As U.S. Airways Flight 1549 took off from La Guardia, it was still on its way up when it ran into a flock of birds.Passengers report hearing a bang, and being able to smell smoke as one of the engines blew, having been damaged by one or more birds entering the turbine. The pilot tried began to turn around, hoping to make it back to the airport for an emergency landing.
After realizing the Airbus 320 wasn't going to make it, Chelsey "Sully" Sullenberger let air traffic control know he was bringing it down in the river.
CNN is carrying reports from multiple passengers, who all lavish Sullenberger with praise for his calm, methodical emergency landing.
"All of a sudden the captain came on and he told us to brace ourselves and probably brace ourselves pretty hard. But he did an amazing job -- kudos to him on that landing," said passenger Jeff Kolodjay, who was sitting in seat 22A.
All 155 passengers and crew safely exited the aircraft, and seeing the pictures it looks like a miracle that no one died.
Passenger Jeff Kolodjay said he was sitting in seat 22A, near one of the engines.
"The plane started filling with water pretty quick," he said. "It was scary. There was a lady with her baby on my left-hand shoulder, and she was crawling over the seats." Video Watch footage of plane in water »A picture taken just after the crash showed passengers lined up on slightly submerged safety chutes as they awaited rescue. Police, fire and Coast Guard boats, along with commercial ferries, were quickly on the scene, officials said.
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