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Rock!...oopsie.
Trad climber
pitch above you
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Topic Author's Original Post - Jan 15, 2009 - 08:20pm PT
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After seeing the plane float by my office in the freezing water of the Hudson, I gotta give that guy props for ditching so well that few folks even got wet past their knees. People wouldn't have lasted long if they were on their own in that water, air temps were around 15 and water was probably high 30s. Hat's off to an amazing save.
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Crimpergirl
Social climber
Boulder, Colorado!
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Jan 15, 2009 - 08:27pm PT
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Absolutely! Great guy!
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Chris2
Trad climber
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Jan 15, 2009 - 08:29pm PT
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Not so sure he is a great guy...but a nice ditch of his aircraft.
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Crimpergirl
Social climber
Boulder, Colorado!
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Jan 15, 2009 - 08:31pm PT
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Okay... Great guy for not only putting the plane down so well, but also for walking the plane twice after everyone evacuated to ensure no one was left behind before leaving the sinking plane him self. I'm going with great on that.
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Double D
climber
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Jan 15, 2009 - 08:32pm PT
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Unreal...everyone survived? Mid-January in the Hudson?
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Rock!...oopsie.
Trad climber
pitch above you
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Topic Author's Reply - Jan 15, 2009 - 08:36pm PT
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Yep, Double D... looks like everyone got off. People were standing around on the wings waiting for the rescue boats like they were waiting on the curb for a bus. What a trip.
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Manny
Social climber
tempe
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Jan 15, 2009 - 08:37pm PT
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Gotta agree, he or she is a great pilot and I want to fly on their plane! Shazzam! Had to be happening so quick, I am glad we have good news today.
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Crimpergirl
Social climber
Boulder, Colorado!
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Jan 15, 2009 - 08:39pm PT
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Nice photo on CNN.com cover page - shows the plane with some people on the wing before it sank as well as an inset of the pilot.
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Chris2
Trad climber
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Jan 15, 2009 - 09:07pm PT
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Reilly
Mountain climber
Monrovia, CA
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Jan 15, 2009 - 09:15pm PT
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He certainly did his job but it really wasn't all that big especially with nice flat water and nothing to hit. Don't get me wrong, I'm not knocking him but just pointing out that the plane flies just the same without power as with. It just won't go upwards. They even build in an emergency generator to power the hydraulics for just this scenario.
With no ill intent meant for our fine listeners north of the border I will relate a little known tale. Back around '82, Anders can correct me, Air Canada Flight ___ left Vancouver bound for Toronto. That day was the day Canada went metric with a vengeance. The ground crew must have celebrated in advance because, despite all the planning, they somehow managed to load 20,000 pounds of fuel instead of the requested 20,000 kilos (av fuel goes by weight not volume). OOoops!
Somewhere over Saskatchewan it got really quiet at 35,000'. Not to worry! Well, maybe worry a little, like where's the nearest suitable airport? Uhh, there's an abandoned RCAF base over 100 miles (nautical mind you) away. Not to worry, the B757 is a splendid glider, as all airliners are. It is so splendid the pilot arrived on short final with too much altitude to dissipate via dropping the gear and flaps. Since it was not enough to perform a 'go-around' he did what all glider pilots do all the time (he was, in fact, an active glider pilot) and that is cross the controls for added drag and push the nose over as steeply as possible. Apparently this provoked no little concern in the cabin. It also caused the co-pilot to have to take his uniform to the dry cleaners' sooner than he had planned as he wasn't a glider pilot and wasn't prepared for this radical a maneuver only 1000' above the ground. "STFU sonny and tell the cabine (Canadian for cabin) to prepare for landing" "Aye, aye, Captain!" A perfect landing ensued, of course, and everybody got a fun slide down the chutes. One nice lady did sprain an ankle though.
Reilly aka 'Cap'n Piss-Gums'
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mastadon
Trad climber
quaking has-been
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Jan 15, 2009 - 09:24pm PT
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Capitan Piss Gums-
You've been reading too many Zap comics....
