Thursday, January 15, 2009

US Airways jet crashes in Hudson river after a bird strike that disabled both engines

Everyone on board the Airbus A320 aircraft appears to have escaped without major injuries, although the aircraft was put in a control crash in the freezing Hudson river. More details on MSNBC.
Early reports were that the plane collided with a flock of birds, but the FAA has not confirmed that was the cause of the accident.

"Worldwide since 1960, crashes of more than 25 large aircraft were caused by bird strikes, according to a published study by Richard Dolbeer, a retired ornithologist with the Department of Agriculture at the Wildlife Services in Sandusky, Ohio. In 23 of these incidents, the strike occurred below 400 feet."

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