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Miracle on the Hudson River |
by Mya Kagan (whyzz writer) >> more about the author
How airplanes work
The technology for making airplanes fly is pretty neat! Airplanes can fly because they are built in a special way so that after building up speed, an airplane lifts up in the air and then stays there thanks to the shape of its wings. The special wings on a plane allow the right amount of air to glide over their top and the right amount of air to push them up from the bottom!
US Airways Flight 1549
On January 15th, 2009, US Airways flight 1549 encountered a little bit of trouble shortly after taking off from LaGuardia Airport in New York City. Mostly likely the trouble was caused by some birds who had been flying too close to the plane.
Because the plane was having trouble, its pilot, Chesley B. Sullenberger III, knew that he would have to land his plane very soon but wasn't sure he would make it all the way to the nearest airport. Instead, Captain Sullenberger thought quickly and decided to land the plane in the Hudson River! The Hudson is the big waterway dividing New York City on the east from New Jersey on the west, and on most days it is filled with boat traffic such as ferries, taxi-boats, police boats, and more.
Landing on the water can be a very difficult task, but Captain Sullenberger did a miraculous and skilled job! In fact, the plane landed so smoothly that many people on board the flight later on said they thought they'd landed on a normal runway!
Shortly after landing in the water, all 155 passengers and crew were able to evacuate the plane safely… but because they had landed in a river, it meant being in icy cold water! Luckily the Hudson is very busy river, so nearby ferries and police boats came and picked the passengers up out of the water quickly!
The entire event is being considered a great miracle because all of the passengers made it away safely and with very few injuries! Many of the people involved are being praised for their bravery and heroism – the passengers who cooperated with each other to evacuate the plane quickly, the crew who instructed them, the Hudson River boaters who jumped in to help, and (of course!) Captain Sullenberger for his quick thinking and his flight skills!
The technology for making airplanes fly is pretty neat! Airplanes can fly because they are built in a special way so that after building up speed, an airplane lifts up in the air and then stays there thanks to the shape of its wings. The special wings on a plane allow the right amount of air to glide over their top and the right amount of air to push them up from the bottom!
US Airways Flight 1549
On January 15th, 2009, US Airways flight 1549 encountered a little bit of trouble shortly after taking off from LaGuardia Airport in New York City. Mostly likely the trouble was caused by some birds who had been flying too close to the plane.
Because the plane was having trouble, its pilot, Chesley B. Sullenberger III, knew that he would have to land his plane very soon but wasn't sure he would make it all the way to the nearest airport. Instead, Captain Sullenberger thought quickly and decided to land the plane in the Hudson River! The Hudson is the big waterway dividing New York City on the east from New Jersey on the west, and on most days it is filled with boat traffic such as ferries, taxi-boats, police boats, and more.
Landing on the water can be a very difficult task, but Captain Sullenberger did a miraculous and skilled job! In fact, the plane landed so smoothly that many people on board the flight later on said they thought they'd landed on a normal runway!
Shortly after landing in the water, all 155 passengers and crew were able to evacuate the plane safely… but because they had landed in a river, it meant being in icy cold water! Luckily the Hudson is very busy river, so nearby ferries and police boats came and picked the passengers up out of the water quickly!
The entire event is being considered a great miracle because all of the passengers made it away safely and with very few injuries! Many of the people involved are being praised for their bravery and heroism – the passengers who cooperated with each other to evacuate the plane quickly, the crew who instructed them, the Hudson River boaters who jumped in to help, and (of course!) Captain Sullenberger for his quick thinking and his flight skills!