All passengers safe after amazing pilot lands airplane on the Hudson River
Captain Chesley B. Sullenberger III. "Sully" Landed this airliner on the Hudson River.
An investigation has begun in New York, after a US Airways jet crashed late Thursday afternoon into the Hudson River. Miraculously, authorities say all passengers survived.
A bold crash landing into Manhattan’s Hudson River, and stories of miraculous rescues of passengers on board.
“It would appear that the pilot Capt. Chesley B. Sullenberger III. “Sully” did a masterful job of landing the plane in the river, and then making sure everybody got out,” said New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg.
US Air Flight 1549 went down into the Hudson River shortly after takeoff from New York’s LaGuardia Airport.
“The left engine just blew, flames were coming out. Smelled gasoline,” recalled Flight 1549 passenger Jeff Kolodjay.
Authorities say all passengers and five crew members were able to exit the plane safely in less than two minutes.
The Airbus 320, bound for Charlotte, North Carolina was airborne for less than three minutes when the pilot radioed in, saying the plane had hit a flock of geese and two engines were disabled.
“Pilot said, ‘Brace for a hard impact.’ Everyone started saying prayers. Looked over the water, we thought we had a chance, because there was water. You have to give it to the pilot, he made a hell of landing,” Kolodjay said.
Witness along Manhattan’s West Side say they saw the plane go down hard in the river. With water temperatures in the 30s, rescue boats and ferries raced to help passengers escape.
Many are crediting the pilot for the controlled crash landing that spared the lives of all on board as well as residents of densely populated New York City.
Divers had to rescue some people from the frigid waters after the crash.
An air traffic controller ordered the pilot to divert to nearby New Jersey for an emergency landing before the pilot decided to land in the Hudson River.
Kelly Bush, Michelle Franzen, NBC News
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January 18th, 2009 at 9:27 am
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