plane down in Hudson

[rm]

A plane carrying 146 people and crew just went down in the Hudson after a failed takeoff. Boats rushed to the scene and are throwing life jackets into the water and rescuing folks from the plane, some of whom were seen standing on the wings waiting for rescue. The plane seems to be intact and reports indicate the landing was well controlled, so hopefully everyone will survive (I suspect the biggest risk is of people freezing to death in the water awaiting rescue).

Anyway, why did the plane go down?

It hit a flock of birds.


This is a real hazard and it happens not infrequently. That said, why hasn't humanity spread out amongst the stars?

Geese.

Fucking geese.

Comments

[klwalton.livejournal.com]

CNN already has a passenger on the phone.

Here's hoping everyone makes it off safely, and that there aren't any injuries.

[nex0s.livejournal.com]

Who knows? It might have been ducks... or swans. Swans are mean.

Anyway, we totes need a War on Water Fowl. Bomb those fuckers right out of existence. It's the only way to be sure. [end weird bitter bush years rant]

Seriously, I hope everyone is OK.

N.

[lordrexfear.livejournal.com]

It'd be funny if it was Seagulls.

They could then also blame Aurora Borealis.

It tried, it tried to fly away, but it just could get away.

(Yes I am horrible)

[imaginarycircus.livejournal.com]

Hypothermia is going to be a serious problem today. It would be a problem if it was 50 degrees.

[maryling.livejournal.com]

My best friend lives directly in front of a pond with a population of at least 200 Canada geese. She's been bitching to me about removing the fuckers from the endangered species list for years. I think she's just found a few more supporters.

[ithinkitisayit.livejournal.com]

They're endangered? Seriously? Those birds are everywhere! Endangered my ass!

Those damn birds have the gall to walk across the road and expect me not to hit them! I hate those damn things! They're worse than human pedestrians*, because at least human pedestrians aren't purposely refusing to fly across the place where I want to drive my car.

*NOTE: As a pedestrian myself, I'm not any better. I do try to run out of a car's way as fast as possible when I'm able to, though.

[brewsternorth.livejournal.com]

I thought it was Hawaiian geese that were the endangered species? Canada geese seem to be quite common; outside of Canada, too.

[kathrynrose.livejournal.com]

I'm watching it on MSNBC http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/22887506#22887506

[brewsternorth.livejournal.com]

*shakes head* Let's hope for the best for the poor folks on the plane.

And yeah, despite all the preventive measures, a bird strike is not a walk in the park.

[lawnrrd]

I for one welcome our new anserine overlords.

[stardragonca.livejournal.com]

Considering how the asinine Overlords did, how much worse could it be?

[tsarina.livejournal.com]

Geese scare me. I still have a scar from one attacking me when I was five.

[ithinkitisayit.livejournal.com]

Wait wait...this two ton hunk of metal hit some birds, and the birds were the ones to cause damage?! NO WAY!!! That's just...hilariously stupid!

[rm.livejournal.com]

Yeah. They get sucked into the engine and because of the velocities involved do enough damage to knock out the engines in question and then plane goes down (or, occassionally, explodes).

[brewsternorth.livejournal.com]

Eh, a two-ton-weight of plane has at least one critical weak-spot: if we're talking a turbojet engine, the fan blades on the turbine, weighing only a few ounces each, are good with airflow but bad with feathers.

[stardragonca.livejournal.com]

Even a very small bird can down a jet. That's why keeping birds away from airports is a major industry, and a major line of scientific inquiry.

[stardragonca.livejournal.com]

Prayers and good thought for the the passengers and crew.

[thunderemerald.livejournal.com]

::tries REALLY HARD not to write Whofic with geese in::

[rm.livejournal.com]

Hey everyone survived, no injuries. You can totally write this. I keep asking myself "man, how badly would Ianto freak out if he were on that flight?"

[brewsternorth.livejournal.com]

No apparent fatalities, according to someone at FDNY command in Brooklyn, though it's tricky since the passengers and crew were evacuated to three different piers in two states.

Still, if true, a veritable miracle.

[stardragonca.livejournal.com]

Some (understandably) hypothermia,one person with two fractured legs. Just amazing. Water landings never go this well. Even in warm waters.
Everybody who had to do something did the right thing.

[bodlon.livejournal.com]

This is why geese are DELICIOUS.

[rm.livejournal.com]

scroll down for scary fic bunny that you've just somehow added to in my head.

[raaven.livejournal.com]

When I first heard "hit some birds", I pictured sparrows...and while I know, intellectually, that sparrows can cause some very real problems for planes, it made far more sense to me when I heard it was geese.

I'm so glad - everyone appears to have gotten out okay. Amazing.

[coridan.livejournal.com]

I heard about it at work and saw the photo of the floating plan on the 1010 WINS website. That pilot deserves an AWESOMENESS medal. From my knowledge, no one got hurt, even the plane, which was carrying a full load of jet fuel at the time and could have done some bad damage on the river if it had cracked open.

[brewsternorth.livejournal.com]

For sure. Apparently the pilot is actually an expert on disaster management, so he knew exactly what to do. Including dumping all the fuel (hence the smell of gasoline) to prevent fire. Considering the confined space he had to fly in, plus all the other circumstances, it's still one impressive feat. He appears to have landed the plane so well that bystanders had difficulty believing it was in difficulties until it actually ditched.

[darthhellokitty.livejournal.com]

Wow. Now I've seen the pictures of the plane in the water - DAMN. And everyone got out OK. Miraculous.

[stardragonca.livejournal.com]

New York:their magic is strong!

[marzipan-pig.livejournal.com]

We had some buses (full of underprivileged/minority teenagers!) ALMOST go flying down a road and off a cliff and then onto I5 here when it was icy, but everyone miraculously got out and the buses didn't teeter over.

B/w that and this, it's like, the reverse of the apocalypse, like, all these little disasters, narrowly averted, almost like we're on the verge of some kind of better time :)

[arcanetrivia]

Sooo... we should beware of space geese, then?