I'm not an expert, nor did I stay in a Holiday Inn Express lately, but from my USAFR days I do remember that bird ingestion has been a bane of aircraft since the reciprocating engine/prop days. Jets are much more easily damaged due to the critical balance of the rotating turbine wheels that make up most of the engine. Airports have been looking for ways to keep birds out of their flight paths for decades, including everything from scarecrows to sound emitting devices spaced along the runways.
The pilot of this plane was a seasoned veteran, a licensed flight instructor, and an F-4 fighter pilot in the Air Force... the fact that he went back through the plane twice to make sure everyone was out makes him a hero.... beyond being able to land an Airbus on a river without it breaking apart..... We need more heroes like this..
