misd-agin They didn't have to say MAYDAY, EMERGENCY or PAN PAN. The controller knew immediately from the radio transmissions and what the crew said, and their responses to his inquiries, and by watching the a/c descending, that this was an absolute emergency.
He responded immediately by notifying LGA tower to stop all departures, thereby reducing his workoad and clearing the runways of aluminum.
Exactly. What some here fail to realize is that R/T is NOT an end unto itself, it's communication. US ATC doesn't need a verbatim "mayday" call to begin emergency response as the situation dictates, as this audio clearly shows. Capt Sully's stating he had lost thrust in both engines and was returning...explaining the situation.. is tantamount to an emergency declaration and there is certainly no hesitation on the part of the controller due to him failing to understand this. In other words, the fact that an emergency existed was communicated within seconds, and appropriate responses began by the Controller which would have told Cpt Sully that his emergency status was obviously understood by ATC.
SD.
Mr Moody, the retired BA expert had a dig at the American RT, was shocked that the Cactus crew never declared a mayday and that the controller never gave them a discreet frequency to talk on.
Mr Moody perhaps needs an electro-shock to the head because he sounds like he's too old to acertain the obvious from the audio; that the controller instantly knew an emergency existed and why (birdstrike/lost thrust) and could probably use some instruction from Capt. Sully regarding the foolishness of burdening the pilots with unnecessary distractions during a full-blown emergency while they're trying to fly the airplane.
Well, NObody except ab initio BA air cadets care what Mr. Moody is "shocked by" or what he thinks about American R/T anyway.