Jets and the word "miracle".

[Brian37]

Once again, the "word" miracle is being used to describe the safe landing after a jet engine failure. NO, it was not a "miracle", it was pilot training and redundancy design in case of failure. If the plain had crashed and everyone had died would it still be called a "miracle"?





Now, I will say it was "amazing" that nobody on the ground was killed by the falling debris. But survival or death isn't a matter of magic, but mere conditions of many factors.

You are looking at the word miracle in one of the meanings...which implies something supernatural, as in a god.  There are other definitions.  

miracle
[color=var(--primtxt)][ˈmirək(ə)l]

[/color]
[color=var(--promtxt)]NOUN[/color]

1. [color=var(--promtxt)]a surprising and welcome event that is not explicable by natural or scientific laws and is therefore considered to be the work of a divine agency.[/color]
   "the miracle of rising from the grave"
   [color=var(--primtxt)]synonyms:[/color]
   supernatural phenomenon · mystery · prodigy · sign
   • [color=var(--promtxt)]a highly improbable or extraordinary event, development, or accomplishment that brings very welcome consequences.[/color]
     "it was a miracle that more people hadn't been killed or injured"
     
   • [color=var(--promtxt)]an amazing product or achievement, or an outstanding example of something.[/color]
     "a machine which was a miracle of design" · 
     [color=var(--alinkcol)][more][/color]
     
     [color=var(--primtxt)]synonyms:[/color]
     wonder · marvel · sensation · [url=https://www.bing.com/search?q=define+phenomenon&FORM=DCTRQY&PC=HCTS][/url]
     

Check out "a highly improbable..." and "an amazing..."

Not godspeak.  

Some words have more than one meaning.  You can add that you language confusion.

The folks who invoke that word are not using it the way you are defining it. Most whom use this word mean it to be a god intervening.

It is the same as when the layperson doesn't know the meaning of "theory" in science and try to equate it to a mere guess.

If it is just "improbable" or "amazing" then just use those words. "Miracle" for me has simply too much superstitious baggage to be considered a valid explanation. It is intellectual laziness. Otherwise call it a "miracle" if it crashes and half survive and half die. 

Conditions of the pilots training and the redundancy built into the plane's design are why they landed safely. It was not a "miracle". 

A "miracle" would be if the plane went into helicopter hover when the plane isn't designed to hover. THAT would be a "miracle".

"Miracle" is a nonsense word. It is an an utterance after having an "oh shit" moment and being happy you didn't die. It isn't a word that explains anything. NTSB will investigate and find the answers.