Miracle on the Hudson

On January 15th, 2009, US Airways flight 1549 had just left LaGuardia airport in New York
when it struck a flock of birds causing a loss of power in both engines. Captain “Sully”
Sullenberger successfully executed an emergency landing on the Hudson River, and all crew
members and passengers were safely brought to shore. How did he do it?

1. Watch the video clip from the movie “Sully”. How did the captain decide where to land?

2. The plane was ascending at an angle of 7.7˚ and had traveled for four miles when it struck the
flock of birds. Calculate the plane’s height above the ground when it hit the birds.

3. The plane continued to climb in altitude for 19 seconds at an angle of 2˚, reaching a maximum
height of 3060 feet. How much further was the plane able to travel during this time frame? (Hint:
1 mile=5,280 feet)

4. At this point, the plane started descending. In less than a minute the plane had dropped 1390 feet.
The horizontal distance covered was 0.5 miles.
a. During this time frame, was the actual distance traveled by the plane greater than, less
than, or equal to 0.5 miles? How do you know?

b. At what angle did the plane descend?

 5. The airplane leveled off to an angle of descent of 3˚ for the next two miles. How many feet did it
drop in altitude?

6. The George Washington Bridge is 212 feet tall and is located 6 miles from where the plane
landed in the Hudson.
a. How high was the plane flying when it passed over the George Washington Bridge?

b. Air Traffic controllers reported seeing the plane clear the GW Bridge by less than 900
feet? Is this accurate? Justify your answer.

7. The diagram shows the location of the plane when Sully made the decision to land in the
Hudson. When the National Transportation Safety Board reviewed the case, they argued that
Sully should have returned to La Guardia airport. Sully argued this was not possible. What do
you think? Use mathematics to make a solid argument for your case.

Lesson 7.6 – Applications of Trigonometry

QuickNotes

Check Your Understanding

1. The string of a helium balloon is attached to a rock on the ground. If the string is 14 feet long and
the angle made between the string and the ground is 58˚, how high off the ground is the balloon?
2. You are floating in an inner tube on Lake Michigan, 260 feet away from the iconic Little Sable
Point lighthouse. You remember reading in the brochure that the lighthouse is 107 feet tall. At
what angle do you have to look up to see the tip of the lighthouse?

3. Ted is standing on his balcony and sees his dog on the ground. The angle of depression to the
dog is 40˚. Ted’s eye level is 16 feet above the ground. At that moment, Ted drops a piece of his
donut through the cracks of the balcony floor. How far must his dog walk to get to the donut?