'A Sudden, Terrible Stillness'

Wonder what happened?How lucky all of the people came out alive,The pilots know I'm sure.

I probably would have grabbed my bag too, it holds medication i require, my ID's, credit cards, and money.. so no i don't think his grabbing his bag was wrong. how ANYONE could critize someone whose been through this is amazing..... There is no right or wrong to how someone reacts to something like this. Thankfully everyone is now physically safe, the psychological damage it did for some is unknown. I don't think i'd fly ever again!

some people amaze me. how do you actually fault this guy without knowing all the facts. the bag may have been on his lap, in which case, why would he not take it. also, the pilot just saved 110 people and maybe he was on the phone with his bosses or his wife.

some of you people are know-it-all losers

some people amaze me. how do you actually fault this guy without knowing all the facts. the bag may have been on his lap, in which case, why would he not take it. also, the pilot just saved 110 people and maybe he was on the phone with his bosses or his wife.

some of you people are know-it-all losers

I agree with LONE to some degree - getting that bag could possibly have caused someone else critical injury. However, had they NOT been so close to the airport and had crashed in a wilderness getting his bag COULD have meant the difference in his own survival. Let's face it most of us think of ourselves first and it could have been just a reflex to grab for his bag.

If you have ever been in a near death experience, you will know that you do whatever comes naturally. First you think of saving yourself and loved ones, and then your possessions. As trivial as it may seem after, in the moment it is a priority! I narrowly escaped a flash flood last year and after ensuring my safety and that of the others around me, I quickly thought to grab my backpack before it was washed away. It had my wallet, cell phone and camera, as well as extra water and clothes. I realized later that in a life and death situation, it really is not a big deal (another person lost his backpack and was just glad to have escaped with his two kids) but in the moment I did not want to lose that stuff. You never know either if you will be stranded, which we were but thankfully for only a few hours, but those things in your bag can become life savers. Unfortunately two people did lose their lives in that flash flood and others did lose their belongings, but I think we should leave this man alone who in the moment thought to grab his bag. I can completely understand! This man has been through a lot and to call him selfish after such a traumatic event is just inconsiderate and hurtful.

If you have ever been in a near death experience, you will know that you do whatever comes naturally. First you think of saving yourself and loved ones, and then your possessions. As trivial as it may seem after, in the moment it is a priority! I narrowly escaped a flash flood last year and after ensuring my safety and that of the others around me, I quickly thought to grab my backpack before it was washed away. It had my wallet, cell phone and camera, as well as extra water and clothes. I realized later that in a life and death situation, it really is not a big deal (another person lost his backpack and was just glad to have escaped with his two kids) but in the moment I did not want to lose that stuff. You never know either if you will be stranded, which we were but thankfully for only a few hours, but those things in your bag can become life savers. Unfortunately two people did lose their lives in that flash flood and others did lose their belongings, but I think we should leave this man alone who in the moment thought to grab his bag. I can completely understand! This man has been through a lot and to call him selfish after such a traumatic event is just inconsiderate and hurtful.

Where are the survivor stories, especially the man who was shouting in panic, "The plane's gonna blow up!" Give some room for people who went through this and lived to tell the story before they consult a personal injury attorney with ideas drawn from these petty comments. The only comments worth reading here are the man in row five and Jeb's account. The rest of us, including myself, should thank God these people are alive. Leave them alone.

We have so many things going wrong in this world and this could have been very tragic. As an ex-wife of a Continental pilot it sounds as if the pilot did everything he could to keep this from being a real tragedy. Hats off to the pilots and flight attendants for getting everyone off this plane so that everyone can celebrate the holidays with their families. Bless you!

Hey, I know Jeb personally, and I can tell you that he in no way would endanger another person or impeed the evacuation to save his bag. Jeb and I are both mountain and rock climbers, back country adventurers ect. We have engagued in some pretty hard core stuff. Because of that it is almost an instinct to grab your stuff in an emergency situation b/c it is your stuff that may mean the difference between life or death. I can easily see myself on the plane holding my wife hunched over in the seats looking down at my bag at my feet. When it came time to move, throwing my satchel over my shoulder (I am sure that jeb did not have a typical large type carry on bag) grabbing my wife and doing what was required to help her, and anyone else that needed it off of the plane. I can also guarantee that if the incident did not occur of the tarmac and emergency crews were not right there that Jeb would have been the one back onto the scene after ash was safe making sure that everyone else had the best chance possible to get to saftey. Jeb is a hardcore guy with a good heart. If I was on that plane and needed help I would want Jeb right there next to me. So why don't you all just leave him alone.

OMG!! The pilot was talking on a phone while laying on a stretcher!!! Let's put aside the enormous stress that he/she went through, IN SECONDS , to try and calculate how to SAVE their passengers and the fact that they were probably the last one to leave the aircraft because this is part of their job description. What are you thinking SANTORINI- that they are privileged -are you insinuating that they shouldn't be on the phone. They probably were answering the beginning of thousands of questions as to what went wrong. Just BE THANKFUL --ALL OF YOU- THAT HUMAN LIVES WERE SAVED!!!! As for Mr Tilley- thanks for the information and your descriptive tale -which is what it only is -your recollection. I prefer to read the Captain's and First Officer's account for the facts. What is missing from this story is what went on in that cockpit--that is where you will find your true HEROES!! Congratulations to all who are responsible for saving the lives on this flight and countless others through clearheaded , selfless thinking. This is what they are trained for. I know first hand. We will probably find out that it was a defect in the aircraft or the weather and that the crew worked together efficiently and effectively. The proof is in the survival rate. Man against machine . In this case , a mammoth of a machine. Again--BE THANKFUL! To all the crew and passengers of Flight 1404, especially the pilots--may GOD BLESS YOU ALL!

It's stories like these that keep our family trips CAR trips.

It's stories like these that keep our family trips CAR trips.

Also, he didn't say what kind of bag...I usually carry the same sort of stuff in my carry on luggage in a small backpack. Probably took about as long to scoop it up off the floor while standing up as it took to unbuckle the seat belt so could evacuate.

You think he's being "dramatic"? It's a story being told from his perspective. Maybe next time you will be on a plane that nearly kills you and we can all judge you for the way you tell your story.

Well LONE opinion is like the addage, opinions are like A$$holes, everybody has one! Very thankful that all passengers got off the plane and there were no fatalities! A CHRISTMAS MIRACLE!!!!!!