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Lou Dobbs Tonight
Heroism on the Hudson
Aired January 15, 2009 - 19:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
LOU DOBBS, CNN ANCHOR: Tonight, amazing stories of heroism after a US Airways' plane is forced to ditch into the Hudson River in New York City, incredibly, everyone on board survived the crash landing. We'll tell you what happened. We'll tell you how that pilot, with his professionalism and courage, avoided a major disaster; all of that and the day's news, straight ahead, here tonight.
ANNOUNCER: This is LOU DOBBS TONIGHT: news, debate, and opinion for Thursday, January 15th. Live from New York, Lou Dobbs.
DOBBS: Good evening, everybody. A US Airways' jet carrying more than 150 people today ditched into the Hudson River in New York City. The Airbus jetliner came down minutes after taking off from New York's LaGuardia airport, on a flight to Charlotte, North Carolina. Reports saying the aircraft hit a flock of birds. That has not been confirmed yet.
Rescue boats quickly surrounded what was a quickly, partially submerged aircraft. There were no reports of any deaths nor serious injuries. We have extensive coverage for you this hour and we begin with our Deborah Feyerick. Deborah, tell us what happened to flight 1549.
DEBORAH FEYERICK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Lou, I can tell you I was talking to a lot of law enforcement officials and first responders who were on the scene earlier today. An eyewitness says that he saw the left engine on fire as the plane began to descend over the Hudson River just before that watery landing. Now, the law enforcement source says that the pilot attempted to return to LaGuardia, clearly unsuccessfully, controllers there had actually stopped all departing flights, had cleared two arrival runways and were preparing for an emergency landing.
But the plane was in too much distress to be able to do that. Now, law enforcement officials say this was a level one mobilization. That is the highest mobilization. No one knew what was going on. They didn't know whether there was some sort of catastrophic mechanical failure or whether, in fact, it was an act of terrorism. New York City's mayor tonight says that no terrorism was involved, but the mayor will not say exactly what happened to this plane until NTSB investigators are able to get in there.
We are learning from sources, however, that the pilot radioed in about hitting a bird. The interesting thing, Lou, is that if the bird had hit just one engine, the pilot could have continued flying. It appears that both engines were hit. So, that's something that's going to be investigated. But law enforcement officers tonight really saying that the pilot in this case was a hero, the pilot, the copilot, the crew, because they were able to keep control of that plane.
They were able to keep the passengers calm and get everyone out alive. Also, you have to remember, and this is really interesting, that this was playing out real-time. You had all of these motorists up along the Westside highway, watching this plane descend. And if you live in New York, you can't help but think of the 9/11 attacks because that's exactly the same route that the plane took when it hit the Trade Center.
But, however, many people were calling in to 911, to the fire department, which was alerted at 3:31 this afternoon. They dispatched 25 different units. Emergency responders were there. The police department was there. And what happened is when the plane entered the water, a lot of ferries were able to dispatch very, very quickly. And when you look at the daytime pictures, as you can see just there, those are commercial ferries.
That's the Circle Line that a lot of tourists come in to -- when they visit New York. Those ferries raced to surround that plane to try to save those passengers and a couple of still pictures that we're getting on our I-reports, Lou, really unbelievable because you see the life rafts that have just deployed exactly the way they're supposed to, a couple of people standing on the wings of that airline and then these ferries coming in effectively to pick these people up out of the water, so really not that pilots practice this all the time, but this is as close to textbooks as you can get. Lou?
DOBBS: Textbook. We should point out the pilot's heroism and professionalism needs no further testament. But this is not something pilots can rehearse. It is an extraordinary piece of flying by all accounts, and Deborah, we're going to have accounts from eyewitnesses to this crash landing and the extraordinary heroic rescue. We're also going to have accounts from passengers themselves here in this hour.
In fact joining me now in the studio one of the survivors of flight 1549, he is Fred Berretta. Fred, it is great of you to take time to be with us. This has been an extraordinary day for you. And I just want to say thank you so much for taking time to share your story with all of our viewers here.
FRED BERRETTA, SURVIVOR: Glad to be here.
DOBBS: Fred, I said to you earlier, I said this is almost a miracle, and you declared it to be a miracle. And I -- we will go with your declaration. Tell us, first, you're from Charlotte, North Carolina. You were on your way home. Tell us about the boarding, the first minutes of this flight, and your thoughts and the way it proceeded.
BERRETTA: Sure. It was just fine. I think we were delayed a few minutes in departure. But the departure was fine. It took off. Everything was normal. Clear skies, really everything was very calm until the left engine made a very loud sound and obviously failed.
DOBBS: Did you have a sense of your altitude at that point? BERRETTA: We weren't very high. We had just taken off. We had been in the air for maybe a few minutes, and I was just kind of relaxing in my seat. And maybe just about to nod off and that's when the engine exploded or made a very loud noise.
DOBBS: How loud was that noise? Can you give us some -- some feeling for that?
BERRETTA: It wasn't incredibly loud, but it was loud enough to where you knew -- you knew something was really wrong with the engine and I could actually see the engine because I was sitting on the left side of the aircraft right behind the wing. So, I was able to see what was going on there and could tell that it had failed.
DOBBS: And was there smoke, any -- anything visible there that you could detect?
BERRETTA: It looked like there was smoke puffing out of the engine, and we were naturally concerned that might ignite or explode or the wing might explode. And then at that point we were wondering if the right engine was OK.
