The OTHER HERO & PILOT: Jeff Skiles, US Airways

[QOL_is_great:)]

flight crew east or west

I am trying to understand if they (flight crew) are from the west or east? The flight used a Catus callsign yet the media reports the captain joined Airways back in 1980ish.
Can anyone shed some lite. Thanx!!

 

[LearLove]

the crew is from the east (clt based), we all use cactus (east/west)

the capt was hired in 1980 by PSA and came to todays company via the 1987(?) merger/buyout. The Fo was hired by US Air in 1986.

 

[Jetscream32]

All USairways flights now use the Cactus callsign.

 

[QOL_is_great:)]

All USairways flights now use the Cactus callsign.

Thanks!! Bigger picture seen now.

 

[MCDU]

Some info

NTSB Brief Regarding the Cockpit Voice Recorder
Sunday, January 18, 2009 1600 EST

• Excellent quality 30-minute cockpit voice recorder which begins at gate prior to engine start.
• First Officer is flying pilot at the start of the flight.
• The crew conducted pre-flight checklist, taxied to the runway and performed a normal takeoff.
• About 90 seconds after takeoff, the captain remarks about birds. This is 3 ½ minutes before the end of the recording.
• One second later, the cockpit voice recorder recorded the sound of thumps and a rapid decrease in engine sounds.
• The captain acknowledges that both engines have lost power, and he takes control of the aircraft.
• The crew begins performing the Loss Of Thrust On Both Engines checklist and attempts to restart the engines, but are not able to restart either engine.
• The captain makes a radio call to Air Traffic Control calling mayday and reports that they hit birds, lost both engines, and were returning to LGA.
• Later, the captain reports they are unable to return to LGA, and they might end up in the Hudson.
• The captain discussed with ATC the possibility of landing at Teterboro.
• About 90 seconds before landing, the captain makes a PA announcement telling the passengers to brace for impact.
• The captain informs ATC that they will be in the Hudson River, and the GPWS activates.
• The CVR ends roughly at the time of water impact, which is about 3 ½ minutes after the loss of engine power.

Regarding the Flight Data Recorder

• The flight data recorder is a good quality, solid-state recording with several hundred parameters, including a number of engine parameters. The data indicates that the airplane reached a maximum altitude of 3,200 feet, and that both engines lost power simultaneously.
• Work continues to correlate the data from the cockpit voice recorder and the flight data recorder.

Question Session

• Regarding Birds: bird strikes are a significant problem -- the NTSB will make recommendations. There were some positive (primary) hits on radar at JFK and EWR.
• Tone of voice on recording was very matter of fact -- routine.
• First stage fan blades intact on number 2 engine. Some damage/debris on nosecone. Tail badly damaged below.
• How did this crew react? They did the jobs they were trained to do.

M