My few posts have mostly been concerned with the psychology of the incident.
The tiniest hint of disbelief by the PNF when assured the runway was clear, is I feel, a very significant point. What they were perceiving has been well covered: a runway to their left and a set of lights that didn't look quite right - ringing an alarm bell in the mind of one pilot if not both.
Then there's the RT.
"Were going in the Hudson." is a sentence probably buried in the memory of every pilot in the Western World. As we all know, it did not convey the magnitude of the emergency and certainly not the intention.
"Wheres this guy going?" and "He's on the Taxyway!" brought things back into focus for AC759,
Without a second-by-second time-line into the thinking of the flying pilots, I rather think it didn't. Neither statement made the extent of the emergency
totally clear - and from the holding pilot's viewpoint it was an imminent catastrophe.
If I'd been presented with that image, I like to think I'd have made it very clear - the very least,
Landing aircraft. You are lined up with, or You are landing on the Taxiway. And yes, there would have been a lot of !!!!!!! to emphasise the point.
We know what was meant by He's on the Taxyway, but that was background noise in the ears of the flying pilots who were already presented with something that simply did not look right. Again, if I'd been presented with that image . . . well, I have no idea what I would have done. If the rows of lights fooled two experienced pilots, they may well have fooled me.
If we are to truly learn from this incident, the entire thing should be re-enacted, though I hasten to add I'd not have the camera aircraft overfly the holding hardware! Expensive, but it's vital to know how pilot perception can be slewed so dramatically.
N.B. I had a Boeing trundling towards me while at about 6 miles finals at night. I watched bemused as it seemed to be gathering extraordinary taxiing speed. When it rotated I asked if they'd like me to move out of the way. All good humoured. The point being, it was all so clear. I could even identify the aircraft. What was it about the row of holding aircraft that looked so different?