Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
SALT LAKE CITY -- Friday is the first anniversary of the "Miracle on the Hudson." A man who was raised in Utah was on that flight and says it's still surreal to him.
As he sees the news coverage of what happened a year ago, Darren Beck says it's still hard to comprehend what happened that day.
"It's almost like an out-of-body experience. It's like, ‘Wow, that's an amazing thing that happened to those people,' and then I realize, ‘Wait. I was one of them,'" he says.
Beck says the whole process happened very quickly. At first the plane seemed like it was under control, so Beck thought they would make it back to the airport. He didn't really start to worry until he heard the words "brace for impact."
His first thoughts went to his wife and his children. He says he quickly became determined he wouldn't die on that plane and was already planning how he'd get out once the plane crashed.
Beck says surviving the crash has made him a new person. His friends joke with him about how "that plane crash" was the best thing to ever happen to him.
"I didn't have a lot of regrets about the life I had lived. I think I've been a pretty good person. It's more, I think, just about really enjoying every single day a little bit more," he says.
Beck still keeps in contact with the other survivors of US Airways Flight 1549, including Capt. Chesley Sullenberger.
"I love that man, obviously. He saved my life and I will forever be indebted for that," he says.
As for the rest of the survivors, Beck says they've become like family to him.
"I would do a lot. I would loan money. I told another passenger I would give her a kidney if she needed one," Beck says.
He says "Sully" wasn't the only hero of that flight. He thanks the flight attendants for keeping order when everyone got off the plane, as well as the ferry operators that took everyone out of the freezing water.
E-mail: pnelson@ksl.com
