To Close to Home

Definitely a "Miracle" on the Hudson!

With my job, you can only imagine how close it hits to home when you hear of planes crashing. This one was especially close to home, because it happened on a Thursday night ("go home day" as I have referred to it before). For my company, we all know that Monday and Thursday are THE travel days. Flight 1549 was headed between New York and Charlotte - a typical flight for a consultant working out of the Charlotte office. The first thing I thought when I heard of this was - who do I know from that office working in New York right now. No one I could think of, but of course my network is small considering how many people work for the company.


Yesterday I got an email confirming my assumptions, one person from our Company was on that flight and was able to recount to others his experience. It was such a touching email and reminded me how often we are away from home and how quickly life can be taken from you - is any of it really worth it??


Here's a quick excert from his email (my apologies if this is not supposed to be public, but it's such a touching email and I've tried to take varying sections so it's not obvious who it was sent from):


"Everything was normal on takeoff... We lifted off under full throttle and after a minute or so, the pilot throttled back and continued climbing. It was at least 2-3 minutes more before we heard a loud crash that shook the cabin. At this point, it sounded like the captain quickly backed off on the throttle and leveled the plane. We made a few turns, but seemed to be flying level and straight. Although, initially, there was a gasp, the sudden quiet brought about a sense of relief across all of us... We were still flying, and it seemed like we would be going back to the airport. However, at that time, we started to smell some smoke in the cabin (to me, like an electrical burnt smell). While concerning, I still felt like things were alright because we seemed to be flying ok.
----We continued to cruise, what seemed to be level for the next several minutes. It was clear we were following the Hudson River, but I really had no idea both of our engines were completely out.----Then came the announcement... "BRACE FOR IMPACT"... It was a very calm voice and in the same demeanor as you routinely here the Captain say, "Flight Attendants Prepare the Cabin for Arrival". ----In my mind the first thought was, "You've got to be kidding me, right?" Then it sunk in... We were going down, and we were going to do it in the river. The next thing that went through my head was a quick prayer... "Dear Lord, please help us through this... I could really use You right now". ----The flight attendants were giving quick instructions... Head between your knees, grab your ankles. Then they started to chant, "Tuck and Brace, Tuck and Brace". The plane appeared to be descending normally, maybe even slower than a normal landing. ---I pulled my cell phone out of my pocket and powered it up... Maybe I'd have a chance to call my wife and tell her that I love her and to make sure she tells my 2 year old son that I Love him every day. The phone started to come up, but I never did get any bars to make that call. ----They say your life flashes before your eyes in the final moments... It didn't for me. I was focused on how my wife would manage, how I'd never get to see my son grow up. I was also very glad I opted for the "7X my salary" on the life insurance. ----Still looking for bars on my cell, I could tell, we were really close to the water. I did what the flight attendants said and quickly 'tucked & braced', holding on tight... Then we hit the water. It was pretty bumpy and it felt like we took a hard left turn in the water, but we came to a stop. I was expecting the worst... Maybe the plane would flip... Maybe it would break apart and flood quickly. It didn't. ----I was sitting in the bulk head row just behind first class (seat 4D). As we stopped, the Captain announced quickly, "Abandon Plane, Abandon Plane!" Within seconds, the stewardess in the front was popping the doors open and we were sliding out to safety. I went out the front right door which turned out to be probably the best option as only the front doors had inflatable rafts that deployed. ----As I got to the end of the raft, I looked towards both shore-lines... My thought was if the raft was too full, could I swim it? There wasn't a chance, it was approximately 1/2 mile in each direction and you could tell the water was "Titanic-style" cold. At this point, people were pouring out of the plane onto the wings and it was a great feeling to know we were all getting out. Another quick look at the shorelines, and I realized there was a ferry approaching fast... In fact, there were 4 ferries and they all arrived simultaneously. ----Once everyone from our raft was on board, the Ferry quickly made tracks for the Manhattan shoreline and the ferry terminal. It wasn't more than a 2-3 minute ride before we docked and all headed into the terminal. "


For anyone who needs proof of God's power and the miracles around us everyday, here it is!