Audio recordings of the communication between air traffic control and US Airways Flight 1549 that landed in New York's Hudson River on the 15^th of January were released today by the Federal Aviation Administration.

 

The first alert from the pilot, Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger, came at 3:27:36, about two and a half minutes after the plane had taken off, saying that it had hit a flock of large birds and both engines were down. Sullenberger also made the announcement of his intention of turning back towards La Guardia airport when he realized that the plane will not be able to make it to the destination.

 

He immediately received the ok answer from Patrick Harten, a 10-year veteran controller at the aviation administration in Long Island, responsible for tracking planes after they take off from all New York area airports, who supported the pilot’s decision.

 

Unfortunately, or better yet, fortunately, he could not make it to the airport as he intended, but was forced to set his Airbus A320 down in the Hudson River near the center of Manhattan. Sullenberger recalls the eerie silence and the disturbing smell which followed the impacts with the birds, and described it as a moment like no other for him. He confessed that his first reaction was one of disbelief but then he pulled himself together and began making the decisions and maneuvers which saved his life and those of all 155 passengers he had on board by his amazing landing in the river. Surely things would not have worked out so well for its passengers if the plane had landed on solid ground.