Airbus A320 accident near Weehawken, New Jersey, January 15, 2009
On January 15, 2009 at about 8:30 pm local time, a Airbus A320, registered N106US, was substantially damaged in an accident during initial climb near Weehawken, New Jersey (New York La Guardia airport). It was flown under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). 5 people were seriously injured; 150 others were unhurt.
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The ingestion of large birds into each engine, which resulted in an almost total loss of thrust in both engines and the subsequent ditching on the Hudson River. Contributing to the fuselage damage and resulting unavailability of the aft slide/rafts were (1) the Federal Aviation Administration’s approval of ditching certification without determining whether pilots could attain the ditching parameters without engine thrust, (2) the lack of industry flight crew training and guidance on ditching techniques, and (3) the captain’s resulting difficulty maintaining his intended airspeed on final approach due to the task saturation resulting from the emergency situation. Contributing to the survivability of the accident was (1) the decision-making of the flight crewmembers and their crew resource management during the accident sequence; (2) the fortuitous use of an airplane that was equipped for an extended overwater flight, including the availability of the forward slide/rafts, even though it was not required to be so equipped; (3) the performance of the cabin crewmembers while expediting the evacuation of the airplane; and (4) the proximity of the emergency responders to the accident site and their immediate and appropriate response to the accident.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 15, 2009 · about 8:30 pm local time
- Place
- Weehawken, New Jersey · New York La Guardia · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 5 people were seriously injured; 150 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- not recorded
- Aircraft
- Airbus A320 214 · all A320s on the register
- Registration
- N106US · no longer on the register · serial 1044
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The Safety Board’s full report is available at http://www.ntsb.gov/publictn/A_Acc1.htm. The Aircraft Accident Report number is NTSB/AAR-10/03. On January 15, 2009, about 1527 eastern standard time, US Airways flight 1549, an Airbus Industrie A320-214, N106US, experienced an almost complete loss of thrust in both engines after encountering a flock of birds and was subsequently ditched on the Hudson River about 8.5 miles from LaGuardia Airport (LGA), New York City, New York. The flight was en route to Charlotte Douglas International Airport, Charlotte, North Carolina, and had departed LGA about 2 minutes before the in-flight event occurred. The 150 passengers, including a lap held child, and 5 crewmembers evacuated the airplane via the forward and overwing exits. One flight attendant and four passengers were seriously injured, and the airplane was substantially damaged. The scheduled, domestic passenger flight was operating under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 121 on an instrument flight rules flight plan. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Birdstrike during initial climb defining event
- Ditching during landing
- Aircraft structural failure during post (impact)
- Evacuation during post (impact)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Animal(s)/bird(s) › Effect on equipment
- factor Organizational issues › Development › Selection/certification/testing › Equip certification/testing › FAA/Regulator
- factor Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › (general) › Related operating info
- factor Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Airspeed › Not attained/maintained
- factor Environmental issues › Task environment › Pressures/demands › Other pressure/demand › Effect on personnel
- Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Indicating/recording systems › (general) › Not specified
- Organizational issues › Management › Policy/procedure › (general) › Airport
- Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Equipment/furnishings › Passenger compartment equip › Related operating info
- Environmental issues › Operating environment › Air traffic/operating proc › (general) › Not specified
- Aircraft › Aircraft structures › Fuselage › (general) › Design
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Communication (personnel) › Following instructions › Passenger
The aircraft
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine 1: Cfm CFM56 5B (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Cfm CFM56 5B (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Operator: US Airways INC
The flight
- Departed from: LGA New York NY at 8:20 pm
- Destination: CLT Charlotte NC
- Flight plan: IFR
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cabi | 1 | 2 | ||
| Flight crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 4 | 146 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.