Just finished Captain Sullenberger’s book. For those aviation enthusiasts, it’s a must read! Sometimes he pours it on a little too thick about being a family man, devoted husband, and with the military having second to none training, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. It takes awhile, actually about 200 pages into the book, until he talks about the incident but I can’t falter him since the entire flight lasted just over five minutes.
As I read, I kept thinking...I don’t think I would have had the guts to opt for a water landing. Our training engrains us to choose land over water. Also, we are told to follow the checklist. But somewhere a decision has to be made. Sully quickly realized no checklist would bring back those engines.
Someone asked me, “if we have a checklist for Canadian Geese?” I think they meant to ask, “Do we have a checklist for a dual engine failure?” Having said that, do you think I’d be reading through a checklist at 3000 feet descending 1500 feet/min? Like Sully, most pilots would go into survival mode.
That’s why I challenge our training sometimes. It works fine in the simulator, but what about in the real world? Having said that, I flew with an F/O a month ago and he experienced an engine failure through 4000 feet out of Vancouver. He said they followed procedures to a “T.” But what about the crippled Swissair flight burning up near Halifax? They turned away from the airport to complete their checklists. Incidentally, I was in Zurich about a year later doing my F/O A340 training and the font on the Smoke checklist is a hell of a lot bigger. Our checklist’s font got bigger too. You should see the length of the checklist. “Jacques from Airbus” made it six pages long if you include the SMOKE/FUMES removal checklist. Here’s page one of five for a dual engine failure. I get a chuckle out of “Jacques from Airbus” suggesting…LAND ASAP. Hmmmm?
ENG DUAL FAILURE - FUEL REMAINING
As long as none of the engines recover, the flight crew should apply this paper
procedure and then, if time permits, clear ECAM alerts and check the ECAM
STATUS page.
LAND ASAP
– ENG MODE SEL..........................................................................................IGN
– THR LEVERS............................................................................................. IDLE
– OPTIMUM RELIGHT SPD .............................................................SEE TABLE
In case of speed indications failure (volcanic ash), Pitch attitude for optimum
relight speed is also given:
– LANDING STRATEGY.................................................................DETERMINE
Determine whether a runway can be reached or the most appropriate place for a forced landing/ ditching.
– EMER ELEC PWR ..............................................................................MAN ON
– VHF1/HF1( ) ATC1..................................................................................USE
– ATC ......................................................................................................NOTIFY
– FAC 1 .........................................................................................OFF THEN ON
Resetting of FAC 1 enables rudder trim recovery, even if no indication is
available.
[ A319, 235-240, A321] IF NO RELIGHT AFTER 30 SEC :
– ENG MASTERS................................................................ OFF 30 SEC/ON
Unassisted start attempts can be repeated until successful, or until APU bleed is available.
IF UNSUCCESSFUL:
– CREW OXY MASKS (Above FL 100)........................................................ON
WHEN BELOW FL 250
– APU (IF AVAIL)................................................................................ START
WHEN BELOW FL 200
– WING ANTI ICE .......................................................................................OFF
– APU BLEED...............................................................................................ON
– ENG MASTERS (one at a time)........................................... OFF 30 SEC/ON
Flight 1549 happened the day I gave a talk on aviation in front of 150 people for the Oakville Chamber of Commerce. Sully's event sort of superseded my talk. After my talk, one gentleman stood up and asked a long winded question about the incident. (You could tell he liked to hear himself talk). It happened just a few hours before and the first I heard of it was 10 minutes before my talk. For one thing, I don’t like second guessing pilots and I told him so. Whenever there is an incident, the media always seems to find an aviation expert. It usually turns out the person is a private pilot capable of spelling Airbus. (no disrespect to you Private pilots out there). I was going to explain how jet engines are certified by firing birds into the engine but I knew whatever I said it would fall on deaf ears. The audience wanted to hear we train for this in the simulator and not to worry.
Sully differentiated reality with his surreal scenario. I think the initial vector of 220 degrees also helped him as his track paralleled the Hudson. I’m not sure why the RAT (Ram Air Turbine) did not deploy with a dual engine failure. It’s a propeller driven device to supply electrics and hydraulics.
