BREAKING NEWS: US Airways jet crashes into New York's Hudson River

[Roon]

Source: MSNBC

BREAKING NEWS: US Airways jet crashes into New York's Hudson River

Read more: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/

[dysfunctional press]

1. nothing more at the link yet...just a headline.

:shrug:

[Shardik]

80. Here's a link to the updated story with video

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28678669/

[OhioChick]

2. Damn, you're fast!

Flight 1549

From LaGuardia to Charlotte

[Roon]

7. I have news alert progs

A lot of other LBNers have them too. When I see an interesting story break, I scan LBN while at the same time post.

I used to race this one guy who hanged out in here. Forget his name, died a few years ago. But he was a hardcore LBNer. Sometimes I would beat him, sometimes he would beat me. We're talking minutes here.

[OhioChick]

16. I was typing fast... just as it was on CNN....

I hit post.....and you already had it! :)

[EconomicLiberal]

3. 146 passengers, 5 crew members.

No news on injuries/deaths.

[Mrs. Overall]

34. Wow, they are now saying there are probably no fatalities--everyone got out.

[Rebubula]

Animals

My hope is that there were no pets stowed in the cargo hold.

I am glad that all the humans made it out...but I hope the animals are OK.

[Muttocracy]

79. oh no, you're right - but I hope no pets shipped that way in the winter anyway. nt

[rucognizant]

130. Last time I checked

They wouldn't allow pet transport at this time of year!~

[rvablue]

82. Oh god. Me, too.........

I didn't even think of that .... :cry: :scared:

But hopefully since it's been so cold that there aren't any.

[sabbat hunter]

107. due to outside temps

There probably were no pets. Usually when the temps are too high or too cold the airlines won't allow pets as the cargo hold is not heated/air conditioned.


All passengers were rescued along with all crew.

[Lorien]

162. Yep. I believe that it has to be over 35 along the entire route

for animals to be allowed in the hold.

[uppityperson]

4. cnn live has streaming vid. Lots of boats (ferries?) around it.

[ecstatic]

5. A friend of mine just left NY enroute to Atlanta

I hope the passengers are doing well. It says this flight was headed to Charlotte so I'm thinking this isn't her flight?

[Cha]

6. Oh freakin' dear..

How the hell did that happen and I hope the best for the passengers and crew.

[liberal N proud]

124. Canadian goose

So they are reporting on MSNBC

[The empressof all]

8. They are reporting on MSNBC that it was birds

Pilot reported hitting a flock of geese. So sad for everyone involved and the geese too

[Hawkowl]

9. A little early

It's a little early for causes, but a large flock of geese could certainly take out both engines. There would probably be other additional complicating factors though.

[The empressof all]

41. Pilot reported hitting large flock of geese

What a great job he/she did in taking that plane down. BRAVO!

[marshall]

191. Those poor geese

Hopefully they went quickly and never knew what hit them.

[spinbaby]

Terrorist geese?

It looks like the plane is floating halfway out of the water. Hopefully everyone lived through it.

[dweller]

98. i saw a ticker running on the TV, "no terrorism suspected"

c'mon, those were CANADIAN geese...

dp

[jeff30997]

113. Mouahahahaah!

You American pigs are doomed!Now we demand an augmentation of the price of maple syrup of 1000%!:evilgrin:

[dweller]

153. feather pillows, down comforters and down vests and jackets

in every home! We'll be roasting goose on every holiday as a family tradition!

stick that in your took and smoke it :smoke:

dp

[BooScout]

10. AP Link

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jV9WYV6yQ3vPpmH9qhG6db-zhzqQD95NQ4QO1

US Airways plane goes down in Hudson River
4 minutes ago

NEW YORK (AP) — A US Airways plane has crashed into the Hudson River, sending passengers fleeing for safety in the frigid waters.

New York City firefighters are responding to the crash. It was not immediately clear if there were injuries.

Witness Barbara Sambriski, a researcher at The Associated Press, said, "I just thought, 'Why is it so low?' And, splash, it hit the water."

[Sebass1271]

11. Thank God obama is not sworn in yet.. This would have been

his fault.. :eyes:

[undeterred]

12. The Canadians brought down the plane

Canadian Geese, I mean.

[TrogL]

123. That's right, blame Canada

Last time it was "Canada, come get your geese - they're shitting all over the parking lot"

[Rosa Luxemburg]

139. probably French Canadian ones

:evilgrin:

[HeraldSquare212]

13. I can see it out my office window, lots of ferries, boats, etc at the site

and what looks like the tail thingy and maybe a tip of a wing sticking out of the water.

