Will Consider Proposed Safety Regulations Relating To Bird Strikes

The NTSB will hold a public Board meeting on May 4 on its investigation into the accident in which a US Airways jetliner came to rest in the Hudson River near New York City after a low-altitude encounter with a flock of birds.

The purpose of the meeting will be to determine the probable cause of the accident and to consider proposed safety recommendations to reduce the likelihood of future such mishaps.

Unless you've been living in a different planet, you probably know that on January 15, 2009, at 1527 EST, US Airways flight 1549, an Airbus A320, lost engine power after striking a flock of Canada geese shortly after departing New York's LaGuardia Airport. The captain brought the plane down into the Hudson River after determining that landing at an airport was not feasible. The plane, destined for Charlotte, N.C., carried 150 passengers and a crew of five. Four passengers and one flight attendant received serious injuries.

Photo Credit Gregory Lam

The Board meeting will be held in Washington on Tuesday, May 4, 2010, at 9:30 a.m. EDT, in the NTSB Board Room and Conference Center at 429 L'Enfant Plaza, S.W.

A summary of the Board's final report, which will include its findings, probable cause and safety recommendations, will appear on the website shortly after the conclusion of the meeting. The entire report will appear on the website several weeks later.

FMI: www.ntsb.gov