So unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve probably heard about Asiana Airlines Flight 214 crash-landing at SFO. Two people died, two more were paralyzed, and dozens more were critically injured. It was a horrific scene, but it could have been worse. It’s still enough to put people off on flying. If you’re stressed out or weary about your next flight, try to remember about Captain Sully and the Miracle on the Hudson. On January 15. 2009, US Airways Flight 1549 lost both engines to a flock of geese shortly after takeoff. Captain Chesley B. “Sully” Sullenberger had about three and half minutes to save the 155 lives on board. He could have returned to LaGuardia or attempted to land at another nearby airport, but with both time and altitude running out, he instead pulled off the most successful airplane ditch in history by splashing down in the Hudson River. The crew managed to evacuate everyone safely, aided by commuter ferries and emergency response watercraft. Captain Sully walked up and down the aisles twice to ensure that everyone else was off the plane before he also evacuated. He was the last one off the plane. Sully was correctly heralded as a hero. He did everything that he could to save lives, and succeeded. Everyone on board has a new lease on life and a second chance because of him. There’s no such thing as a routine flight, but you should be relieved that there are still pilots of Sully’s caliber in the sky. It’s all too easy to forget miracles in times of disaster and tragedy. Try not to.
Critically Rated at 15/17
Written, Rated, and Reviewed by Brendan H. Young
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