US Airways Flight 1549 Crashed In Hudson River

A US Airways jet en route from New York to Charlotte, N.C., crashed into the Hudson River off the west side of Manhattan with more than 150 people on board today.

New York City firefighters and passenger ferries responded to the crashed plane, which floated near the historic aircraft carrier, The Intrepid.

The flight, US Airways 1549, was an A-320 manufactured by Airbus was carrying as many as 146 passengers and five crew members, according to the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.

The Port Authority and the FAA said the plane’s pilot reported a bird strike shortly before the plane went down.

New York City police said the rescue operation was ongoing and commuter boats in the area were seen fishing people from the frigid waters and passengers standing on the plane’s wings.

The water temperature in river was 42 degrees, just above freezing.

Witness Barbara Sambriski, a researcher at The Associated Press, said she thought, “Why is it so low?” And then, she said, “splash, it hit the water.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.  ABC

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