The OTHER HERO & PILOT: Jeff Skiles, US Airways

[Paul R. Smith]

Youre gonna love this...

My wife got back from work last night and she said one of her co-workers was blabbing about how the Co-pilot "didn't have very many hours". My wife said she wanted to call me but it was too late. I wish she would have called.

Didn't the FO have like 6000 hours in the 320? Thats my total time for crying out loud.

 

[av8trinabarrel]

I keep reading that he only had 35 total hours in the 19/20. I know my first 100 hours in any plane is not so pretty.

Too say he was thrown in the fire early would be an understatement.

Being fresh out of initial training can have its adavantages! Nice job fellas

 

[f15boomer]

My wife got back from work last night and she said one of her co-workers was blabbing about how the Co-pilot "didn't have very many hours". My wife said she wanted to call me but it was too late. I wish she would have called.

Didn't the FO have like 6000 hours in the 320? Thats my total time for crying out loud.

Jeff has over 15000 hours and 23 years with USAirways, but just finished his IOE on the AB for the first time. Like most of us we have all been Captains their also.

 

[Paul R. Smith]

Jeff has over 15000 hours and 23 years with USAirways, but just finished his IOE on the AB for the first time. Like most of us we have all been Captains their also.

So you're saying my files are inaccurate?

Sorry.

 

[Voice Of Reason]

Anyone see anything of the crew during the inauguration, or were they in disguise?

 

[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