Calm Leadership on US Airways Flight 1549

Captain Chesley Sullenberger of US Air Flight 1549 and the rest of the US Air crew team did a remarkable job in safely executing their tasks in a very tense and time critical situation. Dual engine failure of a commercial airliner full of people, at low altitude over a densely populated area would certainly make anyone’s initial reaction one of “shock” and “disbelief.”

For those who have been in aviation long enough, many of us have faced emergency situations in the cockpit that required timely execution of tasks in an abbreviated manner. Staying calm “when facing the storm” is key in any emergency situation. Training, competence, and experience saves lives, and it saved the lives of everyone onboard US Air Flight 1549.

This underscores the importance of core competence, training, and evaluations in any profession. As well, individuals and teams who work in any high risk industry should always plan for and brief contingencies, the “what if’s”. Encourage everyone to think processes through to their worst logical conclusion, then brief a back up plan.

This attitude saves lives, and it saved my life one afternoon after the engine decided to quit in the airplane I was flying. Like the crew of US Air flight 1549, my initial reaction was one of “disbelief”! I remember the silence of no engine running was deafening. Competence and training kicked in. I already had an emergency field picked out “just in case” the engine quit. I reacted calmly but quickly, and after a safe landing, I was able to clean my drawers out to fly again another day. Your employees should always “scan the horizon” for emergency fields just in case their engine decides to quit. The attitude of always being prepared for the “what ifs” will soon become second nature. When an emergency does come up, the initial shock and disbelief will quickly be replaced with a calm deliberate demeanor to timely execute the contingency plan, just like Captain Chesley Sullenberger of US Air Flight 1549 and the rest of the US Air flight crew team!