Comments on: We Needed A Hero This Week

By: guest

guest — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 23:59:25 +0000

Some part of me can’t help but view this as a little thumb in Taleb’s eye.
“Oh, what will you do if a whole flock of geese flies into both your engines?”
“Well, I’ll make the safest landing I possibly can, I guess.”
“NONSENSE, you shouldn’t even be flying you overconfident philistine!”

By: guest

guest — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 21:23:07 +0000

You know what is real legit? He was Blue Force Mission Commander for Red Flag at Nellis — that is as solid as you can get, essentially he was in charge of US forces in a live-fire exercise in a full out air war against another superpower.

By: guest

guest — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 16:57:54 +0000

@179
Well said. I can’t think of a better qualified captain to accomplish what he did yesterday. He’s also a Certified Flight Instructor – Glider. And gliding is what he did after he lost the engines.

By: guest

guest — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 16:45:18 +0000

@179, best comment so far. Although scary, what a great way to end the week. We can all learn and appreciate a lot from this episode.
Can’t wait to hear the pilot’s side of the story.

By: guest

guest — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 16:30:29 +0000

@164 here, thanks to the rational people, particularly @165 and 179. Good enough for me. As for you, @166, I’d tell you to bite me, but that sore on your lip is too scary. Go back to walking Dick Fuld’s dog.

By: guest

guest — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 16:14:48 +0000

@164 and 177… Although NY Air Traffic Control directed him to Teterboro, the pilot in command is always the ultimate authority and decision maker in an emergency, and is also the ONLY one who can evaluate the best option for trying to land the aircraft and save souls on-board and on the ground. Plus there is something else that has not been reported much, if at all — by choosing to attempt a water ditching, the pilot removed much of the risk of a post-impact fire. The aircraft had at least enough fuel to fly to Charlotte with virtually no time to dump fuel before landing — a failed attempt to land at Teterboro would almost certainly have resulted in a post-impact fire, threatening the safety of those on the aircraft and at the site of impact. And when you are low and slow, the turns needed to get to Teterboro would have bled off lots of airspeed and altitude, making an attempted landing at Teterboro much more risky than trying to set the aircraft down in the river. What makes it all the more remarkable is that the pilot only had a few seconds to evaluate his circumstances and options and then commit to a landing plan. Courage is grace under pressure.

By: guest

guest — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 15:57:14 +0000

175 I think that pilots are by nature cool under fire and part of maintaining that coolness is focusing on the task at hand rather than the range of potential outcomes. Which can drive you crazy. Sort of like some traders I’ve seen.

By: guest

guest — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 15:54:59 +0000

@164 Teterboro was probably as close as the crash site as the crow flies, assuming that the problem started at 4000 feet near Bronx Zoo. But the pilot would have had to first set a south course, then west then north because the Teterboro runways are in a north/south configuration. That would probably double the flying distance. Also ditching in the Hudson involved 1 turn as opposed to 3 turns.

By: guest

guest — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 15:46:36 +0000

A real no-bullshit resume: http://safetyreliability.com/yahoo_site_admin/assets/docs/Sullenberger_Profile.317143407.doc

By: blndebnker

blndebnker — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 15:45:50 +0000

Does anyone wonder what the pilots were thinking when they were trying to land? I mean I’m sure they were hoping for the best but they had no idea they weren’t going to crash. That had to be the most ridiculous feeling ever.

By: guest

guest — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 15:45:13 +0000

what happens to all the passengers belongings?

By: miami

miami — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 15:40:44 +0000

146 – go back to sorting mail on the 24th floor.
160 – No one gives two rats asses about your elementary school philosophy.

By: blndebnker

blndebnker — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 15:39:02 +0000

@168 – I’m totally with you. The whole thing is so unbelievable. Someone was on their side yesterday. And those pilots are rockstars. They will probably never have to buy another drink at a bar again. God knows I’d buy a round if I saw them.

By: guest

guest — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 15:31:34 +0000

170 Yr dead Jersey Guy

By: guest

guest — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 15:30:52 +0000

“That would actually be good – NJ people would then have to stay in NJ, where they belong”
Fucking bridge and tunnel crowd.
Long live Sully!