1 00:00:07,540 --> 00:00:10,844 After takeoff checklist complete. 2 00:00:10,844 --> 00:00:14,314 NARRATOR: US Airways Flight 1549 has just left 3 00:00:14,314 --> 00:00:16,182 New York's LaGuardia Airport. 4 00:00:16,182 --> 00:00:17,183 [ominous music] 5 00:00:17,183 --> 00:00:18,118 Birds. 6 00:00:18,118 --> 00:00:19,352 [crash] 7 00:00:19,352 --> 00:00:21,488 JEFFREY SKILES: And that fast, we were just on top of them. 8 00:00:25,158 --> 00:00:26,426 My aircraft. 9 00:00:26,426 --> 00:00:28,361 Your aircraft. 10 00:00:28,361 --> 00:00:33,533 NARRATOR: Both of the plane's engines have stopped working. 11 00:00:33,533 --> 00:00:36,770 Mayday, mayday, mayday, this is Cactus 1549. 12 00:00:36,770 --> 00:00:39,639 NARRATOR: The plane is falling from the sky. 13 00:00:39,639 --> 00:00:42,509 There are only a few seconds to decide what to do. 14 00:00:42,509 --> 00:00:43,810 PATRICK HARTEN: If we can get it for you, 15 00:00:43,810 --> 00:00:45,311 you want to try and land on runway 13. 16 00:00:45,311 --> 00:00:47,213 We're unable. 17 00:00:47,213 --> 00:00:50,517 NARRATOR: 155 lives depend on the pilots 18 00:00:50,517 --> 00:00:51,684 making the right call. 19 00:00:51,684 --> 00:00:52,519 Get your heads down and stay down. 20 00:00:52,519 --> 00:00:54,387 PATRICK HARTEN: Hey, Cactus 1549, you 21 00:00:54,387 --> 00:00:56,389 can land runway 1 at Teterboro. 22 00:00:56,389 --> 00:00:57,724 Can't do it. 23 00:00:57,724 --> 00:00:59,492 NARRATOR: With a bad option on the right 24 00:00:59,492 --> 00:01:01,561 and a worse one on the left, the crew 25 00:01:01,561 --> 00:01:06,566 decides to put their Airbus on the runway that's dead ahead. 26 00:01:06,566 --> 00:01:08,234 We're going to be in the Hudson. 27 00:01:08,234 --> 00:01:09,702 FLIGHT ATTENDANT (ON PA): Ladies and gentlemen 28 00:01:09,702 --> 00:01:11,404 we are starting our approach. 29 00:01:11,404 --> 00:01:12,906 PILOT: We lost both engines. 30 00:01:12,906 --> 00:01:13,473 FLIGHT ATTENDANT (ON PA): Put the mask over your nose. 31 00:01:13,473 --> 00:01:14,841 Emergency [inaudible] 32 00:01:14,841 --> 00:01:16,409 CHESLEY SULLENBERGER: Mayday, mayday. 33 00:01:16,409 --> 00:01:17,577 FLIGHT ATTENDANT: Brace for impact! 34 00:01:17,577 --> 00:01:20,213 MAN 1: I think I lost them. 35 00:01:20,213 --> 00:01:21,581 [interposing voices] 36 00:01:21,581 --> 00:01:24,184 MAN 2: He's gonna crash! 37 00:01:24,184 --> 00:01:26,553 [crash] 38 00:01:29,389 --> 00:01:32,559 [music playing] 39 00:01:34,394 --> 00:01:39,399 NARRATOR: New York's LaGuardia Airport, mid-afternoon. 40 00:01:39,399 --> 00:01:41,568 Please take a moment to listen to this important information. 41 00:01:41,568 --> 00:01:44,237 NARRATOR: US Airways Flight 1549 is 42 00:01:44,237 --> 00:01:47,273 a short hop from New York City to Charlotte, North Carolina. 43 00:01:47,273 --> 00:01:48,908 At least it will be a little warmer in Charlotte. 44 00:01:48,908 --> 00:01:50,610 FLIGHT ATTENDANT (ON PA): Your seat cushion 45 00:01:50,610 --> 00:01:52,745 serves as a flotation device. 46 00:01:57,550 --> 00:01:58,852 NARRATOR: Together in the cockpit today 47 00:01:58,852 --> 00:02:03,456 our Captain Chesley Sullenberger, 57-- 48 00:02:03,456 --> 00:02:05,258 Clean to push. 49 00:02:05,258 --> 00:02:09,262 NARRATOR: --and first officer Jeffrey Skiles, 49. 50 00:02:09,262 --> 00:02:10,563 JEFFREY SKILES: We were late because the weather 51 00:02:10,563 --> 00:02:12,365 was bad earlier. 52 00:02:12,365 --> 00:02:15,468 But by this point, the weather cleared off for our departure. 53 00:02:15,468 --> 00:02:18,271 And it was just puffy clouds. 54 00:02:18,271 --> 00:02:19,672 PATRICK HARTEN (ON RADIO): 28, brakes released. 55 00:02:19,672 --> 00:02:25,712 Spark 28 for Cactus 1549. 56 00:02:25,712 --> 00:02:27,780 NARRATOR: 150 passengers are on board 57 00:02:27,780 --> 00:02:35,488 the European-made Airbus A320. 58 00:02:35,488 --> 00:02:38,992 Businessman Clay Presley is on his way home to Charlotte. 59 00:02:38,992 --> 00:02:40,593 I arrived at the airport at LaGuardia. 60 00:02:40,593 --> 00:02:42,328 It was very cold. 61 00:02:42,328 --> 00:02:43,863 It had been snowing a little bit that day. 62 00:02:43,863 --> 00:02:45,999 And we had a storm coming in, so we wanted 63 00:02:45,999 --> 00:02:49,636 to make sure we made that flight and weren't hung up or delayed 64 00:02:49,636 --> 00:02:52,672 on some later flights. 65 00:02:52,672 --> 00:02:54,407 NARRATOR: The crew flew in an hour earlier 66 00:02:54,407 --> 00:02:57,410 from Charlotte with Sullenberger at the controls. 67 00:02:57,410 --> 00:02:59,746 Your brakes, your aircraft. 68 00:02:59,746 --> 00:03:01,648 NARRATOR: First Officer Skiles will be flying 69 00:03:01,648 --> 00:03:02,916 the plane back to Charlotte. 70 00:03:02,916 --> 00:03:04,017 My aircraft. 71 00:03:04,017 --> 00:03:07,487 NARRATOR: It's a common sharing of piloting duties. 72 00:03:07,487 --> 00:03:09,522 PATRICK HARTEN (ON RADIO): Cactus 1549, runway 4, 73 00:03:09,522 --> 00:03:10,790 clear for takeoff. 74 00:03:10,790 --> 00:03:13,993 Cactus 1549, clear for takeoff. 75 00:03:13,993 --> 00:03:15,929 NARRATOR: This trip marks the final leg 76 00:03:15,929 --> 00:03:18,898 of a four-day sequence of flights for both men. 77 00:03:18,898 --> 00:03:21,534 We made our standard callouts. 78 00:03:21,534 --> 00:03:24,804 It was just a normal takeoff, normal procedures on the climb 79 00:03:24,804 --> 00:03:25,905 out. 80 00:03:25,905 --> 00:03:27,974 There was absolutely nothing at all 81 00:03:27,974 --> 00:03:30,510 to indicate that this would be any different than any other 82 00:03:30,510 --> 00:03:32,912 takeoff in my entire career. 83 00:03:32,912 --> 00:03:34,514 NARRATOR: But by the end of the day, 84 00:03:34,514 --> 00:03:36,816 they'll be the most famous crew on the planet. 85 00:03:39,619 --> 00:03:40,687 Gear up please. 86 00:03:45,692 --> 00:03:47,493 CHESLEY SULLENBERGER: Gear up. 87 00:03:47,493 --> 00:03:49,729 NARRATOR: Patrick Harten is one of the controllers handling 88 00:03:49,729 --> 00:03:52,031 traffic out of LaGuardia today. 89 00:03:52,031 --> 00:03:54,767 He has one of the most stressful jobs in the world. 90 00:03:57,337 --> 00:03:59,339 PATRICK HARTEN: When I sit down in front of a radar, 91 00:03:59,339 --> 00:04:02,542 I'm responsible for every person on every airplane 92 00:04:02,542 --> 00:04:05,411 under my control. 93 00:04:05,411 --> 00:04:09,382 And I take that responsibility very seriously. 94 00:04:09,382 --> 00:04:12,518 Cactus 1549, New York departure, radar contact. 95 00:04:12,518 --> 00:04:14,587 Climb and maintain 1 5,000. 96 00:04:14,587 --> 00:04:18,057 NARRATOR: The flight will climb Northeast out of LaGuardia 97 00:04:18,057 --> 00:04:21,094 and then begin a slow turn south toward Charlotte. 98 00:04:21,094 --> 00:04:22,362 It was just a normal departure, you know? 99 00:04:22,362 --> 00:04:26,933 It was just another flight that I've handled a million times. 100 00:04:26,933 --> 00:04:28,201 NARRATOR: Riding the thrust of two 101 00:04:28,201 --> 00:04:31,738 General Electric engines, the aircraft powers into the sky. 102 00:04:35,742 --> 00:04:42,849 Cactus 1549, 700, climbing 5,000. 103 00:04:42,849 --> 00:04:46,719 What a view of the Hudson today. 104 00:04:46,719 --> 00:04:47,887 JEFFREY SKILES: Yeah. 105 00:04:47,887 --> 00:04:52,025 After takeoff checklist complete. 106 00:04:52,025 --> 00:04:53,926 NARRATOR: Flight 1549 is traveling 107 00:04:53,926 --> 00:04:56,429 at almost 250 miles per hour. 108 00:04:56,429 --> 00:04:59,432 It's been in the air for just a minute and a half. 109 00:04:59,432 --> 00:05:01,901 I caught something out of the corner of my eye. 110 00:05:01,901 --> 00:05:03,803 And slightly to our right but still ahead of 111 00:05:03,803 --> 00:05:05,471 us was a line of birds. 112 00:05:05,471 --> 00:05:06,739 Birds. 113 00:05:06,739 --> 00:05:08,641 And they were very very close, too close 114 00:05:08,641 --> 00:05:09,809 for us to maneuver around. 115 00:05:09,809 --> 00:05:10,543 Whoa! [bird screech] 116 00:05:10,543 --> 00:05:12,045 [crash] 117 00:05:12,045 --> 00:05:15,148 And that fast, we were just on top of them. 118 00:05:15,148 --> 00:05:18,484 You can just feel the power of the plane going forward. 119 00:05:18,484 --> 00:05:21,821 And then all of a sudden, there was this gigantic boom. 120 00:05:21,821 --> 00:05:23,723 It seemed like it stopped in midair, 121 00:05:23,723 --> 00:05:24,924 like you hit a brick wall. 122 00:05:24,924 --> 00:05:26,392 Oh, my God, the engine's on fire! 123 00:05:26,392 --> 00:05:27,827 CLAY PRESLEY: And then all of a sudden, 124 00:05:27,827 --> 00:05:30,630 somebody said, the left engine is on fire. 125 00:05:30,630 --> 00:05:32,131 Uh-oh. 126 00:05:32,131 --> 00:05:34,167 Before we could even assess the situation-- 127 00:05:34,167 --> 00:05:36,903 We got one roll, both of them rolling back. 128 00:05:36,903 --> 00:05:38,638 --both engines roll back to idle. 129 00:05:38,638 --> 00:05:39,739 Ignition start. 