Re: US Airways Flight 1549 ~ First Person Report

On Feb 11, 2:22�pm, "Just plain Dusty" <RV-
drag...@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
JanOrm...@xxxxxxx wrote:
On Feb 11, 1:24 pm, "Just plain Dusty" <RV-
drag...@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
An excellent read, as well as an outstanding summary at the end.
Thanks for posting it, Jan.

Dusty
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
You are welcome, Dusty.

I think this pilot "Sully" �is an All American Hero! But
more than that, he is a symbol of the Professional Flight
Crews that keep us safe. I have new respect.

Yep. �Roger that! �But then, for me at least, they've always had my
respect. �I did a stint with Lockheed some years back, building & flying
L-1011's. �Got to meet & fly with a lot of crews. �Also got to work with a
lot of military and NASA crews, as well as flight crews from both American
and United when I was working at both LAX and SFO. �Trust me, there's a
nary a foul one in the bunch that I'd met. �I'm sure there are better ones
and less capable ones. �But that day, as "Sully" said, events conspired to
put that crew into that airplane at that time. �And it damn sure was, "The
Right Stuff!"

Did you watch the 60 minutes piece? I kinda pick and
choose with that show as to what I will watch or not.
I had heard ahead of time that they had an exclusive
on this story so was ready to watch it. They did a
double segment which was appropriate for this story.
Not a big Katy Curic fan but she did this straight and
did it well.

Didn't get to watch that. �OTOH; there's little in such programs to suggest
it to me for serious consideration. �That they had the good sense to put
that pilot on that day, was great; but not good enough to make me stoop to
watching that show. �Besides, if memory serves, I had some important wine
to drink in that timeslot...(:-o)!

L8r all,
Dusty
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I just received another first person report on this from my
good Shelby Club friend Scott Griffith who now lives in
Colorado. Scott and his wife Cindy are Professional Race
Corner Workers/First Responders who have worked such
races as the 24 hour race at Daytona. Scott is a fellow Shelby
Club OTEC worker that has in the past been instrumental
in our Track Safety Program at our many Road Course Events.
He and Cindy would be the ones I would want responding
to my car if I was ever involved in an on track incident. Not
surprised to see this info come from him. He watches this stuff
like a hawk.
Jan
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Another first person report- from a pilot who was deadheading
aboard...
----------------

Fellow Pilots,

The message below recounts the experiences of AA First Officer Susan
O'Donnell, a LGA-based pilot who was a jumpseat passenger on Flight
1549. American Airlines' pilot union, the Allied Pilots Association
(APA), distributed this message recently to its members.

The following is an exclusive account for our members from one of our
pilots who was onboard US Airways Flight 1549 when the pilots made a
successful emergency ditching into New York's Hudson River. First
Officer Susan O'Donnell is a LGA-based 767 pilot. She resides with her
family in Winnsboro, South Carolina. Susan is a former Navy pilot,
hired at AA in February 1990. She has flown the 727, F100, A300 and
now the 767.

The following is her account of the flight, the rescue and recovery
response, as well as the support she experienced afterward. This is
intended to give each of you a unique insight into the event. We also
hope that the crews tremendous effort to take care of each other and
the nearly instantaneous support of USAPA and APA responders become
takeaways for our pilots to use when faced with an emergency.

I was a jumpseat rider seated in First Class on Flight 1549 from LGA
to
CLT, which successfully ditched in the Hudson River. Ive been asked
to
share a few of my experiences on that day. Although it was a
stressful
incident, the successful outcome and the assistance and support I
received afterwards have been truly humbling and inspirational.

After introducing myself to and being welcomed aboard by Captain
Sullenberger and FO Skiles, I was offered seat 3D, an aisle seat in
the
last row of First Class. I was in my uniform. Another jumpseat rider
took a seat in row 6. These were the last empty seats on the airplane.
I wasnt paying much attention to the flight until, climbing out, there
were
several loud thumps occurring roughly simultaneously along both sides
of the aircraft. Bird strikes, I thought. A few seconds later, there
was a
bit of smoke and the stench of burning bird that seemed to confirm my
guess. There was a turn to the left, and I assumed we were returning
to
LGA.

