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| Version 3 | Version 4 |
|---|---|
| Crane pulls airliner from Hudson | Crane pulls airliner from Hudson |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| The Airbus airliner which ditched in a New York river after engine failure on Thursday has been lifted from the icy waters of the Hudson. | |
| TV cameras showed the aircraft's body being gently taken from the water. | |
| Investigators gave details of their first interviews with the captain, who spoke of a thump and smell of burning after birds hit both engines. | |
| All 155 passengers and crew survived the landing in a rare event which made headlines worldwide. | All 155 passengers and crew survived the landing in a rare event which made headlines worldwide. |
| Interviewed by National Transportation Safety Board investigators on Saturday, Capt Chesley B "Sully" Sullenberger said he had made a split-second decision to put down in the Hudson in order to avoid a "catastrophic" crash in a populated neighbourhood. | |
| Faced with engine failure just minutes after take-off from New York's Laguardia airport, he had felt it was "too low, too slow" and near too many buildings to go anywhere but the river, the Associated Press reports. | Faced with engine failure just minutes after take-off from New York's Laguardia airport, he had felt it was "too low, too slow" and near too many buildings to go anywhere but the river, the Associated Press reports. |
| His co-pilot, Jeff Skiles, who was flying the plane on take-off, had seen the birds approaching in perfect formation and made note of it. | His co-pilot, Jeff Skiles, who was flying the plane on take-off, had seen the birds approaching in perfect formation and made note of it. |
| Capt Sullenberger looked up and in an instant his windscreen was filled with big, dark-brown birds. | Capt Sullenberger looked up and in an instant his windscreen was filled with big, dark-brown birds. |
| "His instinct was to duck," said NTSB board member Kitty Higgins, recounting their interview. | "His instinct was to duck," said NTSB board member Kitty Higgins, recounting their interview. |
| "My aircraft!" Capt Sullenberger exclaimed. | "My aircraft!" Capt Sullenberger exclaimed. |
| Then there was a thump, the smell of burning birds and silence as both aircraft engines cut out. | Then there was a thump, the smell of burning birds and silence as both aircraft engines cut out. |
| Flight attendants likened the complete silence in the cabin to "being in a library". | Flight attendants likened the complete silence in the cabin to "being in a library". |
| After the bird impact, Capt Sullenberger immediately took over flying from his co-pilot and made his dramatic command decisions, he told investigators. | After the bird impact, Capt Sullenberger immediately took over flying from his co-pilot and made his dramatic command decisions, he told investigators. |
| 1 1526 local time (2026 GMT): Flight 1549 takes off from LaGuardia airport2 1527 (2027 GMT): Pilot Chesley Sullenberger reports birds hitting engines3 1528 (2028 GMT): Pilot told to land at Teterboro airfield4 1531 (2031 GMT): Pilot ditches plane in Hudson River | 1 1526 local time (2026 GMT): Flight 1549 takes off from LaGuardia airport2 1527 (2027 GMT): Pilot Chesley Sullenberger reports birds hitting engines3 1528 (2028 GMT): Pilot told to land at Teterboro airfield4 1531 (2031 GMT): Pilot ditches plane in Hudson River |