Trainspotter Posted January 15, 2009 Share #1 Posted January 15, 2009 A US Airways jet plunged into the Hudson River on Thursday after slamming into a gaggle of geese - sparking a race against time to rescue the passengers from the choppy, frigid water. Ferries and fireboats immediately raced to the scene as the plane bobbed in the 40-degree water on the coldest day of the year. No deaths or injuries were reported, but in a city that's seen everything hundreds of New Yorkers braved the cold and watched in slack-jawed amazement from the shoreline as the rescue unfolded. "It was just going down further and further and further," said Peter Chinchino, of Edgewater, N.J., told WCBS-TV. "I could not believe what I was seeing." Many witnesses said they thought a movie was being shot, not realizing a real-life drama was being played out. For others, the plane evoked horrible memories of the Sept. 11 attacks. "I saw a plane flying really, really low and I just thought, 'Not again,'" said one witness. "I heard a boom and I saw a splash," said Larry Brunson, a car repairman for the LIRR who was at 12th Ave. and 40th St. when the plane went down. "People were grabbing on top of the plane and a wing as it sank." A few minutes after 4 p.m., the FBI announced there was no evidence of terrorism. That alert came on the heels of a report from government officials that the plane might have been brought down by a collision with a flock of migrating geese. Flight 1549 from LaGuardia was bound for Charlotte, N.C. and was scheduled to take off at 3 p.m. It was delayed 26 minutes before it finally took off. Minutes later, the pilot radioed to LaGuardia that he hit the geese and was having engine trouble, sources said. The pilot told the tower he was losing power and could not make it back to the airport. He said he was ditching the plane in the river. Then the Airbus A320 with 169 passengers and five crew members was down in the drink and a rescue operation was underway in the water off the Intrepid museum. Shivering passengers dressed in yellow life vests could be seen sitting on the fuselage and calling out for help. Officials said that once the plane is emptied it will be towed to the New Jersey side of the river. Howard Kravitz, a pilot with the Civil Air Patrol, said the US Airways pilot didn't have much choice. "If he lost both engines, there's a high probability he didn't have a lot of decision making to make," Kravitz said. "He just had to land it. The Hudson River isn't exactly the airport of choice. He obviously did a good landing because the airplane is still in one piece." By CORKY SIEMASZKO DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER January 15th 2009 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FamousNYLover Posted January 15, 2009 Share #2 Posted January 15, 2009 I found the video. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ns60SyiBOy4&eurl=http://video.google.com/videosearch?q=US+Airway+crash&emb=0&aq=f Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
metsfan Posted January 15, 2009 Share #3 Posted January 15, 2009 Incredible. - A Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TransitGuy Posted January 15, 2009 Share #4 Posted January 15, 2009 Agreed, just crazy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonesy Posted January 15, 2009 Share #5 Posted January 15, 2009 that sucks, but its pretty cool in a way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
R62A 1991 Posted January 15, 2009 Share #6 Posted January 15, 2009 The fact that there were no casualties are amazing. Kudos to the flight crew and the rescue crew for getting all of these people out of the plane safely. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MTR Admiralty Posted January 15, 2009 Share #7 Posted January 15, 2009 Horrible...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FamousNYLover Posted January 16, 2009 Share #8 Posted January 16, 2009 Here is interview video. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ChxJO4dLhFc&annotation_id=annotation_98535&feature=iv Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maddog Posted January 16, 2009 Share #9 Posted January 16, 2009 Wow, what an amazing display of airmanship to have executed the first water landing of a jetliner in 50 years with zero fatalities. Many many props to the flight crew as well as the first responders who had those passengers out of the water extremely fast. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maserati7200 Posted January 16, 2009 Share #10 Posted January 16, 2009 Guys My school is on 60th and Westend avenue. It has a great view of the hudson. I SAW THE PLANE GOING DOWN!!! When I first saw it I thought it was terrorist related Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FamousNYLover Posted January 16, 2009 Share #11 Posted January 16, 2009 WNBC has close up view. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oSPZ9q8uTuw Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TCAT 65 Posted January 16, 2009 Share #12 Posted January 16, 2009 Mad props to that US Airways crew for getting that plane down safely and getting everyone out. Mad props to NY Waterway for their super-quick response. All factors considered, everything went perfectly. No one got hurt (the only hospitalizations are for exposure) and everyone was out of the cabin within a couple of minutes of impact. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FamousNYLover Posted January 16, 2009 Share #13 Posted January 16, 2009 Good thing pilot did not hit the George Washington Bridge either. Slightly off-topic, did anyone remember when Verrazaro-Narrows Bridge was hit by ferry, all cars/city buses have to use via NJ, right. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luis1985 Posted January 16, 2009 Share #14 Posted January 16, 2009 thank god no one died in the crash. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
via White Plains Road Posted January 16, 2009 Share #15 Posted January 16, 2009 Glad everyone made it out alive and well. Emergency crews did an excellent resucing everyone! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
metsfan Posted January 16, 2009 Share #16 Posted January 16, 2009 The reason they didnt land in NJ is because with both engines out they would have had minimal & fading hydraulic pressure. They wouldn't have had enough pressure to both deploy the landing gear and control the craft for landing. The pilot knew this and decided to ditch & reserve the remaining pressure for a controlled gear up glide. There is an APU which aides in starting the main engines, and can move all the stuff on the plane including landing gear, however you don't operate these in flight and they are shut off as soon as the main engines are started right before pushback. - A Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KeystoneRegional Posted January 17, 2009 Share #17 Posted January 17, 2009 Please, watch the Nazi Banksters Crimes Ripple Effect at http://jforjustice.co.uk/banksters Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shortline Bus Posted January 17, 2009 Share #18 Posted January 17, 2009 So guys? Should Captian "Sully" his crew and the all of the EMS staff and crew in this miracle have a ticker tape parade? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MTR Admiralty Posted January 17, 2009 Share #19 Posted January 17, 2009 So guys? Should Captian "Sully" his crew and the all of the EMS staff and crew in this miracle have a ticker tape parade? Definitely. He should not get only medals of honour, he should get the good seats in Obama's Inauguration Ceremony Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TransitGuy Posted January 18, 2009 Share #20 Posted January 18, 2009 So guys? Should Captian "Sully" his crew and the all of the EMS staff and crew in this miracle have a ticker tape parade? I think the airplane staff (pilot, co-pilot, flight attendants), rescue personnel, Ferry operators etc should be entitled to a parade in the city. They all deserve awards especially the flight crew. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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