NationStates Jolt Archive

Breaking US News

US Airways Plane Crashes Into Hudson River
NEW YORK (CBS) ―

A U.S. Airways airplane has crashed into the Hudson River, CBS 2 has learned. The plane appears to be in one piece and passengers are being evaucated by rescue teams.

Officials tell CBS 2 the airplane is Flight 1549, an Airbus 380 that took off from La Guardia Aiport. There are reports that there were about 60 people on board.

There is no word on injuries to passengers.

The plane is floating upright in the water near the USS Intrepid.

http://wcbstv.com/breakingnewsalerts/us.airways.crash.2.909535.html

I'm hearing possible birdstrike.

The hudson river is not THAT wide...what are the odds?

Let's hope everyone's okay.

Must have hit a whole flock of birds... the A380 has four engines, and can fly with either one of the inner ones operative, or both of the outer ones operative.

Might be icing. That really fucks with lift. I remember a 737 crash on takeoff here in the DC area years back - right after the plane was de-iced. It flew VERY shortly, and was almost immediately iced up again.

Just after take-off so with a full compliment of passengers, baggage and fuel, it's still floating.

How polluted is the Hudson? Maybe that's helping keep it afloat? :p

Shouldn't be too long before some right-wing nut claims Al'Qaeda is training suicide pigeons to fly directly into aircraft.

Sad. It makes me think of the Air Florida crash into the Potomac/14th St bridge in D.C. some years back. The problem then was snow/ice buildup on the wings and a pilot that didn't go back to get de-iced, despite a long delay for takeoff.

I find it hard to imagine that a bird would take out an A-380, unless we're talking "Mothra", or something.
http://fred2blue.files.wordpress.com/2008/05/godzilla-versus-mothra.jpg

Hmm, light snow at noon and traces since. I wonder?

Actually, a nice chunk of the hudson river is a good twoi miles wide.

Thank, and the pilot may have steered for it in hopes of a softer landfing.

Should I mention that planes often fly over water to decrease the damage done to the areas below if there's a crash?

Might be icing. That really fucks with lift. I remember a 737 crash on takeoff here in the DC area years back - right after the plane was de-iced. It flew VERY shortly, and was almost immediately iced up again.
That was probably Air Florida. The pilot didn't do many things right. Including failure to return to the gate to get de-iced after a 50 minute delay for take-off in a snowstorm. He also didn't use the engine anti-ice and failed to abort the takeoff after experiencing power loss on his takeoff roll.

Shouldn't be too long before some right-wing nut claims Al'Qaeda is training suicide pigeons to fly directly into aircraft.

http://www.freakingnews.com/pictures/15000/Suicide-Bomber-15424.jpg

Actually, a nice chunk of the hudson river is a good twoi miles wide.

Thank, and the pilot may have steered for it in hopes of a softer landfing.

Should I mention that planes often fly over water to decrease the damage done to the areas below if there's a crash?
Huh? More like twisty-turny routes for noise abatement. We don't want the people on the ground to actually HEAR the airplanes they depend on.

That was probably Air Florida. The pilot didn't do many things right. Including failure to return to the gate to get de-iced after a 50 minute delay for take-off in a snowstorm. He also didn't use the engine anti-ice and failed to abort the takeoff after experiencing power loss on his takeoff roll.

Since it's an Airbus, I'm thinking it's the same kind of problem, with the added fun of the autopilot that can never be fully switched off or overridden.

You get fascinating, unexpected results in an Airbus when you're flying in out of bounds conditions. The aircraft will fight you all the way to the ground.

Since it's an Airbus, I'm thinking it's the same kind of problem, with the added fun of the autopilot that can never be fully switched off or overridden.

You get fascinating, unexpected results in an Airbus when you're flying in out of bounds conditions. The aircraft will fight you all the way to the ground.
The one thing I can't understand is why pilots accept the situation. Fly by wire, coded in Ada, built by the French, what a scary combination.

This could've been much worse.
hope the injury count as well as the Death toll is nill.

