US Airways flight 1549 was scheduled to fly today from New York Laguardia airport to Charlotte NC. The flight was equipped with an Airbus A320 and an experienced crew lead by Captain Chelsey Sullenberger.
After an apparent bird strike shortly after take off, the aircraft was ditched in the Hudson river due to loss of engine power resultant from the bird strike. The flight contained 155 passengers, all of which survived the crash.
Observers on the ground indicated that the airplane flew low over the Hudson then settled in in a controlled way. Passengers disembarked through emergency exits and were later evacuated by local ferrys and boats that came to the rescue. Today was an extremely cold day in New York and New Jersey, with temperatures in the 20's or below. Passengers were taken to New York area hospitals complaining mainly of the cold and potential hypothermia.
The video below shows early content today from WNBC in New York. The knucklehead reporting doesn't know the difference between an A320 and a regional jet. This was a full Airbus jet with 155 people aboard. There ARE no regional jets that hold that many people. Nevertheless, the film footage is interesting.
The naievete of TV reporters amazes me. They get away with a lot of sensational stuff just because they are on the spot first. The guy reporting is clearly making this up as he goes along.
New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg personally complimented US Airways Captain Sullenberger for the orderly way the aircraft was evacuated and the leadership his crew displayed in taking care of the passengers aboard.
Eric
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