Flight 1549 Flight Attendants: Sheila Dail, Donna Dent, and Doreen Welsh were honored for “just doing their job” in evacuating the plane. They received the C.B. Lansing Award for Heroism – an award established in 1988 in the name of a deceased flight attendant and has only been bestowed 4 other times.
Milwaukee, WI – The Association of Flight Attendants-CWA (AFA-CWA) held a ceremony today honoring the three flight attendants who successfully evacuated over 150 passengers of US Airways Flight 1549 after a water landing in the Hudson River. At the annual AFA-CWA Board of Directors meeting, the C.B. Lansing Award for Heroism was presented to Sheila Dail, Donna Dent, and Doreen Welsh.
“It is an honor to present our most prestigious award for heroism to three AFA-CWA flight attendants who utilized their experience, knowledge and training to ensure the survival of all souls aboard, including passengers with mobility challenges, children and other special needs passengers,” said Veda Shook, AFA-CWA International Vice President. “Passengers and their colleagues have praised the professionalism of Sheila, Donna and Doreen and America has adopted them as their heroes. Today we honor them on behalf of over 50,000 flight attendants at major, national, charter and regional carriers across the country.”
The C. B. Lansing Memorial Award was established following the tragic and heroic events aboard Aloha Airlines Flight 243 on April 28, 1988. Aloha flight attendants faced a sudden and serious aircraft incident. C.B. Lansing did not survive the incident; however her fellow flight attendants persevered, rendering life-saving first aid in-flight as they planned for an emergency landing.
“Sheila, Donna and Doreen have long known the importance of the flight attendant profession. As their colleagues, we also know how vital our role is as safety professionals, but because of events on January 15, now the world knows that flight attendants as safety professionals go hand in hand,” said Mike Flores, AFA-CWA US Airways President.
The award is not an annual presentation and is presented to a crew or crewmember who displays heroism beyond the call of duty. There have been four prior recipients in the history of AFA-CWA who have received this honor. Sheila, Donna and Doreen are Charlotte, North Carolina based AFA-CWA members.
This is in reference to the AP report that a passenger due to testify at NTSB HEARING this week allegedly alleges Ms Welsh opened the rear door not a panicked passenger. Why would she make that up? Ms Welsh has always been consistent with her story that a passenger got past her and opened the door. Not that it mattered much because water was already coming in from below. The baggage compartment had pushed up through the floor, which presumably was what cut her.
COREY CALDWELL, spokeswoman for the Association of Flight Attendants Union said Welsh was unavailable for comment.
While there may be conflicting reports regarding the exact actions of what happened immediately after crashing, the bottom line is that everyone was evacuated.
I came cross this in the drafts, which are too numerous for one person to humanly post. It is a Feb 8th interview KDKA TV (Pittsburgh) interview with Flight 1549 flight attendant Doreen Welsh. She relives the flight and how she felt at the time. She comes across much differently than she did in the national interviews with the rest of the crew, which turned some people off for some reason. Her experience was unlike anyone else’s, as she was the only person in the position of responsibility to be both physically and emotionally traumatized. Most notable in the interview is the fact that none of the four had flown together previously and yet they functioned as one. Remarkable.
Welsh was trashed again last week over the false AP report that she had opened the rear door not a passenger as she had claimed. The comment was attributed to a passenger sitting in the rear at the time who was due to testify at the NTSB safety hearing that commenced yesterday and will finish tomorrow. During his testimony at the hearing, he said he was not even aware that the rear door was open at the time and that he was only told about it later by Ms Welsh. He also said he hadn’t talked with the press for 3 months. During his testimony he said she was courageous and her actions heroic.
Watch here for Ms Welsh’s reactions to the passenger, Billy Campbell’s testimony and how she felt when her statements were questioned.
It appears our own Field Museum helped solve the mystery of the Flight 1549 bird strike. The NTSB worked initially with wildlife biologists to extract and collect the “snarge” aka bird bitlets. The snarge samples were then sent to the Smithsonian Birdstrike Feather Identification Laboratory in order to confirm and then identify the particular species of bird. [The woman who heads the lab's last name is Dove.]
Why a specialized lab for birdstrike feathers?
Because they investigate approximately 2500 bird strikes a year or roughly 15 -18/day. Makes one wonder why more airports aren’t using bird-detecting radar, which has been proven to be very effective. The cost $500K – $2M. How much is one life worth? And the lawsuits resulting from a lethal birdstrike? One would think the insuring agency would demand they use them.