Shouldn't be too long before some right-wing nut claims Al'Qaeda is training suicide pigeons to fly directly into aircraft.

better than claiming that it was an attempt to slam the airbus into the USS Intrepid. :D

Must have hit a whole flock of birds... the A380 has four engines, and can fly with either one of the inner ones operative, or both of the outer ones operative.

I find it hard to imagine that a bird would take out an A-380, unless we're talking "Mothra", or something.

It's an A320. (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/7832191.stm)

It's an A320. (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/7832191.stm)
Same thing. Was the bird as big as Mothra? We can make airplanes that will ingest birds and still fly. It's part of the certification process.

The NTSB will figure it out, I'm sure.

They said perhaps geese. I wonder if they were evil terrorist Canadian geese. Operation Canuckistani Freedom :). How lulzy would that be but seriously it appears that everyone is okay except for some minor injuries nothing too critical or any deaths as far as we're told at the present time. It just took off from La Guardia and wasn't that high so the pilot did a hell of a job bringing it down in one piece, even if it was the Hudson River, which has to be below 32°F in the water because it isn't that warm here at all. La Guardia is a fun airport though, short runways you always have to wonder if the plane lands too fast or doesn't go quick enough on the take off whether or not you're going into the drink. Makes that my favorite airport.

I wonder where they got A380 from? Fact checker must not be at work today. That thing is too big to even taxi at La Guardia, let alone operate from it.

I'm watching this on MSNBC right now. Apparently, the plane was bound from Laguardia NY airport to Charlotte NC. Less than 5 minutes after take off, the pilot reported that the plane had hit a flock of geese. Two engines were knocked out. According to a witness who saw the landing from his office window over the Hudson, the plane came down the river in a very controlled manner, like it was making a regular landing, touched down on the water apparently perfectly, skidded for several blocks before coming to a rest, floating and drifting. NYC river ferries immediately responded -- the witness reported one just below his window immediately turned to follow the plane and was at it in about 4 minutes. Passengers were already in rafts and on the wings waiting to be picked up. Multiple ferries and emergency boats were soon at the plane, picking up passengers. Word on injuries has not yet been reported, but it seems, by all initial accounts, the pilot did a stellar job.

Same thing. Was the bird as big as Mothra? We can make airplanes that will ingest birds and still fly. It's part of the certification process.

The NTSB will figure it out, I'm sure.
According to a couple of on-speed-dial experts on MSNBC, Canadian geese are such large birds that even the engine testing -- which apparently is done by throwing frozen turkeys into jet engines -- cannot be certain to ensure an engine against them. Hitting several of them could do severe damage to an aircraft.

Sad. It makes me think of the Air Florida crash into the Potomac/14th St bridge in D.C. some years back. The problem then was snow/ice buildup on the wings and a pilot that didn't go back to get de-iced, despite a long delay for takeoff.

I find it hard to imagine that a bird would take out an A-380, unless we're talking "Mothra", or something.
http://fred2blue.files.wordpress.com/2008/05/godzilla-versus-mothra.jpg

Hmm, light snow at noon and traces since. I wonder?

not Mothra...

Rodan.
http://www.badmovies.org/movies/rodan/rodan7.jpg

I'm watching this on MSNBC right now. Apparently, the plane was bound from Laguardia NY airport to Charlotte NC. Less than 5 minutes after take off, the pilot reported that the plane had hit a flock of geese. Two engines were knocked out. According to a witness who saw the landing from his office window over the Hudson, the plane came down the river in a very controlled manner, like it was making a regular landing, touched down on the water apparently perfectly, skidded for several blocks before coming to a rest, floating and drifting. NYC river ferries immediately responded -- the witness reported one just below his window immediately turned to follow the plane and was at it in about 4 minutes. Passengers were already in rafts and on the wings waiting to be picked up. Multiple ferries and emergency boats were soon at the plane, picking up passengers. Word on injuries has not yet been reported, but it seems, by all initial accounts, the pilot did a stellar job.

Good News Indeed!

not Mothra...

Rodan.

Apparently a flock of geese is sufficient. I just hope they weren't Canada Geese. That would be a serious act of aggression.

