You'll probably never be this cool

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090116/ap_on_re_us/plane_in_river_pilot

NEW YORK – The pilot who guided a crippled US Airways jetliner safely into the Hudson River — saving all 155 people aboard — became an instant hero Thursday, with accolades from the mayor and governor and a fan club online. The pilot of Flight 1549 was Chesley B. "Sully" Sullenberger III, 57, of Danville, Calif., an official familiar with the accident told The Associated Press. Sullenberger is a former fighter pilot who runs a safety consulting firm in addition to flying commercial aircraft. Sullenberger, who has flown for US Airways since 1980, flew F-4 fighter jets with the Air Force in the 1970s. He then served on a board that investigated aircraft accidents and participated later in several National Transportation Safety Board investigations. Sullenberger had been studying the psychology of keeping airline crews functioning even in the face of crisis, said Robert Bea, a civil engineer who co-founded UC Berkeley's Center for Catastrophic Risk Management. Bea said he could think of few pilots as well-situated to bring the plane down safely than Sullenberger. "When a plane is getting ready to crash with a lot of people who trust you, it is a test.. Sulley proved the end of the road for that test. He had studied it, he had rehearsed it, he had taken it to his heart." Sullenberger is president of Safety Reliability Methods, a California firm that uses "the ultra-safe world of commercial aviation" as a basis for safety consulting in other fields, according to the firm's Web site. Sullenberger's mailbox at the firm was full on Thursday. A group of fans sprang up on Facebook within hours of the emergency landing. "OMG, I am terrified of flying but I would be happy to be a passenger on one of your aircraft!!" Melanie Wills in Bristol wrote on the wall of "Fans of Sully Sullenberger." "You have saved a lot of peoples lives and are a true hero!!" The pilot "did a masterful job of landing the plane in the river and then making sure that everybody got out," Mayor Michael Bloomberg said. "He walked the plane twice after everybody else was off, and tried to verify that there was nobody else on board, and he assures us there was not." "He was the last one up the aisle and he made sure that there was nobody behind him." Gov. David Paterson pronounced it a "miracle on the Hudson." A woman who answered the phone at Sullenberger's home in Danville hung up on a reporter who asked to speak with the family. Candace Anderson, a member of the Danville town council who lives a few blocks from Sullenberger, said it was an amazing story and she was proud to live in the same town as the pilot. "You look at his training, you look at his experience. It was just the right pilot at the right time in charge of that plane that saved so many lives," Anderson said. "He is a man who is calm, cool, collected, just as he was today." Sullenberger's co-pilot was Jeff Skiles, 49, of Oregon, Wis., a 23-year US Airways veteran. "He was OK," said his wife, Barbara. "He was relieved that everybody got off." ___

NEW YORK – The pilot who guided a crippled US Airways jetliner safely into the Hudson River — saving all 155 people aboard — became an instant hero Thursday, with accolades from the mayor and governor and a fan club online. The pilot of Flight 1549 was Chesley B. "Sully" Sullenberger III, 57, of Danville, Calif., an official familiar with the accident told The Associated Press. Sullenberger is a former fighter pilot who runs a safety consulting firm in addition to flying commercial aircraft. Sullenberger, who has flown for US Airways since 1980, flew F-4 fighter jets with the Air Force in the 1970s. He then served on a board that investigated aircraft accidents and participated later in several National Transportation Safety Board investigations. Sullenberger had been studying the psychology of keeping airline crews functioning even in the face of crisis, said Robert Bea, a civil engineer who co-founded UC Berkeley's Center for Catastrophic Risk Management. Bea said he could think of few pilots as well-situated to bring the plane down safely than Sullenberger. "When a plane is getting ready to crash with a lot of people who trust you, it is a test.. Sulley proved the end of the road for that test. He had studied it, he had rehearsed it, he had taken it to his heart." Sullenberger is president of Safety Reliability Methods, a California firm that uses "the ultra-safe world of commercial aviation" as a basis for safety consulting in other fields, according to the firm's Web site. Sullenberger's mailbox at the firm was full on Thursday. A group of fans sprang up on Facebook within hours of the emergency landing. "OMG, I am terrified of flying but I would be happy to be a passenger on one of your aircraft!!" Melanie Wills in Bristol wrote on the wall of "Fans of Sully Sullenberger." "You have saved a lot of peoples lives and are a true hero!!" The pilot "did a masterful job of landing the plane in the river and then making sure that everybody got out," Mayor Michael Bloomberg said. "He walked the plane twice after everybody else was off, and tried to verify that there was nobody else on board, and he assures us there was not." "He was the last one up the aisle and he made sure that there was nobody behind him." Gov. David Paterson pronounced it a "miracle on the Hudson." A woman who answered the phone at Sullenberger's home in Danville hung up on a reporter who asked to speak with the family. Candace Anderson, a member of the Danville town council who lives a few blocks from Sullenberger, said it was an amazing story and she was proud to live in the same town as the pilot. "You look at his training, you look at his experience. It was just the right pilot at the right time in charge of that plane that saved so many lives," Anderson said. "He is a man who is calm, cool, collected, just as he was today." Sullenberger's co-pilot was Jeff Skiles, 49, of Oregon, Wis., a 23-year US Airways veteran. "He was OK," said his wife, Barbara. "He was relieved that everybody got off." ___

