The pilots skill probably had very little to do with getting the aircraft down and completing a successful ditching. The Airbus A320 has a very sophisticated Fly By Wire FBW care free handling computer system flight controls, which would have taken over from the pilot if any pilot error was made during the ditching. The system would have corrected any potential pilot errors during the ditching maneuver. This probably had a lot to do with achieving the minimum airspeed without stalling the aircraft for the ditching hence reducing the kinetic energy of the aircraft during the crash landing. The fact the Airbus A320 also didn't break up during the ditching is what saved these passengers lives. No doubt though the pilot will become a National hero.

It does go to show though that a airliner crash can be survivalable as long as your flying in the right airliner especially the more modern ones which have care free handling.