Apparently a flock of geese is sufficient. I just hope they weren't Canada Geese. That would be a serious act of aggression.

yah know... if you squint just right... Rodan does look like a bald goose... :p

According to a couple of on-speed-dial experts on MSNBC, Canadian geese are such large birds that even the engine testing -- which apparently is done by throwing frozen turkeys into jet engines -- cannot be certain to ensure an engine against them. Hitting several of them could do severe damage to an aircraft.
These are BIG engines. A bird/goose would cause damage. It might even cause enough to require that the engine be shut down. Apparently, the plane flew through a flock.

My past experience with bird strikes has been to just not touch the throttles and land the plane -- but that the engines will keep running. Even a duck I hit once didn't cause the engines to flame out. This guy just ran out of luck.

It's an A320. (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/7832191.stm)

My reading comprehension must be failing. I had a bird-strike.

I could have *sworn* that article said A380.

Thank G-d nobody got hurt, and kudos to the pilot for safely landing in a river full of ferries.

I've been on a flight between LaGuardia and Charlotte like, 4 times this past year.

*freaked*

Glad everyone seems to be okay, though.

That's not an A380, it's an A320!

God I hate it when new sources try to be the first one at the scene, they really tend to fuck up pretty much....everything.

Actually, a nice chunk of the hudson river is a good twoi miles wide.

Thank, and the pilot may have steered for it in hopes of a softer landfing.

Should I mention that planes often fly over water to decrease the damage done to the areas below if there's a crash?

Yeah. That might decrease the damage done to things on the ground, but won't do much for the plane. Successful ditchings in water are very rare indeed, and one with this little damage is an incredible flying achievement.

I agree with that senator quoted in the article. This pilot does deserve a medal of some sorts. I mean that guy had 150 lives in his hands and a fast approaching river. I wonder how big of a load he dropped in his pants.

It's rare to see good news like this. What a freak occurrence.

That's not an A380, it's an A320!

God I hate it when new sources try to be the first one at the scene, they really tend to fuck up pretty much....everything.

An A320 and not an A380!?! Fuck, this changes my entire perception of the story. Those bastards.

According to a couple of on-speed-dial experts on MSNBC, Canadian geese are such large birds that even the engine testing -- which apparently is done by throwing frozen turkeys into jet engines -- cannot be certain to ensure an engine against them. Hitting several of them could do severe damage to an aircraft.

No see these were obviously Al-Qaeda Suicide Geese stuffed with c4.

I've been on a flight between LaGuardia and Charlotte like, 4 times this past year.

*freaked*

Glad everyone seems to be okay, though.

Yeah that's the flight or one of the flights I and many of my associates at work would be taking if we were flying to one of our plants. Hell we work down the road from La Guardia...Coulda been any one of us on that flight.

That pilot deserves a bucket of medals...

...and a TV movie deal :tongue:


Thank G-d nobody got hurt
Why did god(s) let the plane drop in the first place, huh?

Or do geese perhaps also have free will as well? ;)

That pilot deserves a bucket of medals...

...and a TV movie deal :tongue:



Why did god(s) let the plane drop in the first place, huh?

Or do geese perhaps also have free will as well? ;)

How else would the pilot get the TV movie deal?

How else would the pilot get the TV movie deal?
Right you are, s'rry my mistake. :D

It's amazing how many will post without really reading the OP linked article. It stated nobody was killed, it stated that it was an Airbus A320, it stated that the plane was likely goose-struck as witnesses saw a flock intersect the flightpath of the plane, etc., etc..

Don't let all that stop anyone's baseless conjecture.

I HEAR THERE WAS AN A-RAB ON BOARD!

It's amazing how many will post without really reading the OP linked article. It stated nobody was killed, it stated that it was an Airbus A320, it stated that the plane was likely goose-struck as witnesses saw a flock intersect the flightpath of the plane, etc., etc..

Don't let all that stop anyone's baseless conjecture.

I HEAR THERE WAS AN A-RAB ON BOARD!

You know that they update those stories in the link, right?

