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" is defined as a controlled emergency landing of an aircraft on water, famously exemplified by the "Miracle on the Hudson" with US Airways Flight 1549.
As ditching cannot be practiced, pilots flying over water must prioritize mental preparation, studying official procedures (e.g., AIM), and briefing passengers on safety protocols.
Accounts from successful ditchings highlight the importance of securing oneself tightly with harnesses, preparing passengers, and carrying tools like seatbelt cutters for potential rapid egress.
Key survival procedures include unlatching doors, attempting a slightly tail-low landing attitude, remaining belted until ready to exit, and removing heavy footwear underwater for easier ascension.

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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.