130 00:05:42,608 --> 00:05:45,511 NARRATOR: Just 13 seconds after their problems begin, 131 00:05:45,511 --> 00:05:48,581 Sullenberger takes control of a struggling plane. 132 00:05:48,581 --> 00:05:49,816 My aircraft. 133 00:05:49,816 --> 00:05:52,418 Your aircraft. 134 00:05:52,418 --> 00:05:56,956 Get the QRH, loss of thrust in both engines. 135 00:05:56,956 --> 00:05:59,192 NARRATOR: The QRH, or Quick Reference Handbook, 136 00:05:59,192 --> 00:06:02,128 is a step-by-step guide to dealing with emergencies. 137 00:06:02,128 --> 00:06:05,198 Mayday, mayday, mayday, this is Cactus 1549. 138 00:06:05,198 --> 00:06:07,133 Hit birds, we've lost thrust in both engines. 139 00:06:07,133 --> 00:06:09,168 We're turning back towards LaGuardia. 140 00:06:09,168 --> 00:06:11,170 PATRICK HARTEN: When a pilot says mayday or declares 141 00:06:11,170 --> 00:06:13,673 an emergency, now you go from a focus state 142 00:06:13,673 --> 00:06:14,807 to a hyperfocus state. 143 00:06:14,807 --> 00:06:16,476 You just focus in on the emergency 144 00:06:16,476 --> 00:06:20,980 itself and figure out the solution to the problem. 145 00:06:20,980 --> 00:06:22,115 OK, you need to return to LaGuardia. 146 00:06:22,115 --> 00:06:24,550 Turn left, heading 2, 2, 0. 147 00:06:24,550 --> 00:06:26,018 2, 2, 0. 148 00:06:26,018 --> 00:06:27,720 All of a sudden, there was a smell 149 00:06:27,720 --> 00:06:29,555 that came through the cabin. 150 00:06:29,555 --> 00:06:29,989 Something's burning. 151 00:06:32,759 --> 00:06:34,560 [beeping] 152 00:06:34,560 --> 00:06:36,863 If fuel remaining, engine mode selector ignition. 153 00:06:36,863 --> 00:06:40,900 What I'm thinking, though, at this point is that, you know, 154 00:06:40,900 --> 00:06:42,602 we're just going to have to restart an engine. 155 00:06:42,602 --> 00:06:44,704 Thrust levers. 156 00:06:44,704 --> 00:06:45,705 Confirm idle. 157 00:06:45,705 --> 00:06:47,240 Idle. 158 00:06:47,240 --> 00:06:49,075 The procedure is to try to restart the engines. 159 00:06:49,075 --> 00:06:52,145 And I always had faith we could do that. 160 00:06:52,145 --> 00:06:56,949 Airspeed optimum relay, 300 knots. 161 00:06:56,949 --> 00:06:58,684 We don't have that. 162 00:06:58,684 --> 00:06:59,986 We don't. 163 00:06:59,986 --> 00:07:01,187 OK, Cactus 1549, if we can get it for you, 164 00:07:01,187 --> 00:07:02,655 you want to try and land on runway 13. 165 00:07:02,655 --> 00:07:03,990 We're unable. 166 00:07:03,990 --> 00:07:05,258 PATRICK HARTEN: The conversations 167 00:07:05,258 --> 00:07:06,526 with Captain Sullenberger were very short 168 00:07:06,526 --> 00:07:09,729 and to the point, which was very appropriate for the emergency. 169 00:07:09,729 --> 00:07:12,665 There was a lot going on and wasn't much time to handle it. 170 00:07:12,665 --> 00:07:15,868 When Captain Sullenberger simply said, unable, I-- 171 00:07:15,868 --> 00:07:17,637 it didn't bother me. 172 00:07:17,637 --> 00:07:18,838 I mean, he had his hands full flying the airplane, 173 00:07:18,838 --> 00:07:20,740 and I understood that. 174 00:07:20,740 --> 00:07:23,943 So my job is just to move on to the next option. 175 00:07:23,943 --> 00:07:25,711 All right, Cactus 1549, it's going 176 00:07:25,711 --> 00:07:27,547 to be traffic for runway 31. 177 00:07:27,547 --> 00:07:29,182 Unable. 178 00:07:29,182 --> 00:07:31,717 Harten still wants the jet to return to LaGuardia. 179 00:07:31,717 --> 00:07:37,523 But Flight 1549 is now just 1,400 feet above the ground. 180 00:07:37,523 --> 00:07:39,192 Cactus 1549, runway 4 is available. 181 00:07:39,192 --> 00:07:41,060 If you want to make left, traffic runway 4. 182 00:07:41,060 --> 00:07:43,262 I'm not sure we can make any runway. 183 00:07:43,262 --> 00:07:46,966 What's to our right, anything in New Jersey, Teterboro? 184 00:07:46,966 --> 00:07:48,701 OK, yeah, uh, off to your right side 185 00:07:48,701 --> 00:07:49,802 is Teterboro Airport. 186 00:07:49,802 --> 00:07:51,737 You want to try to go to Teterboro? 187 00:07:51,737 --> 00:07:54,173 NARRATOR: Teterboro is a small airport on the New Jersey 188 00:07:54,173 --> 00:07:55,775 side of the Hudson River. 189 00:07:55,775 --> 00:07:57,610 But it's several miles away. 190 00:07:57,610 --> 00:08:00,313 And without their engines, Flight 1549 is dropping fast. 191 00:08:00,313 --> 00:08:02,582 PATRICK HARTEN (ON RADIO): You want to try to go to Teterboro? 192 00:08:02,582 --> 00:08:03,816 Yes. 193 00:08:03,816 --> 00:08:05,318 JEFFREY SKILES: When the air traffic 194 00:08:05,318 --> 00:08:07,920 controller pointed out Teterboro, I looked at it, 195 00:08:07,920 --> 00:08:09,188 and I stopped. 196 00:08:09,188 --> 00:08:10,223 And I was kind of concerned that he was 197 00:08:10,223 --> 00:08:11,824 actually going to try for it. 198 00:08:11,824 --> 00:08:13,025 I didn't think we could make it. 199 00:08:16,229 --> 00:08:18,130 So you're sitting there very quietly. 200 00:08:18,130 --> 00:08:21,801 People are anxiously waiting for information. 201 00:08:21,801 --> 00:08:25,671 And they wanted reassurance that things were going to be OK. 202 00:08:25,671 --> 00:08:26,939 [beeping] 203 00:08:26,939 --> 00:08:29,876 You could hear the microphone come on. 204 00:08:29,876 --> 00:08:31,677 This is the captain. 205 00:08:31,677 --> 00:08:33,679 CLAY PRESLEY: We're hoping he was going to say, 206 00:08:33,679 --> 00:08:34,981 I've got this under control. 207 00:08:34,981 --> 00:08:35,848 We're going to be OK. 208 00:08:35,848 --> 00:08:37,283 We're going to make it. 209 00:08:37,283 --> 00:08:38,618 We're going to turn around and go back and land. 210 00:08:38,618 --> 00:08:41,854 That's what you were hoping to hear. 211 00:08:41,854 --> 00:08:43,189 Brace for impact. 212 00:08:43,189 --> 00:08:45,258 What does he mean brace for Impact? 213 00:08:45,258 --> 00:08:48,327 And then all of a sudden it registered. 214 00:08:48,327 --> 00:08:50,263 I think he's say we're going to crash. 215 00:08:50,263 --> 00:08:51,931 Get your heads down and stay down! 216 00:08:51,931 --> 00:08:54,700 CLAY PRESLEY: I had no idea about how to brace for impact. 217 00:08:54,700 --> 00:08:55,868 Everybody's looking around. 218 00:08:55,868 --> 00:08:57,003 Brace for Impact? 219 00:08:57,003 --> 00:08:57,970 What do you mean brace for impact? 220 00:08:57,970 --> 00:08:59,005 FLIGHT ATTENDANT: Stay down! 221 00:08:59,005 --> 00:09:00,006 CLAY PRESLEY: How do you brace? 222 00:09:00,006 --> 00:09:01,674 Go ahead, try number 1. 223 00:09:01,674 --> 00:09:02,642 I put it back on. 224 00:09:02,642 --> 00:09:03,943 CHESLEY SULLENBERGER: OK, put it back on. 225 00:09:03,943 --> 00:09:05,278 Put it back on. 226 00:09:05,278 --> 00:09:05,978 NARRATOR: While the crew struggles 227 00:09:05,978 --> 00:09:06,979 to fly their stricken plane-- 228 00:09:06,979 --> 00:09:08,114 No relay. 229 00:09:08,114 --> 00:09:09,148 NARRATOR: Patrick Harten is still 230 00:09:09,148 --> 00:09:10,883 trying to find them an airport. 231 00:09:10,883 --> 00:09:12,919 PATRICK HARTEN: I actually worked Teeterboro Airport 232 00:09:12,919 --> 00:09:15,821 for about three years, so I was very familiar with the airport. 233 00:09:15,821 --> 00:09:18,824 Hey, Cactus 1549, you can land runway 1 at Teterboro. 234 00:09:18,824 --> 00:09:19,859 Can't do it. 235 00:09:23,362 --> 00:09:26,198 OK, which runway would you like at Teeterboro. 236 00:09:26,198 --> 00:09:27,867 We're going to be in the Hudson. 237 00:09:27,867 --> 00:09:29,669 I'm sorry, say again, Cactus? 238 00:09:29,669 --> 00:09:31,170 I could hear them, but my mind really didn't 239 00:09:31,170 --> 00:09:32,972 want to comprehend those words. 240 00:09:32,972 --> 00:09:34,273 CHESLEY SULLENBERGER (ON RADIO): We're gonna be in the Hudson. 241 00:09:34,273 --> 00:09:35,975 That was a death sentence for him. 242 00:09:35,975 --> 00:09:39,378 And I didn't want to accept the fact that it was over 243 00:09:39,378 --> 00:09:40,713 and there were no more options left. 244 00:09:40,713 --> 00:09:42,214 [sighs] 245 00:09:42,214 --> 00:09:44,216 I don't think we're going back to LaGuardia. 246 00:09:44,216 --> 00:09:46,786 I just emailed my wife and just said, I love you. 247 00:09:46,786 --> 00:09:48,988 And I didn't say anything else because I really 248 00:09:48,988 --> 00:09:49,889 did not want her to worry. 249 00:09:49,889 --> 00:09:50,723 [beeping] 250 00:09:50,723 --> 00:09:53,826 OK. 251 00:09:53,826 --> 00:09:55,861 Let's go. 252 00:09:55,861 --> 00:09:56,963 Put the flaps out. 253 00:09:59,432 --> 00:10:01,067 And I thought to myself, great, the Hudson 254 00:10:01,067 --> 00:10:03,035 River was our best opportunity. 255 00:10:03,035 --> 00:10:04,203 It was really the only thing in sight 256 00:10:04,203 --> 00:10:06,172 where we could land this airplane. 