Kathmandu. On January 15, 2009, there were 155 people on board the plane that took off from New York City. A few minutes after take-off, a herd of birds collided with the plane. After this collision, the pilot immediately realized that it was no longer possible for him to return to the airport. So he landed the plane in the river.
It was us airways flight number 1549. This event is also known as ‘Miracle on the Hudson’. Because the plane landed on the Hudson River in New York. All the people on board survived safely. The pilot who made this unprecedented ‘water landing’ was Chesley Sulenberger aka Sully.
Both engines of the aircraft fail
The plane landed on the Hudson River minutes after taking off from New York’s Lagardia Airport for North Carolina. Two minutes after take-off, a herd of birds collided with it and both engines of the plane broke down. The plane’s experienced pilot, Sulenberger, said lagardia’s air traffic control would try to land in hudson river waters. In 2016, the film ‘Sully’ was also made on this incident. Tom Hanks played the role of a pilot.
It was a very extraordinary and risky job. About three and a half minutes after the birds hit, the plane landed in the river. In the process, the rear part of the plane first hit the water. As a result, the water entered the plane. However, it did not break the plane into pieces.
The passengers got out of the plane through emergency doors and wings. During this time, the world saw a strange picture of a plane floating in the water and passengers standing on the wings on either side of it.
Rescue work in extreme cold
When this plane landed on the river, the flow of water in the Hudson River was very fast. The month of January is very cold in New York. The temperature on that day was around minus 7 degrees Celsius. However, within minutes of landing in the river, nearby boats and other ships were diverted to the river. This quick response proved to be very useful.
Despite the landing, only one passenger and five crew members sustained leg injuries. A total of 78 people needed general medical treatment after landing. At that time, the fate of the passengers, the skills of the pilots and the rapid rescue efforts made everyone safe.
Mike Bloomberg, the then Mayor of New York, said, “The pilot did an excellent job in landing the plane in the river. ’
After everyone landed, the entire plane was checked twice to ensure that no one was trapped inside the plane. Captain Sullenberger was highly praised for the incident but some questions were also raised.
Historical landing pilot Captain Sully
The case was investigated by the US transport regulator National Transportation Safety Board. However, the investigation also concluded that the decision to land the plane on the river was correct. Within a few days, the crashed plane was removed from the river and placed in the Carolinas Aviation Museum in the UNITED States.
Captain Sullenberger began his flying training at the age of 16. He graduated from the U.S. Air Force Academy in 1973. He then joined the US Air Force as a fighter aircraft pilot.
In 1980, Sullenberger entered the private aviation sector as a pilot. His landing on the Hudson River is known worldwide as the famous emergency landing. Prior to his emergency landing on the Hudson River, Captain Sullenberger had 20,000 hours of flying experience. He was a pilot for nearly 40 years. – Translated from the BBC
