Sunday 11th June 2023
Difficulty: Easy
Miracle on the Hudson (Quiz #205)
Boats surround the tail of the sunken plane, visible just above the water line. Photo: Izno (Creative Commons)
On January 15, 2009, US Airways Flight 1549 struck a flock of Canada geese shortly after take-off from LaGuardia, NYC, losing all engine power. Pilots Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger and Jeffrey Skiles decided to glide the plane to ditching in the Hudson River off Midtown Manhattan.
1. Which of these airports was NOT considered for an emergency landing before deciding to ditch the plane in the Hudson river?
2. How many of these factors made it more difficult to evacuate the plane?
- A seal was circling the plane and getting in the way of rescue boats
- One passenger was in a wheelchair
- One passenger had a dog as an Emotional Support Animal
- Someone opened a rear door, allowing water to enter
- Some cargo bay doors were torn off, allowing water to enter
3. As part of their investigation of the incident, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) used flight simulators to test the possibility that the flight could have made an emergency landing at an airport, allowing for real-world time delays. What was the result of the simulation?
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