[alcibiades_mystery]

15. Live picture shows nose out of the water

Hopefully, they can get those folks out of the water fast.

Shades of the Potomac crash of the early 1980's.

[BooScout]

27. That's the tail

It says USAir on it.:(

[alcibiades_mystery]

14. Pilot will be a hero either way

But if he managed to save everyone's life, that would be fucking amazing.

[Hawkowl]

35. Skill and experience

My hat is off to him. Of course we (airline pilots) are extremely overpaid :) NOT!

[alcibiades_mystery]

43. You guys deserve double to salary

Fucking A.

Amazing.

[Cronopio]

76. So do air traffic controllers.

They save more lives in an hour than firemen do in a month.

And I'm not knocking firemen at all.

[Chovexani]

68. This would be why I fangirl pilots

You guys are amazing. :D

[trof]

158. Everybody says we are until something like this happens.

The we walk on water and no salary is too much.
Oh well.
:shrug:

[Chovexani]

165. As someone who is terrified of flying

I think you guys should make more than baseball players. All the time.

You get my fraidy ass from point A to point B in one piece, I love you.

[trof]

175. Thanks.

Management begrudged us our salaries.
At TWA, we suffered layoffs (3 for me), and pay cuts to try and keep the airline afloat.
Or aloft.
;-)
We managed to stumble along for a few more years.
I don't remember that management ever took pay cuts.
Or were laid off.
:eyes:

[jordi_fanclub]

17. PIC here

[Sebass1271]

20. the picture is showing poeple standing in the water??

[hedgehog]

22. Standing on the wing

[sohndrsmith]

29. Here is a dramatic photo from a Reuters article - people standing on the wings...

Kudos to the pilot for whatever he did. This photo is incredible...

http://www.reuters.com/article/domesticNews/idUSTRE50E7K420090115

[Shardik]

84. They were on their way to a Jesus convention.

I'm sorry.

[Sebass1271]

21. what a weird picture.. it looks like ppl are walking on water!!

is the river frozen or i am going blind....

[guitar man]

23. I believe

they are standing on the wing root

[XemaSab]

28. How surreal

Looks like it could have been much worse.

[OhioChick]

30. That's creepy looking. n/t

[onehandle]

57. Looks like it was shot with an iPhone. nt

[alcibiades_mystery]

18. Fuselage now submerged

Fuck.

[Graybeard]

19. Local news reporting it was on fire before crash.

A reporter with New York One News saw the plane with flames coming out before it went into the river. Commuter ferry boats immediately went to it to rescue passengers.

[RamboLiberal]

114. Probably coming from engine(s) - wouldn't be surprising

there might be some fire coming from an engine if they ingested geese.

[gauguin57]

24. In addition to the people on the plane ... must have been terrifying sight for New Yorkers.

Flashbacks ...

Prayers for everyone involved!

[Hawkowl]

25. Outstanding piloting!

Seriously to actually miss all the buildings and successfully ditch in the water is extremely difficult. Whatever happened it looks like the pilots managed to save a lot of lives.

[sohndrsmith]

32. Agreed. I've read bird strike is a top worry pilots have... n/t

[LibDemAlways]

150. My husband was recently on an Alaska Airlines flight out of Seattle that

had the same issue - birds ingested into the engine. Sparks flew but there was no fire and the plane returned safely to the airport. Birds near airports are, indeed, a big problem.

[alstephenson]

58. Kudos to the crew, too.

Getting all of those people safely off the plane is amazing.

[sohndrsmith]

77. absolutely. You are so right... nt

[truedelphi]

96. Good point to mention

Usually pilots make the news for scandals, like drinking and now the Indiana pilot who pretended to die in his crash this past weekend.

This pilot(s) is a credit to his profession.

[dave29]

109. Absolutely!

Amazing work considering the circumstances. And hats off to all rescue workers.

[Phoonzang]

26. A bit cold today to be taking a dip....looks like a good um...landing though.

The plane is still in one piece.

[tilsammans]

31. It is SO cold today!

Prayers for everyone's safe rescue.

It really is an amazing sight, all the ferries rallying around the partially submerged plane.

[slackmaster]

33. Technically that was not a crash

It was a ditch.

[Zenlitened]

39. And the plane is entirely intact.

That crew deserves medals.

CNN is interviewing a passenger who says EVERYONE survived.

