New York plane crash: The right pilot at the right time
Today’s headlines lead with the plane that crash-landed in New York’s Hudson River yesterday and the pilot of the US Airways Airbus A320 is being hailed as a hero.
Much deserved too. I watched the pictures of the rescue of all 155 passengers, standing on the wings or in the water, with horror and awe, but also with an overwhelming sense of relief and incredulity that the pilot had managed to land the aircraft safely on the water and that there are no major injuries.
Having read about Captain Chesley ‘Sully’ Sullenberger III and you had to choose someone to crash-land your plane, he’d definitely be one of the pilots at the top of your list. Capt Sullenberger, 57, is a former US Air Force fighter pilot, has over 40 years of flying experience and has also served as the Airline Pilots Association (ALPA) safety chairman and accident investigator. Oh, and he also heads his own safety consulting business.
Talk about the right pilot at the right time…