257 00:10:06,172 --> 00:10:07,773 NARRATOR: Passengers throughout the plane 258 00:10:07,773 --> 00:10:10,943 watch the Hudson rise to meet them and begin making 259 00:10:10,943 --> 00:10:12,311 preparations of their own. 260 00:10:12,311 --> 00:10:13,846 CLAY PRESLEY: So I started thinking about, 261 00:10:13,846 --> 00:10:16,248 if we're going to crash, I know I need to figure 262 00:10:16,248 --> 00:10:18,084 out where the exit rows are. 263 00:10:18,084 --> 00:10:21,187 If the water comes in, you need to be able to hold your breath 264 00:10:21,187 --> 00:10:23,222 long enough to get to those four or five rows 265 00:10:23,222 --> 00:10:25,224 and get the doors open if you can. 266 00:10:28,427 --> 00:10:31,831 Go flaps out, 250 feet in the air. 267 00:10:31,831 --> 00:10:34,233 We're not going to be able to get an engine started. 268 00:10:34,233 --> 00:10:36,769 So I started calling out air speeds and altitudes-- 269 00:10:36,769 --> 00:10:38,004 170 knots-- 270 00:10:38,004 --> 00:10:42,041 --to give him a situational awareness of what was going on. 271 00:10:42,041 --> 00:10:43,109 Got flaps two. 272 00:10:43,109 --> 00:10:45,044 You want more? 273 00:10:45,044 --> 00:10:46,245 No, let's stay at two. 274 00:10:53,953 --> 00:10:55,955 Got any ideas? 275 00:10:55,955 --> 00:10:58,424 Actually, not. 276 00:10:58,424 --> 00:11:01,260 I was so focused on what we were doing, 277 00:11:01,260 --> 00:11:03,262 and I always thought it would work out. 278 00:11:05,965 --> 00:11:08,968 NARRATOR: Below 300 feet, Patrick Harten's radar 279 00:11:08,968 --> 00:11:10,836 can't see the plane. 280 00:11:10,836 --> 00:11:15,241 Flight 1549 disappears. 281 00:11:15,241 --> 00:11:17,243 PATRICK HARTEN: When the aircraft disappeared off 282 00:11:17,243 --> 00:11:19,211 my radar, I just assumed that there weren't 283 00:11:19,211 --> 00:11:22,782 going to be any survivors. 284 00:11:22,782 --> 00:11:24,283 NARRATOR: In the cabin, the passengers 285 00:11:24,283 --> 00:11:26,352 prepare for the inevitable. 286 00:11:26,352 --> 00:11:29,155 All the passengers really started 287 00:11:29,155 --> 00:11:30,489 kind of pulling together. 288 00:11:30,489 --> 00:11:32,291 And somebody yelled out as we were going down-- 289 00:11:32,291 --> 00:11:33,325 FLIGHT ATTENDANT: Get down! 290 00:11:33,325 --> 00:11:33,993 MAN 1: Be ready at the doors. 291 00:11:33,993 --> 00:11:35,828 FLIGHT ATTENDANT: Stay down! 292 00:11:35,828 --> 00:11:36,962 CLAY PRESLEY: The folks at the door says, we're ready. 293 00:11:36,962 --> 00:11:38,030 MAN 2: We're ready. 294 00:11:38,030 --> 00:11:41,067 And I was just scared to death. 295 00:11:41,067 --> 00:11:42,101 We're going to brace. 296 00:11:53,179 --> 00:11:55,881 It looked like the airplane was going right for the bottom 297 00:11:55,881 --> 00:11:57,917 of the Hudson River. 298 00:11:57,917 --> 00:12:02,321 All we saw was water cascading over the windshield. 299 00:12:02,321 --> 00:12:04,457 It was like a tornado. 300 00:12:04,457 --> 00:12:07,493 Pieces of the plane were being torn apart. 301 00:12:07,493 --> 00:12:09,195 Some people were thrown around pretty good. 302 00:12:13,299 --> 00:12:18,003 PATRICK HARTEN: Then the airplane popped up, 303 00:12:18,003 --> 00:12:20,406 and it was just sort of gently rocking in the waves. 304 00:12:25,911 --> 00:12:27,313 [sighs] 305 00:12:31,350 --> 00:12:32,918 CLAY PRESLEY: We all just sat there. 306 00:12:32,918 --> 00:12:34,220 We were all in shock. 307 00:12:34,220 --> 00:12:36,055 And we were we were waiting for what's next. 308 00:12:40,192 --> 00:12:44,096 NARRATOR: US Airways Flight 1549 was in the air for just 309 00:12:44,096 --> 00:12:46,232 five minutes and 8 seconds. 310 00:12:46,232 --> 00:12:48,000 Having made a remarkable landing, 311 00:12:48,000 --> 00:12:52,404 the passengers and crew now face a new danger. 312 00:12:52,404 --> 00:12:54,607 The plane is leaking. 313 00:12:54,607 --> 00:12:57,810 The ice cold water of the Hudson is pouring into the cabin. 314 00:13:06,069 --> 00:13:07,503 difficult aviation feat. 315 00:13:07,503 --> 00:13:09,472 But they still have more work to do. 316 00:13:12,242 --> 00:13:14,577 Captain Sullenberger heads for the cabin, 317 00:13:14,577 --> 00:13:17,513 while first officer Skiles shuts down the plane. 318 00:13:17,513 --> 00:13:19,249 JEFFREY SKILES: I stayed behind and did 319 00:13:19,249 --> 00:13:20,516 the evacuation checklist. 320 00:13:20,516 --> 00:13:22,518 And so it was probably about 45 seconds 321 00:13:22,518 --> 00:13:24,320 before I actually went back myself 322 00:13:24,320 --> 00:13:27,090 in the cabin after we landed. 323 00:13:27,090 --> 00:13:28,458 [rushing water] 324 00:13:28,458 --> 00:13:30,426 NARRATOR: In an instant, the $75 million 325 00:13:30,426 --> 00:13:33,396 plane has become an unlikely boat 326 00:13:33,396 --> 00:13:35,398 floating down the Hudson River. 327 00:13:35,398 --> 00:13:37,500 It's now filling with freezing water. 328 00:13:41,070 --> 00:13:42,972 That water was cold. 329 00:13:42,972 --> 00:13:46,075 It was very cold, so your feet are freezing. 330 00:13:46,075 --> 00:13:50,046 People came to their senses, and they said, get the doors open, 331 00:13:50,046 --> 00:13:51,114 get the doors open. 332 00:13:51,114 --> 00:13:52,915 NARRATOR: At air traffic control, 333 00:13:52,915 --> 00:13:56,019 Patrick Harten has no idea the plane even made it down safely. 334 00:13:56,019 --> 00:13:57,387 PATRICK HARTEN: I didn't think anyone could survive 335 00:13:57,387 --> 00:13:59,155 a water landing like that. 336 00:13:59,155 --> 00:14:02,992 They got me off position because I was obviously in no condition 337 00:14:02,992 --> 00:14:04,294 to work traffic anymore. 338 00:14:04,294 --> 00:14:06,329 NARRATOR: Harten has led to his union office. 339 00:14:06,329 --> 00:14:09,165 Despite his ordeal, protocol demands he 340 00:14:09,165 --> 00:14:11,000 recount his version of events. 341 00:14:11,000 --> 00:14:13,436 PATRICK HARTEN: I really didn't want to speak to anyone. 342 00:14:13,436 --> 00:14:16,606 I just wanted to kind of hide under a rock. 343 00:14:16,606 --> 00:14:19,042 I needed my wife to know what had happened. 344 00:14:19,042 --> 00:14:21,244 But I knew I couldn't talk to her because I was 345 00:14:21,244 --> 00:14:23,012 pretty much in a fragile state, and I 346 00:14:23,012 --> 00:14:24,347 didn't want to break down. 347 00:14:24,347 --> 00:14:26,382 So I sent her a simple text message. 348 00:14:26,382 --> 00:14:28,551 I said, had a crash. 349 00:14:28,551 --> 00:14:29,319 I'm not OK. 350 00:14:29,319 --> 00:14:30,320 Can't talk now. 351 00:14:35,358 --> 00:14:37,193 NARRATOR: Passengers nearest the exits 352 00:14:37,193 --> 00:14:40,330 opened the doors quickly, while Sullenberger and the cabin crew 353 00:14:40,330 --> 00:14:41,631 began managing evacuation. 354 00:14:41,631 --> 00:14:43,433 CLAY PRESLEY: I just jumped up very quickly 355 00:14:43,433 --> 00:14:46,169 and started making my way to the emergency door. 356 00:14:46,169 --> 00:14:49,005 And so I work my way out onto the wing, just a few 357 00:14:49,005 --> 00:14:50,640 steps to start with. 358 00:14:50,640 --> 00:14:52,575 I started noticing that people around me 359 00:14:52,575 --> 00:14:54,477 had their flotation devices. 360 00:14:54,477 --> 00:14:55,945 They'd pulled up their seat bottoms, 361 00:14:55,945 --> 00:14:58,014 or they had a life jacket that they had taken. 362 00:14:58,014 --> 00:14:59,182 I had nothing with me. 363 00:15:02,452 --> 00:15:04,320 NARRATOR: Skiles heads back to help 364 00:15:04,320 --> 00:15:06,255 the crew in the cabin get passengers out 365 00:15:06,255 --> 00:15:07,523 of the sinking plane. 366 00:15:07,523 --> 00:15:09,559 He knows there's not much time. 367 00:15:09,559 --> 00:15:11,995 And one of the flight attendants has been injured. 368 00:15:11,995 --> 00:15:13,463 JEFFREY SKILES: I went back to about mid-cabin. 369 00:15:13,463 --> 00:15:16,399 And Sully and I and two young men 370 00:15:16,399 --> 00:15:18,501 were getting seat cushions and life vests, 371 00:15:18,501 --> 00:15:20,303 which are underneath the seats. 372 00:15:20,303 --> 00:15:22,038 And we're passing them out. 373 00:15:22,038 --> 00:15:23,373 CLAY PRESLEY: And I'm looking around trying 374 00:15:23,373 --> 00:15:24,540 to assess the situation. 375 00:15:24,540 --> 00:15:26,209 Is the plane going to blow up? 376 00:15:26,209 --> 00:15:28,010 What's the next step? 377 00:15:28,010 --> 00:15:30,079 There were actually probably six or eight people 378 00:15:30,079 --> 00:15:32,582 that went into the water. 379 00:15:32,582 --> 00:15:35,585 And they were shivering, and they were cold. 380 00:15:35,585 --> 00:15:37,987 Just started pulling them back up onto the wing. 381 00:15:37,987 --> 00:15:39,522 NARRATOR: At the back of the plane, 382 00:15:39,522 --> 00:15:41,691 water continues pouring in. 383 00:15:41,691 --> 00:15:44,260 Passengers are directed to move forward to escape. 384 00:15:44,260 --> 00:15:46,262 FLIGHT ATTENDANT: Go over the seats if you have to. 385 00:15:46,262 --> 00:15:50,733 NARRATOR: This unwieldy boat won't be floating much longer. 386 00:15:50,733 --> 00:15:53,503 We're actually in the water, you know, up to our knees. 