The USAF donated one to LaGuardia after Flight 1549. Curiously, Kennedy Airport had just that week began testing the radar. And if the testing had been at LaGuardia instead?
Bird-detecting radar can spot the birds to avoid but it can’t stop the birds from flying in flight paths. That’s the job of wildlife experts. To find a way to keep the birds out of the flight paths to begin with. It’s why the identification of the exact species of bird is so important. Whether it’s local or migratory. With local birds, the key is to not allow them to become familiar with the airport = to make it as noxious as possible.
At Sea-Tac they use lo-tech laser lights to simulate predator movemnet and set off inexpensive but loud detonator blasts to scare the birds off.
With migratory birds, the wildlife experts can predict and track with a fairly high degree of accuracy the birdss migratory patterns and thus be prepared. for their flyby. The challenge is rerouting their hardwired compasses so they don’t return next season.
The NTSB doesnt need the subtype of geese to continue their investigation, In this case it was pretty clear. Flight 1540’s engine able to withstand such a large strike mass – the ingestion standard was just 4lbs. And that is limited to the actual structure of the engines. It doesn’t correlate with whether the whether the damaged engine would be able to maintain thrust.
As it turned out – 1549 had multiple, bilateral, simultaneous bird ingestions–geese that were each over 4lbs–and there was an immediate cmpletec loss of thrust in both engines.
They never had a chance. Their survival rested on the engineers who built and maintained the plane and the skill of the flight crew. Fortunately, both held up spectacularly.
The solving of the final mystery — the precise avian culprit–was made easy because of Harold Hanson, a biologist for the Illinois Natural History Survey, who had devoted his entire life’s work to the study of Canada geese. He gathered 2700 specimens from all over the world that are now housed in The Field Museum. But not all of them were needed.
It came down to three choice:
Local New York geese – no.
Migratory geese – yes.
Two choices from the migratory routes:
Newfoundland and Labrador.
And Labrador it was – identified through feather and DNA analysis.
================== Source: Chicago Tribune’s William Mullen
Press release from the Association of Flight Attendants re: the NTSB safety hearing testimony of Flight 1549 passenger Billy Campbell. The AP had mistakenly – and hurtfully – come out with a story that Campbell was disputing Flight Attendant Doreen Welsh’s account that a passenger had unseal the rear door and that in fact it was Ms Welsh herself. Problem being Campbell a) hadn’t talked to the press in 3 months and b) hadn’t even known the door had been breached until Ms Welsh told him long after they were off the plane. In his testimony, Campbell praised Ms Welsh ans said she was courageous and heroic. Words Ms Welsh said “meant the world” to her and then she thanked him from “the bottom of her heart”.
[Emphasis added]
US Airways 1549 Flight Attendants ‘Heroic’ Actions Recounted In NTSB Hearing
For Immediate Release: June 9, 2009 Contact: Corey Caldwell 202-434-0586
Washington, DC – The National Transportation and Safety Board (NTSB) today commenced a three-day hearing on US Airways Flight 1549 with witnesses who testified to the professionalism and efficiency of flight attendants Doreen Welsh, Sheila Dail and Donna Dent, represented by the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA (AFA-CWA). The three AFA-CWA flight attendants safely evacuated 150 passengers on January 15 as the plane sank into the Hudson River.
“We once again applaud our fellow flight attendants for their experience, knowledge and training that helped to save the lives of all passengers onboard Flight 1549,” said Patricia Friend, AFA-CWA International President. “Today, we are reminded of our vital role as safety professionals. Doreen, Sheila and Donna are proud examples of our profession.”
A passenger onboard Flight 1549 testified before the NTSB panel that the three “talented and brave” flight attendants were instrumental in the successful evacuation. The panel also cleared up recent inaccurate press reports stating that the passenger was selected to testify in order contradict statements made by flight attendant Doreen Welsh regarding the opening of the aft door immediately after the crash.
The purpose of the hearing is to gather additional information in order to evaluate issues that could be enhanced or modified in order to increase overall safety. As an official party to the investigation, AFA-CWA is allowed to question witnesses during the hearing. Other parties to the investigation include: US Airways, Airbus, US Airways Airline Pilots Association, CFM International, and the FAA.
Watching a webcast is something new. Due to the storms in the area, the connection got reset multiple times and of course at the moment of Flight 1549 passenger Billy Campbell’s relevant testimony. [I'll check on the archive later.]
Here’s what I did hear:
Mr Campbell, the passenger witness, has not talked to media in three months – therefore he could not have said anything that was attributed to him in the paper.