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Ricky D
Trad climber
Sierra Westside
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Jan 15, 2009 - 09:26pm PT
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You have to hand it to this captain - didn't freak out, didn't kill the bus load, and best of all...
TOTALLY OVERSHADOWED BUSH!!!!!
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Reilly
Mountain climber
Monrovia, CA
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Jan 15, 2009 - 09:28pm PT
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Watch it you extinct animal, I represent that! Did you see they found some of your relatives out on the Channel Islands recently? They said they swam out there! Yeah right, ocean-going mastodons!
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bluering
Trad climber
Santa Clara, Ca.
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Jan 15, 2009 - 09:31pm PT
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That dude is a true Badass!!!!!
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happiegrrrl
Trad climber
New York, NY
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Jan 15, 2009 - 10:02pm PT
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Wow.
That everything seems to have pulled off so smoothly - people in the friggin river on the coldest(I think) day so far of the winter - just amazing that this was not a tragedy. It so easily could have been.
I have to wonder if the pilot's long time experience didn't help him handle the scenario instinctively. My brother-in-law is a pilot and he talked about simulations and stuff. But this sort of stuff just does not get practiced in the field! It CAN'T be the same,a real life crisis, as in a flight simulator.
RE: "AND HE OVERSHADOWED BUSH!!!!" That is funny.
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shutupandclimb
climber
So. Cal..............d00d
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Jan 15, 2009 - 10:22pm PT
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Sully Rocks!
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bluering
Trad climber
Santa Clara, Ca.
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Jan 15, 2009 - 10:43pm PT
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That's what Air Force training and experience gets ya, a damn fine pilot from another day. I just hope our future pilots are just as good.
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Dr. Rock
Ice climber
http://tinyurl.com/4oa5br
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Jan 15, 2009 - 10:58pm PT
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He probably had the flaps out and the gear up, which is good.
Takeoff is hardest on the hardware, landing is hardest on the pilot.
They have to certify the aircraft for a water landing if it is to carry people across the ocean on two kerosene heaters.
The APU aux power unit, a small generator/turbine in the tail was probably still on, or at least warmed up, a lot of lucky things, the river, the ferry boats, daylight, experienced pilot from Danville CA full props to the east bay.
It is a pretty easy job for those guys, they train to flop it in the water, but nothing like the real thing.
Also, as told from a pilot friend, he is trying to save his own bacon, he could give a rats ass about the passengers, not to sound cold or anything, that's the K2 way of thinking in that situation.
I wonder if he checked the John?
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bluering
Trad climber
Santa Clara, Ca.
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Jan 15, 2009 - 11:18pm PT
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MAGIC!
That sums it up, eKat!
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Dr. Rock
Ice climber
http://tinyurl.com/4oa5br
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Jan 15, 2009 - 11:22pm PT
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Here is a site for aviation accident details as per the NTSB.
For the Macab minded folks, that is.
Notice the Choppers and Cessnas.
This is a no brainer for the investigators, so it should be up there pretty quick, say, 6 months?
Good to have the airframe intact, people will get their carry on. As for polluting the Hudson, yeah, right.
And they can build a better fan blade.
http://www.ntsb.gov/ntsb/month.asp
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Aya K
Trad climber
New York
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Jan 15, 2009 - 11:57pm PT
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duude, don't dis on the Hudson. The water is actually quite, quite clean. The mud on the floor, not so much.
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Dr. Rock
Ice climber
http://tinyurl.com/4oa5br
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Jan 16, 2009 - 12:05am PT
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Oh yeah, I forgot, that commie Pete Seeger cleaned it up.
Frequnt Flyer Miles: 0.75
No Meal.
Free Ferry Ride.
The free Transformational Experience along with a lifelong survival family of 159?
Priceless.
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blahblah
Gym climber
Boulder
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Jan 16, 2009 - 12:18am PT
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Dr. Rock: Glad your pilot friend wasn't in charge and the guy who was, was. I'll give him all the credit he deserves, at least from published accounts (below is from cnn):
Bloomberg also commended the pilot for not leaving the plane until he had checked to make sure everyone had been been evacuated.
