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 water landing, is a critical but survivable event, as exemplified by the "Miracle on the Hudson" and other real-world incidents.
Pilots flying over water must always mentally prepare for a potential ditching by studying emergency procedures (e.g., from the AIM and POH) and considering necessary survival gear.
Key actions for successful ditching and post-impact survival include securing the cabin, unlatching doors before impact, maintaining a slightly tail-low attitude, and being prepared for quick egress, potentially utilizing a seatbelt cutter.

See a mistake? Contact us.

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.