Most important point of testimony:
Campbell, at no time, while on that plane, knew the rear door was compromised.
Therefore, he could not have seen anyone do or not do anything to it.
ASKED BY ROBERT SUMWALT: [Welsh] did not open the aft door?
ANSWERED BY CAMPBELL: I did not see that.
He followed instructions from Flight Attendant Doreen Welsh.
She said no one could go out the rear door.
She was very firm about that.
He got out by crawling over the seats.
He said Ms Welsh was very courageous.
He said she did tell him later that a passenger had tried to open it.
——
I didn’t get Capt Sullenberger’s testimony at all.
Capt Sullenberger returned to his birthplace and childhood homr, Dension Texas, to commemorate the 65th anniversary of D-Day and to deliver the commencement speech at his high school alma mater, Denison High.
Curious factoid: Denison (pop 22K), which is located approx 70 miles north of Dallas happens to be the birthplace and childhood home of none other than the man we remember most on D-Day: General Dwight D. Eisenhower.
Sullenberger was awarded the keys to the city and flags dlown over the Alamo
NewsDFW
It’s wonderful to know somebody who did something so great is from here!
He did something amazing for all of us – - saving all thise people
SULLY: I’m just glad to be welcomed back.
Captain Sullenberger not only landed the jet safely – but he also gave America and the world an example of professionalism and selflessness that has inspired millions,
The denizens of Denison, Texas gave Capt Sullenberger a tremendous welcome home celebration. VIDEO. He was in town to deliver the commencement speech at his alma mater, Denison High and also to pay tribute to surviving veterans of the D-Day invasion 65 years ago. Which was engineered by another home grown hero: General Dwight David Eisenhower.
Sullenberger was given a key to the city and flags that had flown over The Alamo. Texas Gov Rick Perry presented Sullenberger with a legislative resolution and praised his safe landing, which saved the lives of 155 souls – only five of whom were injured.
He certainly has come a long way since his Danville homecoming when he stood stiffly and delivered just 73 words and seemed uncomfortable with the cheers and applause.
He thanked the widow of his Denison flight instructor and then asked his high classmates why they “weren’t this nice to me back in high school?”
What matters is everyone got out of that plane alive and there were no life-threatening injuries.
According to the NTSB “five serious injuries have been reported”. They qualified it with “to date”. After almost 5 months it’s impossible to be “injured”. And one of the five injuried is going to be challenged by those who were not.
Why does it matter? Really? Are non-injured people suing?
Several passengers on Flight 1549 – the plane Capt Sullenberger and First Officer Jeff Skiles set down in the Hudson – are challenging Flight Attendant Doreen Welsh’s version of what happened in regards to how the the rear door. Ms Welsh was the lone flight attendant in the rear of the plane, which bore the brunt of the impact because the plane, by design, touched down with the nose up.
Conditions were much different back there. The bottom of the plane was ripped open from the impact and the cargo section was pushed up through the floor of the cabin – which was presumably how she sustained the gash on her leg.. The fuelage was breeched. No doubt about it. Water was getting in before the door was even opened. Granted, when the door was opened, the flow of water increased, which made the tail heavier…more water in….heavier….
None of the three flight attendants were initially aware they had landed on water. The front of the plane was riding above the water and the flight attendants could see clearly they had landed on water and that they would be able to open the door and evacuate without a massive influx of water.
I don’t imagine Ms Welsh was that lucky. Water was already coming in – the floor was an obvious danger. And the rear doors have no windows. And how could she be sure the water wasn’t going to explode into the cabin and seal them there.
I don’t have any idea what happened though I have heard her retell the story at least ten times. Each time it was the same: a female passenger pushed past her and she was unable to close the door. She also related eaxh time how she thought she was going to die – really and truly. No one on the plane that I’ve heard express “I thought I was going to die” meant it in the true physical sense of the word like she did. Not even the guy who jumped in the water thinking he could swim to shore.
WELSH from an early February interview with her local paper.
When I saw the water, that was the biggest shock of my life.
I had accepted death. But then I just got this gift – I think it was Divine Intervention.
I went absolutely insane and started pushing people out, telling them to get out on the wings.
As you can see, she was clearly traumatized physically as well as mentally – the others were not. And this hearing isn’t going to help her healing – no matter what happens.
Here’s the updated NTSB press release regarding their upcoming hearing re: Flight #1549. It’s three days instead of the originally planned two. [Emphasis added]
The National Transportation Safety Board today released additional information about the Board’s scheduled public hearing on the January 2009 ditching of the US Airways A-320 into the Hudson River.