"It would appear that the pilot did a masterful job of landing the plane in the river and then making sure that everybody got out," Bloomberg said.
"I had a long conversation with the pilot," Bloomberg said. "He walked the plane twice after everybody else was off, and tried to verify that there was nobody else on board, and assures us there were not."
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crusher
climber
Santa Monica, CA
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Jan 16, 2009 - 01:02am PT
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Apparently he is an expert in air safety - caught part of a report on NPR where someone was interviewed talking about how of all the pilots to be had on a day like this, thank God it was a safety expert dude!
He couldn't get down at Teeterboro (NJ small airport - like for private planes), avoided buildings, hit the water where it was shallow and right where the ferries were. I heard so far the worst injury was someone with two broken legs - amazing.
Smart and quick. And Hell yeah, he overshadowed that idiot Bush who sat there talking about the democracies we've "created" in Iraq and Afganistan...uh, yeah.
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Rock!...oopsie.
Trad climber
pitch above you
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Topic Author's Reply - Jan 16, 2009 - 08:01am PT
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So Reilly,
You really think this was a walk in the park? Just another day at the office for any competent pilot? Seriously?
Let's see, in your story the other plane was at 35,000 ft when power was lost(and shouldn't that be in meters for that particular story?). In this case it was at 3,500 ft over a major metro area, about 1 minute after take-off. What kind of glide time/distance do you think a plane like that gets out of 3,500 ft? I think this pilot had a little less time to get his sh#t straight to pull off a good outcome.
Sheesh, next time you go to work and pull off something that good let me know and I'll buy you a beer.
-Bob
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AbeFrohman
Trad climber
new york, NY
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Jan 16, 2009 - 09:56am PT
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NOTHING TO HIT? 900 feet from the George Washington Bridge is nothing to hit??!
Bully to this cat. Bully indeed!
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GLee
Trad climber
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Jan 16, 2009 - 11:04am PT
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If an airliner is ever going to crash with me on board,let the pilot also be a rated glider pilot, as were the this pilot and that of the Air Canada Gimli jet.
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Reilly
Mountain climber
Monrovia, CA
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Jan 16, 2009 - 12:37pm PT
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I apologize if I didn't make it clear enough that I wholeheartedly agree that he did a great job. It just wasn't a miracle. This isn't a value judgement or a personal attack as I seem to be under by some who seem inclined to let their emotions overrule their ability to process facts. Pilots are a cool-headed factual bunch not given to histrionics and chest-thumping. I am sure Capt Sullenberg would be the first to agree that he was just doing his job. It was fortuitous that the LGA departure provided him with the Hudson River for his landing. If he had sucked those geese in on TO from ORD, DFW, or nearly any other major airport then it would have been a different story.
The user formerly known as stzzo
I said, "the plane flies just the same without power as with. It just won't go upwards." Without going into a treatise on aerodynamics I think this statement doesn't demand a lot of interpolation to deduce that if it doesn't go upwards it won't maintain level flight. However, since you do apparently want to split grammatical and engineering hairs I will make it simpler: the wings don't know if the engines are producing power. All they want is airflow which equals lift. In fact, you can trade airspeed for altitude and climb without power but there ain't no free lunch so you're going to slow down. This is exactly what happens on every landing; you raise the nose, increase the Angle of Attack (if you want to get geeky), and bleed off speed. Without power and as long as the ram air generator (not the APU as a previous 'expert' noted) is deployed and operating then you have control of all of the flight surfaces and landing gear. How do you think gliders are flown, juju and snake oil? What do you think the Space Shuttle is? It is the world's biggest glider. Is this clear enough? If not then send me a polite email and I will provide a succinct reading list.
Tami,
I apologize to you for not having a perfect recollection of something that happened 25 years ago without consulting Wikipedia first. I further apologize for trying to provide an honest and brief account of how flying an unpowered jetliner is feasible. To wit, kindly inform me, without the vitriol if possible, where I went wrong factually. Did they not glide over 100 miles? Did he not perform a 'forward slip' on short final? Did not everybody but one walk away? While I am guilty of thanklessly embellishing the story I really fail to see the error of my ways. Sorry for not being perfect.