The passengers were concerned but calm. I couldnt see any part of the
aircraft out the window from my aisle seat. Although I didnt hear
much
that sounded encouraging from the engines, I expected we would have at
least partial thrust with which to limp back to LGA. We rolled out of
the turn, and I could tell we were not maintaining altitude. Then we
heard the PA: This is the Captain. Brace for impact.

Obviously we werent returning to LGA, and I could see enough out the
window to realize wed be landing in the river. The flight attendants
began shouting their brace litanies and kept it up until touchdown.
The descent seemed very controlled, and the sink rate reasonably low.
I believed the impact would be violent but survivable, although I did
consider the alternative. The passengers remained calm and almost
completely quiet. As we approached the water, I braced by folding my
arms against the seat back in front of me, then putting my head
against my arms. There was a brief hard jolt, a rapid decel and we
were stopped. It was much milder than I had anticipated. If the jolt
had been turbulence, I would have described it as moderate. Thinking
about it later on, I realized it was no worse than a carrier landing.

After landing, the attitude of the aircraft was slightly nose high,
but
not far off a normal parked attitude, and there was no obvious damage
to the cabin or water intrusion where I was. No one was hurt or
panicked. We all stood up. I could hear the doors open and the sound
of slide inflation. There was a verbal command Evacuate; people were
already moving towards the doors. I exited through the forward right
door and entered the raft. The evacuation up front was orderly and
swift, and we were not in the water long before being picked up by
various boats, which were extremely quick to the scene. Many
passengers were standing on the wing, going from feet dry to nearly
waist deep as the rescue progressed. They were of course the first to
be picked up by the arriving boats. I was picked up by a large ferry
boat, climbing a ladder hanging from the bow. It didnt take long to
get all passengers into the boats and to the ferry terminals.

Once at the terminal, we were met by police, firemen, paramedics, FBI,
Homeland Security, the Red Cross, Mayor Bloomberg, and more. Captain
Sullenberger continued in a leadership role in the aftermath, talking
with the passengers, assembling his crew and including myself and the
other jumpseat rider as members of his crew. I was impressed to note
that he had the aircraft logbook tucked under his arm. When the
Captain asked me if I wanted to join the crew at the hotel, I told him
I would really appreciate it as I had lost my wallet. He immediately
pulled out his wallet and gave me $20. His concern for me when he had
so much else to worry about was amazing.

The USAPA representative was on the scene very quickly, and again
included the other jumpseat rider and myself with the rest of the
crew. I didnt see a flight attendant representative; USAPA took care
of the FAs as well. The USAPA representative escorted the entire crew
to the hospital (we rode in a NYFD fire truck), where we were joined
by other USAPA reps and the USAPA lawyer, all of whom continued to
consider me as one of the crew. At the hospital, I had finally called
the APA in case of accident number on the back of my ID badge for APA.
I had not initially thought of that as applying to my situation, as a
jumpseater on another airline, but I called anyway. I spoke with APA
LGA Vice Chairman Captain Glenn Schafer, who departed immediately to
come assist me.

After a routine evaluation, they transported us by police car to a
hotel,
where rooms were waiting. The USAPA version of our Flight Assist was
also there, and they spoke to me and offered me whatever assistance I
needed, again as if I was one of their own. The USAPA reps also
brought all of us some clothing and toiletries that they had
purchased. Captain Schafer arrived at the hotel, bringing me some
necessary items. He stayed overnight at the hotel, making flight
arrangements for me to go home the next day and escorting me to the
airport. Captain Mark Cronin from the AA NY Flight Office met me at
the departure gate, again offering assistance and support.

I am grateful for the many calls of concern and offers of help I have
received, from fellow pilots, union representatives and the company,
and I am grateful for and proud of the response and assistance of both
USAPA and APA. I would hope that our union would treat another
airlines crewmember as kindly as I was treated. USAirways has also
been superb, treating me as if I was a paying passenger. I am also
thankful for the professionalism and capabilities of Captain
Sullenberger, FO Skiles and FAs Dent, Dail and Welsh. They certainly
did our profession proud, and they saved my life.



__._,_.___
.

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