That miracle on the Hudson: Survivors' tales

Miracle on the Hudson, the subsequent book about this incident by William Prochnau and Laura Parker, focuses not on the über-competence of the pilot, Sully Sullenberger, but on the reactions of the plane‘s passengers after they realized that both engines had failed. Some screamed. Some cursed. (A direct quote: “Oh, crap, we‘re crashing!”) A few were furious. Others remained calm.

My favorites were the folks who remained in denial. They flat-out refused to believe a disaster was happening. “Problem? There isn’t a problem,” they insisted, right up to the moment the plane plunked into the drink.

‘Don’t bother your husband’

Experts who’ve studied how folks behave in crisis situations tell us that when the shit hits the fan, some people are survival-oriented, some totally flip out, and a third group sits frozen in shock and does absolutely nothing. (When the oxygen masks drop, these folks stare at them blankly until they pass out.)

So how do you know which group you’re in?

You don’t. Until your plane loses both engines.

The passengers on Flight 1549 prayed to a smorgasbord of supreme beings. There were Jews and Muslims and a variety of Christians on the plane. Also one Buddhist (who later reported that she felt kind of “left out.”) Some folks reached for their cells and tried to phone their loved ones, although one passenger aborted her call when her seatmate said, “Don’t phone your husband now— you don’t want to bother him.”

Smart thinking. Why distract your husband when you’re plunging toward almost certain death?

Insurance concerns

Conversely, another woman phoned her man the instant she realized the plane was in trouble and kept him on the line through the whole ordeal. “Kudos to Verizon,“ she said later. “They were right there.”

She’s an ad copywriter’s dream. (“We’ve lost both engines! We’re headed toward the water! Can you hear me now?”)

A variety of last thoughts went through people’s heads. Many said mental goodbyes to loved ones. Some asked God for forgiveness. Others were plagued by regret that they’d never see their daughter graduate or play catch with their son. One woman actually fretted that she hadn’t made her bed that morning. (Easy there, Martha.) And the overly practical among us can surely relate to the woman, who, as the plane went down, hoped her husband would realize that, because she was traveling on business, he could collect double on her insurance.

We’ve all wondered what it would be like to be in a crashing airplane. We’ve seen the movie version (too) many times. But Flight 1549 provided a rare opportunity to learn what it’s actually like.

I’m glad they all made it out alive.