>> The passengers on Flight 1549 were only saved because the pilots were so skilled.

Of course the engineering and planning that went into the aircraft's construction had nothing to do with it, nor did the countless government regulations dictating safety equipment and training.

These sorts of "miracles" happen rather regularly. A plane crashes near a runway totaling the aircraft, but everyone walks away. Piloting is part of the equation, but pilots stand atop an enormous pyramid of other people each contributing to flight safety. See that flight in Canada that crashed but did not catch fire. A couple decades ago that would have ended very differently.