…http://www.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUSTRE50E8AI20090116
The Pilot has 40 yrs flying experience and I heard testimony from another Pilot that it was divine intervention that the plane cleared the George Washington Bridge: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/78/George_Washington_Bridge_NY.JPG/800px-George_Washington_Bridge_NY.JPG
Doug
WOW!
Good news! how nice it feels…
That was a miracle, multiplied by a factor of 10. So many bad things could have happened if just one thing had been a little different.
I really miss working with the ultimate professionals like Captain Sullenberger and his crew!
That Pilot was amazing. The best report so far is of him sitting in the terminal building at the airport after the event looking as calm and elegant as David Niven would have in a movie. If he had caught a wing just a little early that plane would have disintegrated into a million pieces with great loss of life.
It makes me feel good for all those times I sent the trucks out to chase off birds like Canada Geese and all those times we warned pilots of the flocks position now seem to have been really worth it. In Southern BC in the 1960s a Goose took out one of the front windows on a B737 barely missing the co-pilot. Ever since that we paid a whole lot more attention to birds.
PS. Want to get mugged in New York…just say what pilot??
What a Great story. Captain Sullenberger shined in a moment of great peril and saved the live of 155 people. Bravo!!!
A person who is dedicated to helping people: http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_11470737?source=most_emailed
Doug
Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oSbhY4olPJk
Doug
White Knuckle 5 minutes: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090118/ap_on_re_us/plane_splashdown_cockpit_drama
Doug
To tell the truth, when I first started seeing reports of a plane down in the Hudson River, I thought, “just what’s needed, more bad news, I sure do hope there will be survivors”. I said a quick prayer and just didn’t want to watch any more news.
With all the bad news about the economy, the fighting on the Gaza strip, the war in Iraq and Afghanistan and all the other really horrible news that’s been happening recently, here we go again with more horrible news. The news for the next few days would be filled with crying family members and bubble headed news reporters trying to act concerned while they were pounding the story.
What a miracle that later I turned on the news when they started getting reports that there were no fatalities and everyone was off the plane alive. The hopes and prayers of countless thousands around the world were answered that day.
The pilot did an outstanding job. His ability to remain calm under pressure and the clarity of thought as he made split second decisions saved the lives of 155 people.
For millions of the rest of us, his actions gave us a much needed day or two when good news was the headline above the bad.
My guess is if asked, he would simply say he was doing his job. Time and again, I’ve heard men and women who have done truly heroic things have always said something to the order of “I was only doing my job” or “anyone would have done the same thing”.
Maybe that is true, but I somehow think these people are either born with something inside of them that enables them to think clearly in situations where the rest of us would panic, or there is Divine intervention that gives them some power in that moment that they don’t even realize they did anything heroic.
Whatever the cause of this miracle, all I can say is it was great to see all of those people alive and getting back to their families and friends.
Jeff
Man, I hate flying to begin with. crazy footage. I can only imagine what it was like being on that plane. Sully should get a day off and free round trip tickets anywhere… at least to start!
I hope we get more stories that end with happy endings in the near future. Lord knows I can use them and I don’t think I’m alone.
