NTSB Reviews Black Box Tapes From Flight 1549
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After reviewing cockpit voice recordings from US Airways Flight 1549, investigators with the National Transportation Safety Board said testimony remains consistent with the flight's timeline of events. NY1's Tara Lynn Wagner filed the following report.Calm and collected. That's how officials with the NTSB describe the conversation between the pilots and air traffic control in the minutes before US Airways Flight 1549 made its dramatic landing in the Hudson River on Thursday.
The 30 minutes of audio captured by the plane's two data recorders reveal the normal pre-flight routine, but 90 seconds after takeoff, officials say Pilot Chesley Sullenberger makes a remark about birds.
"One second later, the cockpit voice recorder records thumps and a rapid decrease in engine sounds. The captain acknowledges that both engines have lost power and he takes control of the aircraft," said Kitty Higgins of the NTSB.
Over the next three and a half minutes, Sullenberger considered landing at LaGuardia and Teterboro, but eventually chooses the Hudson.
While NTSB officials say the content of the recording is consistent with interviews conducted after the landing, one word stood out -- mayday.
"We didn't hear it on the air traffic control exchange, it wasn't reported from the interviews with the crews. It does come out on the cockpit voice recorders that he used the term mayday," said Higgins.
With the plane out of the water, Sunday included a long de-fueling process before a barge began moving the plane to New Jersey. There, every square inch will be examined.
"They will be all over the plane. One group wants to look at the cockpit. One wants to look at the engines. Others will be interested in looking at the exterior. Others looking for damage from bird strikes," said Higgins.
And while it was the governor who quickly dubbed the landing the 'Miracle on the Hudson', the NTSB credits proper training and a combined 25,000 hours of airtime between the pilot and copilot.
"These people knew what they were supposed to do and as a result nobody lost their life and I think that is a testament to the system as a whole," said Higgins.
The plane's left engine has yet to be recovered although officials believe they have identified its underwater location. However, officials say the search has been put on hold because ice floes make it too dangerous to send divers or equipment into the water. They hope to resume that search on Tuesday.