The first thing you need to do when you realise your going down is obviously to alert air traffic control and find out the location of the nearest available airport. I say available because just because an airport is close by doesn't mean you can land on it, even in an emergency. Most Airports have planes queuing up to land 24 hours a day so all of these planes need to be alerted to get out of the approach path before you can land. The runway itself also needs to be completely clear, since there are usually service vehicles loading/unloading all the time.
If, for some reason you're unable to land on a runway - be it overbooked or too far away you'll have to think about alternative landing areas. Water at first might not sound too appealing. It's a second chance to die, if the crash doesn't kill you the odds are the water will drown you.
What many people are un-aware of though, is the fact most passenger aircraft were designed to float on water if they remain in one piece. The pilot has access to a "ditching" switch that seals all the vents and keeps the water out. The plane isn't going to float indefinitely, but it'll certainly stay up long enough for the rescue services to pull everyone out of harm's way.
You may think of water as an easy option in some ways, after all its not as hard as the ground right? Wrong if you approach water at over 100 miles per hour its as hard as concrete. However as you slow down water does have give which a solid surface obviously does not and thus it is much more forgiving. Also from a moral point of view it has to be the right option as if you crash land on the ground, especially in a busy city you are probably going to hurt alot of people on the there as well.
You also have the type of water to consider. Any type of wave is going to cause a major problem as the aircraft is going to be unstable enough on landing without large waves to contend with. Also even if you do land safely you have to remember that the plane is not a boat and any kind of strong wave is going to topple it over.
The most important factor to watch when you're due to land on a water surface is the speed of your landing. If you hit it too fast the plane is going to smash up and break. Going to slow on the other hand can prove equally disastrous. All you need is a minimum speed, just enough to stop the plane falling from the sky. Research has established that airspeed of 115 miles per hour is enough to give the plane lift. Less and it's going to plummet to the ground like a rock.
The angle of dissent is equally important. You need to strike down at the correct angle or there's going to be large scale death. If you come down too deep you'll plunge straight under the surface, too shallow and the plane will vibrate and buffer up and down violently, resulting in the shell breaking up.
Clearly, the odds of surviving a large passenger plane crash are remote. There are so many problems and so little room for error. Even in perfect conditions you'll need a skilled and experienced pilot to safely pull off the landing. Well done Sully! You really are the man.
If, for some reason you're unable to land on a runway - be it overbooked or too far away you'll have to think about alternative landing areas. Water at first might not sound too appealing. It's a second chance to die, if the crash doesn't kill you the odds are the water will drown you.
What many people are un-aware of though, is the fact most passenger aircraft were designed to float on water if they remain in one piece. The pilot has access to a "ditching" switch that seals all the vents and keeps the water out. The plane isn't going to float indefinitely, but it'll certainly stay up long enough for the rescue services to pull everyone out of harm's way.
You may think of water as an easy option in some ways, after all its not as hard as the ground right? Wrong if you approach water at over 100 miles per hour its as hard as concrete. However as you slow down water does have give which a solid surface obviously does not and thus it is much more forgiving. Also from a moral point of view it has to be the right option as if you crash land on the ground, especially in a busy city you are probably going to hurt alot of people on the there as well.
You also have the type of water to consider. Any type of wave is going to cause a major problem as the aircraft is going to be unstable enough on landing without large waves to contend with. Also even if you do land safely you have to remember that the plane is not a boat and any kind of strong wave is going to topple it over.
The most important factor to watch when you're due to land on a water surface is the speed of your landing. If you hit it too fast the plane is going to smash up and break. Going to slow on the other hand can prove equally disastrous. All you need is a minimum speed, just enough to stop the plane falling from the sky. Research has established that airspeed of 115 miles per hour is enough to give the plane lift. Less and it's going to plummet to the ground like a rock.
The angle of dissent is equally important. You need to strike down at the correct angle or there's going to be large scale death. If you come down too deep you'll plunge straight under the surface, too shallow and the plane will vibrate and buffer up and down violently, resulting in the shell breaking up.
Clearly, the odds of surviving a large passenger plane crash are remote. There are so many problems and so little room for error. Even in perfect conditions you'll need a skilled and experienced pilot to safely pull off the landing. Well done Sully! You really are the man.
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