A Cool Cucumber!

JB4310 · Feb 5, 2009

I hadn't seen any discussion on TBN about the plane that went down in the Hudson river, it was truly remarkable in many ways.

Now they released the audio of the communication between the pilot and the tower, Man all the praise they've been giving him doesn't begin to do justice to how cool he was under that immense pressure.
You might call it the ultimate Pucker incident times 1,000!!!.

I'm sure you'll hear it on the nightly news, it's on my IP's home page's video news links. Don't know if I can link to it.

JB.

Wayne County Hose · Feb 5, 2009

I listened to the raw tape of the whole thing. That guy is Mr. Cool! The guy barking orders was real cool about it too. definately some needed bonuses there instead of to CEO's.

riptides · Feb 5, 2009

What I find incredible is the system - in this case personnel, training, procedures, processes, technology, events and time - all worked for the best during this event.

Such good news. Such incredible good news. Gives faith to the masses.

MossRoad · Feb 5, 2009

Kinda neat how a person can be calm, cool and collected in a situation like that. Personally, had I been in that situation, after it was over, I would have barfed!

JohnDeere4300 · Feb 5, 2009

I heard it today too and couldn't believe how calm he was, they need to give him a big bonus. He saved many lives on the plane and many lives saved from crashing into a building.

They said he stayed on the plane until the last person got out.

I thank he should become the CEO of that airline.

JB4310 · Feb 5, 2009

YouTube - Black box audio from Hudson River plane crash

YouTube - U.S. Air Cockpit Audio Tapes "We're Gonna Be In The Hudson"

YouTube - FDNY Dispatch audio from the Hudson River Plane Crash

Bird · Feb 5, 2009

MossRoad said:
Kinda neat how a person can be calm, cool and collected in a situation like that. Personally, had I been in that situation, after it was over, I would have barfed!

Training, experience, and then perhaps some indefinable intrinsic personality traits sometimes all come together as we all wish they would.

mjarrels · Feb 5, 2009

A cool "dead stick" landing... My hats off to the crew!

IH3444 · Feb 5, 2009

There is a wonderful pps slide show making the rounds on email of the histoy of the pilot, his training, experience, and of the plane in the Hudson river. While the plane was sinking, after everyone was off, the pilot walked the entire plane twice to besure that everyone was off. After leaving the plane, the pilot then has the roster, and made sure that everyone was accounted for, and safe on shore.

Then you read in the paper the roster of the CEOs whom lead their companies to insolvancy.

And the millions of dollars they were paid.

JB4310 · Feb 5, 2009

mjarrels said:
A cool "dead stick" landing... My hats off to the crew!

Now I know nothing about flying except my experience with Flight Simulator 2002.
I can imagine landing a Cessna with no power, but a falling garbage truck that is totally reliant on thrust?? and at the last second still able to keep the nose up, and only have 1 engine torn off.

Anyone know of another commercial jet landing on water successfully? I know they train for it but I've never heard of one before.

JB.

mjarrels · Feb 5, 2009

Watched many "cold cat" launches... Crews always turned right before ditching to prevent being run over by the Carrier... Hats off to this crew!

mark

frank_f15 · Feb 5, 2009

I have not heard the tape. but i try to imajine landing a plane that big, no power on water and having it all go well. I wonder how he will feel if/when he ever gets back in the cokpit

scott_vt · Feb 5, 2009

johndeere4300 said:
I heard it today too and couldn't believe how calm he was, they need to give him a big bonus. He saved many lives on the plane and many lives saved from crashing into a building.

They said he stayed on the plane until the last person got out.

I thank he should become the CEO of that airline.

Good Evenin Bill,
The captain allways goes down with their ship, remember ?

JohnDeere4300 · Feb 5, 2009

scott_vt said:
Good Evenin Bill,
The captain allways goes down with their ship, remember ?

Good Evenin Scott,

I think the next time i fly out to California to see my sister i may try
and find out if this pilot is flying the plane, if not i may drive.

rox · Feb 6, 2009

scott_vt said:
Good Evenin Bill,
The captain allways goes down with their ship, remember ?

Scotty- Unless you are Greek Ferry Boat operaors, remember that captain and his crew. They were the first ones off the sinking ferry, comandered a life boat just for themselves and took off fore shore and left everyone to fend for themselves and a lot of people died. Do you remember that? Now comapre those guys to the Pilot on US Airways. This miracle if it had to happen, could not have come at a better time.

I is a very uplifting event and it makes you feel good, and we need that in these times. I think I read wehre he is also a glider pilot so I bet that helped.

Agree wth others, not jsut the pilot but everyone stayed cool and did their job, it makes you feel good, it's uplifting.

scott_vt · Feb 6, 2009

rox said:
Scotty- Unless you are Greek Ferry Boat operaors, remember that captain and his crew. They were the first ones off the sinking ferry, comandered a life boat just for themselves and took off fore shore and left everyone to fend for themselves and a lot of people died. Do you remember that? Now comapre those guys to the Pilot on US Airways. This miracle if it had to happen, could not have come at a better time.

I is a very uplifting event and it makes you feel good, and we need that in these times. I think I read wehre he is also a glider pilot so I bet that helped.

Agree wth others, not jsut the pilot but everyone stayed cool and did their job, it makes you feel good, it's uplifting.

Good Mornin Rox,
Yes it was a great story ! Even the passengers seemed orderly when exiting the plane and standing on the wings ! Im sure the pilots demeanor had a lot to do with an orderly exit of the plane ! And of course lets not forget the ferry boat captains that came to the rescue almost immediately !

riptides · Feb 6, 2009

JB4310 said:
Anyone know of another commercial jet landing on water successfully? I know they train for it but I've never heard of one before.

JB.

I heard on the news that the co-pilot told the captain no one had ever done a successful ditch before.

AKwelder · Feb 6, 2009

on talk radio, they were discussing this amazing feat, he took the time to remind the exit row people to review the cards and get ready, told people what was going to happen, got every one in position and ditched a passenger plane on water, witch had never been done successfully.

An amazing man, wish we had more like him

Heywood Jannockitov · Feb 6, 2009

riptides said:
I heard on the news that the co-pilot told the captain no one had ever done a successful ditch before.

I wonder why that is? I am purely speculating, but apart from having to ditch a commercial transport being exceedingly rare, maybe it is the tendency to try and raise the nose too high causing the tail section to strike the water first, which would pitch the nose down rather violently, "submarining" the aircraft which likely would cause it to break up. I've seen file footage of WWII fighters ditching where it seemed that this is what was happening. Or not keeping the wings level. We have all seen the video of the hijacked Ethiopian Boeing 767 not making a successful ditching off the coast of the Comoros Islands. Keeping the wings level is definitely a must do. The engine nacelles might "ski" on the surface of the water for a time acting like outrigger pontoons, but will eventually submerge, hopefully not ripping off too soon.
The chance of success is probably a little better with a high-wing aircraft.
Dash-8s have "ditching dams" that help to keep seawater from entering through the open pax doors if the aircraft has to ditch.
Anyway, an amazing job by that flight crew, don't forget there were 2 of them in the cockpit! They didn't even wrinkle the fuse.