And lo and behol’, it’s the Coast Guard.
UPDATE: Jeez, look at this icing-in they’re contending with now:
Frank Franklin II/Associated Press
UPDATE II: Hot zig, the BBC has even better video — a good long side-view of the landing. H/T RODNEY!
Oh good — was hoping somebody got this video — UPDATED X 2
January 17th, 2009 @ 11:31 am - by lotus · 9 Comments
Filed Under: Herald & Examiner
Wow, the first ferry is there in 4 minutes flat.
Seeing that skyline in the background makes the pilot’s landing decision and execution of same even more remarkable.
Somebody just sent this Rachel Maddow interview with Stephen Flynn, who wrote The Edge of Disaster: Rebuilding a Resilient Nation. He’s talking about the Airplane in the Hudson as a classic example of how training and preparation can come together in an emergency and produce a good outcome. Bottom line: this wasn’t a “miracle” — it was everybody doing their job properly. Maddow calls the segment “When infrastructure works.”
But it also reminds me of this book riddenword’s been telling me about — The Unthinkable: Who Survives and Why. Can’t remember the author, but the message is that WE are the first responders. Us. Regular citizens.
Here’s a good update on what they’re doing with the plane. Turns out the right engine is still attached, but the right wing is wedged into some pilings, so how to jimmy it loose is the trick. Been wondering if they can pull this off without a fuel spill . . .
Josh hears from a reader:
Note on the video that when the first passenger out to the end of the right wing slides into the drink, the next one zooms to the rescue.
I concur in Josh’s assessment of the superb seamanship demonstrated by the ferry skippers and the other boathandlers. A slipup by one of them could have turned that place into a watery grave.
The airmanship cannot be too highly praised. Airbus clearly builds a superb aircraft, but if the pilot had set plane down with the nose either a tad higher or lower, the plane expectedly would have perhaps broken apart just ahead of or just behind the wing’s main spar, or might have flipped onto its back nose-first. There’s no substitute for training, experience, and preparation.
I’ve thought repeatedly what the situation would have been like if the same incident occurred at Memphis, with the strong river current and the fewer vessels available for a rescue. It would a sad, sad story.
“It is not easy to take large craft like these, racing across the water and get them to slow down enough to ease up alongside a large bobbing object in the water without actually hitting it.”
Good point. I am also amazed that the captains were able to prevent the wake of the crafts from washing the passengers off the wings of the plane. Amazing and impressive.
A mortal challenge that everyone involved met beautifully — what a fine omen.
Whoa, run back up to the post for the BBC’s video, the best view yet!