NTSB investigators have found bird remains in both engines from the US Airways A320 that ditched into the Hudson River on January 15, according to analysis of the organic material found inside the airplanes’ CFM56-5B turbofans. The Safety Board has sent the material from both engines to the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, where it expects further analysis to identify the particular bird species involved.
As part of its investigation into this accident, the NTSB investigated an engine surge event that occurred in the right engine during a flight two days before the accident. The engine recovered from the surge and the remainder of the flight proceeded without incident. The NTSB blamed the surge on a faulty temperature sensor, which mechanics replaced following approved procedures. US Airways returned the aircraft to service only after an examination with a boroscope found no damage.