Rock,
I apologize to you for trying to make things simpler. You are right, I should have said Flight Level 350 instead of 35,000', my bad. You are also right, we live in an imperfect world of which I am an unwitting example. I should not have used "all that big". Somehow I thought that in addressing a bunch of people who routinely risk their lives for no good reason they would be able to separate emotion from reality. Let me repeat, Sullenberg did a great job but that is his job! At 3500' (Flight Levels don't start until 18,000') he indeed did not have a lot of time. But being experienced, well-trained, and a glider pilot it was a decision Homer Simpson could have made. Let's see, land on the Upper East Side or in the river. Hmmmm, let me think about that.
Reilly
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Karen
Trad climber
So Cal Hell
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Jan 16, 2009 - 01:06pm PT
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Yes, hats off to the crew/Flight Attendants! for keeping their wits and professionally evacuating the passengers, they are the unsung heros!
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Shingle
climber
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Jan 16, 2009 - 01:15pm PT
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After reading Reilly's response several times, I can only say:
MIRACLE!
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Nefarius
Big Wall climber
somewhere without avatars.........
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Jan 16, 2009 - 01:16pm PT
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Well, besides this ditch, he appears to be a pretty damn good pilot. His resume is pretty impressive and includes - "Nellis AFB, serving as blue force mission commander in red flag exercises!!! To those who don't know, Nellis is Area 51, where we house and test some of our most secret aircraft and supposedly have an alien craft being hidden.
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Crimpergirl
Social climber
Boulder, Colorado!
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Jan 16, 2009 - 01:22pm PT
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That was a knee slapper Shingle!!
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happiegrrrl
Trad climber
New York, NY
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Jan 16, 2009 - 02:21pm PT
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It's the same kind of miracle as some of the climbing stories we have all read, like when Yabo fell off some route and got snagged by a tree limb that bent down and set him on the ground like the hand of God....
I hope they give a NYC parade over this.
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TradIsGood
Chalkless climber
the Gunks end of the country
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Jan 16, 2009 - 03:03pm PT
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Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to New York City. Currently the air temperature is 21 degrees Fahrenheit. We estimate that the water is a bit warmer, since it is not hard.
Today we will be turning off the fasten seat belt lights before coming to a complete stop. In fact, when you get off the plane it will still be moving about 2 miles per hour.
For those of you on the right side of the plane we will have ferries for connections to NJ. For those of you on the left side, please board the ferries for your trip to New York.
For those of you sitting in the back, sorry for the hard bump, but we wanted to slow down just a bit from 150 knots before the two engines hit the water. Notice how much shorter our landing was than your usual - all without even using the thrust reversers.
Thank you for flying US Airways. You will be reimbursed for any ferry charges. Please save your receipts.
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happiegrrrl
Trad climber
New York, NY
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Jan 16, 2009 - 03:51pm PT
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"ALOT of commercial airline pilots got the hours they need by flying aircraft for the military."
My brother in law is in that boat....er, on that plane.
He started with helicopter training in the military. His goal has always been international commercial flights; he enjoys the people aspect of it. But it's been tough all along for him to get up the ladder. He has done private pilot for some wealthy people, and once had a pretty hazardous one that stressful.
Finally he got on with DHL(domestic) and has been doing that a few years. Found out a little while ago it will be ending; I guess DHL is stopping domestic service.
But at the same time, he got called back up on reserve again. He has 3 kids and is 45 years old, and still getting called back... This is not his first time.
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Brian Hench
Trad climber
Laguna Beach, CA
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Jan 16, 2009 - 06:45pm PT
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I sure hope that it doesn't turn out that when the left engine caught fire, the crew didn't accidently shut down the WRONG engine. It's happened before I understand.
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Chris2
Trad climber
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Jan 16, 2009 - 06:50pm PT
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C’mon now please... someone admit that there was some self preservation involved here?
He did a great job, but a hero?
