when terror strikes?

i didn't realize the intensity/gravity of my flight's emergency landing in new york's jfk a couple of weeks ago until i heard the passengers clap their hearts out when we landed safe (a bit hard though). it was in the london papers when i arrived. i did some research and found this --

American Air Flight Has Engine Fail; Lands In New York Wednesday July 26th, 2006 / 13h50

NEW YORK (AP)--A commercial plane carrying more than 250 people experienced engine failure Wednesday, and pilots landed it safely at a nearby airport, officials said. The Boeing 777 plane landed at John F. Kennedy International Airport less than a half hour after one of its two engines failed, said American Airlines spokesman Billy Sanez. Officials were investigating what caused the problem on Flight 134. "The plane landed after the captain declared an emergency," Sanez said. "It's not a common incident, but the pilots are trained to deal with these situations." The aircraft, en route from Los Angeles International Airport to London's Heathrow Airport, was carrying 239 passengers and 14 crew members, Sanez said. All passengers would be put on another plane, he said. The flight left Los Angeles at 8:35 p.m. PDT and landed in New York about six hours later. A message left for a local Federal Aviation Administration official was not immediately returned early Wednesday.