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NTSB Tries to Remove Flight 1549 From Frozen Hudson
By
Jen Chung
Published Jan 17, 2009
Modified Jan 17, 2009
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By
Jen Chung
Published Jan 17, 2009
Modified Jan 17, 2009
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Evening Update: Scroll down for additional video footage of the landing.
The National Transportation Safety Board is hoping to hoist Flight 1549 from the Hudson River today, but the cold weather is making things difficult: The Airbus A320—which is tied to a sea wall down by Battery Park City—is surrounded by ice! The jet's removal was originally scheduled for 10 a.m., but has been pushed back to noon; the NTSB's Kitty Higgins said, "This is frustrating because of the weather."
The NTSB said that the two engines from the plane, which landed in the Hudson on Thursday afternoon, were missing. Initial speculation suggests that a bird strike (or, in this case, a Canada geese strike) is what caused the engine failure, but the authorities have refused to comment until the investigation is complete. The plane landed in the Hudson around the West 40s—and then drifted for a mile and was towed to its current location—and sonar is being used to locate them. Once the plane is removed, it will be taken to an undisclosed location in NJ and the plane's manufacturer will aid in stripping it down.
The NTSB is also trying to find the data recorder and voice recorder; it's believed they are still in the plane. Because of the weather conditions, as well as currents, divers have had limited time to look for the equipment. The NY Times reports that reconstruction of the events is also taking place: The NTSB is also reviewing video footage as well as "searching for video of the jet during its final glide into the water" and according to the NYPD, "the first 911 call to the police came from a man in the Bronx who reported that he heard a loud boom in the sky, looked up and saw the plane." And here's Coast Guard video, taken from the NJ side, of the landing:
The plane's crew, including pilot Captain Chesley Sullenberger, is being interviewed today. Higgins praised the crew and rescue effort, "This had a remarkable outcome, this type of accident with 155 survivors is remarkable, we want to learn from that. So much went right with this accident. We want to understand all the things that went right for the future."
Update 12:22 p.m.: The NTSB will try to lift the plane at 2:30 p.m. and it turns out the right engine is still attached to the plane.
Update 6:50 p.m.: A second video has been compiled, showing the landing from multiple angles:
Tagged
chesley sullenberger
flight 1549
Flight 1549 investigation
hudson river
miracle on the hudson
ntsb
sully
sully sullenberger
us airways
us airways flight 1549
Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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