Jan 15, 2009
| Frances Fiorino fiorino@aviationweek.com |
 A National Transportation Safety Board Go Team is preparing to leave Washington National Airport at 6:30 p.m. for New York City, where a US Airways A320 crashed into the frigid waters of the Hudson River this afternoon. Flight 1549 departed New York LaGuardia's Runway 4 at 3:26 p.m. with 151 people onboard bound for Charlotte, N.C., according to FAA spokesperson Diane Spitaliere. The A320-210 (N106US) powered by two CFM56-5B4/P engines then suddenly "made a sharp left turn" and crashed west of Manhattan, in the vicinity of 50th St. New York City emergency rescue crews sped to the scene to help evacuate passengers from the aircraft, which was afloat in the river. New York, like much of the East Coast, today was in the icy clutches of an Arctic air mass that plunged outside air temperatures to below 20F. As is the case in the immediate aftermath of any accident, little or no accurate information is available about the cause of the crash or the number of fatalities or survivors. Local law enforcement told the FAA that everyone onboard was safe and accounted for, but the agency says it is unable to directly confirm the information. One passenger onboard Flight 1549 told local news media that he believed everyone was able to get out safely. Observers in office skyscrapers with the clear view of the crash site said the aircraft narrowly missed hitting buildings. Another eyewitness said it "appeared as though the plane was gliding. It came in nose up and it appeared as if the belly hit first with an enormous splash that covered the whole airplane. When the mist cleared, the plane was simply floating on the water. Within seconds the doors exploded open and a life raft inflated. Passengers walked onto the wings. Within two minutes ferry boats surrounded the plane and assisted the passengers." At about 4:25 p.m. one observer about a mile downriver watched an eerie sight: a partially submerged A320 floating down the river toward the southern tip of Manhattan. The FAA confirmed the aircraft was at that location, in shallow waters, at that time. US Airways has confirmed the details of the crash. According to Aviation Week's World Aerospace Database, the carrier operates 75 A320-230s and -210s out of a total 201 A320-family aircraft. The NTSB, which will lead the investigation, will recover the aircraft from the river for examination. The safety board is planning to provide an update on the investigation late evening Jan. 15 and will continue to release accurate accident details as they become available. Photo: AP/Wide World source: www.aviationweek.com |
