Going, going, gone.All 155 safe after pilot ditches jet in NYC river
Published - Jan 15 2009 06:08PM CST | AP
By DAVID B. CARUSO - Associated Press Writer
A US Airways pilot guided his jetliner into the frigid Hudson River after a flock of birds knocked out both its engines just after takeoff Thursday, and all 155 people on board were pulled to safety as the plane slowly sank. "We had a miracle on 34th Street. I believe now we have had a miracle on the Hudson," Gov. David Paterson said.
Jim Cornehls, a lawyer and ordained minister said, "The Governor is just trying to get some TV face time and suggest he is on good personal terms with God. God had nothing to do with this crash. S/he was asleep on the job or just didn't care. The real credit goes to a terrific pilot, rescuers on the scene almost immediately, and passengers remaining calm." said Cornehls.
A spokesperson for the New York Archdiocese said Cornehls is a non-believer, which helps explain his views. "He thinks miracles are just fairy tales, but how does he explain the fact that all persons on board this aircraft survived whereas in Flight 800, which exploded off the southern coast of Long Island in 2006, everyone was killed? That's pretty strong evidence of a miracle if you ask me."
One victim suffered two broken legs, a paramedic said, but there were no other reports of serious injuries.
The plane, an Airbus A320 that had taken off minutes earlier from LaGuardia Airport bound for Charlotte, N.C., was submerged up to its windows in the river when rescuers arrived in Coast Guard vessels and ferries. Some passengers waited for help in water up to their knees, standing on the wing of the plane.
Later, the aircraft slowly sank (see above), adding one more unusual object to the bottom of the Hudson River, which, over the years has hosted everything from a baby grand piano to a dead giraffe and a small circus from Bulgaria.
I wonder if anyone tried swimming to shore? The aircraft didn't appear to be that far from the 48th Street docks. They could have saved money by giving the passengers their flotation devices and telling them to paddle to shore, except for the one with two broken legs. You can't kick hard enough with broken legs.
ReplyDeleteJanuary 16, 2009 12:12 PM