10 years later, Mass. passenger recalls Miracle on the Hudson

BOSTON — Not a day goes by where Dave Carlos doesn't think about the day he and five of his friends lives were completely changed.

Carlos, a 45-year-old high school math teacher, is one of the six Massachusetts passengers who were aboard U.S. Airways Flight 1549 that went down in the Miracle on the Hudson back on Jan 15, 2009.

He, along with five other friends from Chicopee, were on their way to Myrtle Beach for a golf getaway when, shortly after take-off, their plane ditched in the Hudson River after both engines failed when they struck a flock of birds.

Their water landing on the icy river made international headlines with captivating video and photos of passengers awaiting rescue while standing on the wings of the floating plane.

The incident, which came to be known as the Miracle on the Hudson, made the pilot Captain Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger known as a national hero. His role was even played by Tom Hanks in the Hollywood blockbuster "Sully".

More than 150 lives were saved that day, thanks to Sully, who pulled off the unlikely landing that made history.

Carlos, who says it feels like he's been living on borrowed time ever since, had learned his wife Tara was pregnant with their second child just one day before boarding the flight.

He says the water landing was actually a blessing in disguise as, for the past 10 years, it has taught him to appreciate life so much more.

Surprisingly, Carlos says he's not afraid to fly.

Cox Media Group