US Airways Flight 1549 - Flight Designations, Route, and Crew

Flight Designations, Route, and Crew

US Airways Flight 1549 (also designated under a Star Alliance codeshare agreement as United Airlines Flight 1919) was a domestic route from New York City's LaGuardia Airport (LGA) to Charlotte/Douglas (CLT), North Carolina, with direct onward service to Seattle–Tacoma International Airport in Washington.

On January 15, 2009, the flight was cleared for takeoff from Runway 4 at LaGuardia at 3:24:56 pm EST (20:24:56 UTC). The crew made its first report after becoming airborne at 3:25:51 as being at 700 feet (210 m) and climbing. There were 150 passengers and five crew members, the captain, first officer, and three flight attendants, on board.

The pilot in command was 57-year-old Capt. Chesley B. "Sully" Sullenberger, a former fighter pilot who had been an airline pilot since leaving the United States Air Force in 1980. He is also a safety expert and a glider pilot. The first officer was Jeffrey B. Skiles, 49, who was on the last leg of his first assignment in the Airbus A320 since passing the training course to fly the type. The flight attendants were Donna Dent, Doreen Welsh and Sheila Dail.

As is often the case when a regularly scheduled commercial flight is involved in an accident, use of the flight's number, 1549, was discontinued for subsequent operations of the carrier's afternoon LGA–CLT–SEA service. On January 16, 2009, the route was redesignated US Airways Flight 1543, and on February 12, 2009, the LGA–CLT leg became Flight 1867 when its equipment was changed to an Airbus A321.