DOBBS: And -- and what was the reaction of your fellow passengers, more than 150 people aboard? What was their reaction as that noise occurred and eyes were drawn, of course, immediately to that left wing and that engine?
BERRETTA: There wasn't a big reaction when the engine made the noise. I think everyone was wondering what was going on, and the pilot then began a gradual turn to the left, very gradual. And there was silence. And, you know, we were talking about, well, wow, we lost an engine and hopefully the other one's working and that that's OK because the plane can fly on one engine. We'll make it.
DOBBS: At this point were you headed north as you're talking about turning left to come back over the Hudson River, that would require banking left and then coming back over the -- well, you'd have to proceed over the George Washington Bridge, having taken off from LaGuardia, is that correct?
BERRETTA: Right, that's what I recall. I recall it was a left turn and a very gradual one. And then we were over the water, and that's when the captain said, prepare for impact.
DOBBS: Was there any other communication from the -- from the cockpit before that? Was there any suggestion about an explanation for that loud noise in the left engine? What happened there?
BERRETTA: No, there really wasn't. And we were speculating what was going on. Obviously, the pilot was doing his job and flying the plane...
DOBBS: Absolutely.
BERRETTA: ... which is what we wanted him to do. And then once he told us, prepare for impact, we pretty much knew then we were going in the water.
DOBBS: And how -- and how high was the airplane? What was your altitude? Can you -- do you have some judgment of that?
BERRETTA: It couldn't have been more than a few thousand feet. We were -- we were pretty low.
DOBBS: And by this time, were you over the Hudson River?
BERRETTA: We were.
DOBBS: And going south at that point.
BERRETTA: Right.
DOBBS: So, what did -- were you looking out the window as you were proceeding down the Hudson?
BERRETTA: Yes, I was looking out the window to try to gauge the level of descent, to get a sense if the plane was stable. And then we were talking about whether the right engine was making noise, hoping that it was, but it -- we don't -- I don't recall hearing any -- anything out of the right engine and obviously it probably wasn't working either for us to have to go into the river.
DOBBS: And the mood, the -- the behavior, the conduct of your fellow passengers, was it calm? Was there great anxiety? What was going on?
BERRETTA: You know, amazingly, it was calm. I think people were stunned. You know, once the captain said, prepare for impact, at that point it was -- it was a hushed silence. I heard a couple of cries. People -- there wasn't a lot of time. We were watching the ground and wondering were we going on to an airport, were we going into the water, and it was mostly quiet.
DOBBS: From the time that you heard the loud noise in the left engine to the time that the pilot said "prepare for impact", your judgment about how much time elapsed?
BERRETTA: It seemed like an eternity, Lou, but it probably couldn't have been more than a minute or two.
DOBBS: And from "prepare for impact" to the crash landing in the Hudson?
BERRETTA: Just probably a couple of minutes, but it was quite a long couple of minutes.
DOBBS: And did -- as you -- as the plane settled, and I've been told now that the plane went over the George Washington Bridge at an altitude of about 900 feet, only 900 feet above that tremendous span across the Hudson, how did it set down? Was it a gentle descent or was it something more?
BERRETTA: It was a great descent. The descent was very, very gentle and gradual. The impact, it obviously felt tremendous, loud noise, jolted around. That -- at that point you're wondering what's left of the airplane.
DOBBS: Right.
BERRETTA: And we're just stupefied when we saw that the plane was completely stable and floating in the water.
DOBBS: You're strapped into your seat. What emergency precautions, crash landing precautions, did the crew tell you to take? What -- what steps did you take to ensure that you -- whatever damage and injury would be minimalized (ph)?
BERRETTA: There wasn't a lot of communication as I recall. I think there might have been, you know make sure you're strapped in.
DOBBS: Right.
BERRETTA: Some people were hunching over. Others were not.
DOBBS: How about you?
BERRETTA: I was sort of sitting upright and really just trying to watch the water. I was in a position to see when we were going to hit and I wanted to see that. And as soon as we were about to hit, I then just kind of looked forward and prayed that we'd get through it.
DOBBS: And did your -- how -- when you landed, what happened to you? Were you thrown forward with the impact?
BERRETTA: We were -- I felt like I was jolted and it almost for a moment felt like a ride at Disney World. It just felt like there was a, you know strong gravity, and it was just couldn't wait for that to stop so we could then get up and do something, get off the plane.
DOBBS: The plane landing, the pilot he brought the plane in, eyewitness accounts tell us with that nose very high, as he's trained to do, how -- what happened then? How long was it going through the water before it came to -- settled in?
BERRETTA: It didn't seem to last very long. Although the impact itself was -- was quite frightening, no doubt. But he really -- you could tell that it was a very controlled, very well-handled water landing.
DOBBS: And the idea that you've gone through this experience at that point, the plane -- you're obviously relieved, there's got to be a stronger word, that that plane is held together. What were your greatest fears at that point?
BERRETTA: Once we landed?
DOBBS: Right.
BERRETTA: Getting off the plane, not knowing how long it would float. Hoping that there weren't -- there were rafts or something that we could get onto, hoping we wouldn't be in the water too long.
DOBBS: And how did you exit the plane?
BERRETTA: I initially went out through the left emergency exit onto the wing and was out there with a lot of passengers.
DOBBS: Who opened that door?
BERRETTA: I don't know. I assume it was passengers.
