The One-Time Water Landing

You can't practice ditching a wheeled aircraft, so you must get it right.

Meg Godlewski

Friday, September 13, 2024 at 09:10 AM ET

Verified

Edited By: tccjeremy

Most information about ditching comes from interviewing colleagues who have done it. [iStock]

Key Takeaways:

Ditching, a controlled emergency landing on water, is survivable with proper mental and procedural preparation, as exemplified by successful incidents like the "Miracle on the Hudson" and other pilot accounts.
Pilots must prioritize preparation by studying official guidelines (AIM, POH), conducting thorough pre-flight briefings for passengers, and considering specialized water survival training.
Crucial safety actions for successful egress include tightening harnesses, unlatching doors before impact, staying belted until finding an exit, and carrying tools like seatbelt cutters for potential entanglement.

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On January 15, 2009, approximately two minutes after takeoff from LaGuardia Airport (KGLA) in New York, US Airways Flight 1549 encountered a flock of birds. Several were ingested into the two engines, resulting in a nearly complete loss of thrust.

Out of power, altitude and options, Captain Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger and copilot Jeffrey Skiles ditched the aircraft in the Hudson River near midtown Manhattan. There were 155 souls on board. There were injuries but no loss of life, and the term “Miracle on the Hudson” was coined since it was viewed as one of the most successful ditchings ever performed.