387 00:15:53,503 --> 00:15:55,738 And it was just absolutely freezing cold. 388 00:15:55,738 --> 00:15:57,407 Every part of your body that was in that water 389 00:15:57,407 --> 00:16:00,076 just ached to the bone. 390 00:16:00,076 --> 00:16:02,278 Go forward! 391 00:16:02,278 --> 00:16:04,046 Is there anybody here? 392 00:16:04,046 --> 00:16:07,083 We were very confident there was nobody left on the airplane. 393 00:16:07,083 --> 00:16:09,352 But what was going on on the wings, you know, 394 00:16:09,352 --> 00:16:11,587 we just had no idea. 395 00:16:11,587 --> 00:16:13,189 NARRATOR: Skiles and Sullenberger are 396 00:16:13,189 --> 00:16:14,557 the last ones out of the plane. 397 00:16:18,261 --> 00:16:19,729 [sirens] 398 00:16:19,729 --> 00:16:20,696 I just saw the big splash when the plane 399 00:16:20,696 --> 00:16:23,266 just bounced over the water. 400 00:16:23,266 --> 00:16:25,802 A small commercial airline crashed into the water. 401 00:16:25,802 --> 00:16:28,171 They've been in the water more than 10 minutes already. 402 00:16:28,171 --> 00:16:30,406 NARRATOR: LaGuardia Airport has sent out an alert to New 403 00:16:30,406 --> 00:16:32,275 York's emergency services. 404 00:16:32,275 --> 00:16:33,309 [sirens] 405 00:16:33,309 --> 00:16:34,777 [camera snapping] 406 00:16:34,777 --> 00:16:38,614 In the middle of the Hudson, 155 frozen people hope 407 00:16:38,614 --> 00:16:42,251 that help will arrive in time. 408 00:16:42,251 --> 00:16:45,555 I saw the first ferry. 409 00:16:45,555 --> 00:16:47,256 And I could see the wheelhouse. 410 00:16:47,256 --> 00:16:50,326 I felt like, OK, we're really going to be OK. 411 00:16:50,326 --> 00:16:52,161 There was a sigh of relief. 412 00:16:52,161 --> 00:16:53,830 NARRATOR: First on the scene are passenger 413 00:16:53,830 --> 00:16:57,066 ferries that had been shuttling people across the Hudson. 414 00:16:57,066 --> 00:16:58,701 They were eventually joined by the Coast 415 00:16:58,701 --> 00:17:02,171 Guard and fire department. 416 00:17:02,171 --> 00:17:03,739 CLAY PRESLEY: The atmosphere on the ferry 417 00:17:03,739 --> 00:17:06,742 was still one of concern because we didn't know 418 00:17:06,742 --> 00:17:09,178 whether all the passengers got off the plane at that point 419 00:17:09,178 --> 00:17:10,780 in time. 420 00:17:10,780 --> 00:17:12,648 I was sitting in the union office 421 00:17:12,648 --> 00:17:14,350 preparing to make my statement. 422 00:17:14,350 --> 00:17:15,518 Where do I start? 423 00:17:15,518 --> 00:17:17,186 And that's when one of my friends 424 00:17:17,186 --> 00:17:21,591 popped their head into the office, said, hey, Patty, 425 00:17:21,591 --> 00:17:23,359 it looks like everyone made it. 426 00:17:23,359 --> 00:17:26,662 And I was like, really? 427 00:17:26,662 --> 00:17:28,364 That was incredible news. 428 00:17:28,364 --> 00:17:31,100 I mean, I was still traumatized by the event itself. 429 00:17:31,100 --> 00:17:32,835 But the fact that everyone made it was just-- 430 00:17:32,835 --> 00:17:34,604 it was like the weight of the world 431 00:17:34,604 --> 00:17:35,838 was lifted off my shoulders. 432 00:17:35,838 --> 00:17:36,806 [exhales] 433 00:17:39,375 --> 00:17:40,576 NARRATOR: The rescue is broadcast 434 00:17:40,576 --> 00:17:42,778 live across the United States. 435 00:17:42,778 --> 00:17:46,349 The entire nation looks on as every single passenger 436 00:17:46,349 --> 00:17:50,286 and the entire crew of Flight 1549 is brought to safety. 437 00:17:50,286 --> 00:17:52,688 [interposing voices] 438 00:17:54,123 --> 00:17:54,790 It's cold! 439 00:17:54,790 --> 00:17:55,858 Are you OK? 440 00:17:55,858 --> 00:17:56,692 Yeah. 441 00:17:58,895 --> 00:18:01,197 NARRATOR: Like so many others around the world, 442 00:18:01,197 --> 00:18:04,500 investigators from the National Transportation Safety Board 443 00:18:04,500 --> 00:18:08,204 are riveted to the pictures. 444 00:18:08,204 --> 00:18:09,839 Hey, you got to see this. 445 00:18:09,839 --> 00:18:11,607 ROBERT BENZON: We learned a little bit about the accident, 446 00:18:11,607 --> 00:18:13,643 of course, before we launched. 447 00:18:13,643 --> 00:18:15,778 The TV channels were showing the aircraft 448 00:18:15,778 --> 00:18:17,380 in the river and everything. 449 00:18:23,386 --> 00:18:26,589 NARRATOR: All agree that the landing is extraordinary. 450 00:18:26,589 --> 00:18:27,890 I think it's a miracle. 451 00:18:27,890 --> 00:18:30,226 And I'm very blessed to have walked away. 452 00:18:30,226 --> 00:18:32,662 I reached over to Captain Sully and just said, 453 00:18:32,662 --> 00:18:34,564 I just want you to know you saved my life 454 00:18:34,564 --> 00:18:36,699 and everyone's lives here. 455 00:18:36,699 --> 00:18:39,201 In my mind, we were dead. 456 00:18:39,201 --> 00:18:41,237 And every one of us came out of that alive. 457 00:18:41,237 --> 00:18:41,871 It's a miracle. 458 00:18:45,675 --> 00:18:47,610 NARRATOR: By evening, the plane is 459 00:18:47,610 --> 00:18:49,378 almost completely underwater. 460 00:18:49,378 --> 00:18:52,748 The current is pushing it towards the edge of the river. 461 00:18:52,748 --> 00:18:56,586 NTSB investigator Harald Reichel arrives on the scene. 462 00:18:56,586 --> 00:18:57,920 The water was dark, of course. 463 00:18:57,920 --> 00:19:01,223 We just saw the tail and most of the fuselage. 464 00:19:01,223 --> 00:19:05,194 And one of the wings was underneath the water. 465 00:19:05,194 --> 00:19:06,862 ROBERT BENZON: We knew it was going to be quite 466 00:19:06,862 --> 00:19:08,931 difficult to get it, A, out of the water, 467 00:19:08,931 --> 00:19:10,933 and then B, to a place where we could 468 00:19:10,933 --> 00:19:13,636 examine the components of the airplane 469 00:19:13,636 --> 00:19:14,637 in a more controlled manner. 470 00:19:19,651 --> 00:19:23,755 Normally, their main task is to uncover the cause of a crash. 471 00:19:23,755 --> 00:19:28,927 With Flight 1549, the cause seems obvious. 472 00:19:28,927 --> 00:19:29,928 Birds. 473 00:19:29,928 --> 00:19:32,631 NARRATOR: The original mayday call was clear. 474 00:19:32,631 --> 00:19:33,465 Mayday, mayday, mayday. 475 00:19:33,465 --> 00:19:35,300 This is Cactus 1549. 476 00:19:35,300 --> 00:19:36,968 Hit birds, we've lost thrust in both engines. 477 00:19:36,968 --> 00:19:39,004 We're turning back towards LaGuardia. 478 00:19:39,004 --> 00:19:40,272 PATRICK HARTEN: OK, you need to come back to LaGuardia. 479 00:19:40,272 --> 00:19:42,941 NARRATOR: The crew reported that they hit several birds shortly 480 00:19:42,941 --> 00:19:43,775 after takeoff. 481 00:19:46,745 --> 00:19:48,613 I think everybody realized that a bird 482 00:19:48,613 --> 00:19:50,315 strike had occurred. 483 00:19:50,315 --> 00:19:53,452 What people didn't know was what kind of birds brought 484 00:19:53,452 --> 00:19:56,922 the aircraft down, whether it might have been a combination 485 00:19:56,922 --> 00:20:00,359 of a bird strike plus something else, 486 00:20:00,359 --> 00:20:03,495 whether the crew acted and flew the aircraft 487 00:20:03,495 --> 00:20:05,364 as they should have. 488 00:20:05,364 --> 00:20:06,398 My aircraft. 489 00:20:06,398 --> 00:20:07,399 Your aircraft. 490 00:20:07,399 --> 00:20:09,501 Get the QRH. 491 00:20:09,501 --> 00:20:12,904 The US Airways pilot made an incredibly skillful emergency 492 00:20:12,904 --> 00:20:14,439 landing in the Hudson River. 493 00:20:14,439 --> 00:20:15,941 [cameras snapping] 494 00:20:15,941 --> 00:20:17,876 NARRATOR: Investigators want to interview both pilots. 495 00:20:17,876 --> 00:20:20,412 But their sudden fame makes them hard to get to. 496 00:20:20,412 --> 00:20:22,047 [applause] 497 00:20:22,047 --> 00:20:24,383 It became a little bit more difficult than usual to, 498 00:20:24,383 --> 00:20:27,786 A, locate the flight crew, and then, B, to talk to them. 499 00:20:27,786 --> 00:20:31,857 They were instant heroes. 500 00:20:31,857 --> 00:20:33,392 [laughter] 501 00:20:33,392 --> 00:20:34,726 [cheering] 502 00:20:34,726 --> 00:20:36,428 JEFFREY SKILES: Nothing in life can 503 00:20:36,428 --> 00:20:39,631 prepare one for the media frenzy of a situation, 504 00:20:39,631 --> 00:20:41,600 you know, like this. 505 00:20:41,600 --> 00:20:44,002 NARRATOR: And it's not just the pilots' newfound celebrity 506 00:20:44,002 --> 00:20:46,371 that's an obstacle for investigators 507 00:20:46,371 --> 00:20:48,073 like Katherine Wilson. 508 00:20:48,073 --> 00:20:49,741 One of the most challenging things in this case 509 00:20:49,741 --> 00:20:51,977 was nobody wanted to sully Sully. 510 00:20:51,977 --> 00:20:54,312 You know, he was a hero in this case. 511 00:20:54,312 --> 00:20:55,547 [applause] 512 00:20:55,547 --> 00:20:56,982 And we were the ones who was potentially going to pick apart 513 00:20:56,982 --> 00:20:59,885 what he did and try to find out what he did 514 00:20:59,885 --> 00:21:00,852 and whether it was right or not. 515 00:21:05,023 --> 00:21:08,059 NARRATOR: To prove that birds caused the crash, 516 00:21:08,059 --> 00:21:10,729 authorities need to get the plane out of the water. 