[alcibiades_mystery]

Witness on MSNBC said only one person injured, pilot made very sift landing

As per passengers who already had exited the plane within 5 minutes of landing. Pilot may need a fucking medal.

[Hawkowl]

44. No medal

How about just restoring all the lost pensions?

[Zenlitened]

73. Deal!

Absolutely top-notch professionals, that crew. To ease a flying brick into the Hudson so gently that it's STILL there, in one piece, bobbing like a toy boat. Just incredible. :)

[slackmaster]

45. That is truly amazing

Kudos to the pilot, down with Canada geese.

[Beetwasher]

46. Wow! What An Amazing Pilot!!

:wow:

[ronnykmarshall]

52. Thank god!

[Hawkowl]

40. Indeed

A successful ditch no less! Extraordinarily rare with a large passenger jet.

[sohndrsmith]

99. thanks for the clarification - you're right, they're calling it a "ditching"... n'/t

[Endangered Specie]

187. I wonder if the plane is servicable after that...

A good landing is one everyone walks away from
A great landing is when they can use the plane again

[LostinVA]

36. Where was it flying to?

[BooScout]

37. I think Charlotte NC n/t

[gauguin57]

60. To Charlotte, and then on to Seattle

as per MSNBC

[sohndrsmith]

38. msnbc reporting 164 passengers, CORRECTION: now they're saying 148/5...

that's more than a 737's seating capacity, I believe, so the description that this is a "small plane" seems a little inaccurate to me.

Looks like many - (hopefully all) - passengers have been or are being rescued... thank goodness. Wow.

EDIT: also reporting there are divers on the scene - not sure why or if that's accurate. It's breaking news so facts sometimes change as things progress...

[Shakespeare]

51. It's an Airbus 320. That's not a small plane.

High praise for that pilot. :thumbsup:

[sohndrsmith]

63. you're right on both counts. AirBus A320 is a big plane and the pilot is a BIG hero... n/t

[blitzburgh55]

42. Local news in Pittsburgh reported all pax and crew rescued!!!

Woo hoo!

[Hawkowl]

49. !!!!!

I hope so! Incredible.

[sohndrsmith]

50. I just heard one witness on scene said he saw only one injury among

all the rescued passengers he saw. That is just amazingly good news...

[qanda]

54. That would be most fantastic...

What a pilot!

[jb5150]

47. I'm praying

that everyone is ok.

[beam me up scottie]

48. Let's hear it for the pilots and crew!

Can you imagine having to put THAT down in the freaking Hudson River?

No heavenly miracles here, just some highly skilled human beings.

:headbang:

[sohndrsmith]

53. Damn straight... he lost both engines... perhaps simultaneously... they deserve a medal and more n/t

[beam me up scottie]

101. Many many people could have died, including those on land.

I'm in awe.

[ronnykmarshall]

55. Amazing ...

:bounce: for the crew !

[beam me up scottie]

108. Ignoring their own fear so they could save the passengers can't be easy.

[Chovexani]

71. That pilot was fucking amazing.

I don't even have words.

[beam me up scottie]

116. Yes he was.

Amazing sums it up.

[Cleita]

56. Whew! Now that all the passengers and crew are safe, I can joke about it.

Will the surviving geese that brought down the airplane with a suicide mission be sent to Gitmo for enhanced interrogation?

[sohndrsmith]

61. we really don't know about injuries yet, however...

a flock of geese is really dangerous situation... I hope all those who are safe are also well and uninjured or minimally injured.

It's still early and information can change rapidly.

[Cha]

64. Can you imagine how the passengers

felt going down? I can:scared:

[XemaSab]

69. A dude on MSNBC said

they would have been told to brace for impact. :scared:

[Cha]

86. Ye-ah! And,

not knowing if this were your last "brace"..so glad they're okay.

[XemaSab]

105. A few years ago in the Lounge

someone (I forget who) recounted a story of a BAD approach in the Andes.

I think I would have DIED of fear. Just literally died. :scared:

[Cha]

120. I hear that..I just

flew at Thanksgiving time across the country to Portland, Ore after 6 years of not flying. I know how I was everytime the plane took off and landed.

[Chovexani]

65. According to our local news

50-60 people are at St Luke's Roosevelt being treated for exposure.

It's sounding like we dodged a real tragedy here.

[Zenlitened]

70. Video shows many, many survivors WALKING...

... off the ferryboat and onto the pier.

Shaken and shivering, yep. But walking under their own power, hurrying up the ramps to get inside and warm.

Absolutely astounding!

