The Parma Hilton Historical Society is welcoming 1983 Hilton High School graduate Dan Vinton to speak of his experience as a passenger of Flight 1549, which made an emergency landing on the Hudson River and has become known as The Miracle on the Hudson. The presentation will be held on Thursday, July 20, from 7 to 9 p.m. in the Ingham Room of the Hilton Community Center, 59 Henry Street. The event is free but preregistration is highly recommended.
On January 15, 2009, Daniel Vinton called his wife to say he would be home for dinner and boarded his plane, an Airbus A-320, from LaGuardia in New York City en route to Charlotte, North Carolina. Neither he nor the other 150 passengers and five crew members knew they would soon experience a true survival story.
Shortly after takeoff, the plane was hit by a flock of birds. Suddenly there was a large “Boom.’’ Both engines were out, leaving the plane a large glider sailing over New York City. The passengers waited quietly, not saying very much. Some were praying; others calling loved ones on their cell phones. Looking out the window, Vinton remembers the plane was near the water.
Captain Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger and his copilot told the passengers to “Brace for impact,” then efficiently landed on the Hudson River. Dan recalls the sudden impact as the plane hit the water, describing it as not as rough as he would have expected. Captain Sullenberger and his copilot became instant heroes. Glad to be alive, the passengers then realized they were in a large airplane floating on the Hudson River. Dan says to this day, he is extremely grateful to the flight crew and first responders for saving the passengers that fateful day. Robin Roberts from Good Morning, America, reported the whole event from her apartment window. First responders soon got the passengers and crew off the wings of the plane. The rest of the story has become history. All passengers and crew miraculously survived, and “Sully” Sullenberger became a hero.
Dan Vinton, a Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE), worked at Big M (now Tops) for 11 years from the early 1980s until the early 1990s. He worked as an Audit Manager for Hungerford Vinton, and currently works for TIAA as a Financial Advisor. He and his wife, Laura, have two sons, Kyle (25) and Andrew (23).
Dan is a regular volunteer at the Carolinas Aviation Museum (reopening soon as the Sullenberger Aviation Museum) in Charlotte, North Carolina, where the Airbus A-320 is currently housed. He speaks monthly to visitors about his experience on the Hudson. Dan and his fellow passengers also contributed to the book, Miracle on the Hudson, and appeared in the movie, Sully, starring Tom Hanks as Captain Sullenberger.
To register for the July 20 program in Hilton, use the QR code to register online, call and leave a message at 585-392-9496, or email parmahiltonhistory@gmail.com. If more than 150 people sign up, the event will move to a larger venue and registrants will be notified of the location change. The program is sponsored by the Parma Hilton Historical Society and the Hilton Alumni Association.
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