517 00:21:10,729 --> 00:21:13,732 But a vital piece is missing. 518 00:21:13,732 --> 00:21:15,734 ROBERT BENZON: We had been told earlier that both engines were 519 00:21:15,734 --> 00:21:17,769 still attached to the aircraft. 520 00:21:17,769 --> 00:21:19,938 That turned out not to be true. 521 00:21:19,938 --> 00:21:22,407 So that became a major goal right off the bat 522 00:21:22,407 --> 00:21:24,309 was to figure out where that second engine was. 523 00:21:29,948 --> 00:21:31,716 We didn't know exactly where it was. 524 00:21:31,716 --> 00:21:33,952 Let's focus on this area. 525 00:21:33,952 --> 00:21:37,422 But we had films of the aircraft actually touching down, 526 00:21:37,422 --> 00:21:41,960 and we could cross-reference different things. 527 00:21:41,960 --> 00:21:45,030 We used some side-scanning sonar that gave us a very 528 00:21:45,030 --> 00:21:46,598 clear picture of the bottom. 529 00:21:51,570 --> 00:21:54,906 HARALD REICHEL: It wasn't that easy to do because the Hudson 530 00:21:54,906 --> 00:21:56,541 River has a current. 531 00:21:56,541 --> 00:21:58,977 And the current changes throughout the day. 532 00:21:58,977 --> 00:22:06,051 So it took three days, ultimately, to find the engine. 533 00:22:06,051 --> 00:22:08,653 NARRATOR: Within days, the recovered engine and the rest 534 00:22:08,653 --> 00:22:12,157 of the aircraft are moved to a warehouse in New Jersey 535 00:22:12,157 --> 00:22:14,993 so investigators can study the wreckage more carefully. 536 00:22:18,129 --> 00:22:20,765 We certainly couldn't do it out there at the edge 537 00:22:20,765 --> 00:22:22,501 of the Hudson River. 538 00:22:22,501 --> 00:22:25,537 And you can imagine how interesting it was to take 539 00:22:25,537 --> 00:22:29,941 an airplane, 150 or 200 feet long, through a very, very 540 00:22:29,941 --> 00:22:32,844 populated area of New Jersey. 541 00:22:32,844 --> 00:22:34,646 NARRATOR: As the plane is being moved, 542 00:22:34,646 --> 00:22:38,583 investigators work with the voice and data recorders-- 543 00:22:38,583 --> 00:22:40,418 OK, let's hear it. 544 00:22:40,418 --> 00:22:41,686 NARRATOR: --which were in the most 545 00:22:41,686 --> 00:22:43,154 damaged part of the plane-- 546 00:22:43,154 --> 00:22:44,089 the tail. 547 00:22:44,089 --> 00:22:45,857 ROBERT BENZON: The cockpit voice recorder 548 00:22:45,857 --> 00:22:47,759 and the flight data recorder were 549 00:22:47,759 --> 00:22:50,529 in virtually pristine shape. 550 00:22:50,529 --> 00:22:52,697 The aircraft had sustained quite a bit of damage 551 00:22:52,697 --> 00:22:54,132 in the rear end. 552 00:22:54,132 --> 00:22:56,568 But the recorders themselves survived very well. 553 00:22:56,568 --> 00:22:58,169 PATRICK HARTEN (ON RECORDING): --climb and maintain 1 5,000. 554 00:22:58,169 --> 00:22:59,971 We were really lucky all of the data 555 00:22:59,971 --> 00:23:01,606 was able to be downloaded normally. 556 00:23:01,606 --> 00:23:02,474 Whoa. 557 00:23:02,474 --> 00:23:04,042 [crash] 558 00:23:04,042 --> 00:23:06,545 We got one roll, both of them rolling back. 559 00:23:06,545 --> 00:23:08,647 NARRATOR: Listening to the CVR provides 560 00:23:08,647 --> 00:23:13,018 vital insight into how the crew responded to the emergency. 561 00:23:13,018 --> 00:23:14,185 KATHERINE WILSON: In this case, both Captain 562 00:23:14,185 --> 00:23:16,021 Sullenberger and First Officer Skiles 563 00:23:16,021 --> 00:23:17,622 acted extremely professionally. 564 00:23:17,622 --> 00:23:18,657 [beeping] 565 00:23:18,657 --> 00:23:20,058 Ignition start. 566 00:23:20,058 --> 00:23:21,726 KATHERINE WILSON: Each member had their own roles 567 00:23:21,726 --> 00:23:23,161 and responsibilities. 568 00:23:23,161 --> 00:23:25,030 They stayed with those roles and responsibilities 569 00:23:25,030 --> 00:23:27,699 throughout the accident flight, and communicated 570 00:23:27,699 --> 00:23:29,534 only when necessary. 571 00:23:29,534 --> 00:23:30,835 Put the flaps up. 572 00:23:30,835 --> 00:23:32,704 NARRATOR: On Flight 1549-- 573 00:23:32,704 --> 00:23:33,872 My aircraft. 574 00:23:33,872 --> 00:23:35,206 Your aircraft. 575 00:23:35,206 --> 00:23:37,008 NARRATOR: --it took just seconds for the crew 576 00:23:37,008 --> 00:23:39,578 to each assume their individual responsibilities. 577 00:23:39,578 --> 00:23:42,213 Part of the reason they handled the emergency so well 578 00:23:42,213 --> 00:23:44,749 was that Jeffrey Skiles had only just 579 00:23:44,749 --> 00:23:46,117 finished his Airbus training. 580 00:23:48,219 --> 00:23:49,988 JEFFREY SKILES: This was my first trip out 581 00:23:49,988 --> 00:23:53,058 as a regular line pilot in the Airbus A320. 582 00:23:53,058 --> 00:23:55,260 I literally was right out of training. 583 00:23:55,260 --> 00:23:57,796 And the benefit of that he knew exactly the 584 00:23:57,796 --> 00:23:59,064 checklist to turn to. 585 00:23:59,064 --> 00:24:02,000 And that's exactly what he did. 586 00:24:02,000 --> 00:24:02,701 JEFFREY SKILES: If fuel remaining, 587 00:24:02,701 --> 00:24:05,203 engine mode selector ignition. 588 00:24:05,203 --> 00:24:06,905 KATHERINE WILSON: Crews are highly trained in emergency 589 00:24:06,905 --> 00:24:08,673 procedures. 590 00:24:08,673 --> 00:24:11,209 And the main thing is to follow procedures in this instance. 591 00:24:11,209 --> 00:24:13,578 And that's exactly what First Officer Skiles did by grabbing 592 00:24:13,578 --> 00:24:15,046 the Quick Reference Handbook and turning 593 00:24:15,046 --> 00:24:16,715 to the appropriate checklist. 594 00:24:16,715 --> 00:24:19,017 NARRATOR: But as investigators examine the checklist 595 00:24:19,017 --> 00:24:20,919 for restarting this plane's engines, 596 00:24:20,919 --> 00:24:22,787 they make a troubling discovery. 597 00:24:22,787 --> 00:24:26,558 It was assembled for an event that occurred 20,000 feet 598 00:24:26,558 --> 00:24:29,961 in the air, where a crew would have plenty of time to slowly 599 00:24:29,961 --> 00:24:33,198 and carefully go through a three-page checklist, 600 00:24:33,198 --> 00:24:37,068 the end of which was, how do we ditch the airplane? 601 00:24:37,068 --> 00:24:38,803 JEFFREY SKILES: So it was a three-page checklist. 602 00:24:38,803 --> 00:24:42,307 And really, I only got to about the-- page and a half 603 00:24:42,307 --> 00:24:44,909 through this checklist in the time that we had. 604 00:24:44,909 --> 00:24:46,645 Airspeed optimum relay. 605 00:24:46,645 --> 00:24:48,947 KATHERINE WILSON: And the crew spent a lot of time trying 606 00:24:48,947 --> 00:24:50,782 to restart the engines when they could 607 00:24:50,782 --> 00:24:53,618 have been focusing on preparing the airplane for the ditching. 608 00:24:53,618 --> 00:24:56,721 300 knots. 609 00:24:56,721 --> 00:24:58,556 We don't have that. 610 00:24:58,556 --> 00:25:01,226 We don't. 611 00:25:01,226 --> 00:25:02,827 NARRATOR: Overly complicated checklists 612 00:25:02,827 --> 00:25:07,065 have played a role in deadly plane crashes in the past. 613 00:25:07,065 --> 00:25:10,035 In 1998, a fire broke out onboard 614 00:25:10,035 --> 00:25:13,605 a Swiss Air passenger jet. 615 00:25:13,605 --> 00:25:15,774 The checklist the crew used for that situation 616 00:25:15,774 --> 00:25:18,076 would have taken them up to a half an hour to complete. 617 00:25:20,912 --> 00:25:22,814 It was a half hour they didn't have. 618 00:25:28,153 --> 00:25:31,156 But on Flight 1549, the checklist 619 00:25:31,156 --> 00:25:33,091 was far from the greatest challenge 620 00:25:33,091 --> 00:25:35,193 facing Sullenberger and Skiles. 621 00:25:35,193 --> 00:25:37,162 I'm not sure we can make any runway. 622 00:25:37,162 --> 00:25:39,230 NARRATOR: Water landings are notoriously 623 00:25:39,230 --> 00:25:42,133 difficult because, unless they're perfect, 624 00:25:42,133 --> 00:25:44,803 they can be catastrophic. 625 00:25:44,803 --> 00:25:49,641 In 1996, after a hijacking, an Ethiopian Airlines captain 626 00:25:49,641 --> 00:25:51,976 tried to land off the Comoros Islands 627 00:25:51,976 --> 00:25:54,212 when his plane ran out of fuel. 628 00:25:54,212 --> 00:25:56,014 His left wing hit the water first, 629 00:25:56,014 --> 00:25:58,817 causing the plane to cartwheel. 630 00:25:58,817 --> 00:26:01,186 It was ripped to pieces. 631 00:26:01,186 --> 00:26:05,023 Of the 175 people onboard, only 50 survived. 632 00:26:10,962 --> 00:26:14,733 Investigators soon learned that none of the major airlines 633 00:26:14,733 --> 00:26:17,635 use simulators to teach pilots how to land on water. 634 00:26:20,805 --> 00:26:24,008 Training for ditching in a simulator is very difficult. 635 00:26:24,008 --> 00:26:27,245 We don't have the models to accurately 636 00:26:27,245 --> 00:26:28,980 simulate what an airplane would do 637 00:26:28,980 --> 00:26:30,315 when it touches down on water. 