US Airways Flight 1549

US Airways Flight 1549

Flight 1549 floating in the Hudson
Occurrence
Date	January 15, 2009 (2009-01-15)
Summary	Possible bird strike / Emergency water landing
Site	Hudson River, New York City, United States - Near 48th Street 40.769498°N 74.004636°W / 40.769498; -74.004636 (approximation)
Aircraft type	Airbus A320-200
Operator	US Airways
Flight origin	LaGuardia Airport, New York City
Stopover	Charlotte/Douglas International Airport
Destination	Seattle-Tacoma International Airport
Passengers	150
Crew	5
Survivors	155 (All)

US Airways Flight 1549 was a flight from LaGuardia Airport in New York City to Charlotte/Douglas International Airport in Charlotte, North Carolina, then on to Seattle-Tacoma International Airport in SeaTac, Washington that ditched shortly after takeoff from New York on January 15. 2009. After a possible bird strike, the Airbus A320 ditched into the Hudson River.

Recovery

After the landing the plane stayed afloat, and everyone on board (150 Passengers; 2 crew members, 3 Flight Attendants) were safely rescued, though there are reported to be several serious injuries (4 hypothermia cases).

Almost immediately, local ferries began to rescue passengers, some of whom were seen standing on the wings of the plane.

As of 4:55 PM EST (21:55 UTC) fire crews began to leave the crash site.

As of 4:00 PM EST (21:00 UTC), the plane was floating in the river near the site of the Intrepid Sea-Air-Space Museum, near the site of the Circle Line sightseeing boat and NY Waterway ferry piers, which have participated in the rescue. The station reported that a double bird strike (possibly geese) may have disabled one or both of the plane's engines. At the time, the temperature of the Hudson River was 42 degrees Fahrenheit (5° C).

Chronology

The plane in the Hudson River surrounded by U.S. Coast Guard, FDNY, NYPD, and ferry boats

The plane, ship number 106 (N106US, Airbus A320-214, delivered August 2, 1999), departed from LaGuardia Airport at 3:24 PM EST (20:24 UTC) or 3:36 p.m. with 150 passengers and five crew members. The plane went down in the Hudson River at 3:31 PM EST (20:31 UTC), near 48th Street in the New York City borough of Manhattan.

A witness stated that the plane approached the water at a gradual angle and made a big splash. From his vantage point in an office building it appeared that the plane wasn't going particularly fast and that it made slow contact with the water. A New Jersey State Police source told CNN the pilot radioed to air traffic controllers that he had experienced a bird strike—when a bird or flock of birds were sucked into the jet engine—and declared an emergency. FAA spokeswoman Laura Brown also said preliminary information indicates a bird strike. The plane was in the air for about three minutes before it went down, the FAA said. Prior to the landing, passengers reported smelling smoke.

Saint Vincent's Catholic Medical Center in Greenwich Village is the receiving hospital for the incident(as well as St. Lukes & Roosevelt Hospital), to which 5-10 passengers are being taken for care, mostly due to exposure to cold conditions.

The Charlotte to Seattle flight segment was canceled that day.

At 5:07 EST Doug Parker, the CEO of US Airways, gave a press conference in which he confirmed that the crash was due to an accident. The press conference was given at Tempe, Arizona.