DOBBS: Right. And you went out on the wing. And, I mean, your thoughts at that point? You're sitting there -- standing there on the wing of an A320 Airbus in the middle of the Hudson at a temperature of -- I think today was about 20 degrees Fahrenheit. What was your reaction then?
BERRETTA: I was very glad to be alive. Thought, OK, made it this far. Let's see if we can all get to the next stage.
DOBBS: And your fellow passengers, they were reacting with -- with relative calm, exhilaration at being alive I would think would be part of the emotion?
BERRETTA: At that point when I was on the wing I was close to the door and was just trying to help people get out onto the wing. And there were people still in the plane were clearly, you know, wanting to get out...
DOBBS: Right.
BERRETTA: And I wouldn't say panicking, but, you know, were moving very quickly.
DOBBS: Anxious.
BERRETTA: And anxious -- thank you -- and then at that point we realized there's too many people coming onto the left wing. We've got to get some people to go up to the right front, because there was more space there. So, a fellow passenger and I tried to help some folks go that direction, and then I went back in and was able to get on the raft on the front of the aircraft.
DOBBS: And did you see the flight crew, the pilots, at that point?
BERRETTA: I did. When I went back into the plane, the only people I saw were the flight crew and the pilots. And I took a glance back just to see if there was anyone back there. And it looked like everyone was off the plane, and I was really happy to see that.
DOBBS: Did you have a chance to talk to them?
BERRETTA: I did. I thanked both pilots and, you know, shook their hands and just told them they're heroes.
DOBBS: Yes. How did they react? BERRETTA: They were very professional. The captain was incredibly calm and collected and just very -- very professional and, you know, doing his job, and you could tell very humble about it.
DOBBS: How long were you in the plane before you managed to get to -- into the boat to bring you to shore?
BERRETTA: I was probably one of the latter people off the plane, because I went back in to try to get up to the front raft where there was more space and I got onto the raft and so it wasn't very long, just a few seconds.
DOBBS: No -- no bruises, no cuts?
BERRETTA: I haven't checked yet.
DOBBS: Well, Fred, this looks like, as you said, and declared it, it is a miracle. What we have learned to this point is you and all your fellow passengers and the crew members on that US Airways' flight escaped without major injury, so we're all thankful. And I'm greatly indebted to you for sharing your story here with us tonight.
BERRETTA: Sure, thank you, Lou.
DOBBS: Thanks. Fred Berretta.
We're going to turn now to Mary Snow who is near the scene of that crash landing and miraculous recovery as well. Mary, what is the latest?
MARY SNOW, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Such amazing stories, Lou. We are down in the southern tip of Manhattan. And we're about a mile and a half, two miles away from where the plane crashed. The plane has been secured and it is tied to a moor, we're told by a producer on the scene. We're seeing a number of emergency vehicles in the water down at Battery Park, the Coast Guard reporting that about nine Coast Guard vessels had been trying to stabilize the plane and bring it in.
And this was for about two hours. I could tell you that the current on the Hudson River is so strong. And as you just mentioned, the water here is absolutely frigid. And so many people saying it is a miracle that everyone got out alive. The plane has been, again, secured and a number of emergency vehicles following it.
Some aviation experts have actually said that the fuel on the plane was what was keeping it afloat. And I can tell you that the fuel smell is so strong here so far away from where the plane actually went down. Speaking to some other survivors, again, they are really crediting the pilot. One saying he just did a hell of a job that everyone stayed so calm getting off onto various boats, ferries that were dispatched immediately to the site.
DOBBS: All right, Mary. Thank you very much. And we'll continue to update what is happening there right on the -- on the Hudson. That landing by the US Airways' pilots extraordinary in every respect. We'll have the very latest on what happened to the Airbus jetliner. We'll be telling you about that aircraft's captain. He is a remarkable individual not only in the performance of his -- his responsibilities today at the helm of that aircraft, but throughout his entire career.
We'll have more stories of survival and heroism on the Hudson. We'll have a live report for you from a hospital treating some of the survivors here next. Stay with us. We're coming right back. And we'll be talking with the NTSB as well.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
DOBBS: Heroism on the Hudson, extraordinary event and one that we don't often get to report. All of the passengers and crew of the US Airways' flight surviving this crash landing in the Hudson today and there are extraordinary photographs from the US Airbus A320 crash landing in the Hudson -- this photograph coming to us from CNN IReporter Neil Marshad (ph).
Neil said that several boats were pushing the aircraft toward land as he snapped this picture. The plane crashed into the river after taking off, as we reported, from LaGuardia Airport, the passengers on their way to Charlotte, North Carolina, just a few moments into the flight when the plane had to be ditched into the Hudson.
Now, this photograph is from the New York "Daily News," showing the Fire Department of New York rescue boat after it rescued several passengers from the frigid waters, 150 passengers, five crew members, aboard. Everyone survived, thanks to the pilot's heroic efforts, the extraordinary work of the flight crew and the attendants.
Joining me now is Susan Candiotti. Susan, you've been talking with some of the survivors tonight. What are they saying?
SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: You know, Lou, you've heard all of the adjectives, remarkable, amazing, and all the rest and that's what I can tell you about the -- the people that we spoke with, who stood there for the longest time, one man in particular, for more than a half hour, answering reporters' questions while he was wet from the waist down with a very thin shirt on and yet he stood there and answered question after question, talked about the plane quickly filling with water.
