wraggster
January 15th, 2009, 22:57
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/multimedia/archive/00466/New-York_1__466720a.jpg
More than 150 people escaped alive after a US Airways Airbus made an emergency landing on the Hudson River next to Manhattan tonight after flying into a flock of birds.
Survivors and officials said that all 155 people on board left the aircraft through emergency exits, with some standing on the wing before being rescued by a ferry and police launches that sped to the fuselage after the aircraft hit the icy water.
The Airbus A320 had taken off from LaGuardia airport in New York six minutes earlier, bound for Charlotte, North Carolina, when it hit the birds, disabling both its engines, officials said. Witnesses identified the birds as geese.
Alberto Panero, a survivor, told CNN: “Within a couple of minutes, all of a sudden we heard a loud bang. The plane shook a bit. You could smell, like, smoke, like fire.
“Immediately, the plane just started turning in another direction. It did not seem it was out of control. We knew something was going on. We were turning back.
“All of a sudden the captain came on and said, ‘Brace for impact’.”
Fred Beretta, a passenger sitting in a seat above the left engine, told CNN: “The engine blew out then the pilot turned around and made a line for the river. There was a lot of silence. The pilot said ‘prepare for impact’. It was a phenomenal landing from the pilot.
“We hit the river and it was quite an impact. The plane stayed together - people were afraid it might split up. People were very orderly, there wasn’t a lot of panic. We went out of the doors and on to the wing. A few people went into the water, but they got out.
“When the pilot said prepare for impact, a lot of people started praying and collecting themselves. We knew there wasn’t a lot of time - we were quite close to the ground and the descent was rapid. The impact was pretty intense. It didn’t last long - the pilot extended the flaps . . . it was a great landing. The plane did jockey back and forth, which seemed to last an eternity.
“I did see the engine flame out and it seemed either to be on fire or smoking.”
Jeff Koladjay was one of the first passengers picked up by a liferaft. “I’m wet from my waist down, it’s a little cold in New York right now,” he told The Times.
“It was really scary, the plane filled with water really quick. The guys on the plane did a great job of getting women and children off first. Kudos to the pilot and kudos to the people who got us off the boats.
“I’m just really happy that everyone on that plane lived. It ain’t gonna be a golf trip, but thank God we’re alive.” Stiro Katehs and his father witnessed the emergency landing as they drove down 77th street
“My father said: ‘Look, there’s a plane falling’. It was gliding, gliding, gliding, then it hit the water at Pier 83. When it hit the water it erupted just like a volcano,” Mr Katehs said.
“It hit the water in the Hudson at the end of 47th street and has now floated down as far as 40th street.”
The aircraft was submerged initially in the icy waters up to the windows. Rescue crews opened the door and pulled passengers from the aircraft. It then sank slowly into the river. Laura Brown, a Federal Aviation Administration official, confirmed that the US Airways Flight 1549 had just taken off en route to Charlotte, North Carolina, when the crash occurred.
“There is no information at this time to indicate that this is a security-related incident,” Laura Keehner, a Homeland Security official, said.
LaGuardia airport has a long history of aircraft ending up in the river. The runways are built out over the water and have been criticised repeatedly for being too short. The New York authorities decided it would be too costly to extend them.
*In 1992, 27 people died when a US Air Fokker F28 toppled into the river at the end of the runway after struggling to take off because of ice on the wings. The water was only five feet deep but the fuselage broke up and turned upside down.
*In 1989, a US Air flight bound for Charlotte, North Carolina, the same destination as the aircraft in yesterday’s crash, rolled into the East River after aborting take-off. Three people died.
*In 1959, an American Airlines aircraft crashed on approach into the East River, killing 65 of the 73 people on board.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/us_and_americas/article5526723.ece
More than 150 people escaped alive after a US Airways Airbus made an emergency landing on the Hudson River next to Manhattan tonight after flying into a flock of birds.
Survivors and officials said that all 155 people on board left the aircraft through emergency exits, with some standing on the wing before being rescued by a ferry and police launches that sped to the fuselage after the aircraft hit the icy water.
The Airbus A320 had taken off from LaGuardia airport in New York six minutes earlier, bound for Charlotte, North Carolina, when it hit the birds, disabling both its engines, officials said. Witnesses identified the birds as geese.
Alberto Panero, a survivor, told CNN: “Within a couple of minutes, all of a sudden we heard a loud bang. The plane shook a bit. You could smell, like, smoke, like fire.
“Immediately, the plane just started turning in another direction. It did not seem it was out of control. We knew something was going on. We were turning back.
“All of a sudden the captain came on and said, ‘Brace for impact’.”
Fred Beretta, a passenger sitting in a seat above the left engine, told CNN: “The engine blew out then the pilot turned around and made a line for the river. There was a lot of silence. The pilot said ‘prepare for impact’. It was a phenomenal landing from the pilot.
“We hit the river and it was quite an impact. The plane stayed together - people were afraid it might split up. People were very orderly, there wasn’t a lot of panic. We went out of the doors and on to the wing. A few people went into the water, but they got out.
“When the pilot said prepare for impact, a lot of people started praying and collecting themselves. We knew there wasn’t a lot of time - we were quite close to the ground and the descent was rapid. The impact was pretty intense. It didn’t last long - the pilot extended the flaps . . . it was a great landing. The plane did jockey back and forth, which seemed to last an eternity.
“I did see the engine flame out and it seemed either to be on fire or smoking.”
Jeff Koladjay was one of the first passengers picked up by a liferaft. “I’m wet from my waist down, it’s a little cold in New York right now,” he told The Times.
“It was really scary, the plane filled with water really quick. The guys on the plane did a great job of getting women and children off first. Kudos to the pilot and kudos to the people who got us off the boats.
“I’m just really happy that everyone on that plane lived. It ain’t gonna be a golf trip, but thank God we’re alive.” Stiro Katehs and his father witnessed the emergency landing as they drove down 77th street
“My father said: ‘Look, there’s a plane falling’. It was gliding, gliding, gliding, then it hit the water at Pier 83. When it hit the water it erupted just like a volcano,” Mr Katehs said.
“It hit the water in the Hudson at the end of 47th street and has now floated down as far as 40th street.”
The aircraft was submerged initially in the icy waters up to the windows. Rescue crews opened the door and pulled passengers from the aircraft. It then sank slowly into the river. Laura Brown, a Federal Aviation Administration official, confirmed that the US Airways Flight 1549 had just taken off en route to Charlotte, North Carolina, when the crash occurred.
“There is no information at this time to indicate that this is a security-related incident,” Laura Keehner, a Homeland Security official, said.
LaGuardia airport has a long history of aircraft ending up in the river. The runways are built out over the water and have been criticised repeatedly for being too short. The New York authorities decided it would be too costly to extend them.
*In 1992, 27 people died when a US Air Fokker F28 toppled into the river at the end of the runway after struggling to take off because of ice on the wings. The water was only five feet deep but the fuselage broke up and turned upside down.
*In 1989, a US Air flight bound for Charlotte, North Carolina, the same destination as the aircraft in yesterday’s crash, rolled into the East River after aborting take-off. Three people died.
*In 1959, an American Airlines aircraft crashed on approach into the East River, killing 65 of the 73 people on board.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/us_and_americas/article5526723.ece