US Airways Airbus: A Pilot’s Heroic Saga

It is a split-second decision by the pilot that makes a difference between life and death. Of course, the final outcome is generally attributed to lady luck. But the saga of the the man flying the aircraft, his gut instinct and experience, in saving the passengers inevitably turns into another legend in the fascinating history of man and the flying machines.

The Times of London has more on the rescue of passengers in New York. “Dramatic new details have emerged of the last moments of the US Airways Airbus before it crash-landed in New York’s Hudson River on Friday, with its pilot telling air traffic controllers: ‘We’re gonna be in the Hudson.’

“Captain Chesley B ‘Sully’ Sullenberger — hailed as a hero for guiding his crippled airliner to safe landing in the river, saving the lives of all 155 on board — told investigators that he decided to head for the river because trying to return to the airport carried the serious risk of a ‘catastrophic’ crash in a densely populated area.” More here…

The NYT recalls: “Captain Sullenberger, 57, the US Airways pilot…had been with the airline for nearly 30 years and was steeped in the safety side of the industry.” More here…

Photo above courtesy Associated Press: “Chesley B. Sullenberger III, the US Airways pilot who made an emergency landing in the Hudson, left. At right, he is seen during his days as an Air Force Academy cadet.”