On 15th Jan, 2009, an Airbus 390 took off from LaGuardia Airport, New York. But shortly after the take-off, a flock of birds hit the plane, resulting in engine failure. Pilot Chesley Sullenberger, famously known as ‘Sully’, with over 30 years of professional aviation experience, asked his co-pilot to start the second engine. It turned out that even the second engine failed. If the plane were at a decent height, then pilots could have manoeuvred it to a nearby airport. However, this was not the case with Airbus 390, which was flying at a low altitude. Sully decided to land the plane on the Hudson River that was in close vicinity. It is true that pilots were trained to land planes on a river as part of a contingency plan, but this technique didn’t have a high success rate. Yet, Sully remained adamant on his decision and using his vast experience and skills, successfully landed the plane in the freezing temperature of Hudson river. There were 155 passengers and crew on board. When the head count of survivors was done, it turned out to be 155 precise!
Most of you would have recalled the incident by now that I just described. After all it was so famous that the photo of the plane was featured across almost all the newspapers around the globe. A lot of other readers might recall through the Hollywood movie ‘Sully’, starring Tom Hanks. But my intention is not to refresh any of those memories. There is something more to the story.
When the incident happened, most of US and global media instantaneously proclaimed Sully as a hero. He received applause and acclaim for his brevity. Nevertheless, his own company did not think so. The airline company launched an investigation into the matter. At one point of time during the trial, the computer simulations showed that the alternate plan to land on an airport could have been implemented. Sully, through his exceptional speaking skills, convinced the investigating committee that what simulations showed was not possible for a human. The investigation concluded that Sully and the co-pilot’s acts on the day were appropriate.
The moral of the story is that no matter how much heroic efforts you pull off, no matter how good your deeds are, you will be thoroughly scrutinized in today’s world. And one must prepare to defend his or her case, when the time comes. Don’t let your efforts and impetus go in vain because of poor communication. Don’t let your cruising plane plunge into the precarious territories. Instead learn to effectively communicate your ideas and acts!
Poor communication and ineffective marketing of your professional work can foil all your good work. These skills are becoming increasingly more important in the rapidly growing world.
(The article was originally published in Toastmasters District 98 magazine ‘Communicate’ — June edition)
