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US Airways Jet down in Hudson River


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I hope someone has a video of the crash landing. Would love to see what an epic job the pilot did.

That was the first thing that went through my mind when I heard about this today (well, right after hearing that all the people were OK of course). What a miracle that no lives were lost.

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When the plane hits the water and stops, how many passengers try to open the overhead so they can grab their carry-ons?

That crossed my mind too. But I don't think anybody did. Everyone on board knew they had just made a crash landing in the water on a sub-freezing day. The desire to get the **** out of there and live, probably overcame any attachment to luggage. If some maniac had tried, his fellow passengers would have carried him out by force.

But the pilot did make an amazing hard choice. I don't know if anyone has EVER ditched an airliner without killing people. On the other hand, if the plane is going down, he has less than zero options around there, for landing where the plane would avoid being pulverized.

The passengers may have gotten cold and wet, but they should be thankful it was winter. In the summer, they would have been more comfortable, but I'm pretty sure the pland would have taken out several boats, maybe flipped, or at least compromised the airframe and sunk the plane in a hurry.

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The pilot is a hero. If anyone doubts the goodness of human nature, they need to look at this and see that people are truly good. You heard stories of people linking arms and praying together and the cry of "Women and children first!" At a time like that, when instincts truly take over, goodness prevailed.

ETA: I heard on the news that it was also good that it was winter, because the temperature of the water allowed the plane to stay in one piece better. I'm not sure of the science or even the validity behind this.

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Leno:

The airline tried to blame the crash on a flock of geese. But an attorney for the geese said that his clients were honking the whole way.

They're trying to figure out how they're going to get the plane out of the river, but the FAA says that since it's the Hudson, the aircraft will likely dissolve in a week or two.

US Airways was quick to announce that each of the passengers on the aircraft will receive three frequent flier miles.

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Leno:

The airline tried to blame the crash on a flock of geese. But an attorney for the geese said that his clients were honking the whole way.

They're trying to figure out how they're going to get the plane out of the river, but the FAA says that since it's the Hudson, the aircraft will likely dissolve in a week or two.

US Airways was quick to announce that each of the passengers on the aircraft will receive three frequent flier miles.

Jokes about this are just plain WRONG, not funny at all

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I dont get how geese could take down an airplane.

Here is a good article explaining how birds can take down an airplane:

Foxnews: How Birds Can Down a Jet Airplane

Early reports suggest that a bird strike caused a jet plane to crash in the Hudson River near Manhattan today, leaving questions about how a little flying animal could down a big airliner.

More than 200 people have been killed worldwide as a result of wildlife strikes with aircraft since 1988, according to Bird Strike Committee USA, and more than 5,000 bird strikes were reported by the U.S. Air Force in 2007. Bird strikes, or the collision of an aircraft with an airborne bird, tend to happen when aircraft are close to the ground, which means just before landing or after take-off, when jet engines are turning at top speeds.

The incidents are serious particularly when the birds, usually gulls, raptors and geese, are sucked into a jet engine and strike an engine fan blade. That impact displaces the blade such that it strikes another blade and a cascade can occur, resulting in engine failure.

A 12-pound Canada goose striking an aircraft going 150 mph at lift-off generates the force of a 1,000-pound weight dropped from a height of 10 feet, according to Bird Strike Committee USA.

Today's incident, which occurred just after US Airways flight 1549 (an Airbus 320) had taken off with more than 150 passengers and crew members from LaGuardia Airport in New York, en route to Charlotte, N.C., involved a flock of geese, according to CBS News. Reports indicate no deaths or serious injuries as of this writing.

Large aircraft are certified to be able to keep flying after impacting a 4-pound bird, however 36 species of birds in North America weigh more than this, according to the committee. Even smaller birds, such as starlings (which the committee's Web site refers to as "feathered bullets" due to their density), can cause engine failure.

Click for full article

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"We were gaining altitude, everything seemed normal, and there was a very, very loud bang on the left-hand side, ...You'd hear thump-thump-thump-thump, and then the pilot came on, and all he said was, 'This is the captain speaking. Brace for impact,' " Beck recalled. The flight attendants, still strapped in for the initial ascent, "kept saying, 'Keep your head down -- brace for impact.' They said it over and over, chanting it."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/15/AR2009011502571.html?hpid=topnews

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Ya know whats funny my dad called shortly after it hit the water and told me "Whenever I see gray in a pilots hair, I know I'm in good hands, they've been around". Like he somehow knew it was an older pilot.

that's crazy, my dad said the same thing to me about the gray hair after he heard about this. lol, i guess that's common knowledge or something to hope for a pilot with some gray hair.

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that's crazy, my dad said the same thing to me about the gray hair after he heard about this. lol, i guess that's common knowledge or something to hope for a pilot with some gray hair.

Yeah I've always felt much more at ease when I step into a plane and see a silver-haired pilot in the ****pit. I guess they always look experienced and distinguished.

This reminded me of the actor Peter Graves in Airplane, that was good pilot casting....

airplane.jpg

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