Links for Jan. 18, 2009
Sunday, 18 January, 2009 — links technological-failure
Tidbits from and related to US Airways Flight 1549.
Ask the pilot, Hudson River accident
News coverage, meanwhile, is abuzz over the apparent heroics of the US Airways pilots, and maybe you are wondering how pilots are trained when it comes to putting a plane down in water.
They aren’t, per se. There are procedures in the book, but ditchings, as they’re called, are not regularly rehearsed in simulators. Not only are they exceptionally unlikely, but more critical than the ditching itself is dealing with the emergency that causes it – multiple engine failures, a fire, or some other unfortunate scenario. As for hitting the water, the gist is to do so slowly and gently, with the nose at more or less the typical landing angle, wings level, and avoiding heavy swells.
Airbus A-320 Ditch Switch
In the event of a water landing, the pilot can manually activate the switch, which closes the outflow valve and avionic ventilation ports, which are the openings below the aircraft’s float line. All commercial airliners are required to have a ditch switch according to Federal Aviation Administration regulations.
GE tests engines with dead birds
The bird-strike testing is conducted in accordance with detailed FAA specifications to confirm that the engine can safely tolerate a bird strike, and the birds used have to be representative of the types of birds that pose a potential threat to aircraft engines in flight, GE says.
The dead-bird carcasses, obtained from a variety of sources, can weigh a pound or more. To certify the massive GE90 engine, for example, an 8-pound Canada goose was used for the first time.
Rolls-Royce Trent 900 Bird Ingestion Test
One bird can really fuck up a fan blade. A whole flock of birds…