He was relieved that everybody got off

Now that is what I call service, making sure the mile highers finished before making them leave the plane.

their billing this as a "Miracle"..bah, this was a well trained crew, who did a great job, they ditched "properly", made sure they didnt sink the plane once it was down by not opening (or allowing a panicked passenger to open) the wrong doors, and from all indications, made no serious mistakes. No divine intervention needed, all the credit should go to the flight crew!

924guy wrote: their billing this as a "Miracle"..bah, this was a well trained crew, who did a great job, they ditched "properly", made sure they didnt sink the plane once it was down by not opening (or allowing a panicked passenger to open) the wrong doors, and from all indications, made no serious mistakes. No divine intervention needed, all the credit should go to the flight crew!

Exactly! NO 'deus ex machina' involved, just good training and common sense. I applaud the pilot and crew.

I think I heard the pilot had 19,000 hours. Thats a lot of stick time.

Well done. I think that that is the kind of feel good story that we need right now.

Hat's off to the crew and passengers, I'm glad that everyone made it.

The folks looking to drop the "age 60" mandatory retirement love this guy.

He is one reason the more experienced pilots need to be in the air, or at least that is part of the arguement.

Kudos to him; he can go home saying it was a GOOD day at work today.

spitfirebill wrote: I think I heard the pilot had 19,000 hours. Thats a lot of stick time.

Bah. I've had layovers in Atlanta longer than that.

Seriously, this is an awesome story. The REAL miracle in this instance is that apparently nobody panicked, and everyone reacted in a calm and controlled manner and—guess what—got out safely. The pilot did an amazing thing, but I think everyone who didn't scream at the top of their lungs and cry for their mommies—and as such, helped turn a potential disaster into an amazing rescue story—can consider themselves a hero.

jg

For those who don't know, flight attendants aren't mid-air waitresses. They have to be able to evacuate a plane using half of the available exits in 90 seconds. I worked as a flight attendant, and of our 6 week training, about 2 days was spent on "service". The rest was learning where the manual wheel extension hatch was on each plane (underneath seat 3D on C-FRST, from what I recall), memorizing commands until they were automatic, dealing with first aid, etc. The passengers might scream or cry, but you know how to get them out of the plane regardless.

Big props to the pilot for putting the plane down well, props to the rest of the crew for a good evacuation. A bunch of pros did their jobs properly.

The pilot might have 19,000 hours of stick time, but it's that last 20 minutes that really stands out.

924guy wrote: their billing this as a "Miracle"..bah, this was a well trained crew, who did a great job, they ditched "properly", made sure they didnt sink the plane once it was down by not opening (or allowing a panicked passenger to open) the wrong doors, and from all indications, made no serious mistakes. No divine intervention needed, all the credit should go to the flight crew!

Besides, if God was watching out for them, He woudn't have thrown birds into the engines to start with. ;)

Keith wrote: I worked as a flight attendant,

That doesn't help the Miata stereotype

Keith wrote: The pilot might have 19,000 hours of stick time, but it's that last 20 minutes that really stands out.

They didn't even make it that far. The news said they lost the engines about 45 seconds into the flight. He pretty much made a loop out of the airport and into the river missing an island full of tall buildings in between

Good job by the crew and pilot. That's 2-for-2 on airline crashes with no serious injuries or death.

spitfirebill wrote: I think I heard the pilot had 19,000 hours. Thats a lot of stick time.

That's who I want flying my plane.

Dude is a PIMP.

I'll gladly label him a hero.

If the guy flew an F-4, it probably wasn't his first emergency landing. While you can rehearse emergencies night and day, it isn't until you face a real one, that you KNOW if everyone will respond well.

Chris_V wrote: Besides, if God was watching out for them, He woudn't have thrown birds into the engines to start with. ;)

Exactly. I was listening to a radio show that was pointing out how ridiculous it was that people were thanking God that they survived. Obviously that is a common phrase but in this case there is NO reason to believe there is any human error involved and in this case it is quite the opposite, the problem was nature or "god" created, the solution was purely human.

