U.S. AIRWAYS FLIGHT 1549
Summary of Event
U.S. Airways Flight 1549 struck a at least two Canadian geese around 3:27 p.m. on January 15, 2009, after departing New York’s LaGuardia Airport headed to Charlotte, North Carolina. As a result, both engines on the plane lost thrust. The pilot notified air traffic controllers of the strike less than three minutes after takeoff, and an emergency was declared. As Captain Chesley Sullenberger communicated with air traffic control, he determined that he would be unable to turn the plane back to LaGuardia Airport and land safely. The captain made the decision to land the plane on the Hudson River. The captain announced to the crew and passengers to brace for impact. The cabin of the plane was not damaged upon impact; however, water began entering in the rear of the plane. Evacuation began immediately. Once the captain opened the flight deck door, evacuation began. Crewmembers called for passengers to move forward to exit the plane onto the slides and life rafts. The first responders were commercial ferries already on the Hudson River when the accident occurred. New York Police officers on patrol boarded a Circle Line ferry boat one minute after the crash and within another minute, 56 passengers who had already exited the plane and were standing on the wings of the plane, boarded the ferry boat. New York Waterways also dispatched similar passenger ferries. Air traffic controllers activated the emergency alert system which notified emergency agencies to respond to the accident.
The captain relayed that he had hit birds to the controller and the tower at the airport who in turn broadcast the event to the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey Police Department. The alert was systematically relayed to New York Police Headquarters, the Office of Emergency Management in Brooklyn, the U.S. Coast Guard and the New York Fire Department. After the emergency alert system notified emergency responders, many agencies went into action to assist with the accident. New York Fire and Police personnel boarded ferries headed to the scene and arrived at the crash site in less than five minutes from the impact. The New York Police Department Emergency Services Unit dispatched a ferry to the scene. New York Police divers also dropped from overhead helicopters to the scene and pulled two passengers out of the water. The New York Fire Department deployed a 32-foot life boat.
In addition to New York Fire and Police, other governmental rescue agencies and non-governmental agencies responded to the emergency. The United States Coast Guard dispatched two boats arrived to the scene with nine minutes after the crash. LaGuardia airport dispatched a lifeboat. North Hudson Regional Fire and Rescue dispatched a first alarm to Arthurs Landing in Weehawken New Jersey, a quarter mile south of the ferry terminal. The National Ocean Service assisted in passenger rescue, as well as assessment of risk of environmental contamination, and surveying of the river for plane wreckage. Integrated Ocean Observing System at the Stevens Institute of Technology in New Jersey sent reports on water conditions and forecast conditions to US Coast Guard, Director of Watch Command for the New York City of Emergency Management and the Emergency Medical Services Command Center and New York Fire Department. The Office of Response and Restoration Emergency Response Division prepared analysis of risk of fuel onboard. The Office of Coast Survey Navigation Response team conducted survey of river to locate plan parts with sonar, supported salvage operations. And, U.S. Army Corp of Engineers also participated in the response and survey and risk assessment of the accident.
Emergency responders who were not part of the emergency plan also responded to the event. New York Waterway dispatched seven boats to the accident. And, fourteen commuter ferry vessels responded to the scene. The first boat that arrived at the scene was the Thomas Jefferson with Captain Vincent Lombardi. Within four minutes after crash, the Thomas Kean with Captain Brittany Catanzaro arrived at the scene.
Because the emergency response to this event involved several agencies, structured command was important. Due to the experience of 9/11, response systems communication and coordination was already created. All actors responded accordingly. The New York Fire Department had created a command center in which the chief of the department immediately entered. A situation room in City Hall had also been created to address such an event, where the mayor and other city official convened with the police commissioner and governor. The F.A.A. also was immediately notified and began responding to the event. And, the Transportation Security Administration in Virginia provided communications between all the agencies involved.
The immediate objectives of the crisis response team were passenger rescue and prevention or detainment of environmental harm. Triage was established at the Port Imperial Ferry Terminal to address any injuries and hypothermia among the passengers. First responders transferred passengers to shore. These passengers were provided with treatment if necessary. The aircraft held over 6,000 gallons of fuel that could have caused significant environmental harm. Several agencies were involved accessing this risk and ensuring proper response if needed.
Decision Making Strategies and Challenges by Leaders
High quality leadership resulted in appropriate decision making strategies involved with this event. The leaders faced many challenges as well, but response was appropriate and effective. The captain, Captain Chesley Sullenberger, had to use all his skills and training to properly respond to his role in the event. He had to decide whether to return to LaGuardia, or to another airport located in New Jersey. The captain immediately took control of the aircraft while the first officer began to go through the checklist for the emergency. The captain declared an emergency evacuation upon landing and opened the flight door. The captain was the last to exit plane after ensuring all passengers were out. The first officer, Jeffrey Skiles, along with the other crew members, passed out life vests to passengers. The crew members, Doreen Welsh, Sheila Dail, Donna Dent-Crew Response Management assisted with expediting evacuation. All of these on-plane leaders undertook their duties to effectively minimize injury to passengers. The airplane crewmembers faced the challenge of keeping the passengers calm and responding appropriately in a situation in which they had not faced before. The air traffic controller was also a significant player acting as a leader in the event. First responders were also forced to engage their leadership skills while considering the water temperature while performing the rescue and minimizing threat to the passengers. Other significant leaders involved in this event were those of in government and government agencies. Due to the past experience of 9/11, coordination and communication was managed well and many challenges were eliminated due to this preparedness.
References
Board, National Transportation Safety. Aircraft Accident Report. Loss of Thrust in Both Engines After Encountering a Flock of Birds and Subsequent Ditching on the Hudson River. Washington, D.C., 2010. <http://www.ntsb.gov/investigations/AccidentReports/Reports/AAR1003.pdf>.
Rosenkrans, Wayne. "Survival on the Hudson." Flight Safety Foundatoin (2016). <http://flightsafety.org/aerosafety-world-magazine/july-2010/survival-on-the-hudson>.
