According to the National Transportation Safety Board, Sullenberger told investigators that the plane had a collision with a flock of birds which caused the loss of power in both engines, just after 3 minutes after taking off from La Guardia airport.

 

Thanks to the impressive skills of Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger, the hero pilot, all 155 passengers and crew survived the US Airways Flight 1549 from New York's La Guardia airport, bound for Charlotte, North Carolina and were rescued from the Hudson River where it ended up by boats on the river.

 

The black boxes were recovered and pointed to a bird strike as well as the cause of the accident. Engine damage and other evidence gathered by investigators from the National Transportation Safety Board came to the same conclusion.

 

The rest of the plane's crew included co-pilot Jeff Skiles and flight attendants Doreen Walsh, Sheila Dail and Donna Dent have been quiet about the flight to the media, focusing on working with investigators from the NTSB. But their representatives have been organizing numerous TV appearances for them.

 

Sullenberger's superstar hero status continues to grow as passengers have reported that the pilot acted like a real captain checking the sinking cabin repeatedly for passengers who might have been left behind. He shares his status though with all ferry boat operators, dock workers, emergency medical personnel, New York firefighters, police officers and police scuba divers who have joined forces to rescue everybody. They all have received hero treatment in news accounts and from city officials.