Spring Break
Investigator says plane probe will last a year
Larry Neumeister - Associated Press
Issue date: 1/20/09 Section: News
|
"I think this one is going to be studied for decades," said Robert Benzon, chief investigator on the case for the National Transportation Safety Board.
Benzon said the fact that all 155 people aboard the plane survived removes the guilt and finger-pointing that sometimes accompany aviation accidents. He said lessons learned from the successful ditching into the Hudson River could improve air safety.
"In one like this, I think there's potential for a lot of good to come out of it, long-term good," he said.
The Airbus A320 that splashed down in the river Thursday was at a New Jersey salvage yard Monday, where it was being guarded by company workers, federal investigators and New York City police.
"I was surprised at how intact the plane was," said James Marchioni, a manager at Weeks Marine in Jersey City, N.J.
"There were some bottom panels that were damaged. Other than that, it looked pretty good."
Marchioni said the NTSB estimated it would take "a week or two" to disassemble the plane so the parts can be shipped to an undisclosed location for closer examination.
The search for the plane's missing left engine was suspended until Tuesday because ice floes in the river made it too dangerous to put divers or special sonar equipment in the water.
Pilot Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger safely landed the plane in the frigid river after colliding with a flock of birds.
The collision shut down both engines less than two minutes after takeoff. President-elect Barack Obama said Monday he had spoken with the California pilot, who told him, "Me and my crew, we were just doing our job.'
Be the first to comment on this story