[gauguin57]

59. MSNBC just said the plane was headed for Charlotte, and then on to SEATTLE.

For those wondering if friends were on board, etc...

[sohndrsmith]

62. Flight 1549 from LGA to NC then SEA-TAC. link to NYFD rescue audio below:

http://marcambinder.theatlantic.com/archives/2009/01/us_airways_flight_1549.php

[EconomicLiberal]

66. The FBI just released a photo of the potential main suspect

[BeyondGeography]

74. Figures

:rofl:

[Sebass1271]

78. LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!11

A TERRORIST BIRD!!

[Chovexani]

88. Osama been Quackin

Watch out for Al-Qaeduck.

[gauguin57]

67. MSNBC showing people, wearing lifevests, arriving at hospital

... plus others walking to safety, looking pretty sound. Thank god.

from cnn.com

A passenger said he was "pretty sure" everybody on the plane got out.

"Somehow, the plane stayed afloat and we were all able to get on a raft," said the passenger, Alberto Panero. "It's just incredible now that everyone's still alive."

[Chovexani]

72. All this could have been avoided

Had greywarrior let that poor duck in her sig go!

Fowl revenge, this is!

(and yes, I'm joking because everyone appears to be safe. Hats off to the pilot and crew.)

[alcibiades_mystery]

75. FAA says ALL passengers and crew survive Hudson crash

:-)

[Shardik]

89. That is wonderful news.

I've been reading that on other news sites as well. Someone buy that flight crew a round!

[Zenlitened]

81. And three cheers for the ferryboat crews, too!

They reacted instantly. Saw that plane going in and were already steering toward the scene.

I (heart) New York!

[Muttocracy]

83. and the cold divers who jumped in from helicopters!! nt

[condoleeza]

87. Just so great to see something work like it's supposed to

I cannot wait to hear the audio from the cockpit. This pilot deserves hero status.

[rvablue]

91. This has had me in tears for the past few minutes ... gotta love New Yorkers

those ferry crews didn't wait a second!

Can you imagine being on the Circle Line today?

They probably made an announcement for every to sit down and hang on!

And off they sped, in a heart beat!

Sorry, but the idea of this is so touching to me!


:cry:

[2Design]

106. me too - I have flown in and out of laGuardia so many times

the last time this happened, I don't think it was as positive outcome from something so bad

[Stephanie]

172. I saw a helicopter go down in the Hudson last summer

And the response was unbelievable. The funniest thing was this big tourist boast calld the SeaMonster or something. All the cops and firemen jumped on headed out there. There were tons of boats, vehicles, etc. All in a very short time, and to rescue I think three people, who all came out fine. I guess if you're going to go down a river in the middle of NYC at least insures instant response.

[hardtravelin]

181. That's how we roll!!! n/t

[rvablue]

186. Yes you do, hardtravelin, and that is why America loves NY!

:hug:

[sohndrsmith]

92. YES! Good call! They're quick response is a crucial part of this. n/t

[Marie26]

85. Whew!

Thank God everyone was alright; the pilot made an amazing landing under extreme conditions.

[Sultana]

90. Thank God, everyone got out safe

[sohndrsmith]

95. Yes, thank goodness. But safe does not equal uninjured.

I just heard that most patients are being treated for exposure and/or trauma - I hope any and all injuries are minor. Heck, common turbulence can cause serious injury (broken limbs or worse) if passengers aren't buckled in...

I'm not ready to consider this joke-worthy. ... (don't mean you - I just don't like the jokes that have shown up, myself... )

Its way to early

[Muttocracy]

97. yeah, just saw a passenger interviewed on MSNBC - everyone shaken hard, heads hit, some cuts. nt

[sohndrsmith]

100. I survived a car crash - hit a tree at 45mph - no blood injury but near-fatal internal injury - and

that is NOTHING compared to the impact these people may have experienced... I saw the passenger too. His voice was so shaky. Incredible. I hope all the passengers are okay, that's all.

[graywarrior]

93. Can't wait til they interview the pilot

[harmonicon]

131. neither can I - I'm afraid it may be a relative of mine :(

He lives in Charlotte and is a pilot for US Air.... I don't know what route he's flying right now though. I'm a little freaked out by this, but trying to be calm.

[graywarrior]

134. He deserves a gazillion medals

[nickyt]

148. Medals, yes, but I need a ticker-tape parade right NOW!!

The pilot and crew up front in a convertible, and ALL those calm and cool passengers being driven behind them!! Hot cocoa for everybody! Bands, tubas, drums, kissing, hugs, jubilation!!

