But the way you imagine it makes it sound like a complete coincidence that they happened to time it so perfectly well so as to use the gap of calm air effectively... whereas that surely seems pretty well-calculated.
Yes, timing calm air effectively requires calculation. I'm at a loss when deciphering how that relates to what I'm saying.
(In no way am I playing down what they did though. I'm only commenting on your analysis.)
So the realized risk is fuel and cost of a grounded plane.
> Once the plane landed in San Juan, the alternative—leaving the plane on the tarmac or in a hangar—would probably have destroyed the airplane ... If the plane had gotten stuck, Delta probably could have gotten the humans out safely. But it almost certainly would have lost a plane.