Its a bird, Its a plane, Its a hero called - Chesley ‘Sully’ Sullenberger, the pilot of US Airways Flight 1549

Now a days, air Travel has become a major part of transportation and no doubt that
by all accounts, Chesley ‘Sully’ Sullenberger, the pilot of US Airways Flight 1549 is a hero. He successfully crash landed his jetliner, without any major injuries or fatalities, in the Hudson River on 15th January 2009.

An experienced pilot saved lives of people including his crew who boarded US Airways F1549 and what else a pilot can do when they virtually out of any other options at 3,000 feet when he intentionally and calmly steered his crippled US Airways jetliner, fully loaded with passengers, toward the Hudson River, in a freezing cold water.

Here is what has been written across the news media and blogs:

• A former Air Force fighter pilot with 40 years of flying experience -- including gliders -- Sullenberger's Airbus A320 apparently struck a flock of birds moments after takeoff from New York's LaGuardia Airport, knocking out both engines.
• The jet is designed to fly with one engine out. But a dual bird strike that kills both powerplants, if confirmed by federal transportation investigators, is virtually unheard of in U.S. aviation.
• Flight 1549 was running about 30 minutes late when it lifted off from LaGuardia shortly before 3:30 p.m. EST (2030 GMT) bound for Charlotte, North Carolina, with 150 passengers and five crew, the FAA said.
• Within minutes, word came back to New York controllers from the cockpit that a bird strike had knocked out both of the A320 CMF-56 series engines.
• According to details pieced together from air traffic controllers and aviation officials with knowledge of the harrowing moments above New York and New Jersey, it seemed as if the entire incident of several minutes passed in a flash, demanding that Sullenberger employ every bit of his years of experience.

His particular jet, which is 10 years old, is designed to fly with one engine out. But a bird strike that kills both powerplants, if confirmed by federal transportation investigators, is virtually in U.S. aviation. His skill and bravery which led to the safety of everyone on board, is the stuff that legends - and certainly Hollywood movies - are made of!

Read through about the incident from this NY Times post and I like the quote on last line: This one settled in with the nose high.

This a pure example of how experience speaks that besides being a pilot, Captain Sullenberger is also the founder of Safety Reliability Methods. His firm describes itself as providing ‘technical expertise and strategic vision and direction to improve safety and reliability in a variety of high risk industries.

So next time when you board a plane make sure to listen & see for pre-takeoff video or exercise by the crew, you never know what is round the corner!