Rosenker Says There Are Lessons To Be Learned

The National Transportation Safety Board announced Thursday it will hold a two-day public hearing as part of its ongoing investigation into the ditching of a US Airways Airbus A320 into the Hudson River in New York City in January.

The hearing, which will be held at the NTSB's Board Room and Conference Center in Washington, DC, is expected to be scheduled for late spring or early summer; the exact dates will be announced within the next few weeks.

"Based on what we have learned so far about this accident, we know that many things went right," said NTSB Acting Chairman Mark V. Rosenker. "But no matter how many things go right, we've found that each accident presents safety issues that we can learn from -- both to further our investigation, and ultimately, to make the skies even safer. This hearing will move us closer toward those goals."

As ANN reported, at about 3:30 pm, EST on January 15, 2009, an Airbus A320 operated as US Airways flight 1549 on a scheduled flight from New York's LaGuardia Airport to Charlotte, NC ditched into the Hudson River shortly after the aircraft struck Canada geese, resulting in an immediate loss of thrust in both engines. While there were no fatalities among the 155 passengers and crew, two individuals were seriously injured.

The public hearing will focus on the training of crew members on emergency procedures, as well as the certification requirements for the Airbus A320 related to the structural integrity of the airframe during ditching. The Board will also scrutinize bird ingestion certification standards for transport-category turbofan engines; look at new and developing technologies for detection of large groups of birds; and procedures to avoid conflicts with birds in the general vicinity of airports.

FMI: www.ntsb.gov