Auntie Charo's Soapbox

The great spin on the story is that it was a normal landing for Northwest flight 74 Narita to Guam this afternoon....that is if you didn't see how and where it landed...you see, or...you didn't see...the tires that are usually under where the pilot sits.....and....most normal landings don't have the nose scraping the tarmac....nor, the emergency exit doors opening with the bright inflatable orange slides which three hundred and eighteen, to include seven infants deplaned......otherwise, a normal landing that closed the airport some seven to ten hours as powers that be find hydraulic lifts to move the Boeing 747 from its 'normal' landing place so that others can land and take off.(at this writing, they're landing at Andersen AFB and or being diverted to Saipan).
Sadly, NWA doesn't need this days before its mechanic union is about to strike....fortunately....the aircraft is at a place where Continental can repair the damages....don't know if that's allowed-union wise.
The aircraft and its passengers had to have been guided by a brigade of angels because the reported injuries were minor and the aircraft remained intact and though there were sparks as the aircraft made contact with the runway, the aircraft didn't catch fire. This story could have had an ending such as that of the Air Bus that landed in Canada a few weeks ago. I think we have much to be thankful for and think that the pilot and the people in the cockpit worked hard to put that aircraft as gently onto the ground as they did, saving all the lives in that plane. I hope they are recognized for their efforts.