638 00:26:30,315 --> 00:26:32,417 Given the rarity of this type of event, 639 00:26:32,417 --> 00:26:35,153 it would be very difficult to justify training 640 00:26:35,153 --> 00:26:39,858 pilots for this type of event. 641 00:26:39,858 --> 00:26:42,393 NARRATOR: But even without ever going through a simulation, 642 00:26:42,393 --> 00:26:45,997 Captain Sullenberger got almost everything right. 643 00:26:45,997 --> 00:26:49,067 He kept the nose up and wings level. 644 00:26:49,067 --> 00:26:51,035 He let the tail hit the water first, 645 00:26:51,035 --> 00:26:54,205 slowing the jet down enough so that it survived the impact. 646 00:26:57,876 --> 00:26:58,309 Nice flying. 647 00:27:02,714 --> 00:27:05,784 NARRATOR: NTSB investigators turn to their own simulation 648 00:27:05,784 --> 00:27:07,886 to answer a vital question. 649 00:27:07,886 --> 00:27:09,387 This is the captain. 650 00:27:09,387 --> 00:27:12,290 NARRATOR: Did Sullenberger have to land in the Hudson, 651 00:27:12,290 --> 00:27:14,092 or could he have made it to a runway? 652 00:27:17,229 --> 00:27:18,897 This is Cactus 1549. 653 00:27:18,897 --> 00:27:20,733 Hit birds-- 654 00:27:20,733 --> 00:27:22,201 NARRATOR: Investigators studied Chesley Sullenberger 655 00:27:22,201 --> 00:27:24,269 and Jeffrey Skiles' actions in the moments 656 00:27:24,269 --> 00:27:28,007 after the plane collided with birds. 657 00:27:28,007 --> 00:27:29,408 Ignition. 658 00:27:29,408 --> 00:27:30,242 KATHERINE WILSON: We wanted to know, 659 00:27:30,242 --> 00:27:32,111 did the pilots do the right thing? 660 00:27:32,111 --> 00:27:34,913 So what we did in the simulator was we tested exactly that. 661 00:27:34,913 --> 00:27:37,816 Was there enough energy to make it back to LaGuardia? 662 00:27:37,816 --> 00:27:40,719 And what we found was that about 50% of the time, 663 00:27:40,719 --> 00:27:42,921 we were able to make it back to the airport. 664 00:27:42,921 --> 00:27:46,759 NARRATOR: But when a 35-second delay is imposed after the bird 665 00:27:46,759 --> 00:27:50,029 strike to account for the crew's attempt to restart the engines, 666 00:27:50,029 --> 00:27:53,766 all the simulator pilots crash before reaching the runway. 667 00:27:53,766 --> 00:27:55,000 KATHERINE WILSON: When we took into consideration 668 00:27:55,000 --> 00:27:57,803 the decision-making process that Captain Sullenberger went 669 00:27:57,803 --> 00:28:01,106 through, we realized that it was not possible to make it back 670 00:28:01,106 --> 00:28:02,274 to the airport. 671 00:28:02,274 --> 00:28:04,843 Cactus 1549, runway 4 is available. 672 00:28:04,843 --> 00:28:06,311 NARRATOR: There's no doubt. 673 00:28:06,311 --> 00:28:07,579 We're going to be in the Hudson. 674 00:28:07,579 --> 00:28:10,816 NARRATOR: Putting the plane in the Hudson was the right call. 675 00:28:10,816 --> 00:28:12,985 Sullenberger didn't have enough altitude 676 00:28:12,985 --> 00:28:17,956 to glide to either LaGuardia or Teterboro Airports. 677 00:28:17,956 --> 00:28:20,025 CHESLEY SULLENBERGER (ON RECORDING): I've got one roll. 678 00:28:20,025 --> 00:28:21,927 Both of them rolling back. 679 00:28:21,927 --> 00:28:23,529 NARRATOR: The investigators also discovered-- 680 00:28:23,529 --> 00:28:24,763 CHESLEY SULLENBERGER (ON RECORDING): Ignition start. 681 00:28:24,763 --> 00:28:27,332 NARRATOR: --that Sullenberger made a decision that wasn't 682 00:28:27,332 --> 00:28:29,301 at the top of the checklist, one that 683 00:28:29,301 --> 00:28:31,837 was critical to the survival of everyone on board. 684 00:28:31,837 --> 00:28:35,307 CHESLEY SULLENBERGER: I'm starting the APU. 685 00:28:35,307 --> 00:28:36,809 NARRATOR: On commercial jetliners, 686 00:28:36,809 --> 00:28:40,212 the engines provide power to electrical systems. 687 00:28:40,212 --> 00:28:42,181 If the engine stopped working, the crew 688 00:28:42,181 --> 00:28:44,450 eventually loses those systems. 689 00:28:44,450 --> 00:28:47,319 The APU is an emergency generator 690 00:28:47,319 --> 00:28:49,488 that keeps some things running. 691 00:28:49,488 --> 00:28:53,225 The APU allowed him to still see his screens. 692 00:28:53,225 --> 00:28:54,326 The instruments still worked. 693 00:28:56,862 --> 00:29:00,132 NARRATOR: It also allowed the A320 itself to assist 694 00:29:00,132 --> 00:29:02,034 with the heroic landing. 695 00:29:02,034 --> 00:29:05,504 The APU provided power to the plane's electronic brain, 696 00:29:05,504 --> 00:29:08,073 stopping the pilots from making any potentially 697 00:29:08,073 --> 00:29:10,409 dangerous moves. 698 00:29:10,409 --> 00:29:14,546 It kept them inside a so-called flight envelope. 699 00:29:14,546 --> 00:29:17,082 By starting the APU early in the sequence, 700 00:29:17,082 --> 00:29:19,585 the flight crew was able to maintain the flight envelope 701 00:29:19,585 --> 00:29:21,453 protections, which prevented the airplane from stalling 702 00:29:21,453 --> 00:29:24,223 when the airspeed got too slow. 703 00:29:24,223 --> 00:29:26,959 He's right on the edge of stall speed. 704 00:29:26,959 --> 00:29:29,394 NARRATOR: The flight data shows that Sullenberger was going 705 00:29:29,394 --> 00:29:31,597 slower than the ideal speed. 706 00:29:31,597 --> 00:29:32,698 KATHERINE WILSON: The airspeed during the accident 707 00:29:32,698 --> 00:29:36,101 sequence got about 20 knots slower than it should 708 00:29:36,101 --> 00:29:37,603 have been for this flight. 709 00:29:37,603 --> 00:29:39,972 NARRATOR: But the A320's flight computer 710 00:29:39,972 --> 00:29:43,075 is designed to constantly adjust the plane's pitch 711 00:29:43,075 --> 00:29:44,843 and keep it from stalling. 712 00:29:44,843 --> 00:29:46,345 KATHERINE WILSON: We definitely could 713 00:29:46,345 --> 00:29:49,381 have had a much more catastrophic outcome had 714 00:29:49,381 --> 00:29:51,216 the airplane actually stalled. 715 00:29:51,216 --> 00:29:52,885 Starting the APU. 716 00:29:52,885 --> 00:29:54,887 NARRATOR: Sullenberger's quick thinking 717 00:29:54,887 --> 00:29:58,423 made sure the plane's complex computer system kept working. 718 00:29:58,423 --> 00:30:00,559 It gave him an automated safety net 719 00:30:00,559 --> 00:30:04,396 so he'd have the best chance to do the nearly impossible. 720 00:30:04,396 --> 00:30:06,431 We're going to be in the Hudson. 721 00:30:06,431 --> 00:30:08,267 ROBERT BENZON: It was a combination of a good crew 722 00:30:08,267 --> 00:30:09,935 and a good airplane. 723 00:30:09,935 --> 00:30:12,204 Let's go. 724 00:30:12,204 --> 00:30:15,274 Put the flaps out. 725 00:30:15,274 --> 00:30:17,009 The captain had the presence of mind, 726 00:30:17,009 --> 00:30:19,244 for instance, just before they were about to land a couple 727 00:30:19,244 --> 00:30:22,147 of hundred feet in the air to turn to the first officer 728 00:30:22,147 --> 00:30:26,051 and ask, got any ideas? 729 00:30:26,051 --> 00:30:28,086 Actually, not. 730 00:30:28,086 --> 00:30:30,322 They were both coordinating right up to the end. 731 00:30:30,322 --> 00:30:31,423 And that's what we like to see. 732 00:30:34,226 --> 00:30:38,430 NARRATOR: Skill, training, and the aircraft's very design 733 00:30:38,430 --> 00:30:42,267 combined to save the lives of 155 people. 734 00:30:42,267 --> 00:30:46,471 But investigators still want to know how birds crippled two 735 00:30:46,471 --> 00:30:49,341 highly advanced jet engines, and if they can 736 00:30:49,341 --> 00:30:50,976 stop it from happening again. 737 00:30:50,976 --> 00:30:52,444 [geese honking] 738 00:30:53,979 --> 00:30:57,516 Eight days after the crash, investigators 739 00:30:57,516 --> 00:31:02,354 are finally able to examine the engines in detail. 740 00:31:02,354 --> 00:31:04,690 Richard Dolbeer has spent much of his career 741 00:31:04,690 --> 00:31:08,093 studying collisions between birds and airplanes. 742 00:31:08,093 --> 00:31:12,264 When aircraft strikes a bird, generally, there's 743 00:31:12,264 --> 00:31:15,267 not much left of the bird, particularly if that bird 744 00:31:15,267 --> 00:31:16,235 goes through the engine. 745 00:31:22,107 --> 00:31:24,710 NARRATOR: The engines are analyzed piece by piece 746 00:31:24,710 --> 00:31:27,346 to try and figure out exactly what happened 747 00:31:27,346 --> 00:31:30,048 3,000 feet above New York. 748 00:31:30,048 --> 00:31:32,017 Let's look inside. 749 00:31:32,017 --> 00:31:36,021 We exposed the engine surfaces to a black light. 750 00:31:36,021 --> 00:31:41,393 Proteins from many tissues will fluoresce with a black light. 751 00:31:41,393 --> 00:31:46,365 Much of the tissue was already gone, but many of the proteins 752 00:31:46,365 --> 00:31:49,368 stayed on the surfaces of the engine. 753 00:31:49,368 --> 00:31:50,369 Look at that. 754 00:31:54,072 --> 00:31:56,575 NARRATOR: Deep in the right engine, investigators 755 00:31:56,575 --> 00:32:00,245 find about a cup of charred remains. 756 00:32:00,245 --> 00:32:02,347 Most of the remains found were just 757 00:32:02,347 --> 00:32:08,587 muscle tissue, bone fragments, and minuscule feather remains. 