You can’t write a travel blog and not comment on the amazing splash landing of US AIR 1549 in the Hudson River in New York City on Thursday, January 15, 2009. The video of the crash , plus the immediate reaction of the ferries brings tears of joy and gratitude. All 156 souls on board survived with only non-life threatening injuries reported. The passengers were the luckiest people at that moment in time.
This is the second crash in less than a month for American planes. You may recall the Continental Airline crash on the runway in Denver on December 22, 2008. In route to Houston, the plane veered sharply during takeoff, ran off the runway and burst into flames. Miraculously, all 115 passengers and crewmembers survived. Only 40 injuries were reported, two of them critically. Within twenty-four hours both of those people were upgraded.
I read recently that despite our beliefs, 58% of people survive plane accidents. The passengers more likely to survive are seated on the aisle and actually paid attention to the safety instructions given by the flight attendants. And, as we all know, flying is safer than driving in our cars.
May we all have safe travels and know where the emergency exits are located.
