US Airways Flight 1549 crashed in New York’s Hudson River today at 3:31 PM after suffering a “double bird strike” at 3,200 feet. The Airbus A320 was carrying 150 passengers, two pilots, and three flight attendants.
As soon as the plane hit the water, “a small flotilla of boats” arrived to rescue passengers, including the Coast Guard Cutter Ridley, and New York Police Department divers. Tom Fox, general manager, brought the New York Water Taxi to assist as well.
Mayor Bloomberg said the pilot did “a masterful job.” I agree–landing a plane dead stick over America’s densest metropolis without a single casualty is amazing. If the City of New York doesn’t award him a stipend and medal, US Airways had better write him a $1M bonus for his excellent performance. The Airforce might also be interested in someone of his talents.
Please see Latest Updates on Hudson Jet Rescue from the New York Times for more information! Gawker has also setup a Hudson Plane Crash tag.