RAM AIR TURBINE (RAT)
A drop-out RAT coupled to a hydraulic pump allows the blue system to function if electrical power is lost or both engines fail. The RAT deploys automatically if AC BUS 1 and AC BUS 2 are both lost. It can be deployed manually from the overhead panel. It can be stowed only when the aircraft is on the ground.
One would think his descent would be quiet with no engines running. Far from it, there were more warnings going off in that flight deck causing a major distraction but Sully never mentions it. But then again, he was in another world.
Again, this book is a great read. I just learned he had signed a contract for 3.2 million for the book. My book sales topped out at around $10,000+ with 10,000 copies in print. The difference is, one has to land in the Hudson. I’ll give it a miss.
Enjoy the read!
17 comments:
I read somewhere that the RAT didn't deploy because the No. 1 engine core still had enough life in it to keep GEN 1 from falling offline
So, with no RAT where did the power come from to operate the hydraulics? Or was there enough juice from No. 1? This is an electric airplane, right?
Considerable mileage was made out of his skill and rightly so, but there were two other really important factors - there was a river to land on, and it was daytime. Take away those two things, and it would have been so awful.
Anon. I heard an inkling that one of the engines was still at 20%. That would explain the RAT thing. Thanks for the post.
I was surprised to hear Sully landed with a flap 2 setting. Where DID he get the hydraulic pressure? There are three hydraulic systems GREEN, BLUE and YELLOW. The flaps are operated by the GREEN and BLUE system. There's also a BLUE and YELLOW electric hydraulic pump, but they are AC powered. He did have an APU, maybe this supplied the AC power? Some suggest the windmilling fans, but they just had a catastrophic failure so they would not be turning. I assume. We are taught in the sim, with no N1 (big fan not turning) and a loud noise, assume a damaged engine. I.E no engine re-light.
Good point about the river and daytime versus night time. I know when I was flying down the Hudson a few months ago at night it kind of creeped me out.
Doug
Good call on the book value versus having to land on a river.
Verification word: nonett, as in "landing with ____"
Aviatrix. Where's the typo, "nonett?" Or am I missing the boat on something else? :) Doug
Great post Doug.
If you've ever read the story of the BAW 009, and the trepidation Eric Moody and the flight crew had of landing a B747 in the dark on water, you'll see why us land lubbers will always head for the coast. That said, Sully's sixth sense given the flight stage and the power loss was likely correct - but he was lucky as whywhyzed said.
I did hear the same comments about Sully - the motherhood and apple pie Americana, military and so forth, and laying it on thick I imagine to appeal to middle America - that's the $3M retirement fund right there! Sceptical I know - but likely correct!!
Your book - which I bought myself and Calum also gave me a copy from Santa, is a brilliant read. Even Susie my sister is now fired up to take her flying lessons having read your words!
Another coffee in the dead of a Caribbean morning is now about to be served up!
Cheers, Ian
Ian. Looks like your wife is allowing you near a computer. I must confess, blogging is addictive. There's so much to say.
No, I didn't read about the 747, but I do know the results of the hijacked 767 in Africa landing on water. Sully mentions it as well.
Capt. Sully is high up on a pedestal and rightly so.
Are you at an all-inclusive or are you paying big bucks for that coffee?
Doug
Hi Doug:
It's pretty clear the Caribbean sun has got to me! Calum, my son, appeared an hour ago in his swimming trunks - and I asked him if his case was packed. I lost a day - we leave tomorrow. I knew that last rum at 11pm had done my head in!
My sister got us bed, breakfast and dinner - so the coffee is costing beaucoup - in Canadian dollars $4.00 per quaff!
As I said it was cheaper to do the package for the 4 of us, than
relying on passes and reduced rates at the hotels when we got here.
I'm working on Thursday - so we get back on Monday in the afternoon to Heathrow from Charles de Gaulle, giving me a couple of days to get myself sorted before heading out.
Being line checked next week ? I'm soon too - so know how you feel!
Cheers, Ian
Ian. It's easy to lose track of time when one day's weather is a carbon copy of the day before. But then again, that's what a vacation is for - to lose track of time.
I haven't flown in nearly three weeks so I'll be requesting "make up" in the next few days to spool me up before the line check. I hope it's not in the middle of a snowstorm like last year. Enjoy the last days of sun.
