“Capt. Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger III said that in the few minutes he had to decide where to set down the powerless plane Thursday afternoon, he felt it was “too low, too slow” and near too many buildings to go anywhere else,”
I think the natural reaction of most people would be to try and get it back to the runway. This pilot understood that a decision like that might not only kill everyone on the plane but a lot of people on the ground. The water landing was the decision of a pilot with great skills, incredible courage, and in MHO great moral character.
Back in my flying days I learned that this sort of wishful thinking is why many power off emergencies ended in tragedy.