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happiegrrrl
Trad climber
New York, NY
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Jan 16, 2009 - 06:56pm PT
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Why the desire to take away from the joy people are feeling?
If it had been self-preservation, alone, the man wouldn't have thought to walk the plane for others; he'd have gotten his butt out and not looked back.
When the trade towers were hit, many people evacuated in orderly way, assisting others too weak - carrying people in wheelchairs!
People DO step up to the plate and think of others in times of crisis. Other times, people panic or get selfish. Either way, the energy is pervasive.... Had this pilot acted selfishly, his crew likely would have too, and it would have likely ended in an entirely different scenario than what we had - passengers waiting in freezing water patiently for rescue.
edit: What does it matter if there was some fear, self-centeredness in his thoughts; from all accounts so far, the thing went off well. He knows his inner thoughts, and he may very well come out and say "Yeah, I was ready to THROW anyone I found in that plane out the door, I was so ready to get out!" He gets to live with his thoughts for the rest of his life - we don't need to do that for him!
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Hardman Knott
Gym climber
Muir Woods National Monument, Mill Valley, Ca
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Jan 16, 2009 - 07:00pm PT
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He's a hero because he made the difficult decision to ditch instead of attempting to
make it to an airport, which could have failed and resulted in the deaths of all abroad,
and possibly many more on the ground. And he pulled it off in the best way imaginable.
That, my friend, is a hero, believe it or knott.
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Chris2
Trad climber
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Jan 16, 2009 - 07:08pm PT
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happiegrrrl, that was his JOB. I just have a degree of concern when the word "hero" is overused. To me a hero would be some citizen on the shore, jumping into the water to save someone.
The guy did his job very well.
And HK he made the intelligent decision, not a difficult one. I applaud the pilots handling of a difficult situation.
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bluering
Trad climber
Santa Clara, Ca.
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Jan 16, 2009 - 07:51pm PT
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I hear the NTSB is testing him for drugs/alcohol...
It may be procedure, but c'mon!!!!
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Chris2
Trad climber
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Jan 16, 2009 - 07:54pm PT
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Laughing...^^^I once partied with an entire flight crew until 4 in the morn...and their flight left White Plains at 7:00! (one reason I have never flown Northwest).
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Mighty Hiker
Social climber
Vancouver, B.C.
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Jan 16, 2009 - 08:20pm PT
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The story of the Gimli glider was mentioned upthread - Gimli being a town south of Winnipeg founded by Icelanders. Reilly mentioned that "Not to worry, the B757 is a splendid glider, as all airliners are." I don't remember if it was a Boeing 757 or a 767, but do recall that it was a relatively new model. And that unlike most previous commercial jets, it had reasonable gliding capabilities. Most jets, like the 747, glide like rocks.
It does go to show why they put airports in flat places near water, when they can. Although that helps more on take-off than landing, given that airspeed is lower. (F = MV squared.)
Another jet apparently downed by Canadian geese, aka the Canadian air force. Probably snuck by Homeland Security. Though we do have some F-18s and other stuff.
I worked for several summers in the bush, doing geological exploration. Spending a lot of time in helicopters. You quickly learned which pilots had spent time in Vietnam, as they were much more experienced and assertive. Maybe not always "by the book", but with great experience in challenging situations.
The civil and military aviation systems are inextricably interlinked, though more so in the US than Canada.
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Chris2
Trad climber
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Jan 16, 2009 - 08:25pm PT
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I am emailing Stephen Colbert about those damn Canadian Geese right now. Something tells me that Tami is behind these attacks on America. Raising Canadian Geese are you Tami?
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Dr. Rock
Ice climber
http://tinyurl.com/4oa5br
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Jan 16, 2009 - 09:16pm PT
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Umm, the Shuttle has the aerodynamics of a brick, so lets put it at one end of the glider scale.
Put a good tow line glider at the other end.
Somewhere in between will be your various aircraft.
Choppers excluded.
This aircraft was much closer to the shuttle than a regular glider. Especially with a full tank of fuel.
He had the flaps in already, which, for a water landing, is the right setting, at least thats what the pilot on NPR said.
