The Hero of Flight 1549 (Pilot is Air Force Vet!)

The Smoking Gun ^ | 1-15-09 | The Smoking Gun

[444Flyer]

JANUARY 15-Meet Chelsey B. "Sully" Sullenberger, III, the US Airways pilot who today amazingly crash-landed a US Airways jet in New York's Hudson River with any apparent fatalities.

[freepersup]

This >>> (AP Photo/Trela Media) <<< is included in the article at the bottom/end of the paragraph. ;o) There were two other images in sequence, but the a/c was less visible against the background.

Platitudes seem inadequate for the aircrew’s skill sets.

Great response(s) from all of the attending watercraft in the a/o pulling near instantaneous rescue ops.

I marvel a second day at the outcome.

[diogenes ghost]

The occurance of an emergencty such as this is, by definition, extremely rare. Therefore, the vast percentage of pilots never have to undergo it in real life. But, they are all trained rigorously in emergency situations, including dead-stick landings.

It's much like soldiers in battle; few receive medals, primarily because few are placed in circumstances where high performance levels commensurate with medals are required. Most just slog through it, but if faced with the scenario would handle it just fine...same with pilots.

The United Airlines crash at Iowa City several years ago, however, did demand an extraordinary effort by the crew to even make it to an airport, as they had virtually no working flight controls. They maneuvered the aircraft by varying thrust levels on left & right engines....a concept that engineers had never envisaged. Capt. Al Haynes is a REAL hero...but again, he was also trying to save his own life, too.

[3niner]

Makes a lot more sense, thanks.

[3niner]

Looks like the gears are up.

A good photo trumps an "eyewitness". Makes much more sense, thanks. :-)

[Balata]

Having been a professional pilot most of my life, I am also a chronic skeptic. It is a burden that comes with the job.

Any landing you can walk away from is a good landing.

[freepersup]

You’re welcome. The photo is (to date) one of the very few, that I’m aware of, taken of flight 1549 moments before landing in the Hudson, capturing the actual configuration of the a/c.

Here’s a link to a simulation of the 3 plus minute flight, as viewed from the cockpit, done by some students at Parks College of Engineering, Aviation and Technology in Missouri. It’s fairly gripping.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/16/AR2009011602252.html

[freepersup]

Call it show boating... but let me emphasize that the engines are reported as missing... I was wondering about the obvious distinction regarding the engines hung/sitting well below the horizontal plane of the fuselage, in relation to the first impact of the a/c into the water. Just an observation, before the investigation began to bear fruit.

[PilotDave]

He landed gear up. That was misinformation.