Talked about how the pilot had told them to brace for impact, and at that point he said, I said about five Hail Mary's and just held on tight. That when the plane landed in the water, he remembered that a woman with a baby was coming up behind him and trying to get out of the plane and how the men stood aside and let all the women and children get off first into those waiting boats that were there so quickly to respond.
We're right now situated on the banks of the Hudson, right where the Circle Line is. A lot of New Yorkers, of course, and other tourists are well aware that there's where they come, they can take a lot of tourists that go around the island. At this point much of the traffic appears to be well back to being completely back to normal. Lot of the streets around here have opened back up.
This had been a staging area where ambulances were waiting on standby to go down and help pick up and/or treat the injured as they were brought to shore. Lou, it has truly been an amazing afternoon -- back to you.
DOBBS: This is the kind of story we all like to report, right, Susan? This is one of those days.
CANDIOTTI: A very happy ending, Lou.
DOBBS: Absolutely.
CANDIOTTI: And also amazing, Lou, at how long that aircraft was able to stay afloat and we're told by aviation experts because of the fuel that was on board, so -- that it stayed up as long as it did so that all those passengers could get off safely.
DOBBS: And I don't know if we have the pictures right now, Susan, up live, but that -- that aircraft has been moved, the Coast Guard had nine vessels working, tugboats moved in, and they literally were able to move that aircraft over to a pier down in Battery Park, which is at the -- at the southern end of Manhattan Island. So, it's been amazing day in every respect, that they were able to do that.
CANDIOTTI: That's right.
DOBBS: And most importantly, that all of these passengers and crew members were able to survive this, a testament to the skill and -- of the pilot, the copilot, and the great fortune that they all enjoyed on this cold January day in New York City. Susan, thank you so much, Susan...
CANDIOTTI: And you know, Lou...
DOBBS: Yes.
CANDIOTTI: ... I hope you heard as well about -- and I hope you heard as well about the pilot who we were told by the passengers walked up and down that plane after everyone else was off to make sure that everyone had gotten off the plane safely and no one was left behind.
DOBBS: Absolutely. Making two -- two trips up and down as we understand it that aisle way, and this is his picture. His name is Chesley Sullenberger. He has...
CANDIOTTI: Sullenberger.
DOBBS: ... 40 years -- Sullenberger has 40 years' experience flying, I believe 29 years with US Airways and a terrific pilot who did just a wonderful job today. Susan Candiotti, thank you very much. We appreciate it. Well, we're learning more about the pilot who landed this aircraft and carried out the successful crash landing. The captain of the US Airways' aircraft is Chesley Sullenberger, as I said. He has decades of flying experience. And Lisa Sylvester, in Washington, has more on this remarkable pilot. Lisa?
LISA SYLVESTER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi there, Lou. What we know about him is his name is Chesley Sullenberger, but he goes by Sully and as you mentioned, he's been a captain with US Airways since 1980 and before that he served as an F-4 pilot for the U.S. Air Force from 1973 to 1980.
Now just a short while ago we received a statement from his wife and she said, quote, "I was stunned. I hadn't been watching the news. I've heard Sully say to people that it's rare for an airline pilot to have an incident in their career. When he called me, he said, there's been an accident. At first, I thought it was something minor. But then he told me the circumstances. And my body started shaking, and I rushed to get our daughters out of school."
And as we've been hearing, just high praise coming for the pilot, who is clearly a hero, and he deserves full credit for saving more than 150 lives.
DOBBS: Survivors, too, Fred Berretta, as he gave us the account of what he and the other passengers faced and how they responded, just about everybody aboard this aircraft was not only a survivor, but a hero today, the way in which they conducted themselves. US Airways has to be extraordinarily proud of those pilots and their flight crew.
Well, joining me now is one of the survivors and I want to say, Lisa, first thank you very much, reporting from Washington, D.C. Let me introduce you to Joshua Peltz. He's one of the first people off that aircraft. Joshua, I understand you were in an exit row, and you were amongst those who opened the door and began the -- the disembarkment (ph) from the aircraft. Tell us what happened.
VOICE OF JOSHUA PELTZ, SURVIVOR: That's right, Lou. It's been a heck of a day, I have to tell you.
DOBBS: I can only imagine.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE)
DOBBS: Joshua, can you hear me all right?
PELTZ: Yes, I can hear you. I'm actually on the bus right now. They're trying to cart us back to LaGuardia. So, I apologize for any background noise.
DOBBS: Oh, not at all. Joshua, if you can hear me well and have a chance, we'd love to hear what your experience was. Can you tell us what your first -- what was your first knowledge that you had a problem on that aircraft?
PELTZ: Well, I was actually in the exit row on the window. And I heard a tremendous boom from the right-hand engine, looked outside. It was shaking and smoking. And there was a sense of a -- a sense of smoke and exhaust and obviously mechanical failure. So we -- but we didn't notice any -- any major turbulence or any decrease in cabin pressure or anything else, so we all just kind of thought that it must have been some sort of odd -- odd exposure. The plane made an immediate bank, gradual descent, and then when the pilot came on and said, this is the captain, brace for impact, and that's all he said, everyone kind of got very hushed and serious.
DOBBS: Right. And what was your reaction when he said that? Those have got to be amongst the most chilling words you could have heard.