The nose was also up, so in a Dead Stick situation like this, he had to avert a stall rather quickly, which means get the nose down using your forward momentum.
He had to pitch the nose up at the last second to put a little bit of the plane in the water at a time, and to keep it from cartwheeling due to the nose going in.
So it was a great job, considering he did not have the same glide path as a normal landing.
Vision can be a problem, his nose is 40 feet in the air when the tail hits.
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happiegrrrl
Trad climber
New York, NY
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Jan 16, 2009 - 09:27pm PT
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....for some reason, while reading that landing info, I was imagining a goose coming in for a water landing - you know, how they sort of pull up and dunk their butt first, then "set 'er down?"
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TradIsGood
Chalkless climber
the Gunks end of the country
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Jan 16, 2009 - 11:03pm PT
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LOL.
Nobody noticed that is was colder than a witches ... the captain is staying inside out of the wind and water.
Just kidding.
Send the women and children out on the wing. We will wait for the ferries, thank you.
It was a nice landing. I hear the A-320 has a DITCH button in the cockpit that shuts various intakes that would allow water into the cabin.
Landing on the water at 150 knots is a little bit easy. Only slightly different than landing on concrete - except it is gear up, and the engines instead of sliding down the runway will turn into sea-anchors, until they get ripped off the pod or the pods off the wings.
We don't know yet, but the pilot might even have landed sooner than necessary (he can't land later, but he can use techniques to lose energy and land sooner - such as cross controlling). Landing sooner could have saved many lives. A couple miles further downriver would have been 10-20 minutes farther from ferry boats.
Or he might have just been lucky. Is 900 feet "above the bridge"
above the roadway, above the towers, or was it 900 feet altitude.
1000 feet of altitude at best glide speed gets him about 3 miles. I think he landed more than 3 miles from the bridge. So maybe he had plenty of energy there.
Do you know a really good glider pilot can cut a ribbon 15 feet off the ground and then loop up and land on the runway where the ribbon was?
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TGT
Social climber
So Cal
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Jan 16, 2009 - 11:17pm PT
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One of the most impressive things I've ever seen, (twice) Was Hoover's energy conservation (air speed) demonstration in a Aerocomander twin.
A complete aerobatic routine including several passes down the center line and a loop.
No engines!
Ending with a dead stick landing and enough energy left to park the plane facing the reviewing stand and get out with the signature straw hat.
This dude has the same chops!
Expert , now doubt!
Not something a merely "good" pilot would likely be able to pull off.
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Dr. Rock
Ice climber
http://tinyurl.com/4oa5br
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Jan 17, 2009 - 12:44am PT
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Let's not forget this guy used to catch a cable on a landing deck the size of a postage stamp, and coming in a little hotter:
"Striker, your coming in too hot!"
"What's our Vector, Victor?"
"Give me some Clearnance, Clarence!"
"Roger, Roger"
Shirley, you must be joking?'
Weird that this simulated terrorist attack happened during "W's" going away party.
I am sure Letterman and Leno are making big offers.
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Dr. Rock
Ice climber
http://tinyurl.com/4oa5br
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Jan 17, 2009 - 01:39am PT
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GLee
Trad climber
Charlie B's
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Jan 17, 2009 - 08:47pm PT
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All airline pilot captains in the left seat should be FAA rated commercial glider instructors!!!
When is the ticker tape parade, New York??
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Karen
Trad climber
So Cal Hell
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Jan 17, 2009 - 10:06pm PT
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TGT Bob Hoover was an amazing pilot. I almost got a ride in his P-51 but his insurance put a stop to that! what a ride that would have been.
Ok, yeah, let's here it for glider pilots!!! my son is a Captain on a regional carrier, he's got his glider rating, (soloed on his 14th b-day), glider commercial rating and a gazillion hours towing up gliders in very adverse conditions. No military experience but he has over 9,000 civilian hours flying, the kid was motivated.
