ABSTRACT
At 15:27 on 15 January 2009, just after take-off from LaGuardia Airport, New York, an Airbus A320-214 was involved in a multiple bird-strike incident. The flight crew managed to successfully ditch the aircraft on the Hudson River. Fortunately the event resulted in no fatalities and only a few serious injuries. The investigation concluded that the cabin crew had ‘managed an effective and timely evacuation’ (NTSB 2011 p. 106); however, issues in the evacuation were cited that meant the occupant outcome could have been more serious. With water entering the rear of the aircraft, the cabin crew located in this area needed to redirect passengers away from their nearest exits towards the central and forward exits, resulting in an overcrowded aisle (NTSB 2010).