It's amazing how many will post without really reading the OP linked article. It stated nobody was killed, it stated that it was an Airbus A320, it stated that the plane was likely goose-struck as witnesses saw a flock intersect the flightpath of the plane, etc., etc..

Don't let all that stop anyone's baseless conjecture.

I HEAR THERE WAS AN A-RAB ON BOARD!

actually, unless it was updated, the OP article stated (at the time the thread was first created) NO REPORTED INJURIES/DEATHS at [this] time.

It's nice to hear stories of plane casualties averted because of a cool-headed and well trained pilot.

We salute you Captain!

.... coded in Ada, ....

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!


Sorry, nightmares from college. I ended up dropping that class, when the professor couldn't explain why a program that was working on one computer, wouldn't work on another computer when it was transferred to it via 3.5" disk.

not Mothra...

Rodan.
http://www.badmovies.org/movies/rodan/rodan7.jpg
Rodan destroys Moscow...

No deaths. Yay!

I wish more non-lethal chaotic events like this happened. *nod*

No deaths, some injuries.
Here's irony for you -- I LIVE in NYC and found out about this crash... from NSG.

Apparently from what I'm reading multiple geese were cooked (and hamburgered) in multiple engines. Amazing that they put it down so neatly and missed the Intrepid.

No deaths, some injuries.
Here's irony for you -- I LIVE in NYC and found out about this crash... from NSG.

Apparently from what I'm reading multiple geese were cooked (and hamburgered) in multiple engines. Amazing that they put it down so neatly and missed the Intrepid.

for the next couple of weeks, (or until I hook up my digital converter...) NSG will be my only source of news. :wink:

can you imagine the poor sailor on deck as he sees this plane hit the water a short distance from them?

According to my girlfriend, this made getting around the west side hell for a long, long time today.

The one thing I can't understand is why pilots accept the situation. Fly by wire, coded in Ada, built by the French, what a scary combination.

The airbus is equiped with a emergency generator if engines fail to keep things going do they not?

The airbus is equiped with a emergency generator if engines fail to keep things going do they not?

Yeah, air-driven as I recall.

The Intrepid's a museum now -- no sailors on deck. Useless trivia fact: when it first opened years ago, my dad and a bunch of the members of the Brooklyn Plastic Modelers Society got to ride it from mothballs in Bayonne to NYC; my dad and his friends built a number of plastic models that were on display until the recent refurb.

The Intrepid's a museum now -- no sailors on deck. Useless trivia fact: when it first opened years ago, my dad and a bunch of the members of the Brooklyn Plastic Modelers Society got to ride it from mothballs in Bayonne to NYC; my dad and his friends built a number of plastic models that were on display until the recent refurb.

Kewl! hope he got a pic of him on the Intrepid.

Kewl! hope he got a pic of him on the Intrepid.
Yup! :)

watching about it on the tv, i am very impressed with the pilot, the passengers and the rescue response.

the pilot did a great job of chosing the best place to bring the plane down, the passengers got out of the plane quickly--so quickly that there cant have been any assholery that we have been trained by tv to expect, and the ferrys and tour boats on the river got right over to help. as well as professional rescue workers.

good job!

watching about it on the tv, i am very impressed with the pilot, the passengers and the rescue response.

the pilot did a great job of chosing the best place to bring the plane down, the passengers got out of the plane quickly--so quickly that there cant have been any assholery that we have been trained by tv to expect, and the ferrys and tour boats on the river got right over to help. as well as professional rescue workers.

good job!
Funny enough, I think after 9/11 NYC's gotten pretty good with the emergency response thing.

Funny enough, I think after 9/11 NYC's gotten pretty good with the emergency response thing.
that sure is the impression i got today.

Funny enough, I think after 9/11 NYC's gotten pretty good with the emergency response thing.

well, add to that you had civilians going in to help. man that must've been a sight to see.

Someone call US Air and ask them how much a one way ticket to the Hudson is.

well, add to that you had civilians going in to help. man that must've been a sight to see.
The tv visual was pretty amazing -- this plane in the water, surrounded by a whole gaggle of ferries, with people walking off the wings and onto the ferry boats. Then the ferries turning and heading for either the NY or NJ side at a pretty fast clip. The Circle Line tourist cruise ships were there, too.