The hearing, originally scheduled for two days, has been expanded to three. It will convene at 9:00 a.m. on Tuesday, June 9, 2009, and is expected to conclude mid-day on Thursday, June 11. It will be held at the NTSB’s Board Room and Conference Center, 429 L’Enfant Plaza, S.W., Washington, D.C. The room is lighted for television and a mult box is provided for sound.
On January 15, 2009, at approximately 3:27 p.m. EST, US Airways flight 1549, an Airbus Industrie A320 bound for Charlotte, North Carolina, incurred multiple bird strikes during its initial departure climb from New York’s La Guardia Airport (LGA). The airplane subsequently lost thrust to its engines and ditched in the Hudson River approximately three and a half minutes after striking the birds and about five minutes after leaving LGA. To date, of the five crewmembers and 150 passengers on board, five serious injuries have been reported.
The Safety Board will also open the public docket at the start of the hearing. The public may view and download the docket contents on the web under the “FOIA Reading Room” at http://www.ntsb.gov/Info/foia_fri-dockets.htm at that time.
The information being released is factual in nature and does not provide analysis or the probable cause of the accident. The docket will include investigative group factual reports, interview transcripts, Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) transcripts, Flight Data Recorder (FDR) data and other documents from the investigation. In addition, docket items that will be used as exhibits during the public hearing will be available on the website under “Public Hearings”
The hearing, which is part of the Safety Board’s efforts to develop all appropriate facts for the investigation, will cover a wide range of safety issues including:
* Pilot training regarding ditching and forced landings on water. * Bird detection and mitigation efforts. * Certification standards regarding ditching and forced landings on water for transport-category airplanes. * Cabin safety training, emergency procedures and equipment. * Certification standards for bird ingestion into transport- category airplane engines.
Well Patrick Harten, Flight 1549’s calm air traffic controller bested his time at the Boston Marathon while wearing #1549. Interview is from before the race. He really is quite inspiring.
2008 (2:58:59) and placed 1087
2009 (2:47:19) and placed 355
That’s one heckuva an improvement. He has competed in three previous marathons and two triathlons.
There sure were some dedicated talented people involved in that miracle of skill and judgment. Between the six they have ~ 170 years of experience. And to think Sullenberger’s salary had been cut by 40%, Jeff Skiles by 50% (he was a full fledged pilot before cutbacks) and both of their pensions were terminated and replaced by a government-backed PBGC that “will pay pennies on the dollar”.
I hope they have been/will be compensated for all those years.
I found the interview you were looking for eleven pages into the drafts! Sorry but my fellow citizens have given up posting. It’s a really warm interview between just the two of them as a couple. Funny, because it’s on her turf. She is a well-known fitness expert and evidently has done many fitness segments on the show but this is first time for hubby.
They discuss their separate reactions, the moment they first saw each other when he returned home, how they’ve been coping together as a family, fan letters, the Inauguration.
There are also two photos of the Sullenberger family at the Inauguration Ball with the President and First Lady. They were also invited to the Vanity Fair after Oscars party.
I would not have put these two together in a room of strangers until they got close to each other - their body language would have given them away. I must say I was shocked when he gave her a big old hug and a kiss at his Welcome Home Celebration, especially the way he cupped her head. Quite at odds to his immediately proceeding few words and stiff presentation, which must have been the shock.
February 18th: “View From the Bay”
aviationwatcher33
Selected quotes
Q: Have things settled down? Is life back to normal yet?
SULLY: This is a new normal. We’re coping with it day by day. We are getting better at coping with our new reality. It’s been many good things, and some things are challenging. But it’s been life-changing event.
LORI: We were having two very different experiences….I felt like I was having this surreal experience.
SULLY: It was overwhelming.
How did he balance the landing, the press, the investigation and being apart from his family after the actual traumatic event?
SULLY: It was a lot to process. It required a lot of time to balance it. And we’re still trying to find the proper balance between family first and the needs of our profession second.
What was it like the first time they reunited?
SULLY: We’ve been through so much separately, and then we had to re-enter our new lives together. And it was challenging. At first, it felt a little bit awkward. It took a half a day or so for it to really sink in all the changes we [hesitates] had and where we’re going to go from here. But it felt great to be home.
Lori said for the first few days she was in shock - it didn’t seem real.
LORI: But the night I picked him up…and when I saw him, he looked so different, that is when the enormity of it hit me.I realized there had been a big tragedy for him that day.
