Water Landing Diverts Ground Traffic

The View From My Office: USAirways Flight 1549 in the Hudson River

This is the view from my office window of USAirways Flight 1549 after all of the passengers were safely evacuated and the plane is almost completely submerged in the Hudson River. According to the Federal Aviation Administration, the flight, which had departed New York’s LaGuardia Airport on its way to Charlotte, was airborne less than three minutes. An emergency water landing was made after the pilot radioed air traffic controllers that he had experienced a bird strike.

All of the passengers were safely evacuated from the aircraft thanks in large measure to what was described as extraordinary skill and calm on the part of the pilot. As I write this blog posting, at 9:00 p.m., I can see rescue workers in police boats surrounding the location where the aircraft is submerged, as they perform ongoing work for the emergency investigation. I can also see emergency vehicles along the West Side Highway that extend from the area to as far north (at least as I can see) to 42nd Street, although the news media report that traffic has been halted from 79th Street.

While the emergency landing itself is extraordinary, the ground disruptions it caused are not, as New Yorkers are only too familiar with the need to make alternate commuting plans in the event of disruptions – irrespective of the cause. Whether it is a steam pipe explosion on 42nd Street or an emergency airplane landing in the Hudson River, commuting disruptions are everyday disasters for which our local small businesses must be prepared.