On this day, January the 15th, in the year of 2009, the Miracle on the Hudson, the crash landing of an airplane into the Hudson River, where all passengers of the aircraft survived, occurred.

Departing in the afternoon from La Guardia Airport in Queens, New York, New York, to Charlotte, North Carolina, US Airways flight 1954 hit a flock of Canadian geese while in ascension, causing both of the plane’s engines to shut down.

At first, Captain Chesley Sulleberger, better known as “Sully”, wanted to land back at La Guarida and then Teterboro in New Jersey, but when those options were deemed not possible due to the planes condition, Sully and first officer Skiles decided the only course of options was to perform an emergency landing in the Hudson River.

Setting down near 48th street, the plane was able to stay afloat due to non-full fuel tanks, and within minutes, local ferry services came to the rescue followed by proper emergency services, rescuing all 155 people on board, who really had no server injuries outside of cases of hyperthermia.

After the Miracle on the Hudson, Captain Sully became a national hero and investigations showed that landing on the Hudson was the best thing to do.

In 2016, a Clint Eastwood motion picture depicting the events of the day, with Tom Hanks playing Sullenberger, Sully, was released to general high acclaim (Simple Flying) (Britannica) (WCNC Charlotte).

To read more daily facts and tidbits and about aviation, see the Barron Perspectives “On this Day Archives” webpage and articles such as “(Wright Brothers) On This Day – December 17th” and “(First US Pres. to Travel by Air) On This Day – January 14th”.