Freeze her face there - she looks completely devastated. I imagine that for him it was a failure just to have an “blemish” on his record. The fact that he didn’t go his entire career taking off and landing safely on land and that he “ruined” a plane.
Are they still in shock?
They look at each other and say no. Sully mentions that “a month has passed” like that’s all it takes. Donna Dent at the Congressional hearing - a week after this interview was still in shock and Doreen Welsh looked like she might have been on medication.
SULLY: We’ve learned to deal with this - but it’s a steep learning curve.
I can’t get past the nagging thought that there is something more to the “this”. They find all the letters they have been getting “marvelous” including letters from widowed wives of pilots writing how it had helped them heal.
They discuss the Inauguration and how gracious POTUS was. Sullenberger told POTUS it was a privilege to meet him and POTUS said, no, the privilege is mine.
======
Hope that helps, Katie - even belatedly. At least you have some info on ATC Pat Harten now. [Here] Let us know how your project is coming and please stop worrying about folks using out posts without attribution. The info is here for folks to read. Whether they attribute it is a matter of their own personal integrity. Good Luck!
Make sure you check the update list for new posts.
Finally found some personal information about Flight 1549 Air Traffic Controller, Pat Harten. Still don't know how long it took for him to found out they survived the water landing. I'm curious as to what he thought, felt and did immediately after.
AP's JIMMY GOLAN did an excellent interview with Harten around a related, non-related topic. Found it at Examiner.com.
Turns out 35 y/o Harten is a triathlete. Still a relative newcomer (3 years), he has competed in 3 marathons and two triathlons. He ran a personal best in the Boston Marathon last year (2:58:58) and is hoping to do it again...this time with a twist.
He requested and was granted bib #1549 - something not normally done. But clearly if there were ever an exception this is it. Competitors customarily are assigned numbers according to their times. He would have been somewhere around there or lower.
HARTEN: It got me thinking. It would be very neat if I ran with the number 1549.
Why?
HARTEN: For me, it was more of a sentimental value. For me it's a way to acknowledge my role in the miraculous events of that day. And being able to do that participating in an event that I love is a beautiful thing.
Boston Athletic Association executive director GUY MORSE:
He was part of a life-changing event, what turned out to be a very positive story....We just thought this would be an extra motivating factor to help him have a great day.
Harten, on the job for 10 years, says running and competing help dissipate the inherent stress of his profession.
HARTEN: And it's a healthy way of doing it, too. I found that through the training and the racing my stress levels have definitely gone down a lot. It definitely works for me. Overall, I found I'm happier.
Explains why he was so cool.
Stangeness? The marathon length 26.2 from Hopkinton to Boston is about the distance from LaGuardia to Teterboro Airport and back.
Last month he and his wife, Regina, adopted a 20-month-old boy from Russia. Seems he has been changed for the better.
First Officer Jeff Skiles appeared before Congress with Capt Sullenberger, Doreen Welsh, Donna Dent, Sheila Dail and Air Traffic Controller Pat Harten - the mystery voice on the cockpit recordings.
Chairman Costello, Chairman Oberstar, Ranking Members Mica, Petri and members of the committee, I am honored to appear before the Aviation Subcommittee. I too am proud of the fact that I have been involved in aviation for the last 32 years. Both of my parents were pilots before me. I have over 20,000 hours in the cockpit, have flown as Captain at US Airways in the past, and Captain qualified on 3 different transport aircraft types.
While much has been made of cockpit flight crew’s actions in this incident, much credit is due to the experienced and highly trained flight attendants, Donna Dent, Doreen Welsh and Sheila Dail. Without their quick, capable and courageous actions, the outcome that day would have been dramatically different. To work with such professionals is truly an honor for me. Also, the captains and crews of the boats that came to our rescue as well as the first responders at the ferry terminals were a great part of the successful outcome. And finally the passengers themselves, who evacuated the airplane in an extremely orderly, selfless and professional manner, deserve much credit.
We have been categorized as heroes; if so, there were many, many heroes on that day.
Like each and every one of my fellow professional airline pilots and flight attendants, I realize that flying a commercial airliner is a tremendous responsibility. The aftermath of this incident has brought forth in me a renewed understanding that this is a job for experienced professionals. Being an airline flight crewmember, whether pilot or flight attendant, is a serious job for serious people, and I am tremendously proud to count myself among their number. The dedication, seriousness and professionalism with which we in the aviation community approach our responsibilities can be credited for the dramatic improvement of our national aviation safety record. The training, procedures and tenets of cockpit resource management (CRM) developed throughout the airline industry over the last 15 years, played a significant role on January 15th.
