Broadcasting a Miracle
US Airways plane ditches into Hudson River. Image sent in to WPIX.com. (January 15, 2009)
Obviously not a lot of time to blog tonight, as we get our coverage of the Hudson River plane crash for the PIX News at 10. I only wanted to say what a joy and relief it is to be able to broadcast news of a happy ending after what looked to be shaping up as a terrible disaster. The fact that no one was killed or critically injured after a jetliner had to ditch in a frigid, rushing river is just what people are calling it: a miracle. So many times over the years, Kaity and I have rushed to the studio to anchor what we knew would be coverage of something very bad, that was going to, or had already, taken lives; 9/11, of course, but also the Staten Island Ferry accident, the City Hall shooting, the steam pipe explosion. To be on the air for three hours straight hours this afternoon, for something that could have been so tragic.. and then to wrap it up by saying everybody’s okay…. Well, it’s as good a feeling as I’ve had in a while, and I hope many of you are feeling as happy and energized and proud of our city as I am.
PHOTOS: INCREDIBLE WITNESS PIX: US Airways Jet Lands In Hudson River
US Airways plane ditches into Hudson River. Image sent in to WPIX.com. (January 15, 2009)
Deepest respect to the pilot and flight crew, the passengers, and the many agencies and individuals who helped rescue them once the plane was down. We all needed a break, some good news.. and today, we got some!
PHOTOS: INCREDIBLE WITNESS PIX: US Airways Jet Lands In Hudson River
Comments: 8
THis was so crazy how this Pilot MADe aq safe laNdiNG when I heard about this Story I was IN shock i Prayed for all of the passengerS to get help & to get home to there familys
THis was so crazy how this Pilot MADe aq safe laNdiNG when I heard about this Story I was IN shock i Prayed for all of the passengerS to get help & to get home to there familys
When I heard on the radio that a plane was floating in the Hudson, I immediately ran to my TV and turned on Channel 11, and there you were telling us the story. Thanks for being there Jim, to, as you say, bring us dramatic, yet happy (this time) news. God bless that pilot. it made me cry in relief.
This nothing less than miracle. A plane going down safely, and land on the river instead of the crowd city, which would really be a tragedy if it happens. You know, people rarely survive in a plane crash.
I think this definitely has God's merciful hand on it.
Jim, Katie, and everyone in the field - I never saw a news team look so relieved in presenting a story. You had the appearance of having the world's weight lifted off your shoulders. And it looked so-o-o-o-o good! So do the cynics still think that only bad news sells? They should check media ratings from yesterday's coverages.
Another part of yesterday's miracle was ironically the weather, which actually turned out to be a blessing since it was too cold for most watercraft to be out there. That worked to clear the river for the plane without endangering life at the surface.
There were so many human factors at work, not the least of which was the training and heroism of Capt. "Sully" and crew. So I prefer to focus on the somewhat overlooked one of the passengers as a community. A century after the Titanic, the selfless call for "women and children first" declared civility to be still alive and well in our world - but with a much happier outcome this time! If that's a metaphor for the larger community, I think we're gonna be all right.
This guy is a hero - and thank God everyone was safe. Jim, you and Kaity did a great job of news reporting, but you looked alittle weathered by all of it. Kaity wears black all the time, but she's not fat. You had no jacket on, is it that heated in the newsroom?> Ok, enough of my local observations. Just wanted to say you did a great job guys, alittle repetitive, however, a bang up job!!!.....LEE *Grandmalovesherkiddies, TT, JJ & GG...
Kaity, please wear another color, you are very pretty and have great hair....just dyed my hair red and I made a mess...
Jim and Kaity,
I really wonder, if it was every man for himself OR, are people really that nice in this day and age of mistrust. I know the "sinking ship", so to speak had alot of helpers, however, I wonder how people really behaved on the plane - shucks, they lost their luggage...A bit of a cynical Lee today....lost my luggage on a regular trip....
Is it fight or it it flight?> The pilot always goes down with his ship, and he did a good job of making sure everyone was off that sinking plane.....Lee, who saw DOUBT today, Meryl Streep was great *she should get her 19th oscar nomination, but I didn't like the movie.Hoffman was good, but Streep outshines them all...
It was on everyyyyyyyyyyyyy channel already!!!!!
BUT AGAIN, THANK YOU GUYS FOR SOME HAPPY ENDING REPORTING.....