A US Airways plane with 155 people on board went into a chilly Hudson River, apparently after striking at least one bird upon takeoff from New York's LaGuardia Airport, according to officials and passengers.
No doubt you've heard of this. I was so into my WIP yesterday that I didn't know until the hubby came home and told me. And then I had to go read about it. When I read that the captain came on the intercom and said, “We're going down, brace for impact,” it made me cry. How terrifying must that have been for everyone?
Thank GOD they all survived, thank God the pilot was so well trained, and thank God it wasn't any worse. I'm just amazed. Talk about the right man at the right time. He is truly a hero.
I already don't care for flying, though I will still do it. But I wonder about people who are in accidents like this. When my car got hit in Hawaii, I was terrified to drive in traffic for the longest time. I can't imagine what something like this must feel like. I'm just so happy it didn't turn out the way these things usually do.
I have to fly a week from tomorrow, and my final destination is an airport by the ocean. Oh joy!
In 1980 the DH and I took a big trip to Greece, Egypt and Israel. On our takeoff from Athens back to Frankfurt, an engine blew on takeoff. Our pilot was able to land back at the airport but the minutes between the boom and touchdown were long and quiet. The DH and I were wondering last night if maybe the same thing happened to our plane — if it hit a bird on take-off.
I just hope there aren’t lawsuits over this. My gosh, you can’t control a flock of geese and that pilot is a hero for handling things the way he did. Those passengers should count their blessings and be thankful they are alive today.
Marilyn
I fly a lot, so stuff like this always gives me chills. I was kinda worried, though, when AC watched a report about it. The last thing I need is my child developing a fear of the plane going down.
Once thing about AC– she is a seasoned traveler. She’ll tell you everything you need to know about oxygen masks and why she isn’t allowed to sit in an exit row (because the door would be too heavy for her, of course!). She reads the airplane safety brochure the minute she gets on the plane and gets mad when folks don’t listen to the safety lecture from the flight attendants.
So it was rather interesting this morning to hear my little safety girl’s take on this. She looked at the TV coverage and said, “This is why you need to know where the nearest emergency exit is. Sometimes it’s behind you, you know.”
That’s my girl!
I didn’t know about this until it was on the 10 o’clock news last night. Wow! NO ONE has ever successfully landed a plane in the water and kept everyone alive. The pilot took a big chance, but it was the only chance they had. He really is a hero for handling the plane with such finesse.
I’ve been listening to the Today show and so many things could have gone wrong. But the pilot did everything right, including landing that plane in the exact way to keep it afloat and prevent it from breaking up or sinking. Wow!!
My DH always says, “If something happens when I’m up in a plane, there’s nothing I can do about it. If it’s my time to go, it’s my time to go.”
It must have been horrific, but there are 155 very lucky people still alive today.
That’s the kind of pilot you want on a flight.
Wow, PM, that would have terrified me too! You have no control, and that’s so hard for many people — especially control freaks like me. đ I’ve become much better about flying than I used to be. Thanks in big part to this website. I first found it about 5 years ago when I had a bad flight and had a very big flight coming up. I sometimes go there before a flight now. It helps me.
I hadn’t thought of lawsuits. You’re right! I hope there are none. These are lucky, lucky people. It wasn’t their time, and they had an amazing pilot at the controls.
I don’t fly a lot, but I think this is why stuff like this makes me cry: the mere thought I could be on a plane and have something go wrong. I think we just have to remember there are thousands upon thousands of takeoffs and landings every day all over the world. When an accident happens, it gets massive coverage. But the successes don’t.
Oh yikes with AC! I hope she doesn’t decide to get scared. Being able to fly without fear is such a joy. But, fear can develop at any time, at any age. Too cute about knowing where the exit is. And since the emergency landing was successful, this may just give her a belief that it’s normal. It’s the Pan Am 103s and TWA 800s that terrify. đ
Kathy, isn’t it amazing!? When you think of everything that could have happened, when you realize that aerodynamics work a certain way and that a half a degree this way or that could have made all the difference — it’s such an amazing testament to his skill. I read somewhere, don’t know that it’s true, that he was also a certified glider pilot. What a blessing to have him at the controls that day.
Suzanne, absolutely! You think about the pilots that get caught drinking, and then you think about these kind. Competent and cool under pressure. That’s what I want in the cockpit!