I first thought, when tuning into tv coverage, that the plane was about to sink, that everyone was still on it, and then....OMG, they're all already OFF the dang thing!!

Damn! I am so proud and happy! What a day!!

[graywarrior]

160. Stuff like this just makes you feel good, doesn't it?

[harmonicon]

157. well, I hope it WASN'T him!!

He deserves medals anyway. Knowing that a cousin of mine that I'm close with a trust dearly is an airline pilot makes me feel better every time that I get in a plane. I know from him just how much training these guys have, how seriously they take the job, and just how difficult it is and important to them. It's sort a miracle to me that any plane takes off and lands safely.

[jmowreader]

174. No, what he deserves...

is to go to DC on Tuesday and be mentioned by name on national television by our legitimate president.

[graywarrior]

176. That would be very cool

[gauguin57]

94. Thank you God! This should serve as a reminder that passengers need to know emergency procedures.

All are safe! Kudos to the flight crew.

This is a reminder to all of us who fly ... know where the exits are, listen to the flight crew, look at the card in your seat pocket, know how to inflate your life vest, etc.

I'm such a nerd when I fly ... though I've seen it dozens of times, I still watch the flight attendants show how to use your seat cushion as a flotation device, use emergency oxygen and inflate the life vest. I always look at the emergency-procedures card, and figure out where the nearest exit is.

Ya never, never know!!!

[sohndrsmith]

103. God, pilot and crew - and the passengers, too - they evacuated EXTREMELY well, it seems n/t

[RamboLiberal]

104. Another nerd here and I do the same thing

I pull out and read the card first thing. Try to figure out where closest exit, and next closest and some idea of number of seats between. And I watch the FA or the video on the newer planes.

Kudos to the crew of this US Airlines flight! Pilots and let's not forget the FA's! I'm sure they helped make sure all got out. Too often passengers treat them as flying waitresses and waiters.

[sohndrsmith]

111. Me too. It makes me frustrated when it seems like many "seasoned" flyers almost

make a point of proving that they ignore the safety instructions. Some people probably are just not paying attention but I ALWAYS pay attention and read the card and take it seriously, even though I fly a LOT and could probably recite the entire thing verbatim.

Still, being prepared, planning ahead, musing over scenarios and ensuring you know where exits are in relation to your seat, etc., are the things that make the difference between tragedy and survival.

These passengers deserve a lot of credit, too, for doing what they needed to do so well and so fast... I applaud them and hope they're all well.

Better to be a nerd and alive than flippant and dead, in my view.

[dbmk]

155. The trick is getting the seat next to the emergency exit! :)

Extra leg space, baby. And you get to pull a plane apart(sort of), in case.
I think I have gone over the instructions with the stewardess on 4 or 5 different kind of doors by now.

My favourite incident was sitting behind a guy that also sat beside an emergency exit (2 rows with doors - I ofc had my seat secured :) ) - and the rubber sealing around the door wasn't completely tight and the guy called the steward to inform him. His response (mind you this was a Scandinavian flight - Helsinki-Copenhagen - so the steward was probably not 100% fluent in english): "Don't worry sir. When we are up in the air it will go "Whoom!"" - with an outwards arm motion.
To indicate that the pressure would pull it tight ofc. Nice job of calming the guy down there, partner.
Had me laughing, though. :)

[slutticus]

125. And remember, the closest exit may be behind you

:)

I'll always pay attention from now on.

[rvablue]

138. Nerds rule! And we finally get one in the Oval Office! n/t

[dweller]

102. what an amazing story

i was just getting off work when this happened and saw it on the news at work, no one was paying attention to it. The sound was down...

there is a large plane floating in the Hudson, fully intact, with boats floating around it... and all passengers and crew were saved!

that pilot deserves the medal of freedom or something, 'let's just set it down here on top of the river'
dp

[AngryAmish]

110. Way to go, Bush!

Will we never be rid of that cancer?

[sohndrsmith]

112. huh? n/t

[asksam]

168. Deregulation of the airlines

which is directly attributable to Rethugs. If there was more regulation and oversight, these things wouldn't happen.

Just another thing to add to the list of Rethug crimes when we start prosecuting next week.

[Abq_Sarah]

170. Birds wouldn't fly into engines

If there were more regulation?

uh-huh. :D

[asksam]

171. Of course you'd still have birds...

... but airplanes would be required to be able to not crash when encountering them.

