We're gonna be in the Hudson ... words of hero pilot as jet ditched
US Airways Flight 1549 was dramatically hauled from its resting place in the icy waters of New York’s Hudson River yesterday.
Investigators brought the stricken plane’s fuselage, weighing 500 tons, to the surface along with the two black box flight recorders as detailed evidence about the cause of the crash began to emerge.
Hero pilot Chesley Sullenberger told the inquiry team how he realised the plane was in trouble and shouted: “We’re gonna be in the Hudson.”
He said the flight ran into a flock of birds just seconds after leaving LaGuardia airport while 3,000ft off the ground.
The former US Air Force fighter pilot told the National Transport Safety Board he looked up and saw “big brown birds”.
While the captain was flying the aircraft, the first officer was trying desperately to restart the engines. There was very little conversation
Mr Sullenberger, 57, instinctively ducked and shouted, “My aircraft”, before deciding he had to land on the river.
Shortly before impact, first officer Jeff Skiles, who was flying the plane, described seeing the birds approach in “perfect formation”.
Mr Sullenberger immediately took over the controls and lowered the plane’s nose in an attempt to counter act the loss of air speed.
Kitty Higgins, a safety board spokeswoman said: “While the captain was flying the aircraft, the first officer was trying desperately to restart the engines. There was very little conversation. These are both experienced pilots. They both knew what they had to do.”
Two flight attendants told investigators the eerie quiet in the cabin after the engines stopped made it “like being in a library”. But the veteran pilot managed to set the aircraft down so smoothly that his staff said it was like an ordinary runway landing.
Pilots are trained to land near a ship if they have to ditch, so they can be rescued before sinking, and Sullenberger picked a stretch of water near Manhattan’s commuter ferry terminals. Rescuers were able to arrive within minutes. The captain then issued a one word demand – “Evacuate” – while remaining on board until all were safely out.
All 150 passengers and five crew survived after being picked up by nearby boats.
Investigators retrieved the black box recorders and sent them to Washington to be analysed. After using sonar equipment, they think they have also located the left engine, believed to have sunk to the river bottom after being torn off.
As the aircraft was removed from the Hudson its underbelly appeared shredded, the right wing was char-red and the outside of the battered right engine had been peeled.