Doug
I often visit the NY/NJ area, and since I fly a Cherokee, I spend more time near 3,000 ft than a typical jet jock would. I'm willing to bet, Doug, that you *would* have chosen a water landing, when the Hudson was the only flat, unobstructed space within gliding distance.
It would have taken you a couple of seconds to register how fast KTEB was climbing up your windshield, and you'd have known in your gut (without even having to think) that you'd land a couple of miles short, ploughing into houses, low-rise buildings and freeways. But just to your left you'd have seen a long, wide, flat stretch of empty water (very empty in winter, without the pleasure boats) that looks a lot like a runway, and you'd have sensed that you'd clear the GW Bridge by a few hundred feet.
So, turn from left base to final and pray to the stick and rudder gods that you touch the water with the nose up, speed perfect, and the wingtips absolutely level, so that the plane doesn't nose in or cartwheel.
David. Well said. Actually, very well said! I'll leave it at that. Doug
Hi Doug,
I also enjoyed Sully's book. I found his frankness about his family life refreshing. I could relate to his money issues, leaving his family while on trips, and not being a perfect dad. I thought he did a good job playing down the "hero" label that's been bestowed upon him.
I watched the TLC special this past Sunday night "Brace for Impact". Did you catch it? They flew Sully over the accident flight path in a helicopter and he was "reunited" with the salvaged aircraft. It was OK (somewhat repetitive from previous programs) but looked good on HDTV and there were a few new segments (such as his first flight since the accident - same route LGA-CLT).
A couple of notes/questions. It seems that US Airways must have promoted the first officer Skiles to captain. In the reunion flight, Sully announced to the cabin that "Captain" Skiles was flying with him that day as "First Officer". Interesting. In the book, he said Skiles was working as a general contractor to make ends meet since losing his captaincy in a previous downsizing.
When Sully was talking about the accident flight, he said he taxied to the active runway, lined up, then gave the aircraft to the flying pilot, Skiles. Is that typical? I would have thought the flying pilot does all the taxiing as well as flying. Do you not take turns taxiing as well as flying?
Thanks, Doug. I've been away for a few days, so just catching up on your blog (it's addictive as a regular reader, too!). I enjoyed your post on Mirabel. I lived in Montreal during university in the early 90's, and one spring day, biked to Mirabel from Montreal to check it out! There was hardly any car traffic on the approach road - I biked right up to the terminal, locked up and went inside for a look! Only Air Transat was really operating then - the regular flights had already switched to Dorval.
Jack
Jack. You posted some great comments.
As far as Sully's f/o getting promoted maybe there was some movement? Having said that, sometimes pilots get promoted out of seniority if they are management types. When I did my initial training at Air Canada the chief flying instructor on the Airbus 340 was way out of seniority. He could barely hold left seat on the small Airbus.
This did not go down well with many senior A340 captains. We have several captains holding out of seniority positions. One captain can barely hold left seat on the
B767 but he is head honcho on the
B777. Needless to say he turns heads when he enters the flight deck. Maybe Skiles got an honorary promotion? I for one would have given him the fourth stripe.
Typically, the captain starts the engines, taxis the airplane and signs the log book. (This has been my experience from the airlines I flew for). It's his/her head they go after in case of an incident. The Airbus comes with a tiller (sterrs the airplne)for both pilots, but it's 'verboten' for the F/O to taxi at Air Canada. When I was F/O I disliked a captain who took control when we were decelerating after a landing. Because of it, I brief the F/O to taxi off the runway.
Yes, Dorval is a grim reminder of dreams (and tax dollars) gone awry.
Thanks Jack.
Capt. Doug
Doug, when you are next in the simulator, land the 320 in Lake Ontario and then you can go for the big book contracts with the publishers!
I'll take "From The Flight Deck" over Sully's life story any day.
Cheers
Mark. Now there's a plan. Good way to improve book sales. Actually, I may one day see what it's like to land in the simulator with no engines and warning bells going off.
During my Air Atlantic days we would fly the Dash 8 through a virtual hangar if we had time remaining at the end of training.
I can only imagine the flying that went on in the sim when you were not with an instructor or examiner!!!
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