A U.S. Airways plane crashed into the Hudson River this afternoon, outside the Weehawken waterfront. Coast guard boats, NY Waterway ferries, and police boats could be seen from the Hoboken and Weehawken waterfront coming to its aid.
An Associated Press report said most of the passengers escaped to safety. They quoted Federal Aviation Administration spokeswoman Laura Brown as saying that US Airways Flight 1549 had just taken off from LaGuardia Airport enroute to Charlotte, N.C., on Thursday when the crash occured.
Brown said the plane, an Airbus 320, may have been hit by birds.
As of 5 p.m., the current was carrying the plane south in the water, and officials expected most of the passengers to be brought to New York City hospitals.
Photo of plane’s tail in the water, left, taken by Sean Allocca of the Hudson Reporter newspapers.
Additional photos taken from Hoboken waterfront by E. Assata Wright.