How Do Airplanes Manage to 'Land' on Water?

US Airways Flight 1549, January 15, 2009. Everything seemed to indicate that the Airbus A320 would begin its journey without incident after departing from LaGuardia Airport, but after striking a flock of Canada geese and losing engine power, only one option remained: an emergency water landing in the middle of the Hudson River. Although there were a significant number of injuries, all passengers and crew members survived the event, which was quickly described by the international press as "a miracle." Considering the number of variables the pilot must take into account, that expression does not sound exaggerated...

It is necessary to start by highlighting that the "miracle on the Hudson" is not the only one of its kind. On October 15, 1956, a Boeing 377 Stratocruiser with the designation Pan Am 6 suffered an engine failure, and the crew managed to keep the aircraft in the air until dawn, thus improving their chances of success. The plane lost its tail upon impact and spun 180 degrees... but everyone survived (24 passengers, 7 crew members).

Emergency water landing, or "ditching," is used as a last resort, to such an extent that pilots do not receive advanced training. There are no prior practices in the cockpit, nor simulator sessions. Chesley Sullenberger, commander of US Airways 1549, revealed last year that the only training he received related to an emergency water landing was reading a couple of paragraphs in a manual and a brief class discussion.

The Art of Ditching

The "ditching" is much more common in compact aircraft. However, that does not mean that large commercial planes can rule out the possibility of falling into water, and manufacturers are required to follow certain design requirements. One of the most important is that the plane floats long enough for passengers to evacuate successfully.

As for the rest... let's say it is out of the manufacturer's and pilots' control. For example, waves are enemies. The larger they are, the more dangerous they become for the water landing process. Pilots must try to reach the water in a position parallel to the waves, thereby reducing the risk of damage. Keeping the wings level and the rest of the plane at not too steep an angle is essential, but the effort is not limited to the cockpit.

The rest of the crew must inform, contain, and prepare passengers for the impact. Any loose object must be secured immediately to prevent it from becoming a projectile. Weather is another critical component of the equation. Earlier we mentioned that Pan Am 6 waited for dawn, and US Airways 1549 had its miracle with almost perfect weather in the middle of winter.

The key is to prevent the plane from fracturing. A fracture equates to flooding, and if water enters, the plane sinks faster. The same happens if it ends up upside down. Contact must be as slow and smooth as possible, with the landing gear up and the flaps down (more control and lift at low speeds). Once in the water, evacuation needs to be fast, and the plane includes everything (life vests, flares, radios, and emergency rafts) to make it so. Many deaths associated with ditching events do not occur from the impact but from drowning.