A US Airways plane ditched into the frigid Hudson River on Thursday afternoon, sending more than 150 onboard scrambling onto rescue boats. All passengers were reported to be off the plane, federal officials said.
Federal Aviation Administration spokeswoman Laura Brown wasn't immediately able to confirm whether anyone was injured or why the plane made what appeared to be a controlled landing.
US Airways Flight 1549 had just taken off from LaGuardia Airport en route to Charlotte, N.C., when the crash occurred in the river near 48th Street in Manhattan. The FAA said it had reports of a flock in the birds in the area.
A law enforcement official said that authorities were not aware of any deaths and that the passengers do not appear to be seriously injured. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because the rescue was still under way.
The plane was submerged in the icy waters up to the windows. 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.
New York City firefighters and the U.S. Coast Guard responded to the crash.
"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."
Homeland Security and FBI officials say there's no indication that the crash was terrorism.
From the Associated Press
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