Family friend on plane crash today

[AgilityDog]

I heard they hit a flock of geese, a "double bird hit." I assume one in each of 2 engines. Geese are pretty big, and though you can try to keep them away from the airport runways with falcons and hawks and dogs, by the time the plane is very far off the ground, it is away from the airport property. I heard they were at 900 feet when the birds hit.

 

[Eva]

The pilot is hero ... took the right decision in a quick time... those passengers are granted another lease on life, like us!

I wonder if the pilot chooses his team, or the airlines appoint the rest of the crew?

 

[Cooker]

Miracle On The Hudson ?.. A fitting description?.

 

[catwoman]

Well, I just got off the phone with his wife. They have admitted him to the hospital. He has a cracked sternum (we all know about that) and is hypothermic. He actually had to get all the way in the water. Basically, he is still very good and very, very lucky. Sherry is flying up to be with him tomorrow and so I will have their daughter through Monday night.

Kim

Kim:
I'm assuming US Airways is footing medical bills -- please advise that the man have an echo or TEE to rule out any injury to his heart related to the fractured sternum. (See my signature line below) My husband only had X-rays at the time of his sternum fracture and it wasn't until 6 -7 months after it healed that the chordae ruptures to the mitral valve were detected.

 

[Woodbutcher]

I've been following this story on the tv, absolutely amazing ! What a fantastic pilot ! What a massive tragedy that could have been, it dosn't bear thinking about ! Those planes cant physically land on water like that without breaking up ... Well, shouldn't be able to anyway ! What a hero !

This is like a red rag to a bull though ... "I don't know how anyone could watch those people get off that plane alive and doubt God!!" Lettitia.

Surely the fact that 99% of airline disasters dont end like that could fuel some doubt ?? Or a look at pretty much any news item for that matter ?

I look at that story and think, what an incredible pilot, a very strong plane and some very very lucky people !!?

 

[Debster]

I don't know how anyone could watch those people get off that plane alive and doubt God!!

Lettitia

Absolutely!!!!

 

[hall]

Amazing! The pilot did a great job. I am glad your friend is ok. What a miracle.

 

[kfay]

Kim:
I'm assuming US Airways is footing medical bills -- please advise that the man have an echo or TEE to rule out any injury to his heart related to the fractured sternum. (See my signature line below) My husband only had X-rays at the time of his sternum fracture and it wasn't until 6 -7 months after it healed that the chordae ruptures to the mitral valve were detected.

They are keeping him one more night to make sure everything in his chest is ok. I told his wife to be sure they do an echo to check his heart, so hopefully they will. She said it is really surreal...reporters are calling non-stop to interview him. He was on a different news program tonight.

Kim

 

[Ross]

This is a lengthy video, but it's a good one.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9KhZwsYtNDE&feature=related

Years ago, I went to the Cleveland National Airshow. They had the Thunderbirds here that year. As one of the Thunderbirds was leaving for his home base, he sucked a seagull into his engine. Unfortunately, the pilot was killed. He had just taken off, not even 20 ft in the air when it happened. Nosed straight into Lake Erie doing around 180 miles an hour with no chance to eject.

1981 Thunderbirds perform in T-38s.(An incident, unrelated to the event, in which a bird is sucked into the aircraft's engine occurs during Tuesday morning's departure causing the crash of the #1 T-bird aircraft. D.L. Smith perishes in the accident.). It is the last year they stage from Burke Lakefront Airport,future aircraft requirements will force them to stage from Hopkins Int’l Airport.

There is a B-52 flyby and the Goodyear Blimp on display at CNAS.

 

[Dawn-Marie]

I'm so glad that your friend (and everyone else) is safe. It could have been such a tragedy. They said that everything came together perfectly. The pilot was an expert at gliding, and that probably is why he was so good at bringing the plane down so perfectly (with a lot of help from the man upstairs). And, when people started to panic, other passengers and the crew calmed them down. Miracles do happen!

I hope your friend has a safe trip home.

Dawn-Marie

 

[Ross]

Don't know if any of you saw this or not, but here is the ACTUAL crash as it's happening.

http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/us/2009/01/17/vo.surveillance.plane.cnn?iref=mpvideosview

 

[Karlynn]

Amazing - looks like he planned to do that all along!

 

[Ross]

Looks like a normal landing minus the pontoons for floating the aircraft.

 

[NewValveNY]

There were angels guiding that plane... I saw a newspaper cartoon with angels carrying the plane down. My father commented that it is like a modern day miracle. Unbelievable.
It causes me inner joy to know that your daughter's friend's father is going home to her.
Allan

 

[kfay]

He got out of the hospital yesterday and they caught a 5 pm flight to Charlotte. I don't know how he got on that plane. So far, everything seems to be ok with him, thank goodness. His daughter in the meantime, has had a great weekend with us here in the mountains skiing. We have been more than happy to keep her occupied while her parents sort out everything.

Here is an e-mail from his wife today:

Hi everyone,
A quick note of thanks to everyone of you for your thoughts and prayers and I am happy to say that Barry and I flew home last night once he was released from the hospital. It was an uneventful trip and a perfect end to our ordeal.
All is well here and it will be about 2 months for his sternum to heal, but all in all, everything is great! We are enjoying the warmth of Charlotte and comfort of home.
We love all of you and appreciate all the calls and support!!



Kim

 

[aussigal]

Amazing story ...its rare that we see such a dramatic incident on the news with a very happy ending...

It surely is a miracle.