by The Star-Ledger Continuous News Desk
Thursday January 15, 2009, 4:37 PM
A US Airways plane has crashed into the Hudson River, sending passengers fleeing for safety in the frigid waters.
FAA officials have reported all passengers and crew were safely rescued from the partially submerged plane. New York City firefighters, federal transportation officials and an armada of boats responded within minutes of the incident. A government official said the plane struck a bird that disabled two engines.
One of the 148 passengers on the plane, Jeff Kolodajy 31, Norwalk, Conn., described hearing "a loud boom" and then, he said, "I saw fire.""The plane just dropped about 100 feet," said Kolodajy, who was ferried to Pier 81 in New York. "It was real scary."
But, Kolodajy said, "when the plane landed, the boats were there in about three or four minutes to pick us up, and the water started to fill up rapidly."
The plane was submerged in the 41 degree waters up to the windows, and rescue crews had opened the door and were pulling passengers in yellow life vests from the plane. Several boats surrounded the plane, which appeared to be slowly sinking. In addition to the 148 passengers, five crew members were on board.
"I saw what appeared to be a tail fin of a plane sticking out of the water," said Erica Schietinger, whose office windows at Chelsea Piers look out over the Hudson. "All the boats have sort of circled the area. ... I can't tell what's what at this point."
The plane, which reportedly had 151 passengers on board, was attempting to turn around after reporting a mechanical problem, NBC 4 New York reported.
Televised reports showed ferry boats typically used to take passengers across the Hudson surrounding the airplane, which remained partially afloat. The pilot reported that he struck a flock of geese shortly after takeoff, NBC reported.
The flight was US Airways flight 1549, which took off at 3:26 p.m., headed for Charlotte, N.C. The Coast Guard said 60 people were in the water, NBC reported.
The NY Waterways ferry terminal at Port Imperial in Weehawken is closed until further notice, company officials said. Commuters who take the New Jersey-bound ferry will have to find another way home.
Christian Martin, who witnessed the crash from a New York office building, said the response by emergency personnel was swift after the plane hit the water.
"It came down very smoothly. If it had been an airport runway it looked just like that," Martin said. "It's drifted down the river. Touched down about 56th street. It's way further down now."
Ferry boats raced to help from both sides of the river, Martin said.
"In about four minutes, there was a ferry there and you could see people on the wings," Martin said. "I didn't exactly see people exiting because the ferry boat was in the way. There seemed to be plenty of time for people to get off the wings. Within 10 minutes there were three or four ferryboats, from the New Jersey and the New York side."
Kolodajy said the passengers around him on the plane seemed to be uninjured.
"Everyone's fine. There was a lady with her baby and she was trying to crawl over the seats. And I said, women and children first. She got off," said Kolodajy, who praised the effort by the pilot.
"I tell you what. It says a lot about people. He knew we were going down," Kolodajy said. "The engine blew out about three minutes, we circled around to the Hudson. Pilot said, look, we're going down. We looked at one another and said prayers."
When James Mohr, 21, opened the door of his apartment at around 3:45 p.m. in the Bronx, he heard a loud boom.
"It boomed more than once," Mohr said. "I saw fire spitting out of one of the engines. I want to say the right one, but I could be wrong."
The A320 is a widely used, medium-range passenger jet used around the world. More than 1,900 A320s are in service with 155 airlines.
The twin-engine jet, equipped with a "fly-by-wire" control system when it entered service in 1988. It typically can seat 150 passengers in a two-class cabin layout, and has a range of 3,000 nautical miles.
During its 20-year history there have been eight fatal Airbus crashes , the worst accident in 2007 when all 186 passengers and crew and 12 people on the ground died when a Tam Airlines jet ran off the runway at Sao Paulo- Congonhas Airport in Brazil.
Last year, a United Airbus A320 flying out of Newark Liberty International Airport experienced multiple avionics and electrical failures, including loss of all communications, shortly after taking off. The flight returned safety for a landing with no injuries to the 107 passengers and crew aboard the airplane and no damage to the jet.
If you witnessed the crash, call The Star-Ledger newsroom (800) 350-4169.
Family members may call (800) 679-8215 to check on their loved ones.
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