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neebee
Social climber
calif/texas
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Jan 17, 2009 - 10:13pm PT
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hey there.... i saw this and thought you'd like to see it, as well... it was on a large page, and hard to find, so i posted it here...
it is a bit of the "behind the scenes" ... seems it is still a hard situation for all inside, once the initail landing fear is over---folks CAN TRAMPLE others and not even care, thus hurting the very chance for the next needed MOVE to survival---as this mentioned, the fast SHIFT of weight due to panicing folks, was not good at all, sadly, but still, by god's grace, and the plane stayed in place long enough for folks to get saved:
An excerpt from the New York Daily News:
"The captain just said, 'Brace for impact,'" Kolodjay said. "And that's what we all did. We put our heads down. We got ready."
Some people locked arms. Others prayed.
"I thought we were going to die. I kept thinking to myself, 'I never got to tell my family I love them every day,'" said grandmother Elizabeth McHugh, 64, of Charlotte, N.C.
An eerie silence fell over the cabin as the blue-and-gray jet plunged a final 100 feet.
"I noticed the New York skyline getting closer and closer," said Dave Sanderson, 47, a married father of four who works for Oracle in Charlotte and was here on business.
The plane hit the water and Sanderson, sitting in 15-A, smacked his head on the seat in front of him. He lifted it to see "controlled chaos" unfolding around him.
"People started running up and down aisles. People were yelling and pushing," Sanderson said.
A crowd surged to the back of the plane, where the emergency exits were located. The rush caused the rear of the plane to start sinking, and water poured into it.
"The water was up to my neck. I thought I was going to drown right there because I couldn't move," said Zuhowski, who stripped down to his underwear so his wet clothes wouldn't weigh him down.
As the 40-degree river water sloshed through the fuselage, some passengers clambered over seats - ignoring calls to "Calm down!"
Chivalry proved to be very much alive on the flight, full of business executives from Bank of America, Wachovia and TIAA-Cref.
"Women and children first!" the men shouted as 85-year-old Lucille Palmer, on her way to celebrate her great-grandson's birthday, was helped to the front.
Sanderson hung back and helped a woman with a 6-month-old baby through the door. She stood on the wing with the child in her arms while people in the rafts yelled to her.
"Just throw the baby to me," one woman urged. She reluctantly dropped the infant down and was then helped into the raft.
Most people readily abandoned their coats and carry-on luggage - grabbing yellow life vests and seat cushions instead as they headed for the exits.
One woman wouldn't get off without her luggage and had to be shoved through the door, Sanderson said. He went back and retrieved her purse to calm her.
*everything really did come into place in perfect timeing--another article, if i can find it, mentioned how in the past, boats and crew to reach such downed planes, or damaged boats, etc, can take far, far, too long...
this is a very thankful time for these folks... and hopefully a time of prayer-thank-yous, as well...
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blahblah
Gym climber
Boulder
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Jan 17, 2009 - 10:13pm PT
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I've got to say: my notion of pilots was that they are basically bus drivers who make more money and who work less (and I ride RTD from Boulder to Denver every day--got nuthin but love for most bus drivers.) I've changed my opinion on that--live and learn. Props to the pilot and the many others who make air travel--which is an incredible thing--so safe.
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neebee
Social climber
calif/texas
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Jan 17, 2009 - 10:26pm PT
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hey there...say, here is the other article i had found...
not sure who is it by... perhaps someone named sara hey ???
entitled: miracle on the hudson...
from her share, she reminds us how this could have turned out... it is indeed a thing to be thankful for, and, as to having the captain that was able to accomplish this part of salvaging an awful situation, along with many others that stepped in QUICKLY--one that came upon them sudden--meaning with no warning for as to prepare, had to take it as it came:
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HERE IS HER ARTICLE:
Yesterday afternoon, we may have experienced a once in a lifetime miracle.
When I saw the news reports of the plane in the water of the Hudson, I noticed some [we didn't know that all escaped] were waiting for rescue, and I thought "right -- it'll take the boats forever to deploy and get out there -- it'll be chaos and bureaucratic confusion and in the meantime, unconscious in half an hour in that temperature."
Boy was I wrong.
