• NTSB TO HOLD PUBLIC HEARING ON US AIRWAYS DITCHING ACCIDENT
  IN HUDSON RIVER
• Accessing The Hub

• AFA Local Numbers

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NTSB PRESS RELEASE
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National Transportation Safety Board
Washington, DC 20594

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February 19, 2009
SB-09-07

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NTSB TO HOLD PUBLIC HEARING ON US AIRWAYS DITCHING ACCIDENT
IN HUDSON RIVER
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Washington, D.C. - The National Transportation Safety Board
will hold a two-day public hearing as part of its ongoing
investigation into the ditching of a US Airways Airbus A-320
into the Hudson River in New York City in January.

The hearing, which will be held at the NTSB's Board Room and
Conference Center in Washington, D.C., is expected to be
scheduled for late spring or early summer; the exact dates
will be announced within the next few weeks.

"Based on what we have learned so far about this accident,
we know that many things went right," said NTSB Acting
Chairman Mark V. Rosenker. "But no matter how many things
go right, we've found that each accident presents safety
issues that we can learn from - both to further our
investigation, and ultimately, to make the skies even safer.
This hearing will move us closer toward those goals."

At about 3:30 p.m. EST on January 15, 2009, an Airbus A-320
operated as US Airways flight 1549 on a scheduled flight
from New York's LaGuardia Airport to Charlotte, North
Carolina, ditched into the Hudson River shortly after the
aircraft struck Canada geese, resulting in an immediate loss
of thrust in both engines. While there were no fatalities
among the 155 passengers and crew, two individuals were
seriously injured.

The public hearing will focus on the following issues:

- Training of crew members on emergency procedures

- Certification requirements for the Airbus A-320 related to
the structural integrity of the airframe during ditching

- Bird ingestion certification standards for transport-
category turbofan engines

- New and developing technologies for detection of large
groups of birds and procedures to avoid conflicts with birds
in the general vicinity of airports

A list of those expected to testify will be released closer
to the date of the hearing.

###

NTSB Media Contact: Peter Knudson (202) 314-6100
peter.knudson@ntsb.gov


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