The NTSB will hear testimony on the ditching of US Airways Flight 1549 on June 9-10 at its Washington, D.C., headquarters. The public hearing is being held to gather more information on the board’s ongoing investigation of the mishap. All 155 people aboard survived the dunking in the Hudson River in New York City after the crew reported multiple bird strikes followed by a dual engine failure. In contrast to most NTSB investigations, at least part of this hearing will apparently focus on what went right in the Jan. 15 incident.
In its announcement of the hearing the NTSB said it will call witnesses to discuss crew training in emergency procedures, certification requirements for the A320 related to ditching, bird ingestion standards for engines and new technologies for bird detection and avoidance. Board member Robert L. Sumwalt will chair the meeting and a list of witnesses will be released later.