Training departments industry wide are ceaselessly striving to identify future problems and develop procedures to combat them before they occur. A functional self- disclosure safety program is a valuable tool to identify and track errors. Mutually agreeable solutions to make these programs available are in the traveling public’s interest. We must work tirelessly to maintain an unrivaled commitment to safety and professionalism. However, another component of the positive result was the vast experience of the cockpit AND cabin crew.
Sully and I have over 70 years of experience and 40,000 flying hours between us. New pilots in the jet aircraft of our affiliate airlines have 300 hours. When I began at US-Airways, the Company required several thousand hours just to gain an interview for a pilot position. It is certainly in the interest of the traveling public to have experienced crews in the cockpit.
Along with Captain Sullenberger, I have concerns for the future of the Airline Pilot Profession. Experienced crews in the cockpit eventually will be a thing of the past. What this country has experienced economically in the last 8 months, we have experienced in our industry for the last 8 years, since 9-11. In the wake of these 8 years of financial turmoil, bankruptcies, layoffs, and revolving door management teams, airline piloting careers have been shattered.
I personally earn half of what I once earned, AND I have lost my retirement to a PBGC promise that will pay pennies on the dollar. Many pilots like Captain Sullenberger and myself have had to split their focus from the Airline Piloting Profession and develop alternative businesses or careers. I myself am a general contractor. For the last 6 years, I have worked 7 days a week between my two jobs just to maintain a middle class standard of living.
The more than thirty thousand people who work at US Airways are proud of the work they do each day, and of their accomplishments. To many of us, the near total devaluation of our professions by our management is heartfelt. In the last several years the only constant I see is the ever increasing compensation levels of our management.
When I started in this industry there were aviation dynasties. Entire families would be employed in aviation as pilots, flight attendants, mechanics or agents. An aviation career was something people aspired to their entire childhood, as I did. Now I know of NO ONE who encourages their children to enter the airline industry. From our perspective, it is clear that the current state of the management/ labor negotiation process is broken. Negotiations drag out for years in stagnation with little clarity for those of us who have spent our entire lives training to be on the front lines of safety for the American flying public. We aren’t asking for special privileges, but for a level playing field inside the NMB negotiating process. There is not a balance in the negotiating process and the state of the airline piloting profession is proof.
I would respectfully urge members of this subcommittee to work with other relevant committees to promote better balance between airline management and airline employees, especially in the area of creating an environment for efficient and effective negotiations inside the National Mediation Board process, thereby eliminating years of negotiating stagnation. I believe the reforms being considered by the House Judiciary committee can lead to more cooperation and less confrontation. This in turn would certainly help to rebuild an environment that will allow us to concentrate on the safety of the traveling public.
Our colleagues in this industry have rallied around our incident. While Captain Sullenberger and I generally prefer to land at airports, we are proud that the Hudson River landing displayed what well trained, professional pilots and flight attendants can do when faced with tremendous adversity. We are all very gratified and moved that our colleagues in the flying industry have seen this incident as a positive reflection of themselves and our shared profession.
We must ensure that America’s proud aviation traditions of transporting our citizens with safety and security does not fall victim to the immense challenges we face. In this, Congress has a role to play. We hope that you will take seriously the challenges that aviation professional’s face by helping us to level the playing field, and working with us to protect the airline pilot profession.
We ask that congress be a partner to the men and woman who make up the professionals who move America every day, as well as the companies who employ us. Working together we can ensure that the flight crews of the future will be the best and the brightest, and will have the experience and training necessary to ensure safe air travel to each and every passenger they carry.
The Crew of Flight 1549: Capt Sullenberger, First Officer, Jeff Skiles, Flight Attendants: Doreen Welsh, Donna Dent, Sheila Dail and Air Traffic Controller, Pat Harten (the mystery voice on the cockpit recordings) appeared before Congress. What they had to say was an indictment on the airline industry, especially they are all career airline people. Between them they have ~160 years of experience.
Here’s the rather anemic ovation for the Flight Crew.
They sure looked happy to see each other. Harten never said how long it took for him to find out or what he did or felt when he heard. That’s what I’m curious about. I never saw an interview with Harten. Guess we wait for the books or the movie. Surprised one isn’t out yet.
Lives saved because of a concerted effort of a very experienced, well-trained flight crew, the guidance of expert air traffic controllers, the passengers themselves and the first responders in the water. That was truly a sight to see. Within 5 minutes passengers were being rescued off the wings.