What are the odds that a commercial flight could lose both engines, not hit any of the New York buildings, miss the bridge, not flip or break up on crash, but instead be piloted to a relatively smooth landing on the Hudson River?
What are the odds that all -- all 155 -- passengers would get out of the plane alive, with no mortal injuries sustained from the impact, and no drowning, buckled into the seat, as the plane filled with water [one section got out of the front quickly, but the front began filling rapidly with water -- the rest got out from the middle of the plane]?
What are the odds that, rather than slipping under the water from hypothermia -- [remember the scene of drowning and freezing people when a plane went down in the water, and that hero lost his life swimming out to rescue others?] -- all of the passengers would be picked up, beginning 15 minutes from the point of the crash landing? That all the ferries and firemen would hustle on site and do that kind of work so so quickly?
What are the odds that an airline pilot with that kind of skill and experience, as well as immense sense of duty and character, would land that plane, walk the aisles twice while the plane filled to check for remaining passengers, and be the last off the plane, the last off the lifeboat?
Not very much, friends!
We have experienced from afar an airline crash on a river, and all 155 passengers and crew survive, and heroic, speedy, skilled actions from all the players that we know.
We have experienced a miracle.
Believe me, I'm pumped. 155 people get a chance to start anew, to wonder what God has in store for them, and why on earth He allowed them to survive something so usually deadly and devastating.
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END OF ARTICLE....
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hey there, all... say:
many tricky things all came into play, and we all know how many times just one thing can go wrong, and then the whole point of the first phase of trying to save a situation, is then nullified...
dear lord god... thank you that each ensueing step, resulted in this victory... so these folks could home to their loved ones...
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Jaybro
Social climber
wuz real!
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Jan 18, 2009 - 09:26am PT
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Now that's, a spot!
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Hardman Knott
Gym climber
Muir Woods National Monument, Mill Valley, Ca
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Last night, CBS's 60 Minutes aired the first interview with the crew from flight 1549.
Here's the whole 43 minute show:
http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=4784194n
Alternately, you can click the 4 segments linked on the page.
Good stuff!
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Blakey
Trad climber
Newcastle UK
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Over in the UK a prestigious radio progamme ('today' on BBC Radio 4) ran an intersting piece that contrasted Christian Bales expletive laden rant at an unfortunate technician who had inadvertantly 'messed up' a take, with the pilot's spookily calm 'We're gonna be in the Hudson'.
Clearly making movies is more stressful than ditching a passenger laden airliner!
Best,
Steve
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apogee
climber
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I heard that air traffic control dialogue the other day, and it gave me goosebumps- that pilot is hard-core, and has my greatest respect.
Once he reported the birds had shut down two engines, ATC tried to divert him to a smaller airstrip (with questionable capability for his craft), and his response was something to the effect of a tersely-worded 'Not possible'. The dialogue of rescue crews watching the plane head for the river was equally focussed, and they were on it before the plane hit the water.
Kudos all around. Nice that what could have been another horrible air tragedy has turned into such a heroic event.
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TradIsGood
Chalkless climber
the Gunks end of the country
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I heard he just signed a deal with Microsoft.
They are going to put out a special Hero Edition of Flight Simulator.
If you get it right the first try, they send you replica "Keys to the City".
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Dr.Sprock
Boulder climber
Sprocketville
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Said he could hear those honkers hitting the plane, as loud as thunder, then burnt bird smell comes in to the cabin, too much, thats a lot of goose sleeping bags that got wasted.
Those motors have been around forever, so no drama there, the high bypass fans are more sensitive to birds, the radius is so much larger, it takes a lot less to upset the balance.
if those birds would have went into a noisy 727 motor, they would have been chopped up like a Sears Trash Compactor and spit out the end, and you would never even know it, people were allowed to smoke on the 727.
They took apart one of the blades, turns out to be made out of recalled USHBA TI bolts.
Jus kiddin,
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happiegrrrl
Trad climber
New York, NY
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Wow - When he says "we're going in the Hudson" it is PURE focus. In fact the whole thing - that pilot was on absolute survival mode.
I haven't listened to the tv show exerps yet but MAN!
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