US Airways Flight 1549 facts for kids

Plane on the surface of the Hudson river

This map shows the flight path (red). The pilots thought about landing at Teterboro Airport (dark blue) or going back to LaGuardia (pink), but they chose the river.

US Airways Flight 1549 was a special airplane flight that landed safely in the Hudson River in New York City on January 15, 2009. The plane had 155 people on board and had just taken off from LaGuardia Airport. Only six minutes into the flight, a group of birds hit the plane's engines, causing them to stop working. What made this event amazing is that everyone on board survived! Because of this, people called it the Miracle on the Hudson. Years later, in 2016, a movie called Sully was made about the event, named after the main pilot, Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger.

The Flight Begins

The plane took off from LaGuardia Airport at 3:26 PM. It was supposed to fly to Charlotte, North Carolina, and then continue to Seattle, Washington state.

Bird Strike in the Sky

Just two minutes after the plane left the ground, it flew into a large flock of Canada geese. Some of these geese were sucked into both of the plane's engines. This caused both engines to stop working completely.

Pilots Make a Tough Choice

The pilots, Chesley Sullenberger and Jeffrey Skiles, quickly realized they had to land the plane right away. They thought about trying to go back to LaGuardia Airport or landing at Teterboro Airport in New Jersey. However, they decided that neither airport was a safe option. Instead, they made the brave decision to land the plane in the Hudson River.

Why Landing in the River Was Risky

Landing a plane on water is very dangerous for a few reasons:

• The plane could break apart if it hit the water too fast or hit something else in the river.
• The passengers could drown if they weren't rescued quickly, especially because the river water was very cold.

The River Landing and Rescue

The pilots successfully landed the plane in the Hudson River at 3:31 PM. The plane slowly started to fill with water and sink.

Getting to Safety

Passengers and crew quickly climbed out onto the plane's wings and used the life rafts. Captain Sullenberger had landed the plane close to some boats. The first boats reached the plane just a few minutes after it landed.

Everyone Rescued

These boats helped rescue all the passengers and crew members. By 3:55 PM, everyone was safely off the plane. They were taken to hospitals and other safe places on both sides of the river. About 24 passengers and two rescuers needed to go to a hospital, but most of them were able to leave later that same day.

What Happened Next

The National Transportation Safety Board, which investigates accidents, looked into the event. In May 2010, they released a report. This report confirmed that Captain Sullenberger had made the best decision possible. Today, the actual plane is on display at the Carolinas Aviation Museum in Charlotte.

Images for kids

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  N106US, the plane from the accident, at LaGuardia eight years earlier.

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  The Hudson River from above the Bronx, with Manhattan in the middle and New Jersey far away.

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  Boats surround the tail of the sunken plane, just above the water.

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  The partially sunken plane tied up next to Battery Park City.

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  The plane being recovered from the river during the night of January 17.

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  A goose feather found in the left engine.

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  N106US on display at the Carolinas Aviation Museum.

See also

In Spanish: Vuelo 1549 de US Airways para niños