On January 15, 2009, US Airways Flight 1549 took off from New York. Soon after, a flock of Canada geese hit the plane at roughly 2,800 feet. Both engines lost power.
The captain was Chesley Sullenberger, called Sully. His first officer was Jeffrey Skiles. They had very little time.
Less than four minutes
From the bird strike to the water, it took less than four minutes. They checked whether they could reach nearby airports. They decided they could not. So Sully chose the Hudson River, right next to Manhattan, and guided the plane down onto the water.
There were 155 people on board, 150 passengers and 5 crew.
Everyone made it
Every person survived. About 100 had injuries, five of them serious. Ferry boats arrived within minutes and pulled people from the wings and the water. The last person was off the plane at 3:55 in the afternoon.
What stays with me
It was a pilot with years of training, a calm crew, and ferry captains who just went toward the problem. Nobody did it alone.
The good news is the same in your life. Years of small, faithful, unseen work get you ready for the moment you cannot plan for. Keep showing up. You are being prepared.
Source: read more about the facts here.
Keep reading
- More motivation
- Faith and hope
- Good news stories The crew beside him
Sully was not alone. First Officer Jeffrey Skiles sat beside him, and three flight attendants, Doreen Welsh, Donna Dent and Sheila Dail, worked the cabin. The NTSB report points to the crew’s decision making and teamwork, and to the flight attendants speeding up the evacuation, as reasons everyone survived. There were 155 people on board, and all of them lived. Ferries and rescue boats reached the river quickly. Big moments often look like one person’s work. Most of the time they are the work of a whole crew doing its job.
Years of flying behind him
Before the river there were many years in the air. Sullenberger flew F-4 fighter jets for the U.S. Air Force and began his airline career in 1980. By the day of the accident he had 19,663 flight hours, according to the NTSB, and 4,765 of them were in the Airbus A320. He retired from US Airways in March 2010 and turned to aviation safety work. Skill like his is built slowly, long before anyone is watching.
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