If we can put a person on the moon, I'm sure we can figure out a way to not have birds cause plane crashes. The fact that we don't have that is the fault of the Rethugs, 100%.

[Dreamer Tatum]

180. That is stunning in its dumbness

Airplanes would be REQUIRED NOT TO CRASH. Hm.

Your low post count betrays you.

[Regret My New Name]

182. Caricature much?

[sohndrsmith]

115. hopefully this will pre-empt his upcoming worthless adress. This is far more important. n/t

[Muttocracy]

117. amazing new photos at nytimes.com - can see people standing in water on the wings

http://nytimes.com

[sohndrsmith]

121. Wow. Thanks for the link. The Reuters photos (particularly #2 out of 5) just stunned me...

http://www.reuters.com/article/domesticNews/idUSTRE50E7K420090115

(edited for typo)

[billyoc]

118. Damn, I just flew out of New York to Seattle last night.

:scared:

[sohndrsmith]

126. Perhaps a very smart move - I don't think geese formations fly at night...

glad you had a safe trip.

I am amazed and grateful for the skill of our commercial pilots in this country and the high rate of safety we have for commercial flights... these professionals deserve so much credit (and more).

[Muttocracy]

128. geese often fly at night. nt

[sohndrsmith]

133. that's why I said "think"... I know I've heard them many times at dusk--near dark but I've never

heard them at night. Clearly that doesn't mean they don't fly at night, hence my qualifier. Birds and planes don't mix no matter what.

I just heard what I've read many times before... birds are just about the scariest thing to face, according to many (if not all) pilots...

[Muttocracy]

142. A few times I've heard small flocks in the middle of the night - does surprise me

but I think some birds migrate primarily at night (don't know why - avoid predators?)

I found out about geese from hearing about rescued border collies trained to keep geese away from airports - but I expect there's nothing you can do around NYC.

[sohndrsmith]

151. makes sense. Plus they have to travel incredible distances, so I'm not surprised... I just

made a (clearly) inaccurate assumption. Only birds I see or hear at night are nocturnal (owls, nightjars, etc.) but flying at night when migrating doesn't mean geese are nocturnal.

Well there goes my plan to feel safer about bird strikes when I fly at night :). I love to fly even though I used to be terrified.

Still I think bird strikes are rare - and to have both engines hit... dayum...

[Myrina]

119. So much for media coverage of Dimson's Mea Culpa tonight ...

... Mother Nature hates him so much that even geese are sacrificing their lives to keep him off the news!!

[sohndrsmith]

122. I was going to suggest a boycott of the darn thing anyway... n/t

[MichaelHarris]

127. Osama bin

Goose.

[sohndrsmith]

129. Not really funny, (to me...). Can you imagine how any New Yorkers who may have

witnessed this felt seeing this huge plane descending in the wrong spot right off the shoreline near the Intrepid?

What do you think would have been their first thought?

Note to G W Bush: You need to shut up about the "success" of having no attacks since 9/11. That attack - the worst in US history - DID happen on your watch and you ignored the warnings, and ALL administrations prevent numerous attacks, both domestic and international. So just shut the heck UP because you did nothing extraordinary other than dismiss the worst tragedy in US history.

Ugh. sorry for the rant...

[politicasista]

132. On second thought, you're right n/t

[rvablue]

137. Don't be sorry for the rant, sohnrsmith,

I found the speed with which jokes were being coined RIGHT after this incident pretty off color actually, given the location and context of it all.

Maybe it's the way some deal with nerves/shock/adreneline?

[sohndrsmith]

144. yah, and I just saw the one witness report "one lady's leg got cut off" and "people

were bleeding all over the place"....

Thank GOD people survived (and I rarely if ever use this phrase unless it's appropriate = and it is right now), but there are people who are and/or may be severely injured. Brain injury is no laughing matter.

Still, I'm grateful this was not worse - it certainly couldn't be. But having experienced near-fatal impact injury myself (massive internal trauma) , I don't laugh at impact events. There is nothing funny about this, but lots to be grateful for...

[politicasista]

147. Yikes! Hope that lady will be ok

Thank goodness the people got off safely. I am no stranger to brain injuries. My aunt died 2 1/2 years ago from a brain aneurysm.

[sohndrsmith]

161. well, the survivor may be wrong, we don't know yet. They are saying there are

no major injuries, and I am overjoyed to hear that. It's too early to know.

Water is very hard when you hit it at great speed, so that's a heck of a jolt. I hope everyone is safe and injuries are minor at best.

