Hunt for NY crash plane's engines

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US Coast Guard video of the moment a plane crash-landed in the Hudson River

Divers in New York are searching for both engines of an airliner which crashed in the Hudson River.

They are using sonar to locate the engines which are believed to have detached after the US Airways Airbus A320 hit the water on Thursday.

Officials are also planning to lift the aircraft from the river on Saturday and recover the flight recorders.

New York mayor Michael Bloomberg hailed the pilot, who landed the plane in the Hudson with no loss of life, as a hero.

Mr Bloomberg said he would be giving "incredibly brave" Captain Chesley Sullenberger and his crew the keys to the city.

National Transportation Safety Board spokeswoman Kitty Higgins

The mayor also honoured rescuers who pulled all 155 passengers and crew to safety from icy waters.

Capt Sullenberger said earlier that the crash was caused by birds flying into the engines. Investigators say they plan to interview him on Saturday.

One person suffered two broken legs in the crash and paramedics treated 78 patients, most for minor injuries.

Focus on 'black boxes'

At a briefing in New York on Friday, National Transportation Safety Board spokeswoman Kitty Higgins said divers and sonar were tracking the course of the plane which plunged in the river just minutes after taking off from LaGuardia airport.

1 1526 local time (2026 GMT): Flight 1549 takes off from LaGuardia airport
2 1527 (2027 GMT): Pilot Chesley Sullenberger reports birds hitting engines and says he is returning to LaGuardia
3 1528 (2028 GMT): Plane banks to the left, but pilot decides he cannot reach LaGuardia or nearby Teterboro airfield
4 1531 (2031 GMT): Pilot ditches plane in Hudson River

She said rescuers planned to start lifting the plane - which is currently tethered to a pier in Manhattan - on Saturday morning.

A giant crane and a barge have already been brought to pull the stricken airliner.

The plane is still intact, but officials say they will need to ensure it is recovered safely and without causing it to break apart.

The investigation is then expected to focus on recovering the flight recorders to help establish the cause of the crash.

'Inspirational'

Mr Bloomberg said on Friday that Capt Sullenberger had been "incredibly skilful" but would be unable to speak to the media while investigations were continuing.

HERO PILOT Chesley B 'Sully' Sullenberger III Age 57, from Danville, California Former Air Force fighter pilot 29 years with US Airways Has own consulting business, Safety Reliability Methods Inc Profile: Capt Chesley Sullenberger Tale of miraculous escape dot.life blog: Power of twitter

The mayor said writer Ernest Hemingway defined heroism as "grace under pressure".

"I think it's fair to say that Captain Sullenberger displayed that yesterday. His brave actions have inspired millions of people in this city and millions more around the world," he said.

The mayor also presented awards to other uniformed and civilian personnel involved in the rescue, describing them as the city's "finest and bravest".

"Because of their efforts and the calm, steady leadership shown by the plane's pilot and crew, miraculously all 155 people on that plane made it to safety," he said.

President George W Bush had telephoned Capt Sullenberger to thank him for his actions, the White House said.

Bird strike

Passengers and eyewitnesses have been speaking to the media about their experiences.

"I heard an explosion, and I saw flames coming from the left wing, and I thought, 'this isn't good'," said passenger Dave Sanderson.

"Then it was just controlled chaos. People started running up the aisle. People were getting shoved out of the way."

Another passenger, Billy Campbell, described water rushing into the plane as flight attendants did "a wonderful job" of evacuating everyone.

"It's good to be alive today," said Martin Sosa, a father who had been travelling with two young children and his wife.

After crashing on the water, the plane was pulled rapidly down the river, until it was guided to a halt by tug boats against a pier.

The temperature was almost -7C (19F) and the current in the Hudson was running rapidly.

Ferryboats arrived within minutes of the crash to begin the rescue as passengers emerged in life jackets.