The mayor held a press conference earlier, and they had one of the dispatchers for the ferry company that covers the Hudson acting as spokesman for them. He said all their crews get Coast Guard water rescue training and do weekly drills as their regular safety system, so they were prepared to help. He also suggested that the boats already on the river who saw the plane come down responded immediately, without waiting for orders. I'm assuming some passengers were onboard those boats, too. Must have been wild.

Apparently from what I'm reading multiple geese were cooked (and hamburgered) in multiple engines. Amazing that they put it down so neatly[...].
Yeah, well, the A320 only has two engines, and when both fail...

http://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site568/2009/0115/20090115__ssjm0116pilot~1_Gallery.JPG

I for one say Hooray for Chelsey B. "Sully" Sullenberger III.

How come no one is praising the co-pilot at all? Surely he wasn't sitting there like a paperweight during all of this.

How come no one is praising the co-pilot at all? Surely he wasn't sitting there like a paperweight during all of this.
And Hooray for that guy as well - whoever he is!?! :hail:

The tv visual was pretty amazing -- this plane in the water, surrounded by a whole gaggle of ferries, with people walking off the wings and onto the ferry boats. Then the ferries turning and heading for either the NY or NJ side at a pretty fast clip. The Circle Line tourist cruise ships were there, too.

The mayor held a press conference earlier, and they had one of the dispatchers for the ferry company that covers the Hudson acting as spokesman for them. He said all their crews get Coast Guard water rescue training and do weekly drills as their regular safety system, so they were prepared to help. He also suggested that the boats already on the river who saw the plane come down responded immediately, without waiting for orders. I'm assuming some passengers were onboard those boats, too. Must have been wild.
I will say this tho. with the state of news nowadays... things like this are like a refreshing breeze to a world weary mind. :D

And Hooray for that guy as well - whoever he is!?! :hail:

Exactly. No recognition for him.

Exactly. No recognition for him.
Maybe he's shy?

Exactly. No recognition for him.

well, you got the flight attendants who kept everyone calm, you got the individual ferry captains and their crew... and most importanly, you got the passengers NOT PANICING. Hurray for everyone!

Apparently a flock of geese is sufficient. I just hope they weren't Canada Geese. That would be a serious act of aggression.

Does Canada have oil ???
yes. their might be some risk of there being a need for a regime change, even more so with the recent Parliament crap they had there.

Yeah, well, the A320 only has two engines, and when both fail...

http://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site568/2009/0115/20090115__ssjm0116pilot~1_Gallery.JPG

I for one say Hooray for Chelsey B. "Sully" Sullenberger III.

My hero! *heartthrob* And what a great name.

I will say this tho. with the state of news nowadays... things like this are like a refreshing breeze to a world weary mind. :D
Indeed. Actual good news. When was the last time we had any of that?

well, you got the flight attendants who kept everyone calm, you got the individual ferry captains and their crew... and most importanly, you got the passengers NOT PANICING. Hurray for everyone!
Huzzah!

Does Canada have oil ???
yes. their might be some risk of there being a need for a regime change, even more so with the recent Parliament crap they had there.
They'd have to have a "regime" in place first, before we could change it.

You know that they update those stories in the link, right?

Uh.............................y....e.....a.....h......I do.










Now. :$

Uh oh... I think I might have caused the crash...
I roasted a goose for Christmas dinner -- this was clearly a suicide attack as protest!

They'd have to have a "regime" in place first, before we could change it.

that's right the governor general prorogued your parliament. Only one person to find and arrest for crimes against America's oil interest. Michaëlle Jean we are coming for you.

This is why airline pilots need to go through the thousands of hours of training and flying that they do...

Btw, lucky it was something like the A320 or a 737.

If it was a 747 or an A380, it would've made a pretty spectacular bellyflop. >.>

Gah! My wardrobe. Now I'm 50% less handsome.

According to the WSJ and NY Daily News, this is the first water-landing in the history of commercial jet aviation that has occurred without a fatality.