PELTZ: Yes, it wasn't the best day I've had. But I have to be honest my first thought was for my family. And my second thought is that this man is a professional and the captain's going to take us in and do the best job he can and make sure that we land safely. So, I had every faith that we were going back to LaGuardia, until the left- hand engine went down and then we looked like we were over the Hudson and continued to go lower and lower and lower until we actually landed in the water.
DOBBS: Now you said you were at the exit window. Were you on the left or the right side of the aircraft?
PELTZ: I was on the right-hand side, so we -- I opened up the door. I let the woman in the exit row pass me, I held onto her hand as we walked out onto the wing.
(CROSSTALK)
PELTZ: At this time, the wing was still above the water, but then slowly we started to sink into the water. And we had about 30 or 40 people on the wing at that time.
DOBBS: And did the water start then rising above your feet, your ankles?
PELTZ: Yes, it went up about knee level and then we finally got one of the slides deployed. A number of people climbed onto that (INAUDIBLE) and the woman's hand I was holding and we waited for the New York Waterway folks that showed up shortly thereafter, so it didn't feel very short at the time.
DOBBS: The New York Waterway folks and the New Jersey Ferry people, who apparently their ferry was the first boat there to you, as I understand it, is that correct?
PELTZ: It was the most beautiful sight I think I've ever seen.
DOBBS: I think we could all imagine that that being the case, Joshua. And how long was it that you were out on that wing in that -- the water, as I understand it, around 40 degrees, the outside temperature is around 20, but you're already wet, so it's got to be feeling even colder than that? How long was it before you were able to step aboard the boat? PELTZ: Honestly, I'm not sure. It felt like quite a long time, though we didn't see any boats (INAUDIBLE) initially in the water. So, it's just eerily quiet and still. No one was really talking. We were all trying to keep each other calm and upbeat. The fact that we were all there was a good feeling. But people are slowly pouring out of the plane and pushing us farther and farther towards the water. So, that got a little stressful, but they probably showed up 10, 15 minutes -- no, probably 10 minutes later. It was very quick I felt like, in retrospect.
DOBBS: Yes and we're showing right now pictures taking of the plane with passengers on both the left and the right wing awaiting rescue from the New York/New Jersey Waterways' Ferry, the Circle Line Ferry, the Coast Guard, the New York Police and Fire Department, the Port Authority folks, I mean it's just remarkable that they were able to get there so quickly.
You said you were on your way to LaGuardia, which is the airport from which you and the US Airways' flight and all your fellow passengers departed this afternoon before you ended up in the Hudson.
I take it you're going back to fly on to Charlotte?
JOSHUA PELTZ, US AIRWAYS PASSENGER: I'm going back to my family and my wife Lisa and my children. I can't wait to kiss everybody and just get a good night's sleep.
I'm actually leaving now, Lou, they're taking the bus. I've got to return the phone to the recorder. But I appreciate your time, and thank everyone at the New York Waterways and the Port Authority and, of course, that pilot.
Everyone did such a tremendous job. We're just so proud to be part of this today; that we're all still here.
DOBBS: Joshua Peltz, we thank you for your time and we wish you a safe, quick flight home to your family.
PELTZ: Thank you, hopefully this time around.
DOBBS: Thank you, Joshua. Joshua Peltz.
Joining me now -- I mean, to get back on an airplane after that is another act of, in my opinion, some considerable courage even with his family waiting for him.
Joining me now is Peter Goetz, he's the former managing director of the National Transportation Safety Board. The NTSB is, of course, the agency in charge of investigating the crash landing of US Airways Flight 1549. It is great to have you with us.
PETER GOETZ, FORMER NTSB MANAGING DIRECTOR: Thank you, Lou.
DOBBS: What is going to happen now in determining the cause of this -- this crash landing? GOETZ: Well, the Safety Board has got a team that's probably already arrived in New York City, headed up by a board member, one of the five presidentially appointed board members. It'll be a team of probably 15 or 20 investigators.
The lead investigator, I know, he is a guy named Benson. He is an expert on these types of aircraft. They're going to take a close look at the flight data recorder, the voice recorder, and then they're going to take a look at those engines and see exactly what happened. And if the birds did strike them; what type and how many.
DOBBS: Now, a bird strike as he -- as the pilot, Sullenberger, called in, both engines out. Is this -- is this rare, to stipulate, if indeed it turns out that that is the cause of the engine failure, is it not unusual to hit a flock of birds so large that it would affect both engines?
GOETZ: It is absolutely extraordinary. I can't remember when both engines went out like this. You know, bird strikes have been part of aviation since its earliest days. The first recorded one was by Orville and Wilbur Wright, back in, you know, 1905. But to have both engines go out like this is just extraordinary.
DOBBS: And as this plane was piloted by the chief pilot, Chesley Sullenberger -- Sully Sullenberger, to bank that aircraft with one engine out, to bring it across the Hudson and direct it south on the Hudson River going over apparently as we're told now by about 900 feet, the George Washington Bridge, give us -- describe if you will, your sense of what is required. What the piloting of that aircraft must have been like, losing not one, but then both engines and setting down on the water, on the Hudson River.
GOETZ: Well, it's an extraordinary team effort between the pilot and the copilot. They have to assess what happened. They've got to make a series of split-second decisions. You know, should we go try to get back to LaGuardia?
Should we try and land at Newark? What about Teterboro? They make a quick decision that they're not going to make it. And Captain Sullenberger really did an extraordinary job to put that plane down as gently as he could in the Hudson.