758 00:32:08,587 --> 00:32:13,258 I was able to find about 29 samples in one engine and 14 759 00:32:13,258 --> 00:32:15,761 in the other. 760 00:32:15,761 --> 00:32:18,297 NARRATOR: But the engines aren't the only part of the plane 761 00:32:18,297 --> 00:32:21,166 that's been damaged. 762 00:32:21,166 --> 00:32:22,000 - Birds. - Whoa! 763 00:32:22,000 --> 00:32:23,335 [crash] 764 00:32:23,335 --> 00:32:25,570 The aircraft hit many birds, so we 765 00:32:25,570 --> 00:32:28,206 found evidence on the wings and on the flaps 766 00:32:28,206 --> 00:32:29,741 and on the fuselage. 767 00:32:29,741 --> 00:32:33,679 But the plane can still fly when that occurs. 768 00:32:33,679 --> 00:32:37,382 NARRATOR: The threat posed by bird strikes is well known. 769 00:32:37,382 --> 00:32:40,519 RICHARD DOLBEER: Bird strikes are a much bigger problem than 770 00:32:40,519 --> 00:32:41,720 the general public realizes. 771 00:32:41,720 --> 00:32:46,091 In the last 20 years, there have been approximately 210 772 00:32:46,091 --> 00:32:49,127 aircraft that have been destroyed because 773 00:32:49,127 --> 00:32:51,596 of collisions with birds. 774 00:32:51,596 --> 00:32:54,733 NARRATOR: This Boeing 757 ingested a crow 775 00:32:54,733 --> 00:32:57,202 while taking off from Manchester, England, 776 00:32:57,202 --> 00:32:59,538 later landing safely. 777 00:32:59,538 --> 00:33:03,742 In 2008 alone, there were four dramatic accidents. 778 00:33:03,742 --> 00:33:08,046 A Boeing 747 sucked a kestrel into one of its engines. 779 00:33:08,046 --> 00:33:11,149 The crew aborted takeoff and survived. 780 00:33:11,149 --> 00:33:14,086 The plane was ruined. 781 00:33:14,086 --> 00:33:17,389 This jet ingested pelicans into both engines. 782 00:33:17,389 --> 00:33:20,058 And one ended up in the cockpit. 783 00:33:20,058 --> 00:33:23,161 Repairs cost $2 million. 784 00:33:23,161 --> 00:33:27,466 The engine of an MD10 was severely damaged by a gadwall. 785 00:33:27,466 --> 00:33:32,804 The repair cost was $900,000. 786 00:33:32,804 --> 00:33:35,640 And five people were killed when this Cessna smashed 787 00:33:35,640 --> 00:33:39,177 into at least one pelican. 788 00:33:39,177 --> 00:33:42,180 More than 200 people have died in bird strike accidents 789 00:33:42,180 --> 00:33:42,814 since 1998. 790 00:33:42,814 --> 00:33:43,782 [geese honking] 791 00:33:43,782 --> 00:33:46,351 The problem could get worse, because there 792 00:33:46,351 --> 00:33:49,821 are more birds out there. 793 00:33:49,821 --> 00:33:52,491 By restricting the use of pesticides that were 794 00:33:52,491 --> 00:33:58,363 hazardous to birds, such as DDT, we've seen a tremendous rebound 795 00:33:58,363 --> 00:34:03,869 in the populations of bird species, a remarkable increase 796 00:34:03,869 --> 00:34:08,173 in the Canada geese that are resident, nonmigratory birds. 797 00:34:08,173 --> 00:34:12,411 Nationwide, the population has grown from about 1 million 798 00:34:12,411 --> 00:34:14,346 to about 4 million. 799 00:34:14,346 --> 00:34:17,416 [geese honking] 800 00:34:17,416 --> 00:34:20,218 NARRATOR: At LaGuardia, one of the airport's biggest problems 801 00:34:20,218 --> 00:34:23,588 is a year-round goose colony on nearby Rikers Island. 802 00:34:28,226 --> 00:34:32,197 RICHARD DOLBEER: From the year 2002 to 2004, 803 00:34:32,197 --> 00:34:36,535 there were eight Canada goose strikes at LaGuardia Airport, 804 00:34:36,535 --> 00:34:38,770 involved birds either on the airport 805 00:34:38,770 --> 00:34:40,672 or right off of the airport. 806 00:34:40,672 --> 00:34:44,676 One of those strikes almost caused a plane to crash. 807 00:34:44,676 --> 00:34:47,479 And it was a very close call. 808 00:34:47,479 --> 00:34:48,914 NARRATOR: For the past several years, 809 00:34:48,914 --> 00:34:51,683 airport officials have rounded up hundreds of geese 810 00:34:51,683 --> 00:34:54,186 from Rikers Island and euthanized them. 811 00:34:54,186 --> 00:34:56,755 It's controversial but should be effective. 812 00:35:00,892 --> 00:35:05,297 So where did these birds come from? 813 00:35:05,297 --> 00:35:08,500 NARRATOR: If the geese that hit US Airways Flight 1549 814 00:35:08,500 --> 00:35:10,869 were local, they can be controlled. 815 00:35:10,869 --> 00:35:13,438 Investigators need to know more about them. 816 00:35:13,438 --> 00:35:16,641 The remains that we did find were so small that we couldn't 817 00:35:16,641 --> 00:35:18,743 really tell what type of birds. 818 00:35:18,743 --> 00:35:21,880 We enlisted the help of the Smithsonian Institution. 819 00:35:21,880 --> 00:35:25,784 They can take remains, even very small remains, 820 00:35:25,784 --> 00:35:28,620 small pieces of feathers or flesh or whatever, 821 00:35:28,620 --> 00:35:31,323 and they can identify them. 822 00:35:31,323 --> 00:35:34,426 NARRATOR: The hope is that DNA analysis of the remains 823 00:35:34,426 --> 00:35:38,296 will not only confirm the bird species but also offer clues 824 00:35:38,296 --> 00:35:39,531 as to where they came from. 825 00:35:44,903 --> 00:35:47,906 While they wait for answers, investigators 826 00:35:47,906 --> 00:35:51,443 turn to answering the question of how a few birds forced 827 00:35:51,443 --> 00:35:55,580 a 68-ton jet from the sky. 828 00:35:55,580 --> 00:35:56,581 [camera snapping] 829 00:36:02,413 --> 00:36:05,683 engines undergo rigorous testing to prove they can perform 830 00:36:05,683 --> 00:36:07,485 under extreme conditions. 831 00:36:07,485 --> 00:36:11,255 The tests include ingesting frozen bird carcasses. 832 00:36:11,255 --> 00:36:14,659 The CFM turbofan engines that power the A320 833 00:36:14,659 --> 00:36:18,496 passed those tests and were certified in 1996. 834 00:36:18,496 --> 00:36:23,901 The large bird test required for the CFM engine is shooting 835 00:36:23,901 --> 00:36:28,706 a 4-pound bird from an air cannon into the engine, which 836 00:36:28,706 --> 00:36:30,908 is running at near full power. 837 00:36:35,346 --> 00:36:38,249 NARRATOR: To pass, the engines don't have to keep running. 838 00:36:38,249 --> 00:36:40,818 They only have to stay together, which they 839 00:36:40,818 --> 00:36:43,654 did on Sullenberger's plane. 840 00:36:43,654 --> 00:36:45,623 Well, the engines did not experience what 841 00:36:45,623 --> 00:36:47,291 we call uncontained failures. 842 00:36:47,291 --> 00:36:49,927 No large chunks of fan blades or anything 843 00:36:49,927 --> 00:36:53,364 flew out through the cowls to hurt 844 00:36:53,364 --> 00:36:56,534 people inside the airplane. 845 00:36:56,534 --> 00:37:01,806 Fan blades are always the most interesting part to look at. 846 00:37:01,806 --> 00:37:06,410 And they often tell quite a story. 847 00:37:06,410 --> 00:37:08,546 NARRATOR: A series of fan blades throughout the engine 848 00:37:08,546 --> 00:37:11,982 compress incoming air until it's ignited in the core, 849 00:37:11,982 --> 00:37:12,983 creating thrust. 850 00:37:12,983 --> 00:37:17,855 Ingested birds can wreak havoc on this process. 851 00:37:17,855 --> 00:37:20,725 When a fan blade of an engine fails, 852 00:37:20,725 --> 00:37:24,395 it causes a lot of continuing damage. 853 00:37:24,395 --> 00:37:27,531 In this particular case, all the fan blades were there. 854 00:37:27,531 --> 00:37:31,302 They suffered severe damage, but none were broken. 855 00:37:31,302 --> 00:37:33,070 NARRATOR: An analysis of the engine 856 00:37:33,070 --> 00:37:36,574 shows that, while the primary fan blade survived the impact, 857 00:37:36,574 --> 00:37:39,877 the delicate machinery inside the cores of both engines 858 00:37:39,877 --> 00:37:42,346 did not. 859 00:37:42,346 --> 00:37:43,914 Uh-oh. 860 00:37:43,914 --> 00:37:48,486 We got one roll, both of them rolling back. 861 00:37:48,486 --> 00:37:52,022 Once we went into the engine itself into the core, 862 00:37:52,022 --> 00:37:55,059 we determined that there was significant damage. 863 00:37:55,059 --> 00:37:57,828 When a bird gets ingested into the core, 864 00:37:57,828 --> 00:38:00,398 it is such a large mass compared to these blades 865 00:38:00,398 --> 00:38:03,434 that it does a lot of damage to them. 866 00:38:03,434 --> 00:38:06,670 NARRATOR: The birds ingested into Flight 1549-- 867 00:38:06,670 --> 00:38:07,571 Mayday, mayday, mayday. 868 00:38:07,571 --> 00:38:09,373 This is Cactus 1549. 869 00:38:09,373 --> 00:38:11,442 NARRATOR: --ripped apart the engines compressors. 870 00:38:11,442 --> 00:38:13,944 Metal shards from these broken compressors 871 00:38:13,944 --> 00:38:16,547 were sucked deep into the cores of both engines, 872 00:38:16,547 --> 00:38:17,381 shutting them down. 873 00:38:17,381 --> 00:38:18,215 We've hit birds. 874 00:38:18,215 --> 00:38:19,049 We've lost thrust in both engines. 875 00:38:25,089 --> 00:38:27,725 NARRATOR: When DNA results come back from the Smithsonian 876 00:38:27,725 --> 00:38:32,463 Institution, investigators finally understand why Flight 877 00:38:32,463 --> 00:38:35,633 1549 lost both of its engines. 