reuters
NEW YORK — A US Airways jet crash-landed Thursday in the Hudson River between Manhattan and New Jersey after a flock of birds apparently struck its engines — but all 155 people on board are thought to have survived, and the pilot is being hailed as a hero.
Passengers were sent fleeing into the icy, 35-degree waters when the Airbus 320 went down near 48th Street in Manhattan shortly after taking off from LaGuardia Airport.
"We've had a 'Miracle on 34th Street' and now we have a miracle on the Hudson," said New York Gov. David Paterson.
New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg said the pilot told him he walked through the plane twice to make sure everyone was off before exiting the aircraft.
The pilot of the plane was Chesley B. Sullenburger III, his daughter confirmed to FOXNews.com.
She declined to give additional details, but an official familiar with the accident told The Associated Press that the 57-year-old California resident is a former fighter pilot who runs a safety consulting firm in addition to flying commercial aircraft.