HARTEN: He knew what Sully meant when he said he was going in the Hudson and that he was “going to be the last person to talk to anyone on that plane alive.” In the couple of minutes it took to go down - Harten talked with 14 people to try to get a runway open. If you haven’t listened to the tape, it’s worthwhile. The relevant part is less than 5 minutes. [Links below] And although Harten was relieved very quickly (the anguish in his voice is tough to hear) they made him stay for another 6 hours - answering questions and doing reports - before he could go home and relax.
SKILES: 32 years in aviation, approximately 20,000 hours of flight time. Earns 50% less and lost his retirement to a PBGC promise that will pay pennies on the dollar.
SKILES: “Experienced crews in the cockpit eventually will be a thing of the past”.
SULLENBERGER: 42 years in aviation, USAF, accident investigation, 29 years airline industry, 20,000 hours of flight time and nearly 1 million passengers flown safely. Even with his experience and safety record, his pay was cut by 40% and his pension was terminated and replaced with some as Skiles. When his company offered, 60% of laid off pilots refused to return to work.
SULLY: “management must work with labor to bargain in good faith”
SKILES: “promote better balance between airline management and airline employees” Especially in mediation.
BOTH said they know no one who is encouraging their children to follow in their footsteps.
BOTH have other jobs as a necessary supplement to their income.
SULLY: founded an aviation consulting business: Safety Reliability Methods, Inc.
SKILES: has worked as a general contractor for the last 6 years (working 7 days a week) just to maintain a middle class existence. And he lives in a town south of Madison, Wisconsin with a census around 10K.
The bird strikes are becoming a real problem with the population of Canada geese increasing 4-fold in the last 20 years. Think they’ll be eating a Christmas goose this year?
Bird detecting radar is available. The Air Force noticed a marked decrease - zero - in strikes at one of their bases in North Carolina. [see link below] They offered a unit to LaGuardia after the events of Jan 15th. Evidently they are very expensive. How much is one life worth in civil court? 155? And what about the domino effect when a plane has to return or make an emergency landing?
Present were Captain Sullenberger, First Officer Jeff Skiles, Flight Attendants: Sheila Dail, Doreen Welsh, Donna Dent and Air Traffic Controller, Pat Harten.
They did not have prepared statements like the men did. They didn’t say much more than what they had described before = the disparity between the front and the back of the plane, didn’t know they had landed on water, they waited for the cockpit commands and then followed their training. Welsh was still not wearing her uniform. I don’t see her returning. Donna Dent is the one I worry about.
Captain Sullenberger and the rest of the Flight 1549 Crew went before Congress. The received a warm ovation before the proceedings started. Pat Harten the Air Traffic Controller was also present. Sullenberger argued that talented folks are not choosing aviation for their profession. Sullenberger’s own pay was cut 40% and his pension has been terminated and replaced by a PBGC guarantee worth only pennies on the dollar. 23 years and no pension? Imagine if the crew didn’t love their jobs? Imagine if they had decided to not take the pay cut and left the airlines. I doubt the outcome would have been so fortunate.
Chairman Costello, Chairman Oberstar, Ranking Members Mica and Petri, and other members of the committee, it is my great honor to appear before the Aviation Subcommittee today. I am proud of the fact that I have been involved in aviation for the last 42 years. During that time, I have served our country as a U. S. Air Force pilot, served as an Air Line Pilots Association Local Air Safety Committee Chairman, accident investigator and national technical committee member, amassed a total flying time of almost 20,000 hours and flown approximately one million passengers in my 29 years as a professional airline pilot. I have served as a Check Airman and a Crew Resource Management course developer and facilitator. I am also the founder of Safety Reliability Methods, Inc.
Before I begin, I must first say that my heart goes out to all those affected by the tragic loss of Continental Connection flight 3407. Words cannot express my sadness and grief at the loss of 50 lives. The families of those no longer with us are in my thoughts and in my heart.
The events of January 15, 2009 have been well-documented, and rather than recite them now in great detail, I want only to reiterate to the subcommittee that the successful outcome was achieved by the actions of many. Lives were saved due to the combination of a very experienced, well-trained crew: First Officer Jeff Skiles, and Flight Attendants Donna Dent, Doreen Welsh and Sheila Dail, all of whom acted in a remarkable display of teamwork, along with expert air traffic controllers, the orderly cooperation of our cool- headed passengers, and the quick and determined actions of the professional and volunteer first responders in New York City.
