Commercial Jet Crashes in the Hudson
1/15/09 at 3:47 PM
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Photo: AP
<!-- end .image -->A U.S. Airways flight just crashed into the Hudson River. Police boats and commuter ferries are on the scene, where the plane remains afloat and they are attempting to rescue passengers. It was a flight from LaGuardia to Charlotte that took off at 3:03. There are 135 passengers aboard. We'll update you as we learn more.
Update: An eyewitness told CNN that the plane hit the water at a "very gradual angle" without landing gear deployed, suggesting that the pilot was in control.
Update 2: The coast guard said they are dropping life jackets in the water for passengers, and they expect that people will have time to get off.
Update 3: People can be seen exiting the plane as it slowly sinks. An FAA spokeswoman says the plane, an Airbus 320, "may have been hit by birds."
Update 4: Passengers who are on rescue boats are telling reporters that they think everyone is relatively okay, and that they think everyone is now off the plane.
Update 5: A passenger is telling CNN that flight attendants and a handful of passengers kept everyone calm, and got everyone to begin evacuating within moments of the impact. Many passengers took seat cushions and aviation life vests, as per manual instructions. If any passengers want to tell us about their experiences, please feel free to email us at
intel@nymag.com.
This photo was taken by a passenger on one of the first ferries onto the scene:
<CITE>Photo:
jkrums</CITE>