Delta is selling off NWA airplanes it seems since Delta doesn’t operate the DC-9. The -9’s have been leaving property slowly over the last year or so anyway. The CRJ-100’s have been reduced in numbers at Delta Connection as well over the last year or so. I don’t think that any of these reductions are really anything new other than the 737-800 announcement. I’d expect more as the merger between Delta and NWA progresses.

After Roselawn and now this…it would seem that that sort of system of ice being cracked by boots on the leading edge leaves a lot to be desired

I flew with boots for a few years and never had any problem. In some ways I like it better as it allows the pilots to monitor how quickly ice is building up. A more modern hot wing doesn’t do that. On our jet the system turns on automatically so it can be difficult to deduce how fast the ice is building. I would guess though that there isn’t a turbo prop out there where the pilots can’t watch their wings while most jet airliners have their wings aft of the pilots view.

“Pilots are recommended to fly manually in icy weather, he said.” (Steve Chealander, a spokesman for the National Transportation Safety Board; NTSB.)

I think this is where they’ll try to hang the crew out to dry, on recommended. Recommended isn’t a necessity but I’m sure the argument will be made contrary to that. From what I’ve read hand flying the airplane was recommended in light to moderate icing conditions while it was a must in severe icing conditions. Obviously the icing conditions were discussed by the crew in the decent but were they able to discern the intensity correctly? Plenty of Monday morning quarterbacking will follow regarding what this crew should have done I’m sure.

Which is why I said “formal” cause discussion, the NTSB and FAA won’t be releasing any information this soon after the accident. Up to that point anything else is just speculation.

Here’s an interesting read about a near accident involving a Q400 with a prop overspeed on final.

http://www.havkom.se/virtupload/news/rl2007_12e.pdf

God Speed….

Secondly, they (he) did nothing that wouldn’t have been done by anyone else, their only option was the Hudson, and they had a whole lot of luck on their side.

Perhaps their only option in hindsight was the Hudson but that doesn’t mean others would not have tried to drag it out to TEB, EWR or back to LGA. There are too many accidents where pilots don’t chose correctly or just plain push their luck. So I for one wouldn’t say what that crew accomplished would have been done by just anyone else.

Here’s the excerpt from the Aeronautical Informational Manual regarding emergency procedures. None of the AIM’s procedures are mandatory (ie a regulation), just guidelines.

http://www.faa.gov/airports_airtraffic/air_traffic/publications/atpubs/aim/Chap6/aim0603.html

I don’t think I’ve ever heard MAYDAY used on frequency. Usually the pilot in trouble just states their callsign and that they are declaring an emergency and what initial assistance they want or what action they are taking (returning to the airport or need EMS to meet the aircraft on the ground). “Cactus 1549 is declaring an emergency and is returning to the airport”. The controller asks the nature of the emergency and starts planning accordingly.

I think the radio traffic during the event was normal for that type of event. Most of the chatter was the controller moving aircraft out of the way or switching them off frequency. You also have to remember that there are still pilots being switched onto the frequency handling the emergency who don’t know what’s going on. I’m sure it happened quickly but as soon as the emergency is declared the tower controller would stop handing off his departing traffic to that frequency to minimize the workload.

Personally I would only see using MAYDAY in a situation where there would only be time for 1 radio transmission. Even in this case there was plenty of time for the pilots and controllers to exchange information.

Geez, that video is OLD. It was old when I first saw it in my private pilot training days 13+ years ago.

Anyone here know what Lubbock is famous for???…it’s the birth place and resting place of the fabulous Buddy Holly!!!

And that’s about it. 😀