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KF5JRV > TODAY 15.01.19 13:47l 45 Lines 2378 Bytes #999 (0) @ WW
BID : 29352_KF5JRV
Read: GUEST
Subj: Today in History - Jan 15
Path: IW8PGT<IR2UBX<SR1BSZ<F1OYP<ON0AR<VE2PKT<N3HYM<KF5JRV
Sent: 190115/1236Z 29352@KF5JRV.#NWAR.AR.USA.NA BPQ6.0.17
On this day in 2009, a potential disaster turned into a heroic display
of skill and composure when Captain Chesley Burnett Sullenberger III
safely landed the plane he was piloting on New York City’s Hudson River
after a bird strike caused its engines to fail. David Paterson, governor
of New York at the time, dubbed the incident the “miracle on the
Hudson.ö Sullenberger, a former fighter pilot with decades of flying
experience, received a slew of honors for his actions, including an
invitation to Barack Obama’s presidential inauguration and resolutions
of praise from the U.S. Congress.
About a minute after taking off from New York’s La Guardia Airport on
January 15, 2009, US Airways Flight 1549 collided with one of the
aviation industry’s most threatening foes: a flock of geese. Crippled by
the bird strike, both engines lost power and went quiet, forcing Captain
Sullenberger to make an emergency landing. When air traffic controllers
instructed the seasoned pilot to head for nearby Teterboro Airport, he
calmly informed them that he was “unableö to reach a runway. “We’re
gonna be in the Hudson,ö he said simply, and then told the 150 terrified
passengers and five crew members on board to brace for impact.
Ninety seconds later, Sullenberger glided the Airbus 320 over the George
Washington Bridge and onto the chilly surface of the Hudson River, where
it splashed down midway between Manhattan and New Jersey. As flight
attendants ushered passengers into life jackets, through emergency exits
and onto the waterlogged wings of the bobbing jet, a flotilla of
commuter ferries, sightseeing boats and rescue vessels hastened to the
scene. One survivor suffered two broken legs and others were treated for
minor injuries or hypothermia, but no fatalities occurred. After walking
up and down the aisle twice to ensure a complete evacuation,
Sullenberger was the last to leave the sinking plane.
In October 2009, the now-famous pilot, known to his friends as “Sully,ö
published a book about his childhood, military background and career
entitled “Highest Duty: My Search for What Really Matters.ö He retired
from US Airways after 30 years in the airline industry on March 3, 2010,
and has since devoted his time to consulting, public speaking and
advocating for aviation safety.
73 de Scott KF5JRV
Pmail: KF5JRV@KF5JRV.#NWAR.AR.USA.NA
email: KF5JRV@ICLOUD.COM
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