Quote:
Originally Posted by soopaman2
He knew the plane was going down, and risked the river rather than a NYC/ NJ suburb. He denied Tetorboro, and said twice in quite possibly the coolest tone ever, "we are going in the river"
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I think any commercial pilot would choose the river. A low-speed water landing is a brighter prospect than one into populated terrain.
A major factor that was underplayed in this case was simply luck. Had engine power been lost 30 seconds earlier or later there may not have been the chance to navigate towards the water.
Had this happened in Denver, or Omaha, or Frankfurt, the story could have a very different ending - with each actor performing just as well.
This was no miracle - it was the result of many factors doing exactly what they were supposed to do. The pilot, the airframe, the aircraft designers, the flight attendants, controllers and emergency responders.
Listen to the voices on the tape, there's absolutely no panic or alarm. Not between the captain and ground or even between the KLGA and KTEB controllers.
When something like this happens, training takes over. You don't experience the full immediacy until later, and that's what is supposed to happen.