A RETIRED pilot from Rossett has praised staff at Broughton’s Airbus plant for the part they played in saving passengers on the Airbus A320 which crash landed in New York.
Captain Hugh Jones, who retired last year after 37 years flying planes, said it was a combination of the pilot’s skill and the quality of the aircraft which saved the lives of 155 passengers and crew.
The aircraft got into trouble after a flock of birds collided with the plane on Thursday, January 15, forcing pilot Captain Chesley Sullenberger III to ditch it in the Hudson river.
Captain Jones, from Burton, Rossett, flew an A320 for four different airlines including Trans Air and Excalibur UK.
He said: “The Airbus is an incredibly safe aeroplane, if it had been a different plane then it might have been a different outcome.
“The workers at Broughton should be very proud of themselves because the wings which they made helped the plane float long enough for all the passengers to get out.”
He also praised the pilot for bringing everyone on board to safety.
He said: “This situation is a nightmare scenario. From my work training and examining pilots I know there is no way you can prepare for this.
“It is virtually impossible to simulate a double engine failure followed by a ditching, which is what happened there. He did an incredible job.”
