Passengers report scare on earlier US Airways Flight 1549

CNN ^ | 01/19/09 | Abbie Boudreau and Scott Zamost

[clee1]

The moral of this story: DON’T fly US Airways flight 1549 out of LaGuardia

[theDentist]

"it sounded like the wing was just snapping off."

It was... it was a chickadee wing breaking off. Two days later it was a goose wing breaking off...

[WakeUpAndVote]

[NonValueAdded]

the hero will become the goat ... it’s the template, you see

[appleseed]

I think maintenance records revealed the aircraft had compressor stalls just days before the flight. Compressor stalls would give similar symptoms as a massive bird strike. Wonder how the previous stalls were troubleshot and what was the fix? Maybe USAIR has some ‘splainin to do?

No matter what caused the failure - Pilot and crew is to be commended!!!

[McGruff]

about 20 minutes into the flight

Dam. Must have been some high flying geese.

[Yo-Yo]

the hero will become the goat ... it’s the template, you see

Yeah. If this "Sully" guy was such a great pilot, why didn't he just dodge the geese in the first place? Huh?

</sarc>

[chainsaw]

The moral of this story: DON’T fly US Airways flight 1549 out of LaGuardia

Or if you do make sure the plane is an American made one

[Deaf Smith]

Final Destination IV

[Smokin' Joe]

DON’T fly US Airways flight 1549 out of LaGuardia

Why not? You'll have a different plane, anyway...

[Atlas Sneezed]

Must have been some high flying geese.

---

Canada geese fly at altitudes up to 9000 feet. Other species fly at up to 30,000 feet.

[T-Bird45]

The moral of this story: DON’T fly US Airways flight 1549 out of LaGuardia

If it ain't Boeing, I ain't going???

[Ramius]

I think maintenance records revealed the aircraft had compressor stalls just days before the flight. Compressor stalls would give similar symptoms as a massive bird strike. Wonder how the previous stalls were troubleshot and what was the fix? Maybe USAIR has some ‘splainin to do?

Doesn't it seem unlikely that it would happen to both engines at once? I'm still thinking it was a flock of birds.

[Paladin2]

I'm still thinking it was a flock of birds. "

It was reported that the pilot(s) reflexively ducked when the geese came by. I don't think they would have ducked for a mere compressor stall. Still, the engines are where the questions need to be directed. Why couldn't they be restarted?

[Ramius]

Heh. I guess I’d duck too.

I expect that the engines were too badly damaged to restart, though it’s also possible that there simply wasn’t time or altitude enough to do that sort of procedure.

[Teacher317]

If it ain't Boeing, I ain't going

That was my mantra, but my last few Airbus flights did seem a bit more comfortable than the comparable Boeing planes, I'm unhappy to report. Now I have to give each fair consideration, FWIW.

[mfccinsd]

Here are photos of parts of the birds that landed in the yard of a woman. The NTSB and FBI were there several times picking up pieces as evidence.

WARNING: graphic photos of bird remnants (ironically some on the grill in the yard!) http://s39.photobucket.com/albums/e199/D_L_X/US%20Airways%20Bird/

[Paladin2]

LOL. Tastes like chicken.

[Paladin2]

Airbus seems to use larger fuselage diameters. Seems to be all good, but the use of plastic is always bad. Fly by wire has many potential issues.