Miracle on the Hudson...

I was stunned last week, as I'm sure you all were, by the amazing events that took place on the Hudson River involving the "landing" of a US Airways jet. On Friday, I heard a great commentary by CBS Radio's Dave Ross, and I wanted to share it here. He summed up exactly what I was thinking.

In the unlikely event of a water landing... by Dave Ross

Those of us who fly on a regular basis have many uncomfortable questions floating around in our heads as we pretend to ignore the safety lecture. But we suppress them because we know that strapping yourself in a metal tube to go hurtling through the atmosphere at 500 miles an hour surrounded by jet fuel is an inherently insane idea. And -- we have a suspicion that despite all the options they give you, what would actually happen in the unlikely event of a "water landing" is that you die. But now we have some answers:

-Will this plane REALLY glide with both engines out? Yes.

-Can a plane actually land in the water without breaking apart? Yes.

-Will a fully loaded plane actually float? Yes.

-Is it possible to send a text message under pressure? Yes -- one woman managed to message her husband -- "My plane is crashing."

-Is there really a reason to have able-bodied people in the exit row? Yes.

-Can you really evacuate a plane in 90 seconds? Yes.

-Will the life vests really inflate when you pull firmly on the cord? Yes.

-Can the wing really hold you when you step on it? Yes.

-Can a pilot like Chesley B. Sullenberger III ever be replaced by a computer? No!

-Is there any city more prepared for an emergency than New York City? I doubt it -- talk about a winning team -- the name of the first ferry captain at the scene was Vincent Lombardi!

-And I guess the biggest question of all: Do prayers get answered? Let's see: the plane missed the George Washington Bridge by 900 feet, it stayed intact, it didn't sink, the boats were right there, and nobody died. What do you think?