[Indy-Guy]

Appears that pilot did a great job and early reports are that all 148 people and crew all got out. Response was fantastic. Pilot landed plane in river!
Great job for all envolved!

[F16 1UB]

Helluva job for sure. The jet is capable of flying on 1 engine but it sounds like he flew into a flock of geese/ducks and flamed out both engines. Lucky passengers they had an experienced driver.

[KathieI]

OMG, I was praying the whole time until the official word came through that all the passengers were out and safe. I just can't believe this happened. What a shock... The pilots and crew sure are trained well, everyone just proceeded according to all safety precautions. Guess I'll pay more attention to the video on safety from now on.

[Donna]

I always pay attention when they review the emergency protocals..I never take any trip for granted!

I see some passengers reading a book, looking around and they too are in the emergency rows..

[GatorFan]

The pilot did a great job landing the plane and the flight attendants did an outstanding job of getting all the passengers out and into the life boats with no injuries.

Next time everyone flies, remember that flight attendants are not there to just serve you a drink. When they ask you to turn off your cell phone, put your seat belt on, put your carry on bags under the seat or in the overhead, put your seat up for landing, etc. do not ignore or give them a hard time. Just say Thank You

[KathieI]

I have tremendous respect for flight attendents, they do a fantastic job and put up with some abuse from some people.

[KathieI]

I've been listening all morning to the news programs interviewing survivors of the plane crash. It is truly amazing that they all survived and that such a catastrophe was avoided. By the grace of God, this went well because they had many things against them. I reckon it to 9/11 and perhaps the chance of that plane crashing into a skyscraper and killing tons of people. Every time I hear one of the stories, I thank God for allowing this to turn out okay. I was a white-knuckler before, now I'll be praying all the way while I'm driving!!!

[chelsea24]

That pilot and staff should receive some kind of an award or special recognition! That's an amazing story. And I heard last night that the pilot is 58 and they had a law in place that you must retire at 60. I didn't get the whole story, but I heard that might have been changed to 65. This man is truly a hero.

I love to fly and have always had the greatest respect for pilots and flight attendants. They are seriously not just "glam" jobs. I have never thought of flight attendants as just "glorified waitresses" as some call them. I know the training they go through and I think they're

[SteveFromNY]

It really was an incredible incident!
The pilot seemed to have done everything right. I'm sure his years of experience and his training in the AF as well as later played a huge role in this survival story.
One questions I have - He reached the Hudson north of the George Washington Bridge. I wonder was it instinct, co-incidence, training or luck that caused him to turn south along the river toward the city? Had he gone north, he would have avoided any potential mishap with boats in the river, and been farther away from buildings and people who could have been impacted by a crash. That certainly could have been viewed as a reasonable approach. On the other hand, though, turning south led him toward the city, and all the ferries, tugs, police and coast guard boats in the water which finished off the happy story by keeping the plane from sinking (looked like it was tied to a tug) and getting the folks out of the water before the plane sank and they froze. The few minutes needed for boats to head farther north could have been the difference between everyone living and everyone freezing/ drowning.
So why did the pilot turn south and make everything work out so well? I'd like to think he thought it through and decided the best chance of getting the plane down and everyone ashore was to put it in the river near the ferries and Circle Line, where there were some pretty large boats capable of carrying all the folks away quickly.
And whatever the pilots reason for going south, remember, in addition to the pilot, crew and apparently calm passengers, the guys in the Circle Line and the Waterway Ferries also deserve a little credit for their quick actions. One was interviewed, and he just said "I saw the plane come down and started untying the boat" . A great reaction that helped as well.

[KayakerNC]

Thank God everyone is alive and injuries were minor.
Looking at the pictures, all the little floating objects, seat cushions?? Carry-ons?
I wonder if the luggage will be recovered.
Planes are not made for water landings, these folks were blessed to have an experienced pilot.

[NJblue]

One questions I have - He reached the Hudson north of the George Washington Bridge. I wonder was it instinct, co-incidence, training or luck that caused him to turn south along the river toward the city? Had he gone north, he would have avoided any potential mishap with boats in the river, and been farther away from buildings and people who could have been impacted by a crash. That certainly could have been viewed as a reasonable approach. On the other hand, though, turning south led him toward the city, and all the ferries, tugs, police and coast guard boats in the water which finished off the happy story by keeping the plane from sinking (looked like it was tied to a tug) and getting the folks out of the water before the plane sank and they froze. The few minutes needed for boats to head farther north could have been the difference between everyone living and everyone freezing/ drowning.

While I had not thought about this from a perspective of pilot decision, I was thinking the exact same thing in terms of being in the area of lots of ferry boats, etc. I believe the immediate "touchdown" area was just off Weehawkin where a ferry boat does nothing but go back and forth to NYC all day long. If this had happened on just about any other waterway, the results could have been disasterous. If selection of this area to put it down was indeed a conscious decision by the pilot, then he is an even bigger hero.

[Fourpar]

At 3200 feet & no power he had very few options, and he was smart enough to understand that and make the best of what he had to work with: a big glider with a helluva sink rate and very little altitude. He did a Great Job and so did the rest of the crew!

[SteveFromNY]

Originally Posted by NJblue

While I had not thought about this from a perspective of pilot decision, I was thinking the exact same thing in terms of being in the area of lots of ferry boats, etc. I believe the immediate "touchdown" area was just off Weehawkin where a ferry boat does nothing but go back and forth to NYC all day long. If this had happened on just about any other waterway, the results could have been disasterous. If selection of this area to put it down was indeed a conscious decision by the pilot, then he is an even bigger hero.

I read an interview the pilot gave where he did say that he had no choice but the Hudson (city sidewalks wouldn't work) and he did decide to head downriver to reach a point where ferries and tugs would be readily available to help get the folks out of the water. So he did think it through!
It is an incredible testament to the kind of person this pilot is (smart, brave, cool under pressure), and the training he went through, that he could quickly process all of the information available and pick a spot where there were folks to help the passengers out of the plane. It's now even more amazing to me!

[Boomer]

60 Minutes will have the interview on Sunday and Larry King on Tuesday, February 10.

Some of the aviation websites have said that the pilot had a glider rating. That may have been reported from other sources, too.

There are no words to describe how amazing this was.

I wonder if the pilot will retire now. I would think that would have to be the most memorable exit in retirement history.

Boomer

[chelsea24]

Hearing the radio transmissions took my breath away. This pilot and crew deserve all the accolades and great things coming their way. The pilot sounded cool and calm. Amazing.

I've always been in awe of pilots with a secret dream of learning how to fly. My husband's a white knuckle flyer and one time we were landing in Chicago and the pilot came on and said he was just informed that we would be stacked up and didn't know how long, maybe 7 planes in front of us. I remember he had a very relaxed southern accent. My hubby immediately did not like this news. Then the pilot said, very calmly. "Folks, we don't have enough fuel for that length of time, so I've made a decision to fly back to Indiana and refuel. Now I know, we have more than enough to get there. Consider this little side trip on me." And he kind of chuckled in a deep reassuring way. Everyone applauded. Just his casual tone and good humor put everyone, including my hubby, at ease.

Anyone out there, pilots -- any crew, you have my deepest respect.