You know, pilots, you train for all sorts of events, an engine out, occasionally both engine outs. One thing you don't train for is ditching an aircraft in the water. And that takes genuine skill.
DOBBS: Yes, there is absolutely no way one could rehearse or practice --
GOETZ: Exactly.
DOBBS: -- or prepare. These pilots go through flight safety in which they do simulations of all sorts, but to -- give us some sense of the complexity of putting down an aircraft; an A320 is a huge aircraft. GOETZ: It is a big one. But here's -- here's the issue. You want to get the plane, you know, going as slow as possible, without stalling the plane. And you want to keep those engines, those big engines, underneath the wings, you want to keep them off the water to the last possible second. Because once those engines hit the water, the plane's coming to a halt.
And, of course, you know, that the passengers were able to get out is really testament in some ways to the way the planes are designed now. The seats held in place. They -- they're mandated to withstand this kind of violent shock.
And the passengers, they got to get out in 90 seconds, that's the rules. And, boy, the flight attendants knew what they were doing.
DOBBS: Absolutely. Everyone aboard US Airways as I was saying earlier, Peter, I mean, they have to be so proud of that flight crew, and --
GOETZ: Absolutely.
DOBBS: And those pilots.
The landing of this aircraft, a number of the passengers have commented, talking with Fred Berretta, Joshua Peltz, --
GOETZ: Yes.
DOBBS: They both commented on the fact that the plane held together. They were somewhat, you could tell, not only relieved, but they were surprised that it did so. Are you?
GOETZ: Well, I think usually you expect the plane to come down violently, it's going to break apart. That this plane held together is really testament to the pilot's skill, that he was able to keep that nose up and keep those wings up to the last possible second.
So, I think it really is an extraordinary job of piloting.
DOBBS: Do you have any idea of how long it will take, your best guess, I realize it's only a guess at this point, for how long it will take for the National Traffic Safety Board to come up with an answer as to the -- to the cause of this crash?
GOETZ: Well, you know, it takes them about a year to issue a report. But they're going to be issuing statements over the next three or four days. And I think you'll have a very clear picture pretty quickly exactly what happened. And we're going to get a real picture of exactly how great a job of piloting and the airmanship was shown by this crew.
DOBBS: Well, I know that you're like all of us in this country, relieved, thrilled, that these passengers were in the hands of such great pilots and God to get it through.
It's -- it's very rare that we have a story that ends this happily when it comes to -- to these sorts of events.
Peter, we thank you very much for being with us. Peter Goetz thank you.
GOETZ: Thank you, Lou.
DOBBS: The former managing director of the National Traffic Safety Board.
Up next here, we'll have much more on the heroic acts today that saved the passengers and the crew of Flight 1549.
We'll have a report for you as well on the medical condition of the passengers, those passengers and crew, who were taken to the hospital.
And we'll be talking a great deal about the skill of this pilot and how he overcame the dangers of a crash landing in the water.
Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
DOBBS: Flight 1549, US Airways Flight 1549, turned out to be an incredible story of heroism and survival. And today, the Airbus A320 successfully crash landed in the Hudson River.
US Airways Flight 1549 lasted only five minutes. The Airbus 320 took off from LaGuardia Airport's Runway Four. At 3:26 p.m. Eastern time, the plane turned left, climbing to about 1,500 feet. Thirty to forty seconds after the aircraft took off, the pilot reported bird strikes. At 3:31 p.m., just five minutes after takeoff, the plane hit the Hudson River just off the west side of Manhattan.
Amazingly, no fatalities or serious injuries among the passengers and crew. The passengers and witnesses have been telling us what happened when the aircraft was landed. Let's listen to some of their stories.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The engine blew about three minutes into the flight. Smoke came out everywhere. A couple of minutes later, the captain came on and said we're going to dump this plane, brace for impact and probably brace pretty hard.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Felt just like a car crash, you know, with the same thing with the impact, and then all of a sudden, every -- it was just get out, and get out now.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'd picked up my Blackberry to take a picture of it actually hitting the water. And I just stopped to think, oh, my God, I need to be making a 911 call.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The plane started filling with water really quick and everyone of us is super cool. We exited out the front. For some reason I guess the back exit was closed. And that's where the water started filling a lot quickly than the others so we made it up front.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And I see the plane slowly gliding into -- into the Hudson. It looked like it had no power. At the very last minute it pulled up a little bit, but, you know, essentially it looked like it was a floatplane that was coming in for a water landing.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
DOBBS: Incredible. Well, when US Airways Flight 1549 crashed landed into the Hudson River, the water temperature was about 30 degrees; some of the passengers being treated for hypothermia and other injuries.
Joining me now for more on the condition of these passengers is our CNN senior medical correspondent, Elizabeth Cohen.
Elizabeth, hypothermia, of course, is the principal concern particularly for those passengers who had to go into the water. What else are doctors seeing after this emergency landing today?
ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN SENIOR MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: You know, Lou, it's amazing how little they're seeing. Let's talk about what injuries have been brought in to area hospitals.
At Roosevelt Hospital in Manhattan, what they've seen there is two cases of hypothermia, an elderly husband and wife and one flight attendant with a broken leg who we're told had surgery today. And at Palisades Medical Center in New Jersey, five patients have been treated for hypothermia.
