On Fri, 16 Jan 2009 06:21:53 -0800, Smitty Two
wrote:

In article ,
willshak wrote:

on 1/16/2009 5:51 AM (ET) Jimw wrote the following:
Off Topic, but hardware related.

It's been all over the news about the plane that crashed into a river
in (I think) New York.

In the Hudson River by NYC. It is considered a crash, but because of the
expertise of the pilot, it was more of a landing in the water.

It is only "considered a crash" by the media. Pilots call that an
"off-field landing." A plane crashes when structural failure or pilot
error causes the plane to no longer be under the control of the pilot.
This was not the case, here.

As far as the pilot being a hero, sure, he did a nice job. Any pilot
could have easily done the same thing.

So how come other pilots said he was the only one to ever successfully
ditch [in the water]. (Maybe they are only counting airliners and not
military or private planes?)

I'm not surprised he could find the Hudson River. It's landing
without breaking up that is the achievement.

Planes fly perfectly well without
engine power. Only caveat is, they fly a descending course.