Miracle In Manhattan - Made Possible by The Man with The Right Stuff

While I was stuck in traffic today experiencing copious amounts of road rage I was texted with the news about the US Airways flight 1549. (yeah I know I shouldn't have been texting but traffic was at a complete standstill)

This is an incredible story.

From wcbstv.com
Mayor Lauds Pilot, Urges Caution On Crash Cause
Governor Calls Incident 'Potential Tragedy That Turned Into Most Spectacular Day For NYC's Agencies'
All 155 Onboard Accounted For, Only Minor Injuries Reported

The pilot of US Airways Flight 1549 was being lauded as a hero Thursday night after he somehow managed to land a plane with two blown engines safely in the middle of the Hudson River. All 155 passengers and crew have been accounted for, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.

Captain Chelsey Sullenberger - The Hero

The Man with The Right Stuff

And from the Wall Street Journal

Pilot Is Hailed for Pulling Off Feat Few Others Have Ever Done

Although commercial jetliners are equipped with life vests and inflatable slides for an emergency landing on water, it is a seldom-attempted feat. Indeed, even though pilots go through the motions of learning to ditch a plane in water, the generally held belief is that such landings would almost certainly result in fatalities.
The US Airways pilot accomplished that feat while simultaneously coping with numerous other challenges. In the minutes after takeoff, the pilot managed to maneuver past the skyscrapers of Manhattan and into the crowded Hudson River, even though the engines were disabled after apparently hitting a flock of geese.
Passengers said the plane was vibrating violently and the cabin began to fill with smoke. To reach its splashdown spot, witnesses said the jet glided over the George Washington Bridge before plopping into the water.

"The fact that passengers were able to walk off that airplane and wait on the wing for rescuers to arrive is remarkable. It's amazing," said aviation consultant Tommy McFall, a former airline pilot and retired accident investigator for the National Transportation Safety Board.

For more on this pilot and safety consultant, the Smoking Gun has his resume.

I could only hope that I would have a pilot with this level of professionalism every time I fly.