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What caused the US Airways flight 1549 crash?
Was anyone hurt?
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At least one news source is reporting that the pilot radioed the LaGuardia tower saying that he had collided with a flock of geese and that some had been sucked into one of the plane's engines.
Of course a final determination is made after an investigation by the NTSB that takes months or sometimes years, even when there's strong circumstantial evidence.
*** UPDATE ***
WABC is now reporting "government officials say the plane's two engines went down after a bird struck the plane".
http://abclocal.go.com/wabc/story?section=news/local%26id=6606410
Of course a final determination is made after an investigation by the NTSB that takes months or sometimes years, even when there's strong circumstantial evidence.
*** UPDATE ***
WABC is now reporting "government officials say the plane's two engines went down after a bird struck the plane".
http://abclocal.go.com/wabc/story?section=news/local%26id=6606410
source(s):
http://www.gadling.com/2009/01/15/breaking-us-airways-plane-crashes-into-hu...
http://www.ntsb.gov/
http://www.gadling.com/2009/01/15/breaking-us-airways-plane-crashes-into-hu...
http://www.ntsb.gov/
It seems a flock of geese may be to blame. So far, no casualties have been reported.
Streaming video available at: http://www.cnn.com/video/flashLive/live.html?stream=stream1
Streaming video available at: http://www.cnn.com/video/flashLive/live.html?stream=stream1
oops, sorry... no human casualties have been reported.
Great article from a pilot about how this is a worst-case scenario (getting birdstrikes are usually only dangerous for the birds, unless they get the engines) and a best-case scenario (it was daylight and they landed safely in the water - if they hadn't slowed down as much as they did we'd be "looking for bodies," we were definitely lucky!).
http://www.salon.com/tech/col/smith/2009/01/15/askthepilot305/
http://www.salon.com/tech/col/smith/2009/01/15/askthepilot305/
They ran into a flock of geese. The geese clogged up the engines.
source(s):
CNN
CNN
Passenger heard a 'loud bang' 5:52
Passenger Alberto Panero heard a 'loud bang' before the U.S. Airways airliner made a crash landing in the Hudson river.
Passenger Alberto Panero heard a 'loud bang' before the U.S. Airways airliner made a crash landing in the Hudson river.
They think it was a flock of birds. However, everybody safely got off the plane.
source(s):
NPR
NPR
The pilots reported that he had engine failure probably due to ingestion of birds, most likely he flew into a flock of geese. He valiantly and miriacouly made an almost perfect landing on the Hudson River in New York City. All passengers and crew has been accounted for.
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The WABC report has subsequently been updated.
In any case, I agree that more than one bird strike was likely involved.