Now, hypothermia is when your core temperature instead of being 98.6 goes down low. And that can happen very quickly in cold water. So, what doctors do is they warm the person up. They give him IVs, they give warm oxygen, if necessary.
People with mild to moderate hypothermia usually recover completely, I'm glad to say -- Lou.
DOBBS: And we're glad to hear it. And it doesn't take long, we understand that the passengers who did go into the water were there for about 15 to -- 15 to 20 minutes, but in those waters, that is -- that's an eternity, isn't it?
COHEN: Oh, absolutely. And those waters you could become unconscious in 30 minutes. So, you can imagine if that had gone on much longer. And you can -- in water like that survival sometimes is just an hour.
So, if this had gone on much longer, we could be telling a very different story, Lou.
DOBBS: Well, I'm delighted to be able to help you and all of our colleagues report what has been a very happy story. Thank you very much, Elizabeth Cohen. Coming up next, we'll have much more on the quick actions that led to the rescue of all of the passengers and crew of US Airways Flight 1549.
We'll also be hearing from one of the first responders from the U.S. Coast Guard. Stay with us, we're coming right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
DOBBS: Joining us now for more on the rescue operation, Lieutenant C.K. Moore of the U.S. Coast Guard. He has come just directly from the water to talk with us.
Lieutenant, first of all, our compliments and thanks to you and everyone associated with this rescue. Tell us, first, how -- what you were doing when you were responding to the crash landing.
LT. C.K. MOORE, U.S. COAST GUARD: Well, Lou, I was actually in my office having another meeting when we got the call at approximately 3:30 or so that a plane had landed in the Hudson River.
DOBBS: Right.
MOORE: And we scrambled down to our command center to find out what was going on, and then we proceeded from there, sir.
DOBBS: And how long did it take you from the time -- as best you can judge it, from the time the aircraft was so successfully crash landed by the pilot to get to them?
MOORE: I'm not sure the exact time that the first boat was on the scene. But we had not only our coast guard boats, we actually had a lot of other maritime agencies assist us in this process of trying to not only salvage this plane but also get the folks that were on board out of the water.
DOBBS: And how many people? We've seen the pictures and I've talked with a couple of the folks who were fortunate enough to be out on the wings and to be rescued.
How many people, though, actually, as best you can understand it or know, how many people actually went into the water?
MOORE: I'm not sure, Lou, how many people actually went into the water. But we, the Coast Guard, definitely had rescued 35 people between two of our two small boats stations that were close by. And we were able to get those folks as fast as safely to the shoreline and to get medical assistance.
DOBBS: Your reaction time, that of all of the other agencies, the New York Police Department, the Fire Department, the Port Authority, the private ferries running from New Jersey, I mean, it's amazing what you guys were able to do.
Do you train for this particular kind of response there, Lieutenant? MOORE: Yes, Lou. We, the Coast Guard, we do train for these type of events and these type of situations and scenarios. And one thing we do try to do is try to coordinate with our other maritime agency partners to make sure that incidents like this go off without a hitch or as safely as possible.
One thing we try to stress especially in this condition today is safety because of the water temperature.
DOBBS: As we look at the pictures, the live pictures of your rescue operation, the plane out of the middle of the Hudson, and ferries and the Coast Guard aircraft, the NYPD, everybody working, the Fire Department, you know, one of my thoughts, I have to tell you, Lieutenant, is how in the world are they coordinating all of those watercraft?
How are they handling all of those boats and knowing how to choreograph, if you will, the rescue of those passengers which you and the rest of the folks at the Coast Guard and the other agencies pulled off so brilliantly? How did you do that?
MOORE: Well, Lou, this is -- I guess the best way to describe it, as a coordinated symphony and the chance where we -- we work together on a regular basis, you know, just in certain trainings. We do train with each other from time to time to understand what each other can bring to the table when it comes to -- to search and rescue. And this is one of the situations where this has come to fruition, and it's a great -- it's a great thing to see this happen like this.
DOBBS: Well, you've got to be -- you've got to feel very good about yourself and all of the folks who were working with you and what you were able to do today.
We're very grateful to you, as always, everyone in the Coast Guard, all of the agencies and everyone involved in this for doing such a wonderful job. Lieutenant, thank you so much.
MOORE: Thank you, Lou.
DOBBS: Lt. Moore, deserving a well-deserved drink of hot chocolate.
Well, now for the very latest on some of the passengers who are being treated in the hospital, and mercifully there are very few, Kitty Pilgrim joins us now live from St. Luke's Roosevelt Hospital on the upper west side in Manhattan.
Kitty, what have you got?
KITTY PILGRIM, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Lou. We spoke to one of the first responders who came here. He's with St. Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital. He said he arrived on the scene within two to three minutes of the crash.
And he said he treated about 40 to 50 people of mild hypothermia. They have ten people total here at the hospital. One flight attendant, I understand.
We are joined by Dr. Gabriel Wilson who has treated some of the victims, and he joins us now. Dr. Wilson.
DR. GABRIEL WILSON, ST. LUKE'S ROOSEVELT HOSPITAL: Hi.
DOBBS: This is Lou Dobbs, can you hear me?
WILSON: Yes, I can hear you. Yes.
DOBBS: Doctor, can you give us some sense of the condition of the patients that have been brought to Roosevelt there and who are being treated?
