About a minute after taking off from New York’s La Guardia Airport on January 15, 2009, US Airways Flight 1549 collided with one of the aviation industry’s most threatening foes: a flock of geese. Crippled by the bird strike, both engines lost power and went quiet, forcing Captain Chesley Burnett Sullenberger III to make an emergency landing. When air traffic controllers instructed Sullenberger to head for nearby Teterboro Airport, the pilot calmly informed them that he was “unable” to reach a runway. “We’re gonna be in the Hudson,” he said simply, and then told the 150 terrified passengers and five crew members on board to brace for impact. Ninety seconds later, he glided the Airbus 320 over the George Washington Bridge and onto the chilly surface of the Hudson River, where it splashed down midway between Manhattan and New Jersey. As flight attendants ushered passengers into life jackets, through emergency exits and onto the waterlogged wings of the bobbing jet, a flotilla of commuter ferries, sightseeing boats and rescue vessels hastened to the scene. One survivor suffered two broken legs and others were treated for minor injuries or hypothermia, but no fatalities occurred during the incident, which Governor David Paterson dubbed “the miracle on the Hudson.” After walking up and down the aisle twice to ensure a complete evacuation, Sullenberger, a former fighter pilot with decades of flying experience, was the last to leave the sinking plane. His heroic actions propelled him into the public eye and earned him a slew of honors, including an invitation to Barack Obama’s presidential inauguration and resolutions of praise from the U.S. Congress.
MV Maersk Alabama (2009)
On April 8, 2009, in the crime-ridden waters off the coast of Somalia, a small band of Somali pirates hijacked the American cargo ship Maersk Alabama. It was the first attempted pirate seizure of a vessel flying the U.S. flag since the early 19th century. After a standoff with the crew, the rifle-toting pirates fled in a covered lifeboat, taking the ship’s captain, Richard Phillips, with them. Several days of tense and halting negotiations ensued between Phillips’ captors and the missile-armed destroyer USS Bainbridge, which had been dispatched to address the hostage situation. During this time, the U.S. Defense Department obtained permission from President Barack Obama to use force against the pirates if it appeared Phillips’ life was in imminent danger. When two of the pirates poked their heads out a back hatch and a third pointed an automatic rifle at Phillips, U.S. Navy SEAL sharpshooters took aim using night-vision scopes. Despite the darkness and choppy water, the expertly trained shooters were able to take out the three pirates with just three shots, setting the stage for Phillips’ rescue.
On April 8, 2009, in the crime-ridden waters off the coast of Somalia, a small band of Somali pirates hijacked the American cargo ship Maersk Alabama. It was the first attempted pirate seizure of a vessel flying the U.S. flag since the early 19th century. After a standoff with the crew, the rifle-toting pirates fled in a covered lifeboat, taking the ship’s captain, Richard Phillips, with them. Several days of tense and halting negotiations ensued between Phillips’ captors and the missile-armed destroyer USS Bainbridge, which had been dispatched to address the hostage situation. During this time, the U.S. Defense Department obtained permission from President Barack Obama to use force against the pirates if it appeared Phillips’ life was in imminent danger. When two of the pirates poked their heads out a back hatch and a third pointed an automatic rifle at Phillips, U.S. Navy SEAL sharpshooters took aim using night-vision scopes. Despite the darkness and choppy water, the expertly trained shooters were able to take out the three pirates with just three shots, setting the stage for Phillips’ rescue.
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