A team of 20 National Transportation Safety Board investigators is now probing what caused a US Airways plane to crash into the Hudson River.Both engines on the Airbus 320 cut out around 3:30 p.m. Thursday. According to investigators, it appears the jet was hit by a flock of geese less than one minute after takeoff. The pilot, Chesley B. "Sully" Sullenberger III of Danville, Calif., reported a "double bird strike" to an air traffic controller in Westbury.All 155 people on Flight 1549 from LaGuardia Airport to Charlotte, N.C. survived the crash, with Gov. David Paterson calling the incident "a miracle on the Hudson."
NTSB spokeswoman Kitty Higgins told reporters Friday that both engines are no longer attached to the plane, but were still attached when the plane went down. The Army Corps of Engineers and police divers are using sonar to locate the engines. Officials say they are going to try to take the plane out of the water Saturday morning.Officials and passengers on the plane are praising Sullenberger for his quick thinking during the near-disaster.Joe Hart, a passenger, said Sullenberger "floated" the jet into the river and that his performance was "phenomenal."Mayor Michael Bloomberg called the landing "masterful."Water taxis and ferries near the site came to the aid of the crash victims. Crews from the Circle Line Ferry also helped in the rescue of passengers.Federal Aviation Administration officials say the passengers and crew members were taken to area hospitals. The New York City Fire Department says 78 people were injured, but the extent of the injuries wasn't immediately known.Anyone who believes a family member may have been on the plane can call US Airways at 1-800-679-8215.
AP wires contributed to this report.For extended Flight 1549 crash coverage, go to Channel 612 on your iO digital cable box. US Air plane plunges into Hudson, everyone survives Flight 1549 pilot praised by fellow pilots
Chopper 12 footage of plane crash site
Extended footage of Mayor Bloomberg?s news conference
Air traffic control map of Flight 1549?s path
U.S. Airways Press Release on Flight 1549FAAFlightAware- Flight TrackerNYWaterway