A PASSENGER aircraft crashed into the Hudson river shortly after taking off from New York’s LaGuardia airport yesterday, forcing more than 150 people on board to escape into the icy waters. Aviation officials said all passengers were evacuated safely from the US Airways flight that was en route to Charlotte, in North Carolina, and Seattle, in Washington, with only a few suffering minor injuries or exposure.
Passengers stood on the aircraft’s wings as it lay submerged in the freezing river, and ferry boats and rescue craft rushed to the scene.
The Airbus 320’s engines were disabled when it apparently struck a flock of birds shortly after take-off. The pilot attempted to return to the airport before deciding to make an emergency landing in the river.
Homeland security officials said there was no reason to believe the crash was related to a terrorist attack. An hour after the crash, officials confirmed all 146 passengers and five crew members had escaped unharmed, after what eyewitnesses described as “a controlled landing”.
“I think everyone survived and I think that’s a miracle,” Alberto Panero, one of the aircraft’s passengers told CNN. “Somehow, the plane stayed afloat and we were all able to get on a raft. It’s just incredible now that everyone’s still alive.”
Flight 1549 took off from LaGuardia at 3.26pm yesterday but, minutes later, the pilot radioed that he had hit a flock of migrating geese and was having engine trouble.
“The plane shook a bit and . . . you could smell smoke and fire and immediately the plane started turning,” Mr Panero said.Aviation experts said the fact it remained intact after it hit the water was a tribute to the pilot’s skill.