15 JAN 2009 _______________________________________ *Airplane in Hudson River after failed takeoff *U.S. Airways plane goes down in Hudson River *US Airways A320 Down In Hudson River ****************************************************** Airplane in Hudson River after failed takeoff, FAA says US Airways plane goes into New York's Hudson River, FAA says NEW YORK (CNN) -- Emergency officials are responding to a downed plane in the Hudson River in New York City, according to the city fire and police departments. The plane entered the water after a failed takeoff, the FAA says. The FAA confirmed US Airways Flight 1549, an Airbus A320 headed from New York's LaGuardia Airport to Charlotte, North Carolina, was down in the river following a failed takeoff. The U.S. Coast Guard said units were also responding, and a ferry on site was dropping life jackets into the water. The plane approached the water at a gradual angle and made a big splash, according to a witness watching from an office building. "It wasn't going particularly fast. It was a slow contact with the water that it made," the witness, Ben VonKlemperer, told CNN. *************** U.S. Airways plane goes down in Hudson River NEW YORK (AP) - A U.S. Airways plane has crashed into the Hudson River, sending passengers fleeing for safety in the frigid waters. New York City firefighters, federal transportation officials and an armada of boats were responding to the accident. It was not immediately clear if there were injuries. "I just thought, 'Why is it so low?' And, splash, it hit the water," said witness Barbara Sambriski, a researcher at The Associated Press. The plane was submerged in the icy waters up to the windows, and 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. "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." FIND MORE STORIES IN: Atmospheric Administration | National Oceanic | Hudson River | Battery Park The FBI has reported that it has not information that the incident was an act of terrorism. The temperature at LaGuardia Airport at 3 p.m., around the time of the Thursday afternoon accident, was 21 degrees and felt as if it was 6 degrees, with the wind chill factor, according to the National Weather Service. Winds were blowing at 15 miles an hour, the weather service reported. Visibility at the airport was 10 miles, according to the weather service. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reported Thursday afternoon that the water temperature in the Hudson River near Battery Park was 41.5 degrees. http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2009-01-15-plane-crash-hudson_N.htm **************** US Airways A320 Down In Hudson River Flight 1549 Bound For Charlotte, NC 01.15.09 1550 EST: New York City firefighters are on the scene of a plane crash in the Hudson River. Ferry boats and firefighters in rubber rafts are converging on what appears to be a US Airways plane. CNN reports Flight 1549, an Airbus A320, was returning to New York LaGuardia when it impacted the water at a shallow angle at a low speed. The plane had departed LGA five minutes earlier, bound for Charlotte, NC. Online tracking data reports the last radar echo showed the plane at 300 feet MSL over the river, at 153 knots. There are no immediate reports of casualties. At this time, most of the fuselage has sank below the water level, with only the upper portion of the rear fuselage and the plane's tail still above the surface. Most if not all emergency exits appear to be underwater. Alberto Panero, a passenger onboard the airliner, told CNN via cellphone the plane "shuddered" shortly after takeoff, with the smell of smoke in the cabin. The pilot told passengers to "prepare for impact" immediately before the plane ditched. Panero added he believes most if not all the 135 passengers onboard were able to evacuate the plane through the forward exit doors. Video from the scene shows both forward exit doors, and the port side over-wing exits, open and above the waterline. US Coast Guard first responder boats have dropped life jackets in the water to assist survivors. FMI: www.usairways.com aero-news.net ****************