878 00:38:35,633 --> 00:38:37,101 The birds that struck Sullenberger 879 00:38:37,101 --> 00:38:40,104 and Skiles' aircraft were adult Canada geese. 880 00:38:40,104 --> 00:38:42,039 They were far larger than anything 881 00:38:42,039 --> 00:38:44,909 the engines were ever test for. 882 00:38:44,909 --> 00:38:46,977 Because of that analysis, we know 883 00:38:46,977 --> 00:38:49,580 that these birds ingested each probably 884 00:38:49,580 --> 00:38:50,948 weighed about 10 pounds. 885 00:38:50,948 --> 00:38:52,750 NARRATOR: The tests also confirmed 886 00:38:52,750 --> 00:38:57,121 that as many as four large birds had hit Flight 1549's engines. 887 00:38:57,121 --> 00:39:01,892 It was simply too much for them to handle. 888 00:39:01,892 --> 00:39:03,661 HARALD REICHEL: Rarely do birds get ingested 889 00:39:03,661 --> 00:39:05,129 into the core of the engine. 890 00:39:05,129 --> 00:39:06,130 Rarely-- 891 00:39:06,130 --> 00:39:07,164 Uh-oh. 892 00:39:07,164 --> 00:39:08,833 HARALD REICHEL: --does an engine ingest the bird 893 00:39:08,833 --> 00:39:10,801 and then stop running completely. 894 00:39:10,801 --> 00:39:12,069 That's a very rare event. 895 00:39:12,069 --> 00:39:14,438 Ignition start. 896 00:39:14,438 --> 00:39:16,540 HARALD REICHEL: But what makes this one even rarer 897 00:39:16,540 --> 00:39:20,144 is that both engines ingested birds and both shut down. 898 00:39:20,144 --> 00:39:23,681 We're going to be in the Hudson. 899 00:39:23,681 --> 00:39:27,151 NARRATOR: The DNA test also proves that the geese involved 900 00:39:27,151 --> 00:39:29,954 in this accident were not the local geese that LaGuardia 901 00:39:29,954 --> 00:39:31,422 has worked so hard to manage. 902 00:39:35,025 --> 00:39:39,530 These were geese that had been in northern Canada 903 00:39:39,530 --> 00:39:40,798 during the preceding summer. 904 00:39:40,798 --> 00:39:42,433 They were migratory geese. 905 00:39:42,433 --> 00:39:44,935 NARRATOR: The collision between the migrating geese 906 00:39:44,935 --> 00:39:48,639 and Flight 1549 happened a little over 4 miles 907 00:39:48,639 --> 00:39:49,974 from the airport. 908 00:39:49,974 --> 00:39:52,142 It means that none of the existing programs 909 00:39:52,142 --> 00:39:53,844 for reducing the number of birds would 910 00:39:53,844 --> 00:39:55,446 have prevented the collision. 911 00:39:55,446 --> 00:39:58,516 It also means that what happened to that flight 912 00:39:58,516 --> 00:40:01,018 could happen again, unless a way can be found 913 00:40:01,018 --> 00:40:04,054 to keep birds and planes apart. 914 00:40:04,054 --> 00:40:05,723 MAN (ON RADIO): 52 1 rotor contact loss. 915 00:40:05,723 --> 00:40:07,224 Report 20 DME southeastern. 916 00:40:07,224 --> 00:40:11,161 I won't pick you up at that altitude that far out, sir. 917 00:40:11,161 --> 00:40:13,697 NARRATOR: Every year, about 2 million planes 918 00:40:13,697 --> 00:40:15,199 pass over New York's airspace. 919 00:40:15,199 --> 00:40:17,134 RICHARD DOLBEER: Most people do not 920 00:40:17,134 --> 00:40:20,738 appreciate the problems that birds can cause to aircraft. 921 00:40:20,738 --> 00:40:25,209 They don't realize how a small, seemingly insignificant 922 00:40:25,209 --> 00:40:28,245 organism in relation to the size of an aircraft 923 00:40:28,245 --> 00:40:31,815 can cause these kinds of catastrophic failures. 924 00:40:35,052 --> 00:40:36,987 NARRATOR: The airline industry needs to find 925 00:40:36,987 --> 00:40:38,989 solutions to bird strikes. 926 00:40:38,989 --> 00:40:41,091 Placing screens in front of the engines 927 00:40:41,091 --> 00:40:42,960 is one of the most obvious answers. 928 00:40:42,960 --> 00:40:45,996 But there are serious drawbacks. 929 00:40:45,996 --> 00:40:47,898 Screens can fall off. 930 00:40:47,898 --> 00:40:49,600 Screens can break. 931 00:40:49,600 --> 00:40:52,536 And then they would be ingested into the engine 932 00:40:52,536 --> 00:40:56,607 causing similar damage or more catastrophic damage. 933 00:40:56,607 --> 00:40:58,742 NARRATOR: Screens can also introduce turbulence 934 00:40:58,742 --> 00:41:01,779 to the airflow, which can starve the engines of air 935 00:41:01,779 --> 00:41:04,281 causing them to fail. 936 00:41:04,281 --> 00:41:09,587 Winter weather is also a serious problem for engine screens. 937 00:41:09,587 --> 00:41:11,922 HARALD REICHEL: A screen is a perfect ice builder, 938 00:41:11,922 --> 00:41:16,927 and it will accrete ice very quickly in icing conditions. 939 00:41:16,927 --> 00:41:18,562 NARRATOR: A more promising solution 940 00:41:18,562 --> 00:41:21,632 is already being tested in several American cities, 941 00:41:21,632 --> 00:41:24,101 including New York. 942 00:41:24,101 --> 00:41:26,704 At John F. Kennedy Airport, specialized radar 943 00:41:26,704 --> 00:41:31,208 is sweeping the sky's looking for birds near planes. 944 00:41:31,208 --> 00:41:35,245 It can distinguish items the size of hummingbirds. 945 00:41:35,245 --> 00:41:38,048 If any birds are detected moving through flight paths, 946 00:41:38,048 --> 00:41:40,951 crews could be alerted. 947 00:41:40,951 --> 00:41:43,921 I would love to see bird radar technology. 948 00:41:43,921 --> 00:41:45,656 The key would be how to incorporate 949 00:41:45,656 --> 00:41:47,925 that without increasing workload to an already 950 00:41:47,925 --> 00:41:49,760 stressed controller. 951 00:41:49,760 --> 00:41:53,631 NARRATOR: Tests continue, but widespread use of avian radar 952 00:41:53,631 --> 00:41:56,333 is still in its infancy. 953 00:41:56,333 --> 00:41:58,602 PATRICK HARTEN (ON RADIO): Cactus 1549, runway 4 clear 954 00:41:58,602 --> 00:41:59,837 for takeoff. 955 00:41:59,837 --> 00:42:02,640 Cactus 1549, clear for takeoff. 956 00:42:02,640 --> 00:42:05,676 NARRATOR: Until then, collisions between birds and planes 957 00:42:05,676 --> 00:42:06,110 will continue. 958 00:42:12,683 --> 00:42:16,854 What the safe outcome of Flight 1549 proved is that, right now, 959 00:42:16,854 --> 00:42:18,956 the best defense against this threat 960 00:42:18,956 --> 00:42:22,593 is a good team in the cockpit. 961 00:42:22,593 --> 00:42:24,161 We had a very experienced flight 962 00:42:24,161 --> 00:42:27,297 crew with very good training. 963 00:42:27,297 --> 00:42:28,799 My aircraft. 964 00:42:28,799 --> 00:42:29,767 Your aircraft. 965 00:42:29,767 --> 00:42:31,368 Get the QRH. 966 00:42:31,368 --> 00:42:34,705 All your training that you've done all the years that you've 967 00:42:34,705 --> 00:42:37,775 been flying the airplanes, it all just comes back to you 968 00:42:37,775 --> 00:42:39,677 when you when you need it. 969 00:42:39,677 --> 00:42:40,310 My aircraft. 970 00:42:40,310 --> 00:42:41,311 Your aircraft. 971 00:42:41,311 --> 00:42:43,180 JEFFREY SKILES: Sully and I worked together 972 00:42:43,180 --> 00:42:45,849 extremely well in this event. 973 00:42:45,849 --> 00:42:49,687 I knew what was in his mind, and he knew what was in my mind. 974 00:42:49,687 --> 00:42:52,289 We were both accomplishing our individual roles, 975 00:42:52,289 --> 00:42:56,160 but we had a knowledge of the whole situation. 976 00:42:56,160 --> 00:42:57,294 OK, you need to return to LaGuardia. 977 00:42:57,294 --> 00:42:59,363 Turn left, heading 2, 2, 0. 978 00:42:59,363 --> 00:43:00,197 2, 2, 0. 979 00:43:00,197 --> 00:43:02,132 PATRICK HARTEN: This event definitely 980 00:43:02,132 --> 00:43:04,334 puts things in perspective for you as a controller. 981 00:43:04,334 --> 00:43:07,304 One thing I appreciate more, the teamwork 982 00:43:07,304 --> 00:43:09,039 and how when you work together you 983 00:43:09,039 --> 00:43:10,174 can pretty much accomplish whatever 984 00:43:10,174 --> 00:43:11,675 you need to accomplish. 985 00:43:11,675 --> 00:43:13,310 Off to your right side is Teterboro airport. 986 00:43:13,310 --> 00:43:14,645 You want to try and make Teterboro? 987 00:43:14,645 --> 00:43:16,413 We're going to be in the Hudson. 988 00:43:16,413 --> 00:43:19,316 NARRATOR: The landing in the Hudson took training and skill. 989 00:43:19,316 --> 00:43:21,885 It also took a bit of luck. 990 00:43:21,885 --> 00:43:24,254 We had a very clear day. 991 00:43:24,254 --> 00:43:27,758 We had a perfect condition for the river. 992 00:43:27,758 --> 00:43:30,928 So there was just a series of really fortunate events 993 00:43:30,928 --> 00:43:34,164 that occurred that assisted this crew in landing 994 00:43:34,164 --> 00:43:36,667 successfully on the river. 995 00:43:36,667 --> 00:43:38,669 [music playing] 996 00:43:38,669 --> 00:43:40,170 ROBERT BENZON: Well, at the Safety Board, 997 00:43:40,170 --> 00:43:42,239 we don't really deal in miracles very often. 998 00:43:42,239 --> 00:43:44,341 But this event had a lot of things 999 00:43:44,341 --> 00:43:47,277 that came together at the right time and the right place. 1000 00:43:47,277 --> 00:43:49,947 And so a lot of us are thinking, well, maybe 1001 00:43:49,947 --> 00:43:52,249 we do have a miracle here. 1002 00:43:52,249 --> 00:43:53,250 What a view of the Hudson today.