Just recently (1/15/09), US Airways Flight 1549 took off from La Guardia airport making a routine flight to Charlotte, NC. . .It wasn’t long thereafter however, that the pilot, Chesley B. “Sully” Sullenberger III, knew there was something wrong with the plane.  He also knew that he would not be able to make it to their destination, nor even back to La Guardia.  With a quick-witted decision, he decided the safest place to land the plane was in the Hudson River. . .

Some reports (#1 , #2 , #3 ) are saying that the potential cause of this emergency landing was the result of birds (no one knows how many) getting caught in the plane’s engine (possibly both).   The bird carcasses may have caused the engines to function improperly.  Continuing to flying on “bum” engines could have potentially caused an explosion, hence Sullenberger’s decision to do an emergency landing.

What is truly amazing is that even in this potential disaster, Sullenberger was able to land the plane so cleanly that there were no fatalities to the 155 passengers.  The Coast Guard also made a quick response, and other than having to treat some broken bones and hyopthermia, everyone remained safe.

 The full report can be seen here:

But in today’s modern world, this news from just two days ago is already considered “old.”

Even if that is common viewpoint, Sullenberger’s calm and skilled landing saved 155 lives and the timely response of the Coast Guard secured that feat, but there is something bigger that will live on, and all you need to do is ask those of flight 1549: miracles and heroes still exist.

- IgniteTheMind