The dramatic crash of US Air's flight 1549 into the Hudson River was indeed caused by bird ingestion by the engines. According to Aviation Week, the Smithsonian Institutes' Feather Identification Lab has identified the "DNA matter" from both engines as that of Canada geese.
Canada geese weigh 5.8 to 8.7 pounds, where as the engine is certified only against a 4 pound bird strike. Plus, the certification only requires the engine not to explode, not to shuck turbine blades thru the cabin, and not to fall off the wing. There is no requirement for the engine to keep running after a bird strike. Flight 1549 had the extreme bad luck of ingesting birds into both engines, shutting down both of them and turning the A0320 into a glider.
Captain Sullenburger and his crew deserve the highest praise for getting the plane down in one piece and getting the passengers off safely.
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