That's one hell of a fucking pilot!

According to the WSJ and NY Daily News, this is the first water-landing in the history of commercial jet aviation that has occurred without a fatality.

That's one hell of a fucking pilot!
I'm betting the cockpit crew's next review is going to be bit one note...

"So...it looks like you've had a few late days, some uni-"

"Landed a plane in a narrow river, no fatalities."

"Uh, right...about the uni-"

"No. Fatalities."

"Of course. So some of your repor-"

"Between a historical landmark and the most populous city, nothing."

"..."

"We get a raise."

"I'll just go ahead and put through that raise."

"That's what we thought.

Good to have you back "Cannot think of a name". I've been holidaying in NZ for a couple of weeks. (Fortunately our Air New Zealand flights were safe and enjoyable.)

An Aussie pilot did an heroic emergency landing a few weeks ago as well.

The airbus is equiped with a emergency generator if engines fail to keep things going do they not?
I would think most aircraft have some sort of emergency power supply -- ram air turbine, battery, Aux power unit. They probably have essential items on a battery backed bus so that they operate until the auxiliary power can be established.

Side note: I see the guy was an Air Force pilot. Quite a credit to the service and its nice slow gentle landings.

I can't help but to think that a Navy pilot would have pulled the plane up to the nearest pier. Of course, a Marine pilot would have driven the thing aground and ordered everyone to charge the beach.

I would think most aircraft have some sort of emergency power supply -- ram air turbine, battery, Aux power unit. They probably have essential items on a battery backed bus so that they operate until the auxiliary power can be established.

Side note: I see the guy was an Air Force pilot. Quite a credit to the service and its nice slow gentle landings.

I can't help but to think that a Navy pilot would have pulled the plane up to the nearest pier. Of course, a Marine pilot would have driven the thing aground and ordered everyone to charge the beach.

He did land it near a carrier. I think you would have put it down on the Intrepid.

Chesley B. Sullenburger III -- the pilot of flight 1549.
http://www.blogcdn.com/www.tmz.com/media/2009/01/0115_chesley_3.jpg

Career highlights -- Flew F-4s for the U.S. Air Force from 1973 to 1980. Flight Leader and Training Officer with experience in Europe, Pacific and at Nellis AFB, serving as Blue Force Mission Commander in Red Flag Exercises.

Sullenburger spent years as an Air Line Pilots Association Local Air Safety Chairman, national technical committee member and accident investigator -- where he participated in several NTSB investigations of major aircraft accidents.

Well, the way he landed that, I can guarantee he's got the gig of being the first pilot to land a plane at the new Atlantis airport.

US Airways Plane Crashes Into Hudson River
NEW YORK (CBS) ―

A U.S. Airways airplane has crashed into the Hudson River, CBS 2 has learned. The plane appears to be in one piece and passengers are being evaucated by rescue teams.

Officials tell CBS 2 the airplane is Flight 1549, an Airbus 380 that took off from La Guardia Aiport. There are reports that there were about 60 people on board.

There is no word on injuries to passengers.

The plane is floating upright in the water near the USS Intrepid.

Disaster for whoever built the USS Intrepid.

He did land it near a carrier. I think you would have put it down on the Intrepid.

Chesley B. Sullenburger III -- the pilot of flight 1549.

Career highlights -- Flew F-4s for the U.S. Air Force from 1973 to 1980. Flight Leader and Training Officer with experience in Europe, Pacific and at Nellis AFB, serving as Blue Force Mission Commander in Red Flag Exercises.

Sullenburger spent years as an Air Line Pilots Association Local Air Safety Chairman, national technical committee member and accident investigator -- where he participated in several NTSB investigations of major aircraft accidents.
According to MSNBC, he is also a guest lecturer in catastrophic emergency preparedness at USC Berkeley and owns a safety consulting business (which I'll bet will go through the roof with new clients now). In his spare time, he trains guide dogs for the blind. His wife is gorgeous, his two teen daughters even prettier, and all his neighbors in his California suburb are rushing to find cameras to admire him in front of. I would not be at all surprised to find out that he also buys ice cream for random small children, and there may even be a rumor floating around that he farts air freshener.

