Mar 16, 2009 11:27 pm US/Eastern
Miracle On The Hudson: Balt. Man Shares His Story
BALTIMORE (WJZ) ―
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A US Airways plane floats in the water near the coast after crashing into the Hudson River in the afternoon on Jan. 15, 2009, near the Battery Park neighborhood in New York City.
Julian Ungano/Getty Images
The Hudson River plane landing is dubbed miraculous for many reasons. Among them is the survival of the 155 people on board Flight 1549.
One of those survivors is right here in Baltimore. Jim Hanks shares his gripping story with
Sally Thorner.
"We still had a lot of altitude. The captain said, 'Brace for impact,'" said Hanks. "I went down and tried to cover as much of my head as possible with my hands and arms."
According to a dramatic call from the pilot of US Airways Flight 1549, the plane had run into birds and lost thrust in both engines.
But it wasn't a plane crash, it was history's first successful splash-landing of a large passenger airplane. Baltimore attorney Jim Hanks is living proof.
"When we got down to right where I knew, OK this was it, then I really braced up, balled up as hard as I could," said Hanks.
He was on Flight 1549 on Jan. 15 when it took off from New York's LaGuardia Airport. Moments later, a flock of geese hit the plane, killing both engines.
Captain Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger made a split-second decision to land the plane on the Hudson River.
Everyone survived. But once in the water, things still looked pretty grim for Jim who was seated in the back of the plane.
"I did think I was going to drown. It had been my plan to go to the back because that's what you hear so often, go to the nearest exit," he said. "As I did, a flight attendant was coming forward, and she said it was hopeless -- referring to the door. I had to see for myself; I went back there."
Jim recounts detailed memories he calls the darkest moments of the flight.
"When I went to the back of the plane, the water was rising rapidly to my neck," said Hanks. "I found myself thinking about my wife who was going to become a widow and my daughter was going to be without a father and that she, at the age of four, would probably never remember me."
But Jim wasn't going to stand there and do nothing. He realized the front of the plane was still above water.
By the time he made his way forward, the life rafts were there waiting.
Jim says he's been able to move on fairly easily. He's beyond grateful that he was able to celebrate his daughter's recent birthday.
He doesn't have second thoughts about flying again.
"No, not at all. This was a totally freak accident. Besides, what am I going to do? Let a bunch of geese control my life?" he said.
To this day, US Airways still checks in with the survivors. Jim says the airline couldn't have handled the situation any better.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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