I'm sorry to hear about your aunt. My mother is about to have surgery for blockages in her carotid arteries (she's survived 5 heart attacks and her aunt died of a stroke), so I'm keeping a keen eye on any signs or symptoms of a problem.

After surviving a serious car crash, I was told 5 years later that I likely suffered brain injury, based on brainwave tests. Still not sure what it all means, but my life has not been the same since that event... so I'm no stranger to it either and it's very frustrating, particularly when you don't know what's wrong. Memory, organizational and attention difficulties were attributed to stress by doctors early on (My doctors were attending to my massive internal bleeding and subsequent transfusions accident reports have both loss of consciousness and no loss of consciousness listed, so who knows). The tests indicate an injury, but I'm lucky... whatever happened to my brain, it was minor compared to what it could have been.

[politicasista]

173. Thanks

I heard that a woman fractured her leg and went into surgery. Other passengers were treated hypothermia, but no major injuries. The pilots and crew did an excellent job!

I am sorry to hear about your mother. Hope she makes it through heart surgery. That sounds scary. Yep. My aunt died unexpectedly 3 weeks before Christmas. It was really hard because her son is on locked down and there was no will. To pay for funeral expenses, my mom and other aunt had to have an estate sale; and have everything out of her old house at a certain date.

I am also sorry to hear about your brain injury from a car accident. I agree, you are lucky to be alive. Hang in there. :hi:

[MichaelHarris]

141. Depends,

do they want to live with fear and terror the rest of their lives or realize not everything that happens isn't terrorist related? Will the passengers of this flight fear Geese the rest of their life?

[sohndrsmith]

146. I'm not making a judgment on how people live or if they do/do not "live with fear", but

regardless, I think there are few New Yorkers who would not be brought back to what happened in 2001 if they saw a large plane in the wrong place (flying a few hundred feet over the GWBridge????).

Has nothing to do with a choice of living in fear, it has to do with recalling that tragedy upon seeing something so similar. Has nothing to do with how people live their lives and makes no judgment on them whatsoever.

I can agree with you that it doesn't help to live in fear, but I still don't think your joke was funny. Nothing personal - it's just my opinion! : )

[MichaelHarris]

149. That's cool and all but let me ask you

How many planes hit buildings in New York on 9-11? Now how many plane crashes have happened in New York other than 9-11? Final question, whenever a plane crashes in and around New York How many "first" reports use the word terrorism?

[sohndrsmith]

152. My point: the imagery would have been very frightening for any witnesses, don't you think? n/t

[MichaelHarris]

154. anything like that

would be very frightening, being involved or seeing it. What me, and others on DU mock is the "flying off the handle" terrorism yelps. What you're not seeing are jokes on DU about the crash, there are no jokes about the people involved. If you look at the posts you may see as in bad taste they are actually mocking the media and/or fear that has been sold us for eight years. Funny, light-hearted, off-color posts have nothing to do with these peoples situation or those witnessing it. They are posts that mock fear-mongering and the media.

[sohndrsmith]

Funny, I've been a life-long New Yorker and when the story hit, terrorism

never entered my mind. Had I seen the flight on descent, though, I would have immediately been brought back to 9/11 and it would have likely been the first thing on my mind - and terrifying.

I've been watching msnbc since the story broke (literally - as in interrupting the Holder hearing) and there was never a mention of terror or terrorism whatsoever.

I did hear one reporter muse over the same thing I did shortly after I posted it - imagining what witnesses may have thought seeing the plane over the Hudson... that was the only reference I've heard yet and I've been watching/listening to the entire report without interruption. So there has been zero fear-mongering/promoting on the part of msnbc, appropriately so.

I'm glad people aren't automatically assuming "terror" upon hearing of this... and I'm glad the news I'm hearing did not even speculate on it just to heighten the drama of the story.

If Bush were not on his way out, I would bet that he would be one to suggest such an inference... ugh.

[Chovexani]

185. I'm a native NYer and think it's funny

Most of us are sarcastic bastards and once we know everything's ok, we let it rip. :shrug:

[sohndrsmith]

135. Considering the number of surveillance cameras (particularly in/around NYC) I wonder if

any of them caught footage of the plane's descent and/or crash. I'll bet the news media is scrambling on this as we speak.

Not sure I want to see it - can't imagine being a witness, considering recent history.

[Divine Discontent]

136. I had a vision of a disaster happening on the coast somewhere but saw no death just about 1 hour ago

and turned on the laptop after I got up and saw this headline on DU then flipped on the TV.

