Unable. We may end up in the Hudson.” Spoken so calmly, it almost sounds conversational, like asking what restaurant we should go to for dinner. So much occurred so fast. The bird strike, the evaluation of the engines, aircraft state and location…all while managing an Airbus A320 with a dual engine failure. Despite no training or practice on this type of failure (or ditching, for that matter), Captain Sullenberger and First Officer Skiles successfully landed Flight 1549 on the Hudson River, becoming the first pilots to successfully complete a water landing in the type.
I watch the clip from this incident often. Often we review and dissect failures for lessons learned, but it is just as important to examine the successes. In the span of minutes, the flight crew, ATC and support services were able to coordinate a return to any runway at La Guardia or a diversion to Teterboro. In the end, the flight did not need a traditional runway. Still, many parties were faced with one of the most challenging situations that exist in aviation and all of them rose to the occasion. What can this event teach us about fear and the role it plays in abnormal events and emergencies?
