted by
HarryHolden68
Excuse my ignorance, all FSX based. However, one that continunes to puzzle me.
When US Airways 1549 struck birds climbing out of LGA which resulted in double engine failure, the pilots managed to attain over 3000 feet with an airspeed of 185 knots, before a lack of thrust meant that they had to sacrifice altitude for airspeed.
I know that initial climb out is many times steeper than the ideal 3 degree approach angle. On that basis, the aircraft would have been far higher than it would have been had it been on approach landing in the opposite direction into the same runway.
So, having declared an emergency, surely the aircraft had more than enough altitude to make a 180 degree turn and land where he had taken off from? Yes, things would not be ideal - landing with a tail wind rather than into a head wind (thought the weather was calm I remember), aircraft taking off behind (could be vectored away), aircraft holding on the end of the runway (could be instructed to taxi off the runway).
So, having become a hero for what was probably the most successful ditching in aviation history, did Captain Sullenburger make the biggest judgement error of his life by not immediately turning the aircraft around?
You've mentioned the tail wind wouldn't be ideal - trying to glide an aeroplane with a tail wind will make you sink like a brick. As said, turing an aeroplane 180degrees will make you sink and lose speed and the same goes for dropping the flaps. Keeping speed without power will require you to put the nose down slightly and thus lose more height than a straight line glide.
I suppose there was the option of trying to turn around, but not making the making the runway could of been catastrophic. Being 100m short meant crashing into houses etc... Ditching in the hudson gave him plenty of room to put the aeroplane down with the only risk being to the lives on board. No obstacles and if he misjudged it, he's got plenty of water left/right and ahead of him.
Originally Posted by
rtaylore
I can heartily recommend this book, which covers the fact that returning to LGA quickly vanished as an option, the superb airmanship and the influence of the flight envelope protections of the airbus even as it was ditching:
Fly By Wire: The Geese, The Glide, The 'Miracle' on the Hudson by William Langewiesche
Fully endorsed! A fantastic read although I found it a little sad in parts.
I never made it through Peter Burkhill's (BA38) book - 30 seconds to impact. After the first chapter, it was more about his family. I should try it again one day.