WILSON: Yes, we have 11 patients at this point, eight are in good condition; they are doing fantastically. Two are stable and one was actually just brought in the last 15 minutes suffering from a submerging injury, so they're being evaluated right now.
DOBBS: And are these life-threatening? Any of these life- threatening injuries?
WILSON: Yes, I don't think any of these injuries will be life- threatening. People were extremely lucky today. I mean, the potential from the exposure to the potential from what could have been a major impact when the plane hit the water, you know, everything worked perfectly, and people are doing well this evening.
DOBBS: Yes, it is truly a story of heroism, great professionalism on the part of the pilots, the flight crew, everyone.
I know that you and your staff when you were told that you would be accepting patients from a crash landing you had to be expecting something quite different than what the condition of the patients who showed up there, right?
WILSON: Yes, absolutely. I mean, we immediately mobilized staff throughout the hospital, broke up into teams, expecting that we could have many, many critically ill, hypothermic patients come in, and fortunately that was not the situation.
DOBBS: Well, doctor we appreciate you taking the time to update us, and it's very good news indeed. And it's a joy to talk to you under these circumstances. Thank you very much, doctor.
WILSON: Thanks.
DOBBS: Dr. Gabriel Wilson.
Well, coming up here next, more amazing stories of heroism from the flight of US Airways Flight 1549 and its unexpected landing in the Hudson.
With the aircraft going down just south of Manhattan's west side, rescue workers were on the scene in a matter of moments. We'll have much more straight ahead. We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
DOBBS: Rescue teams were at the site of the ditched Flight 1549 within minutes. Sight-seeing boats and commuter ferry craft just part of the rescue operation. They were hundreds of yards from where the plane went down and those crews wasted no time in taking action to save the passengers and crew of US Airways Flight 1549.
Ines Ferre has our story -- Ines.
INES FERRE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello Lou, when the plane went down shortly after 3:30 Eastern time in 32-degree water, ferries from the New York Waterway Commuter Service and the sight-seeing company Circle Line were the first boats at the scene. A total of 14 ferries maneuvered themselves around the aircraft and the crew started rescuing passengers taking them to terminals in New York and New Jersey.
The ferries are low to the water line which allows for ease of quickness and loading. The director of operations for the waterway -- New York Waterways -- said in a press conference, said ferry crews undergo training for such rescues. He said, when emergencies arrive, we don't think, we react.
The U.S. Coast Guard also responded with rescue boats and helicopters, extracting 35 passengers from the frigid water. Overall, a coordinated response from both sides of the Hudson River with firefighters and police, but the very first ones at the scene were the passenger ferry operators -- Lou.
DOBBS: And good for them, they acted quickly. It was amazing.
Talking with Lieutenant Moore of the Coast Guard, talking with the survivors, to see that coordination, amongst private ferry operators, the police, the fire department, the port authority, the coast guard, everyone, it was just incredible.
FERRE: It was.
DOBBS: Thank you very much, Ines Ferre.
Our colleague, Bill Tucker, I want to bring you in if I may real quickly.
BILL TUCKER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Sure.
DOBBS: The bird strike, which the captain of the Flight 1549 called in as he was declaring an emergency. That bird strike, talking with Peter Goetz, former managing director of NTSB, he said it's extraordinarily rare that both engines would be involved in such a strike.
TUCKER: Right.
DOBBS: How big a problem are these bird strikes for all forms of aviation?
TUCKER: Well, it's actually interesting because everybody is staying away from saying bird strikes are the cause of this accident, even though the pilot called it in, even though witnesses on the ground said they hit them, but they're not uncommon at all, as a matter of fact
JFK and LaGuardia have a problem in particular because they're right in the migratory pattern of Canadian geese. And in the case of Runway 4 at LaGuardia, just off of that runway, if we can take a quick look at the Google earth map that we have here --
DOBBS: This may seem peculiar, but I'll just point out that JFK and LaGuardia are the two principal New York airports. And I'm sorry Bill, go ahead.
TUCKER: No, no you're absolutely right. But if you look off Runway 4 at LaGuardia there's an island known as South Brother Island, in which we see in the Google earth map. It is a known nesting area for birds.
The FAA is very defensive, saying that they have a number of aggressive ways of dealing with wildlife at the ends of these runways. They've been criticized by members of federal government and aviation for not being aggressive enough. The FAA says, Lou, it is up to the individual airports. In this case, LaGuardia, in terms of the way it handles its birds at the end of the runway.
DOBBS: And these are common, but thank goodness they don't often down an aircraft.
TUCKER: It is rare they do that.
DOBBS: We can't say thank you enough and commend enough the pilots of this -- of US Airways Flight 1549, everybody and good fortune and god for getting everybody through this.
What a remarkable day, and what a wonderful way to conclude a very happy story and ending. Thank you very much.
TUCKER: Absolutely.
DOBBS: In other news tonight, a victory for President-elect Obama. The senate has approved the president-elect's request for the release of that remaining $350 billion in unspent bailout money.
Stocks today rose on news that the treasury had announced another extension of money to Bank of America. The bank may receive as much as $200 billion in loan guarantees. The Bank of America as already received $25 billion in federal bailout money, including $10 billion by the way to absorb Merrill Lynch.
President-elect Obama's nominees for secretary of state and attorney general heading for fast and easy senate confirmation, Hillary Clinton also moving ahead, along with Eric Holder.
That wraps it up for us. We thank you for watching.
Up next, Campbell Brown.
