OT: US Airways plane goes down in Hudson River
Posted: Fri Jan 16, 2009 7:53 amhttp://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/200 ... dson_N.htm
NEW YORK — 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.
Witness Barbara Sambriski, a researcher for AP, said, "I just thought, 'Why is it so low?' And, splash, it hit the water."
Ferries surrounded the plane, which was partially submerged in the river.
The water temperature for the river near Battery Park is 41.5 degrees.
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.
NEW YORK — 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.
Witness Barbara Sambriski, a researcher for AP, said, "I just thought, 'Why is it so low?' And, splash, it hit the water."
Ferries surrounded the plane, which was partially submerged in the river.
The water temperature for the river near Battery Park is 41.5 degrees.
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.
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Some cities have train air horns(Spokane and Tacoma), while others use a cannon to scare the birds(JFK).
And what, your pilots don't know how to steer around a Canadian goose?! Helloooooo..... 