The events of January 15 serve as a reminder to us all of the daily devotion to duty of the many thousands of aviation professionals who keep air travel safe, and also as a reminder of what is really at stake. Like thousands of my fellow professional airline pilots, I know that flying a large commercial airliner is a tremendous responsibility. We understand that our passengers put their lives in our hands. We know that we must always be prepared. We must always anticipate. We must always be vigilant. Expecting the unexpected and having an effective plan for dealing with it must be in the very makeup of every professional airline pilot.
I am not only proud of my crew, I am proud of my profession. Flying has been my life-long passion. I count myself fortunate to have spent my life in the profession I love, with colleagues whom I respect and admire. But, honorable Representatives, while I love my profession, I do not like what has happened to it. I would not be doing my duty if I did not report to you that I am deeply worried about its future.
Americans have been experiencing huge economic difficulties in recent months – but airline employees have been experiencing those challenges, and more, for the last 8 years! We have been hit by an economic tsunami. September 11, bankruptcies, fluctuating fuel prices, mergers, loss of pensions and revolving door management teams who have used airline employees as an ATM have left the people who work for airlines in the United States with extreme economic difficulties.
It is an incredible testament to the collective character, professionalism and dedication of my colleagues in the industry that they are still able to function at such a high level. It is my personal experience that my decision to remain in the profession I love has come at a great financial cost to me and my family. My pay has been cut 40%, my pension, like most airline pensions, has been terminated and replaced by a PBGC guarantee worth only pennies on the dollar.
While airline pilots are by no means alone in our financial struggles – and I want to acknowledge how difficult it is for everyone right now – it is important to underscore that the terms of our employment have changed dramatically from when I began my career, leading to an untenable financial situation for pilots and their families. When my company offered pilots who had been laid off the chance to return to work, 60% refused.
Members, I attempt to speak accurately and plainly, so please do not think I exaggerate when I say that I do not know a single professional airline pilot who wants his or her children to follow in their footsteps.
I am worried that the airline piloting profession will not be able to continue to attract the best and the brightest. The current experience and skills of our country’s professional airline pilots come from investments made years ago when we were able to attract the ambitious, talented people who now frequently seek lucrative professional careers. That past investment was an indispensable element in our commercial aviation infrastructure, vital to safe air travel and our country’s economy and security. If we do not sufficiently value the airline piloting profession and future pilots are less experienced and less skilled, it logically follows that we will see negative consequences to the flying public – and to our country.
We face remarkable challenges in our industry. In order to ensure economic security and an uncompromising approach to passenger safety, management must work with labor to bargain in good faith. We must find collective solutions that address the huge economic issues we face in recruiting and retaining the experienced and highly skilled professionals that the industry requires and that passenger safety demands. But further, we must develop and sustain an environment in every airline and aviation organization – a culture that balances the competing needs of accountability and learning. We must create and maintain the trust that is the absolutely essential element of a successful and sustainable safety reporting system to detect and correct deficiencies before they lead to an accident.
We must not let the economic and financial pressures detract from a focus on constantly improving our safety measures and engaging in ongoing and comprehensive training. In aviation, the bottom line is that the single most important piece of safety equipment is an experienced, well-trained pilot.
Despite the bad economic news we’ve experienced in recent times – despite the many challenges we face as a country – I have faith in America, in our people, in our promise.
I have briefly touched upon some major problems in my industry today – but I do not believe they are intractable, should we decide to work collectively to solve them. We all have roles to play in this effort. Despite the economic turbulence hitting our industry, the airline companies must refocus their attention – and their resources – on the recruitment and retention of highly experienced and well-trained pilots, and make that a priority that is at least equal to their financial bottom line. Jeff and I, and our fellow pilots will fly planes and continue to upgrade our education and our training, while we attempt to provide for our families. Patrick and the other talented Air Traffic Controllers will continue to guide us safely through the skies, our passengers will spend their hard-earned money to pay for their travel, and our flight attendants, mechanics, ground crews, and administrative personnel will deal with the thousands of constant details and demands that keep our planes safely in the air.
You can help us, honorable Members of Congress, to work together across party lines, and can demand – or legislate – that labor, management, safety experts, educators, technical experts, and everyday Americans join together to find solutions to these problems. We all honor our responsibilities in good faith and with respect for one another. We must keep the American commercial aviation industry safe and affordable for passengers, and financially viable for those who work in the industry day to day. And for those talented young men and women considering what to do with their lives, we must restore the narrative of a compelling career path in aviation with sufficient economic resources to once again make this vision a reality.
Thank you for your kind attention, and for the opportunity to share my perspective with this Committee.