I am still amazed the plane held together. I am guessing the engines ripped off on landing (which is a good thing) since it seemed to float really well, which is actually pretty impressive also. I wonder if they managed to dump the fuel before hitting the water, I am not sure they had enough time, but it would make the plane far more buoyant.

May not be a miracle, but that man is an instant LEGEND!! Big props to all the flight crew!

JG Pasterjak wrote:

spitfirebill wrote: I think I heard the pilot had 19,000 hours. Thats a lot of stick time.

Bah. I've had layovers in Atlanta longer than that. Seriously, this is an awesome story. The REAL miracle in this instance is that apparently nobody panicked, and everyone reacted in a calm and controlled manner and—guess what—got out safely. The pilot did an amazing thing, but I think everyone who didn't scream at the top of their lungs and cry for their mommies—and as such, helped turn a potential disaster into an amazing rescue story—can consider themselves a hero. jg

You should call when you are in town if you have a long layover; I know the watering holes convinient to the south side; the strippers are more outgoing in that area of the city as well! You think the guy did it just to advertise his business? Just kidding! Honestly, I would expect no less from a guy who use to pilot an F-4.

-Les

aircooled wrote: I am still amazed the plane held together. I am guessing the engines ripped off on landing (which is a good thing) since it seemed to float really well, which is actually pretty impressive also. I wonder if they managed to dump the fuel before hitting the water, I am not sure they had enough time, but it would make the plane far more buoyant.

I am not amazed by the fact that it floated.

Gasoline is lighter than water. The body is an airtight, hollow tube. Wings also have a lot of surface area. Airplanes are built to be as light as possible, given structural requirements.

The plane never sank. After everyone was off, it floated down the Hudson, and was towed into a harbor.

That does not diminish the judgement, skill, and composure that the pilot, crew, and passengers displayed.

Honestly, I would expect no less from a guy who use to pilot an F-4.

-Les

I honestly don’t want to start anything but just for the record, President Bush flew F-4’s as well…I don’t think he’s any kind of genius but if he were only twice as smart as the buffoon so many made him out to be, he wouldn’t have survived more than his first few flights at the controls of the super demanding, ridiculously quirky F-4.

Anyway, here’s a link to an article published today that addresses the recent trend towards increased airline crash survivability.

http://www.wtop.com/?nid=104&sid=1575702

Salanis wrote: ....Gasoline is lighter than water. The body is an airtight, hollow tube. Wings also have a lot of surface area. Airplanes are built to be as light as possible, given structural requirements....

Yes, but aluminum is still heavier than water, and the fuselage was open (the front hatch was open) so there is no trapped air. I only see two main areas that might help, the fuel tanks (which should be sealed, the vents shouldn't be an issue) and the cargo hold, which might be the real source of the buoyancy.

Surface area on those wings. That's what held it up. Get enough surface area, anything will float. That's why aircraft carriers have surprisingly little draft.

Of course, you gotta give alot of credit to the pilot for bringing it down nice and even in the first place. He's got a Samuel Jackson wallet coming to him.

RX Reven' wrote: ...but just for the record, President Bush flew F-4’s as well…

I believe Bush II flew the F-102 Delta Dagger. I am not sure if he ever flew F-4's but his National Guard squadron was F-102s. Not as quirky as an F-4, but it does have all the less than desirable low speed characteristics of any delta wing.

Tim Baxter wrote: Surface area on those wings. That's what held it up...

I doubt it. Surface area means nothing (realistically), it's water displacement that counts. I am pretty sure those wings are not sealed so they would fill with water (except for the fuel tanks), also if you have ever seen a modern airliner with the flaps full down and the speed brakes up, there really isn't a lot of wing there that is not part of the control surfaces.

There is also a picture of the plane strapped to a dock with one wing way up in the air, so I am pretty certain it is the fuselage that is providing the displacement.

The plane held a stable attitude of being pitched up & rolled to starboard by about fifteen degrees on both axis’s. Since it was clearly bobbing and perhaps even drifting, I don’t think it was making contact with the river bottom which allows us to determine where the buoyancy was coming from.

If the buoyancy was from the Jet-A in the wings which would be two pounds per gallon (Jet-A = six pounds per gallon / water = eight pounds per gallon), both wings would need to be partially submerged. I think the primary source of buoyancy came from the cargo hold as Aircooled indicated and the Jet-A in the starboard wing just provided sufficient stability to prevent the aircraft from rolling over.

Additionally, I suspect that less of the starboard engine was removed than the port engine creating a significant imbalance in lateral weight distribution.

A news report I heard indicated that this particular type of aircraft is equipped with some sort of 'ditch switch', which when activated seals all of the various openings in the fusalage to slow water infiltration in the event of a water landing.

Bottom line - this guy belly-flopped a commercial jetliner into the river so smoothly that everyone on board walked away. I'll fly with him any day of the week.