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Oscar, Bren, and Whoever...

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Dave Bristle
Master Marine Consultant

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Djibouti
10005 Posts

Initially Posted - 01/17/2009 : 12:59:23

After watching live from the first moments of the Miracle on the Hudson, I couldn't help but marvel (again) at the abilities of professional pilots up there... What a piece of emergency management and piloting skill! Even the decision to turn toward Manhattan instead of north up the Hudson--brilliant!

What do our resident pilots have to say about this "incident"? My hat's off to every one of you! We mariners should pay close attention to, and try to be ready to emulate, this example of crisis management.

Association Port Captain, Mystic, CT
Past member and DPO of C-25 #5032
Now on Eastern 27 Sarge (but still sailing) and posting as "Stinkpotter".

Passage, Mystic, and Sarge--click to enlarge.

Edited by - Dave Bristle on 01/17/2009 13:02:14

delliottg
Former Mainsheet C250 Tech Editor

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USA
4479 Posts

Response Posted - 01/17/2009 : 13:15:37

I agree, that he was able to set an Airbus down on the river with no loss of life is a testament to his skill, ability to keep his calm, and a bit of luck. I'm sure that in his mind, he was just doing his job, and this is frequently the definition of a hero, someone going about his daily routine, when under extraordinary circumstances, a freak accident occurs & they react with their training in a calm determined manner to save the day not only for themselves, but everyone they're responsible for. I hope he gets more than a key to NYC, but I think he might be embarrassed by all the attention. After all, he was just doing his job.

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Tradewind
Admiral

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USA
531 Posts

Response Posted - 01/17/2009 : 13:21:40

Excellent job by the Captain, First Officer and Flight Attendant crew. I know the captain has received most of the praise but it was a crew effort, not an easy job for the cabin crew to get everyone out using only the forward doors and overwing exits.

I work for a large carrier in Atlanta and the day before the incident I was training our flight crews on emergency slide deployment, life vests and survival equipment. A successful ditching is such a rare event that it's hard for a pilot to ever imagine having to use the equipment and training. Great job by this crew!

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delliottg
Former Mainsheet C250 Tech Editor

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USA
4479 Posts

Response Posted - 01/17/2009 : 15:26:00

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">
Excellent job by the Captain, First Officer and Flight Attendant crew. I know the captain has received most of the praise but it was a crew effort, not an easy job for the cabin crew to get everyone out using only the forward doors and overwing exits.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Excellent points, I shouldn't have excluded the crew from praise. As you said, it's a combined effort & getting everyone out with very few injuries is astonishing.

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bren737
Captain

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291 Posts

Response Posted - 01/17/2009 : 19:05:49

Dave, et al,

Hola! First and foremost, I agree that he and the entire crew did an outstanding job, given a scenario which we all think about but fortunately never have to contend with. From my first days of flying small prop planes in high school, instructors have always beaten into my head, "What if. . .?" Now, I do the same when I've got someone in the simulator giving them a checkride or training a brand new first officer.

Interestingly, I think that's why so many aviators are drawn to sailing. Even more so than power boats, sailors always have to stay a step ahead of their machine. You've got to continually ask "What if...". What if the motor quit in a tight marina, what if the anchor dragged, what if the boom gybed, what if a sudden gust hit the boat, what if someone fell overboard. . .

I guess what I'm saying is that YOU already DO manage risk and crises. You already are responsible for the well-being of those aboard your vessel. It's the usual 'party question' pilots get right after "What route do you fly?". . . "How do you sleep at night knowing you have all of those lives in your hands?" My answer is that I sleep pretty darned well and don't really think about it much. Maybe egocentrically, I (and most pilots) reason that as long as I worry about myself and my own pink little butt, everyone else will be just fine!

David (Elliot) is right when he says it's just part of the job. Everyday there are thousands of lives that are saved by firemen, police, military, nurses, teachers, clergy, etc. who are just doing there jobs. . . and they get paid WAY less than we (pilots) do. They are the REAL heroes!! My dad had a PhD and 40+ years as a an educator when he retired and I made more $$$ after three years at my airline than he did the day he retired. He influenced and helped many thousands of kids', parents' and teachers' lives in those 40+ years, but to him, it was 'just his job'.

The Faithful side of me certainly gives Providence a big role in the Hudson Miracle, not only in blessing "Sulley" and his crew with superb professional training and skills, but in it being a beautiful clear day and a nice smooth river on which to put her down in. Having to perform the same maneuver in an open field would likely have not produced the same results. Water takes A LOT of energy out of the airplane, allowing it to stay in tact.

All things considered, it was a fantastic performance by a highly-trained, highly-professional crew. Their cool-headed analysis of the situation and quick realization that they had but one choice saved 155 lives! Many, many kudos!!

Edited by - bren737 on 01/17/2009 20:01:16

jerlim
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1484 Posts

Response Posted - 01/19/2009 : 18:42:08

We watched the rescue first hand - having raced across town to watch - among the many things that went well, was the fact that the plane came to rest in the middle of the cross river ferry boat channel. Some of the passengers walked off the plane, across the wing and into a boat...amazing!!

Edited by - jerlim on 01/19/2009 18:42:39

Kendall
Navigator

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USA
146 Posts

Response Posted - 01/19/2009 : 20:34:14

It is truly amazing that the ferryboat captains who volunteered their time accomplished in thirty minutes, what the writers of "Lost" weren't able to do in five seasons.

All joking aside, it is awe inspiring that no lives were lost and no property was damaged other then the plane itself. I commend the pilot and crew, and anyone involved in the rescue for their outstanding wit and quick thinking.

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Patrice C25
1st Mate

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78 Posts

Response Posted - 01/20/2009 : 11:59:56

Yes, it is impressive and speachless for what the crew had accomplish.

And I'm sure, that if we had seen the same story in a film, we would have said; ''Yeh! right, funny what they can do in a film.''

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