Adirondacks

About Me (Barbara Weibel)

Barbara Weibel After years of working 70 hours a week at jobs I detested, I felt like the proverbial "hole in the donut" - solid on the outside, but empty on the inside. Searching for meaning in my life, I abandoned my successful but unsatisfying career and set out on a six-month solo backpacking trip around the world to pursue my true passions of travel, writing, and photography. My blog feature intensely personal stories about the destinations I visit, people I meet, the crazy (and often humorous) ...Read more here....

This series of photos showing the raising of the “Miracle on the Hudson” USAirways jet from the bottom of the river were forwarded to me today. I can’t know for sure where they came from, but the body of the email indicated they were taken by the crane operator lifting the Airbus out of the Hudson River and went on to say:

“Note that only one engine was sheared off, not both… And considering that landing in water is like landing on concrete, not a whole lotta damage to the Airbus fuselage… Musta been one helluva great splash landing.”

Toward the end of the series, note the cracked nose of the fuselage. Hard to believe it didn’t sink outright. Now it’s off to Jersey City, where it will undergo extensive inspection and investigation. Really remarkable photos.

miracle01

Tugs bring in the barge on which the raised jet will be placed

miracle02

Crane lowers apparatus that will bring the plane up

miracle03

Crew prepares to raise the aircraft

miracle04

Tugboat upon which the crane is mounted

miracle05

The tail of the jet begins to emerge from the frigid waters of the Hudson

miracle06

A little higher....

miracle07

Fuselage begins to appear....

miracle08

More of the fuselage is revealed....

miracle09

Side view of the front of the fuselage and nose

miracle10

Wings begin to appear as the raising continues

miracle11

Both wings now clearly visible

miracle12

Hosing the mud from the river off the wing

miracle13

Note the crack in the nose....

miracle14

And one sheared off engine

miracle15

Moving the jet over to the barge

miracle16

Coming to rest on the barge

miracle17

Carefully, carefully....

miracle18

How did this thing NOT sink with everyone in it???

miracle19

LOOK at that engine!

miracle20

Off to Jersey City, where it will be examined with a fine tooth comb

  • June:

    That this had a happy ending is truly amazing…these are incredible photos. I’m surprised they allowed the public to be so close.

    June’s last blog post..Facebook Newbie

  • Superb

    Really great team work.

  • The miracle on Hudson was truly a miracle in its own right. I just have to wonder what would have happened if its was charter flights that went down instead of a commercial flight? Do you think there would have been as much media, help, and aid? Just a question about the difference between charter flights and commercial flights.

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