US Airways A320 Ditches into Hudson River

A US Airways Airbus A320 carrying 150 passengers and five crew on board ditched into New York’s Hudson River late this afternoon and initial reports indicate that all the occupants escaped with their lives. Flight 1549 had taken off moments earlier from New York La Guardia Airport for a flight to Charlotte, N.C., when the A320 descended into the 35-degree F water near Manhattan’s 57th Street. Rescue crews helped pull passengers out of the airplane’s hull and witnesses could see people wearing yellow life vests and standing on the wing of the jet. Although officials hadn’t confirmed the suspected cause of the crash, witnesses said they saw the airplane fly through a flock of geese. Other witnesses described flames emanating from the airplane’s left engine before it went down. Law enforcement officials have reported that it appeared that none of the passengers suffered any serious injuries.