I'm so happy for them that no one died, what a blessing to them! How unique of a situation, what skillful pilots.

[beam me up scottie]

145. Are you kidding? nt

[Divine Discontent]

177. nope. happens every so often, I wish I knew why.

I had a vision one early morning that I shared with my sibling, that Jerry Falwell was going to die soon. I didn't know when, but I went to bed and when I got up later that morning I saw he died of a heart attack. I was stunned. They rarely happen, but now when I get a feeling that I notice as strong I try and tell someone asap, this time though I was laying in bed resting, so once I got up I flipped open the laptop and saw this happened possibly right when I thought of it. Purpose? Who knows.

[beam me up scottie]

179. I'll admit I'm a hard core skeptic, but I admire your honesty.

Stating that you have the gift of precognition on DU doesn't always end well. :)

[Divine Discontent]

184. :)

I know. The last time I mentioned it I was flamed by someone. It certainly didn't bother me, I know what I see or feel.
Thanks for the reply, it made me smile.

[lunatica]

140. I think we've seen the result of emergency response exercises

The way the Shuttle boats reacted seems like they've practiced for this. Usually accidents like this would be left for the Coast Guard to deal with, but I bet there's a city wide emergency plan now which involves all kinds of public transportation systems and companies.

They do this kind of training in the San Francisco Bay Area in which they coordinate the rescue services from all the cities on the Bay. After the big fire in the Oakland hills fire stations all over the East Bay started coordinating their resources to jump in at a moment's notice. And they have massive rescue exercises in case of earthquakes like the Loma Prieta one.

[sohndrsmith]

166. just thinking the same thing... they've done an incredible job. The training and changes

have clearly been well worth the effort. You're so right.

[connecticut yankee]

143. I heard

that all the boats (whatever kind) in the area rushed to the scene to help load the passengers and bring them to shore.

It must have been horrific -- the temp in NYC was 19 degrees at the time.

[RL3AO]

156. Poor air kittens

;)

[yodermon]

159. I am in NY right now. Tomorrow I fly from LGA to Charlotte, on USAir, 5 pm.

Um,
:scared:

[DesertRat]

163. You'll be fine

:hug:

[yodermon]

164. thanks

:toast:

[sohndrsmith]

167. awe... don't worry! Things like this are extremely rare. If anything,

pilots are going to be even more alert to this issue (if that's possible, I think they are always alert to it and train for it regularly) after this incident.

I once read that you're more likely to get killed by a donkey than in a plane crash, and how many of us come in direct contact with violent donkeys? Or maybe it was a hippo (who are pretty darn nasty).

You going to drive to the airport? Did you drive today? You were in far more danger in either instance than you will be aboard that plane. Kind of puts it in perspective, no?

Imagine the number of flights we have every day - and how exceedingly rare even minor problems are... (not talking about annoyances like delays and such). Think about it.

But I can empathize. I loved flying as a kid, then after I had children I was so terrified I didn't think I could ever fly again. Now I love it again because I started doing research. It helped to get used to and learn about the different noises and dings and movements of the plane so that I knew they were normal and was able to recognize them. Flying a LOT and learning about the mechanics was a good cure for me.

You'll be fine... but I know, I know... have a great trip and I hope you enjoy it!

[Sheets of Easter]

169. Amazing that everyone survived.

That is really good news.

[Mister K]

178. The Hero - Chesley B. "Sully" Sullenberger, III

www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/years/2009/0115093hero1.html

[hardtravelin]

183. ex-F4 Phantom fighter jock...

Doesn't surprise me that he could pull it off.

[ConcernedCanuk]

188. Imagine that - high tech planes taken out by the lowly Canadian Goose?

.
.
.

Now I feel safer from our aggressive neighbors to the south

and I think it's time all us Canuks start breeding them Geese!

WMD's from Canada

Wings of Mass Destruction!!!

[TiaCarrera]

189. Few raw close-up footages of the incident..

It's such a miracle all the passengers and the crew survived in this terrific incident, however, thanks to the pilot's skills and perhaps fate's blessing for providing a river where the plane could land causing least injuries to the passengers.. Maybe also thanks to the pure luck the plane did not explode while still in the air due to some unknown reason, and to the suitable weather conditions. Here are a few raw close-up videos of the airbus crash, the rescuers and the first survivors - some shivering and yet stressed, some smiling and soaking in their new life.

[marshall]

190. Women and children first...

Nice to know chivalry isn't dead. /sarcasm