The landing was a success and everyone survived the catastrophe
“The Miracle on the Hudson” happened on January 15, 2009. US Airways A320 took off from LaGuardia airport, New York, carrying 155 passengers. Several minutes after the takeoff, the plane started descending. And it is still considered a miracle how the pilot managed to safely land the plane and save the lives of all passengers.
The exact reason of the plane malfunctioning is still unknown. However, many believe that a flock of birds flew into the two of the plane’s engines. The first thing the pilot did, was to report the situation and ask for a permission to return to the LaGuardia airport. Surely, the air traffic officials accepted the request. Soon the pilot changed his mind and decided to land the plane at the Teterboro airport, New Jersey, as it was much closer to them. Following the report, soon the officials lost contact with the plane.
Later, the flight passengers reported that they felt trembling when the flock hit the plane, then they felt a burning smell. Some of the passengers even managed to see fire from the portholes. Then the pilot’s voice was heard from the speaker: “Settle in for impact! A water landing is taking place!”.
The plane managed to reach an altitude of roughly a kilometer and started to descend directly over the George Washington Bridge and to the surface of the Hudson River. People living in high-rise buildings near the river witnessed this phenomenal landing.
One of the witnesses reported hearing a loud splash in the river, and he thought it was a plane crash. Another witness panicked a lot as he thought it was another 9/11, which he witnessed back in 2001 from his office.
The landing was a success, however very soon the plane started to sink. All the passengers got out of the plane to its wings and the roof. Along with coast guards, private ferries and police boats that were cruising the river at that time immediately sprang into action to help with the rescue operation.
Fortunately, everyone in the plane survived the disaster. Out of 155 passengers, 78 were slightly injured. However, most of them suffered from frostbite after spending too much time in the water in such a frigid weather.
