Home
News
In Focus
Business
Metro
Nation
World
Sports
Feature
Opinion
View more »Opinion Columns
Wan LixinOpinion deputy editor of Shanghai Daily
Restaurants get off to a quick start thanks to game-changing policies
High service charges on event ticket refunds call for further regulation
Sunday
- Subscribe
Related News
Birds heard on plane's black boxes
Source: Agencies |
January 20, 2009, Tuesday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
THE black boxes recovered from the US Airways jetliner that safely splashed down in the Hudson River in New York City last week captured thumping sounds, the sudden loss of engine power and the pilot's calm Mayday request - evidence that seems to back up the crew's account of hitting a flock of birds shortly after take off.
The pilot, Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger, credited with helping save the lives of all 155 people aboard, reports that the plane has hit birds and lost both engines shortly after investigators heard "the sound of thumps and a rapid decrease in engine sounds," said Kitty Higgins of the National Transportation Safety Board.
Sullenberger then discussed alternate landings at New Jersey airports before deciding to attempt a river landing, she said. Ninety seconds before ditching the plane, he told passengers to "brace for impact" and informed controllers "they will be in the Hudson River," Higgins said.
The dispatches on the cockpit voice recorder were described as "a very calm, collected exercise," Robert Benzon, a veteran safety board investigator, said on Sunday.
In Washington, D.C. safety board spokesman Peter Knudson said preliminary indications from radar data of the plane's take off last Thursday from LaGuardia Airport "did not show any targets" that might be birds. But investigators will keep looking, he said.
"We are going to go and get all the electronic data necessary to get a complete picture of what was on his screen. It's possible there was more being displayed than we initially understood. We just don't know definitively at this point - we don't know exactly what was shown on that radar screen," Knudson said.
Sullenberger, who has so far not publicly talked about the crash, has been invited to attend President-elect Barack Obama's inauguration today, according to the mayor of his hometown, Danville, California. An Obama aide said Sunday evening the family had been invited, speaking on condition of anonymity because details were still being worked out.
Stephen Bradford, president of the United States Airline Pilots Association, said he asked Sullenberger not to engage in any media activities because the pilots association has "interested party" status with the NTSB, which allows it to participate in the investigation.
Sullenberger released a statement deferring to the advice. "The Sullenbergers continue to thank their many well-wishers for the incredible outpouring of support," the statement said.
Higgins heaped praise on Sullenberger and the flight crew, noting they all had 20 or more years experience.
"Miracles happen because a lot of everyday things happen for years and years and years," she said. "These people knew what they were supposed to do and they did it, and as a result nobody lost their life."
The pilot, Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger, credited with helping save the lives of all 155 people aboard, reports that the plane has hit birds and lost both engines shortly after investigators heard "the sound of thumps and a rapid decrease in engine sounds," said Kitty Higgins of the National Transportation Safety Board.
Sullenberger then discussed alternate landings at New Jersey airports before deciding to attempt a river landing, she said. Ninety seconds before ditching the plane, he told passengers to "brace for impact" and informed controllers "they will be in the Hudson River," Higgins said.
The dispatches on the cockpit voice recorder were described as "a very calm, collected exercise," Robert Benzon, a veteran safety board investigator, said on Sunday.
In Washington, D.C. safety board spokesman Peter Knudson said preliminary indications from radar data of the plane's take off last Thursday from LaGuardia Airport "did not show any targets" that might be birds. But investigators will keep looking, he said.
"We are going to go and get all the electronic data necessary to get a complete picture of what was on his screen. It's possible there was more being displayed than we initially understood. We just don't know definitively at this point - we don't know exactly what was shown on that radar screen," Knudson said.
Sullenberger, who has so far not publicly talked about the crash, has been invited to attend President-elect Barack Obama's inauguration today, according to the mayor of his hometown, Danville, California. An Obama aide said Sunday evening the family had been invited, speaking on condition of anonymity because details were still being worked out.
Stephen Bradford, president of the United States Airline Pilots Association, said he asked Sullenberger not to engage in any media activities because the pilots association has "interested party" status with the NTSB, which allows it to participate in the investigation.
Sullenberger released a statement deferring to the advice. "The Sullenbergers continue to thank their many well-wishers for the incredible outpouring of support," the statement said.
Higgins heaped praise on Sullenberger and the flight crew, noting they all had 20 or more years experience.
"Miracles happen because a lot of everyday things happen for years and years and years," she said. "These people knew what they were supposed to do and they did it, and as a result nobody lost their life."
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
