[Fredslist] Miracle on The Hudson-an aviators perspective.

[rdomaleski at regalnyc.com]

Fellow Gothamites:

As some of you may already know, in addition to being a title insurance sales representative for Regal Title, I am also a 777 Captain for United Airlines. I'd like to share a couple of my views regarding the "water landing" on the Hudson this past week. 
First and foremost, Captain Sullenberger and his First Officer did an outstanding job. A 57 year old airline veteran, and former member Safety Chairman for The Airline Pilots Assn., (now represented by The US Airline Pilots Assn. - Yes Fred, one of those evil labor unions you're  always trying to break!)  This is what your ticket buys you when you travel on a reputable legacy carrier. It's called experience, and there is no substitution for the decision making skills that come with "time spent in the seat". Flying the airplane is really only 50 percent of the job! 
Secondly, the flight attendants did an excellent job as well. Performing the duties they are extensively trained for. (Sorry, its not really serving meals, that's just an add on).
 Next time you're on an airliner and the safety briefing starts, I recommend that you pay attention, it could save your life! Specifically, know where your nearest exits are, where your life preserver is, and where the rafts are located.
 Never inflate your life vest inside the cabin. Many people were killed in the water crash off the coast of Africa this way. When the cabin filled with water,  those with inflated vests  couldn't swim underwater  to get to the exits. Wait until you're out of the aircraft and inflate the vest then.
 As pilots we are required by the FAA to train once every 9 months. We spend time in the classroom, in airliner mock ups and of course the simulator. We are all trained to perform the ditching maneuver that took place in the Hudson. It normally involves touching down as slow as possible, landing gear retracted, nose about 10 degrees high and the wings level. The real fun begins after the touchdown and  the maneuver is much more difficult if done at night in the North Atlantic!
The real miracle is that the ditching took place where it did in the Hudson. Had they been out at sea away from the ferry boats, more lives would have probably been lost. The frigid waters alone would have brought on hypothermia very quickly. It's important to stay dry, if possible, in a ditching situation. 
As far as the bird hazard goes, it's always been a clear and present danger for aviators at lower altitudes. Whenever you're  at  airports located near water, the hazard increases. Turbo fan engines are a fragile, balanced piece of machinery. They do not like anything inside them except for air.....let alone Canadian Geese or Sea gulls! A bird strike in an engine will immediately reak havoc on the structure. It will break off fan and turbine blades. What happens next is analogous to your washing machine being loaded to one side during the spin cycle......the engines imbalance basically tears itself apart. The engine normally needs to be shut down quickly. Airliners fly just fine on one engine (assuming your in a twin jet). When you lose the second one, that's when you have a real problem! An airliner can glide (in a no wind situation) about 3 miles per thousand feet of altitude. The heavier the plane the father it will glide due to the potential/kinetic energy conversion. My guess is that they got to about 2000 feet, which gave the crew very limited decision making time. They also had no time to prepare the cabin or passengers for the ditching.
Personally, I was surprised that the aircraft stayed so intact. There are tremendous forces at work on the air frame in a ditching situation. Secondly, I was surprised that the airplane floated for so long. There are a lot of holes in an airliner; pressurization out flow valves, negative pressure relief valves, open doors etc. As you could see, in a ditching you want to avoid opening the rear doors. The forward and wing exits are usually the best way out.
In summary, the crew did a great job, as did all of the rescuers. Pay attention to the safety briefings! If you're in a plane crash, stay calm, follow the crews instructions, and get out of that airplane as fast as possible!

Happy flying,  

Captain Rob

Robert J. Domaleski, Jr.
Regal Title Agency
90 Broad Street, 18th Floor
New York, NY 10004
212-269-5900 Ext. 52
201-681-5327 cell
rdomaleski at regalnyc.com
www.regalnyc.com

"The Crown Jewel of The Title Industry" 

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