WASHINGTON - THE crew of a US Airways jetliner disabled by birds that knocked out both its engines over New York calmly told air controllers: 'We're gonna be in the Hudson' before splash landing in the river, according to tapes of the account released on Thursday.
What happened
The following is an abbreviated exchange of communication between radar controllers and Capt Chesley Sullenberger, both of whom misstated the call signs for the flight.
1549: 'This is, uh, cactus Fifteen-Thirty-Nine (sic). Hit birds. We lost thrust in both engines. We're turning back towards LaGuardia.'
The Federal Aviation Administration recordings revealed a four-minute segment of clipped, matter-of-fact radio communication between the pilots of Flight 1549 and controllers, who cleared the skies to get the stricken plane with 155 passengers and crew in for an emergency landing.
The recordings start with the Airbus A320 apparently striking a flock of birds shortly after takeoff on Jan 15 from LaGuardia airport, bound for Charlotte, North Carolina.
After takeoff, the New York high altitude controller center gives routine instructions to the US Airways jet, code named 'Cactus' because the company is based in Arizona. -- REUTERS