His co-pilot has received passing mention as being pretty nifty, too.

In all seriousness, it is so amazing to have someone in the news who actually really is admirable and is getting that admiration. It feels really nice to have a heroic character who is smart and capable and mature and good at his job and who did that job and did it not just right, but more right than anyone else ever has. The NTSB has acknowledged that this whole thing will likely live on as a training video about how to ditch a plane the right way, and the Air Force has even released a statement in which that entire branch of the military is basking "Sully" Sullenberger's glory as well.

I don't begrudge him a single ass-kiss. He deserves all of it.

Disaster for whoever built the USS Intrepid.
:confused: Um...no, actually, it wasn't. That was part of the amazingness of the landing.

for the next couple of weeks, (or until I hook up my digital converter...) NSG will be my only source of news. :wink:

can you imagine the poor sailor on deck as he sees this plane hit the water a short distance from them?

NSG is already my main news source.

Gah! My wardrobe. Now I'm 50% less handsome.

Where've you been for ages?

Where've you been for ages?
I just became a member of a club known as the Bumbling Fools. Botching the game and the best things in life is the motto and the rule.

I am drinking 12 fl.oz. of Blue Moon, sans orange, in honor of this guy.

NSG is already my main news source.

I shudder...The media may be biased one way or the other but NSG is not the place to come for news.

On a side note, he's getting the key to the city? awesome of course.

I shudder...The media may be biased one way or the other but NSG is not the place to come for news.

On a side note, he's getting the key to the city? awesome of course.

Well, he already snagged one hell of a parking space.

Well, he already snagged one hell of a parking space.

Parking really is so hard to find in the city...

I shudder...The media may be biased one way or the other but NSG is not the place to come for news. But.. but... where else can we have such entertaining commentary that goes WITH the news!?!?

Well, he already snagged one hell of a parking space.

yeah... blocking... traffic... (boat traffic, but traffic nonetheless.) :p

According to MSNBC, he is also a guest lecturer in catastrophic emergency preparedness at USC Berkeley and owns a safety consulting business (which I'll bet will go through the roof with new clients now). In his spare time, he trains guide dogs for the blind. His wife is gorgeous, his two teen daughters even prettier, and all his neighbors in his California suburb are rushing to find cameras to admire him in front of. I would not be at all surprised to find out that he also buys ice cream for random small children, and there may even be a rumor floating around that he farts air freshener.

His co-pilot has received passing mention as being pretty nifty, too.

In all seriousness, it is so amazing to have someone in the news who actually really is admirable and is getting that admiration. It feels really nice to have a heroic character who is smart and capable and mature and good at his job and who did that job and did it not just right, but more right than anyone else ever has. The NTSB has acknowledged that this whole thing will likely live on as a training video about how to ditch a plane the right way, and the Air Force has even released a statement in which that entire branch of the military is basking "Sully" Sullenberger's glory as well.

I don't begrudge him a single ass-kiss. He deserves all of it.


:confused: Um...no, actually, it wasn't. That was part of the amazingness of the landing.

Ah! Right.

But.. but... where else can we have such entertaining commentary that goes WITH the news!?!?

Spend 8 minutes listening to the average news caster and you'll get entertaining commentary. Case & point they said this was an A380 originally.

Disaster for whoever built the USS Intrepid.
Why?

Spend 8 minutes listening to the average news caster and you'll get entertaining commentary. Case & point they said this was an A380 originally.

Every time there is an aircraft incident the talking bubble heads on the news make a complete ass of themselves. They know as much about aviation as I do nuclear physics, but they pretend to know all about aviation because they flew on an aircraft once. :(

Every time there is an aircraft incident the talking bubble heads on the news make a complete ass of themselves. They know as much about aviation as I do nuclear physics, but they pretend to know all about aviation because they flew on an aircraft once. :(

During the opening strikes on Iraq in March 2003 MSNBC declared that the B-2 operated from carriers. I thought that amusing and woke up most of the house laughing.