the people around me (non flyers) are all amazed by the fact that everybody survived this ditching.
I've noticed though that virtually all of them remember the ditching of another large jet near a beach, a jet whose pilots were being threatened with a knife during the last minutes of the power off (fuel exhaustion) ditching. This jet banked at the last moment, a wing hit the water first and the plane broke up. It was a very powerful image that stuck in people's minds, which explains the euphoria about this accident and especially it's outcome and the role of the crew therein.
In this thread it has slowly become clear that yesterdays ditching in not unique. I believe at least 8 ditchings took place where most or all survived.
So perhaps a ditching is much more survivable than we all assumed based on this powerful image of several years ago, and indeed the crew did an excellent job without having to be made the heroes they currently are made out to be.
It seems part of the euphoria over the saved lives. I in no way wish to minimize the performance of the crew, understand me right, I just want to take out the emotion out of the situation. I believe the crew did an excellent job and they should be an example to all of us.
1. quality piloting of the plane
2. calm water and free of obstacles
3. good visibility
4. calm winds
5. undamaged fuselage
6. ditch button on this type of plane
7. excellent SLF management by the cabin crew
8. immediate availability of rescue boats as well as helicopters with divers
Where an accident is often a sequence bad fortunes, perhaps this time saving the day was a sequence of good fortunes, not least a quality crew
Last edited by vanHorck; 16th Jan 2009 at 23:05.