Cockpit recordings released Thursday of the
ill- fated US Airways plane that crashed in the Hudson River last month
revealed that the pilot calmly advised air traffic controllers, "We're
going to be in the Hudson."
The Airbus 320 plane crashed in New York's Hudson River on January 15 after
losing both engines, apparently hit by a flock of birds, after taking off from LaGuardia Airport. Miraculously all 155 passengers and crew survived and were picked up by
US Coast Guard vessels and ferries, dpa
reported.
The pilot of Flight 1549, Chesley Sullenberger, had wanted to return to
LaGuardia Airport but instead radioed air traffic controllers at a local
airport in New York saying, "We can't do it."
"We're unable. We may end up in the Hudson," he said, in the tapes
released by the Federal Aviation Administration.
The plane crashed in the Hudson minutes after takeoff and floated without
breaking up. The passengers were able to escape through openings in the
fuselage, half of which floated above the icy water. The plane was heading to Charlotte, North Carolina.
On Wednesday, the National Transportation Safety Board said bird remains were
found in both engines during an examination at the manufacturer in Cincinnati, Ohio, and will be examined to determine what species of bird was involved.
There were no anomalies or malfunctions in the engines before the pilot
reported striking a bird and both engines stopped working.
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