The House Subcommittee on Aviation heard testimony today from the crew that safely landed and evacuated US Airways Flight 1549 on the Hudson River off Manhattan in January of 2009. The five-member flight crew was joined at the witness table by the air traffic controller who helped guide the flight during its final minutes. The Subcommittee also heard from a panel of aviation safety experts.
Photos from the hearing
Below are the prepared opening statements by full Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Chairman James L. Oberstar (Minn.) and Subcommittee Chairman Jerry F. Costello (Ill.).
OPENING STATEMENT OF THE HONORABLE JAMES L. OBERSTAR
SUBCOMMITTEE ON AVIATION HEARING: US AIRWAYS FLIGHT 1549 ACCIDENT
I want to thank Chairman Costello for calling today’s hearing on the US Airways Flight 1549 Accident. We are honored to have the pilots and crew here to tell us their stories first-hand. They handled this situation with incredible skill, precision, and the utmost professionalism. Captain Sullenberger and First Officer Skiles expertly ditched the aircraft in the Hudson River; and flight attendants Welsh, Dail, and Dent braced passengers for impact and quickly assisted them out of the aircraft. Thank you all for being here today. We are also honored to have the air traffic controller, Patrick Harten, with us to explain how he assisted Captain Sullenberger in finding a landing location and directing air traffic.
It is especially important for all of you to be here in light of the tragic events of February 12th, when all 50 passengers and crew perished on Colgan Air Flight 3407 near Buffalo. My deepest sympathies are with the families, colleagues, friends, and communities of those affected by this disaster. The NTSB’s investigation into that accident may bring about further improvements to aviation safety.
Member Robert Sumwalt of the National Transportation Safety Board is here to share what the Safety Board has uncovered thus far in its investigation of Flight 1549. I am pleased to learn that the Safety Board will hold a public hearing to explore many important issues that have arisen out of this accident.
The FAA’s new Associate Administrator of Aviation Safety, Peggy Gilligan, is here to share FAA’s important work on improving aviation safety. I am particularly interested to learn about FAA’s regulations pertaining to training and education for pilots and flight attendants, testing standards for aircraft engine bird ingestion, optimum aircraft design standards to increase crash survivability, and wildlife mitigation programs at airports. The Agency’s vigilance pertaining to safety issues will continue to be closely monitored by this Committee.
These recent accidents raise important questions about crew training. I am particularly concerned that due to economic concerns, carriers may be cutting back their training programs to the minimum-required levels. The combined experience levels of the crew of Flight 1549 – over 140 years total; and almost 40,000 flight hours for the pilots – is quite remarkable. As the industry’s financial condition improves and it begins to hire new pilots and flight attendants, we must ensure that they are fully trained to handle emergency situations. The industry also needs to attract the best people to these jobs by offering good salaries and benefits, just as they used to. I thank the pilot and flight attendant unions for being here to testify on these subjects.
I also thank our other witnesses for being here to share their expertise in bird hazard mitigation—Mr. Reis, with the Seattle-Tacoma Airport and Mr. Ostrom, with the Bird Strike Committee-USA. The more information on birds and wildlife that is collected, the better-equipped we will be to mitigate risk and prevent disasters. In 2007, there were almost 7,500 reported bird strikes. However, it is estimated that only about 20 percent of strikes are reported to the FAA. I am particularly interested to learn about new avian radar detection technologies that are utilized in some airports, and those that are still in development. I appreciate that navigating the complexities of federal, state, and local laws governing the various issues relating to birds and wildlife is no easy task for an airport. I hope to learn more about what airports are doing to reduce wildlife strikes.
Thank you again, Mr. Chairman, for holding this hearing. I look forward to hearing from our witnesses.
STATEMENT OF THE HONORABLE JERRY F. COSTELLO
SUBCOMMITTEE ON AVIATION HEARING ON US AIRWAYS FLIGHT 1549 ACCIDENT
FEBRUARY 24, 2009
I welcome everyone to the Aviation Subcommittee hearing on the US Airways Flight 1549 Accident.
I want to thank our witnesses for being here today, especially the flight crew -- the pilots, flight attendants, and air traffic control specialist -- that brought US Airways Flight 1549 down safely on the Hudson River. I know my colleagues will join me in giving them a round of applause for doing an outstanding job in saving the lives of so many people.
As everyone knows by now, on January 15, 2009, US Airways Flight 1549 was departing LaGuardia Airport for Charlotte, North Carolina and within minutes lost engine power.
Captain Chesley Sullenberger III and First Officer Jeffrey Skiles realized the seriousness of the situation and immediately sought a safe place to land. The Hudson River was their only option and these two pilots, as well as flight attendants Sheila Dail, Doreen Welsh, and Donna Dent worked together to prepare the 150 passengers for the emergency landing.
The crew did an excellent job on the controlled landing in the Hudson River. This incident demonstrates the importance of training and preparation, showcases the skill of aviation workforce, and reinforces the importance of consistent vigilance and oversight of aviation safety.
I would be remiss if I did not mention that just a few short weeks after this incident, the entire nation mourns the loss of Colgan Air Flight 3407 crew and passengers. Fifty people died as a result of that crash, and information is still being gathered and an investigation underway to determine the cause of that crash.
The United States has the safest air transportation system in the world – in 2007, there was only 1 fatal accident in 10.9 million U.S. airline departures. However, we must not become complacent about our past success.
These recent accidents once again place aviation safety in the spotlight. It is the responsibility of this Subcommittee to ensure that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is fulfilling its duties to provide effective oversight of every aspect of the aviation system, and I am interested in hearing from the FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board on these issues.
This situation also highlights the association between training, workforce development and aviation safety. The current economy has the entire workforce being asked to do more with less, including work longer hours. To that point, we must make certain that fatigue does not become an issue, as it creates risks to the safety of the air traffic system.
Finally, even though the bird strikes that caused US Airways Flight 1549 to lose both engines and land in the Hudson River has brought greater attention to the issue, the danger presented by avian life is nothing new. The Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, in conjunction with the University of Illinois in my home state, is using an enhanced radar system to better deal with bird detection. O'Hare, John F. Kennedy and Dallas Fort-Worth International Airports are all slated to receive similar radar systems this year. I am interested in hearing more about this technology from Mr. Mark Reis.
Again, I want to thank the flight crew and air traffic control specialist for being with us today, I commend you on a job well done and look forward to your firsthand account of the January 15, 2009 accident – and what we can learn from the incident for the future.
Before I recognize Mr. Petri for his opening statement, I ask unanimous consent to allow 2 weeks for all Members to revise and extend their remarks and to permit the submission of additional statements and materials by Members and witnesses. Without objection, so ordered.
Hearing photo gallery
Support materials from the hearing
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