Steel birds that float

Wow. If you're going to be in an airplane crash, this is the kind of crash you should be in. Not to belittle the actual fear, shock and trauma of the passengers on this US Airways flight from LaGuardia to Charlotte, N.C. at all (because really, the shit must have been terrifying), but since they all survived with only a couple broken legs and some cold limbs, it's easy to look at this with an eye towards irony instead of tragedy. You can say it: These people are set for life on an airplane. They'll never have to worry about being in another plane crash, because the odds are so far against it ever happening to them again, that they can frickin' roll onto Oceanic 815 with no concerns. That being said, they are so lucky that their pilot is a rock star, with Air Force fighter jet piloting on his resume, and was able to miraculously get them out of the air and on the ground (or in the water) without getting hurt.
And who knew that a bird could bring down a plane? The scuttlebutt on that on CNN this afternoon is that jet engines are designed to be able to inhale a bird or two up to a certain weight. So, say, a pigeon, doesn't give a jet pause, but a Canadian goose, which they suspect was the culprit today, can shut the whole engine down.
Raise a glass, and let's toast a pilot with nerves of steel, who will now be able to retire with full benefits and a shitload of money as his monthly income, because he managed to lose only a plane, instead of all the people on it.