Hudson River Plane Crash – Photos of the US Airways passenger plane that crash landed in the Hudson River after hitting a flock of birds and losing power above New York City on January 15, 2009.
The US Airways flight had just taken off bound for Charlotte, NC when it encountered the birds and couldn’t manuever fast enough to avoid them.
The pilot received FAA aproval for an emergency return to the airport, but started losing power rapidly and had no choice but to set the 146-passenger plane down in the icy Hudson River.
The emergency landing was a success and passengers poured out of the plane’s exits, standing on the plane’s wings awaiting rescue as the plane slowly settled deeper into the water.
Ferry boats were depoyed to pickup the stranded passengers, many of whom had gotten wet in the frigid waters while evacuating the downed plane.
Witness Barbara Sambriski said, “I just thought, ‘Why is it so low?’ And, splash, it hit the water.”
And that’s the latest on the Hudson River plane crash.
Tags: hudson river plane crash, nyc plane crash, plane crash, us air crash
January 15th, 2009 at 5:54 pm
A US Airways plane dropped into the Hudson River on Thursday afternoon, sending about 150 passengers fleeing for safety in the frigid waters.
Federal Aviation Administration spokeswoman Laura Brown said Flight 1549 had just taken off from LaGuardia Airport en route to Charlotte when the incident occurred.
Brown said the jet, an Airbus 320, appears to have been hit by birds, which disabled two engines. The jet went down in the river near 48th Street in midtown Manhattan.
A law enforcement official told the Associated Press that authorities are not aware of any deaths and that the passengers do not appear to be seriously injured. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because the rescue was still underway.
The plane was submerged in the icy waters up to the windows. Rescue crews opened the door and pulled passengers in yellow life vests from the plane. Several boats surrounded the plane.
January 15th, 2009 at 5:56 pm
Alberto Panero, a passenger on the plane who was rescued, told CNN, “Within a couple of minutes, all of the sudden, you heard a loud bang, the plane shook a bit … you could smell smoke, fire … the plane started turning directions … out of control … all of the sudden, the captain came on … and that’s when we knew we were going down … somehow the plane stayed afloat, and we were able to get on the raft. It’s just incredible right now that everybody is still alive.”
Panero said he went to the front of plane where one of the rescue boats was helping people out. He said the rescue boats got right up to the exit so people could jump off the plane into the boats.
Passengers stood on the wing of the plane, waiting to be rescued.
Panero was interviewed from a building on 42nd Street in the city where passengers were taken.
“I actually grabbed one of the seats … some people grabbed the yellow, inflatable ones. … It seemed like immediately there were boats coming,” he said.
Panero said, “At first there was a little bit of a panic, but there were a couple people who came and took charge.” He didn’t know whether they were passengers or flight attendants.
“After the impact alone, it felt like a car crash,” Panero told CNN, “and then all of the sudden it was get out get out now.”
He said there was yelling and crying.
“I pretty much just said to myself, ‘This is it, let’s just do it,’ ” he said as he made his way to escape the plane.
January 15th, 2009 at 6:01 pm
Federal Aviation Administration spokeswoman Laura Brown said Flight 1549 had just taken off from LaGuardia Airport en route to Charlotte, N.C., when the crash occurred in the river near 48th Street in midtown Manhattan.
The plane, an Airbus 320, took off at 3:26 p.m. and went down minutes later, Brown said.
“There were eyewitness reports the plane may have flown into a flock of birds,” Brown said. She added, “Right now we don’t have any indication this was anything other than an accident.”
January 15th, 2009 at 5:02 pm
Joe Mazzone, a retired Delta Air Lines pilot, said it is not unusual for birds to strike planes. In fact, he said, when planes get ready to take off, if there are birds in the area, the tower will alert the crew.
“They literally just choke out the engine and it quits,” Mazzone said.
January 15th, 2009 at 5:08 pm
More Hudson River Plane Crash Pictures
January 15th, 2009 at 5:19 pm
the pilot and crew….i cant imagine the stress they went through to safely land in the hudson river to save all these lives……..and then accomplish it………..heros ….and should be treated as heros!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
January 16th, 2009 at 9:40 am
Why don’t the planes isntal fine wire mesh in the front of the propellers to avoid the birds being sucked into them?
January 16th, 2009 at 12:25 pm
Thank GOD for miracles and thank GOD for the UNITED STATES AIRFORCE that trained the pilot. And GOD bless the Captain.
October 1st, 2009 at 10:16 am
this is so sad if that was me i’ll b crying like a mug peace outh peeps