When US Airways Flight 1549 landed on the Hudson River on January 15, 2009, the emergency was not over. Inside the aircraft, 150 passengers still needed to get out. Flight attendants Sheila Dail, Donna Dent and Doreen Welsh became central to that next stage.
The three relied on their training as water entered the plane. Welsh suffered a serious leg injury, yet helped direct passengers away from the damaged rear section. Dail and Dent worked at the front as people moved toward usable exits.
All 155 passengers and crew survived. The National Transportation Safety Board identified the cabin crew’s evacuation work among the factors that made survival possible. The landing is closely associated with Captain Chesley Sullenberger, but its outcome also depended on the flight attendants, fellow crewmembers and rescuers who responded.
Sources: NTSB: Flight 1549 Investigation AFA-CWA: Flight 1549 Cabin Crew Tribute