Pilot hailed
for 'Hudson miracle'
The US Airways Airbus A320 made the crash-landing minutes
out of LaGuardia airport; both its engines apparently disabled by a flock of birds. Passengers were
rescued from the wings or helped from the icy water by divers. Captain Chesley
Sullenberger was praised by New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg for his
"masterful" landing. The state governor spoke of a "miracle on
the Hudson".
Flight 1549 departed LaGuardia en route to Charlotte,
North Carolina, at 1526 local time (2026 GMT), after delays, said Laura Brown
of the Federal Aviation Administration. "We believe it was airborne for three
minutes after take-off when it crashed into the Hudson River," she said. The
pilot reported a "double bird strike" less than a minute after
take-off and asked to return to the ground, before ditching in the Hudson, an air controllers
union spokesman said.
Ferryboats
arrived within minutes of the crash to begin the rescue as passengers emerged
in life jackets. The temperature was almost -7C and the current in the Hudson
was running rapidly. The plane moved rapidly down river,
threatening to submerge at one point,
until guided to a halt by tug boats against a pier.
The BBC's Greg Wood reports from New York that it was a
true delivery from disaster, a commercial airliner forced to ditch in the river
just next to the skyscrapers of mid-town Manhattan but with no fatalities. One person
suffered two broken legs and paramedics treated 78 patients, most for minor
injuries but, through a combination of luck, the skill of the pilot and a rapid
emergency response, 155 people have had a very narrow escape, our correspondent
says.
Air accident investigators are in New York to probe the
cause of the incident.
Web address: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/7832439.stm
Introduction Analysis:
What: The pilot of an airliner that ditched in New York's Hudson River has been hailed a hero after all 155 passengers and crew were rescued.
Who: Chesley Sullenberger
Where: LaGuardia airport, the Hudson River, New York
Key words:
disabled 停止使用
route航線
airborne空降
ditch 溝
ditching 水上迫降
submerge淹沒
fatality死亡
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回覆刪除The story of Sully is very touched. He rescued the passengers at the airplane by a bright idea occurred.
回覆刪除He is a man who should be respected by everyone but he was suspected after he rescued the passengers. I think this thing is a miracle but some people think that he is not a hero. So we should think again why he ignored other people’s orders and hold on to his own views to save these people.
The touch movie is based on a true story.And I watched the move with my friend in the Net.I think Sully is an excellent pilot.Although he was questioned by many people,he still believed in himself.It is this spirit to save everyone.
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