9/11 May Have Prepared NYC First Responders for Near Flawless Rescue

It is difficult to imagine the impace of a commercial airliner landing in the Hudson River -- or any river for that matter. The act of landing the plane on its belly on the uneven surface of the water is pretty hard to fathom as possible. The slightest shift in the wings of the plane or even the wake of a boat may have doomed the passengers and the crew.

Instead, the pilot was able to make the impossible landing. The impact when the plane hit the water was no doubt jarring - and one passenger described it positively as "no greater than a rear-end collision." The most severe injuries that are being reported at this time involve one passenger who had both of their legs broken upon impact.

Anyone who has flown on a commercial airliner has heard the various safety procedures that are involved with a water landing. But in the history of aviation, there have been scarce few that have resulted in no loss of life. In addition to the pilot's heroics in guiding the plane down safely, all of the rescue personnel and city support teams were able to respond quickly and correctly to ensure that all were rescued safely.

It is hard to imagine any city in the world with rescue personnel and leadership that is more prepared for such an event than New York City. Through painful lessons learned from 9/11 and other tragedies, everyone was prepared - and this time everyone came through in a big way.