moose135
Jan-18-2009, 04:31 PM
By now, I'm sure most of you have heard about the US Airways Airbus A320 which ditched in the Hudson River on Thursday afternoon. The aircraft, US Airways Flight 1549, departed La Guardia Airport with 150 passengers and 5 crew. Shortly after takeoff, they encountered was is believed to be a flock of Canada Geese, and the multiple bird strikes caused them to loose power in both engines. With insufficient altitude to return to La Guardia or reach nearby Teterboro Airport, the flight crew opted to ditch the aircraft in the Hudson River. Thanks to a controlled touchdown, and the fast action by the nearby water taxi service, all 155 were rescued, most with only minor injuries. After the passengers and crew were rescued, the aircraft continued to float in the river, carried south by the current. It eventually was tied up near Battery Park City, some 4 miles from where it landed. It remained in the water until late Saturday night, when it was lifted onto a barge. It will be moved to a secure location so investigators can examine the aircraft.
Since this happened in my backyard, I have been out for the past few days shooting the remains of the aircraft.
Thursday night, around Midnight, with the aircraft tied up to the bulkhead - from our vantage point in the street (there is a park along the river that was closed to the public) all we could see was the left wing sticking up in the air:
http://moose135.smugmug.com/photos/455709958_Nbyzn-L.jpg
Some of the emergency response:
http://moose135.smugmug.com/photos/455683729_VTJeb-L.jpg
It was a cold night, in the mid-20s F, but New York's fire, police, EMS, OEM, and a multitude of other agencies were all out in force:
http://moose135.smugmug.com/photos/455710320_BDFEK-L.jpg
http://moose135.smugmug.com/photos/455711761_3VRX3-L.jpg
On Friday, an NYC Police Boat stands by near the remains of the aircraft, while investigators and recovery crews plan how to remove the aircraft from the river. By this point, the aircraft had sunk so that only one wing and part of the tail were visible above the water (as seen from Jersey City):
http://moose135.smugmug.com/photos/455995474_J5KMc-L.jpg
The original plan was to lift the aircraft on Saturday morning. However crews were faced with a new problem, ice which formed on the river around the aircraft overnight. Saturday morning was the coldest it's been in NYC in 4 years, coming in at around 4 degrees F. NYPD, FDNY and Coast Guard boats worked to break up the ice. After 7 1/2 hours on a pier in Jersey City with two other photographer friends, hoping to photograph the lift, we finally called it a day.
http://moose135.smugmug.com/photos/456657497_8zdCz-L.jpg
http://moose135.smugmug.com/photos/456657769_U7LKa-L.jpg
http://moose135.smugmug.com/photos/456658830_Mq8Yw-L.jpg
Woke up Sunday morning to learn they had lifted the aircraft out of the water and onto a barge around Midnight. But when I heard that the barge was still tied up at Battery Park City, I had to take another run in to try to catch some photos. Temperatures above the freezing point also made today a much better day for being out shooting.
http://moose135.smugmug.com/photos/457180357_rEP3u-L.jpg
A US Airways employee photographing their bird.
http://moose135.smugmug.com/photos/457180867_DiCeg-L.jpg
The damaged right side engine. The left side engine broke off the wing when they ditched. Crews are searching for it at the bottom of the Hudson.
http://moose135.smugmug.com/photos/457198910_n4fHt-L.jpg
And finally, one more trip back to Jersey City for an overview of the aircraft on the barge.
http://moose135.smugmug.com/photos/457180001_p94vH-L.jpg
Thanks to the great work of the cockpit and cabin crews, the passengers, and the many vessel operators who responded, tragedy was averted, and New Yorkers have one more unique story to tell about the Big Apple.
More photos in my gallery here: http://moose135.smugmug.com/gallery/7107261_vnzaY/1/455682252_nhL8m
Since this happened in my backyard, I have been out for the past few days shooting the remains of the aircraft.
Thursday night, around Midnight, with the aircraft tied up to the bulkhead - from our vantage point in the street (there is a park along the river that was closed to the public) all we could see was the left wing sticking up in the air:
http://moose135.smugmug.com/photos/455709958_Nbyzn-L.jpg
Some of the emergency response:
http://moose135.smugmug.com/photos/455683729_VTJeb-L.jpg
It was a cold night, in the mid-20s F, but New York's fire, police, EMS, OEM, and a multitude of other agencies were all out in force:
http://moose135.smugmug.com/photos/455710320_BDFEK-L.jpg
http://moose135.smugmug.com/photos/455711761_3VRX3-L.jpg
On Friday, an NYC Police Boat stands by near the remains of the aircraft, while investigators and recovery crews plan how to remove the aircraft from the river. By this point, the aircraft had sunk so that only one wing and part of the tail were visible above the water (as seen from Jersey City):
http://moose135.smugmug.com/photos/455995474_J5KMc-L.jpg
The original plan was to lift the aircraft on Saturday morning. However crews were faced with a new problem, ice which formed on the river around the aircraft overnight. Saturday morning was the coldest it's been in NYC in 4 years, coming in at around 4 degrees F. NYPD, FDNY and Coast Guard boats worked to break up the ice. After 7 1/2 hours on a pier in Jersey City with two other photographer friends, hoping to photograph the lift, we finally called it a day.
http://moose135.smugmug.com/photos/456657497_8zdCz-L.jpg
http://moose135.smugmug.com/photos/456657769_U7LKa-L.jpg
http://moose135.smugmug.com/photos/456658830_Mq8Yw-L.jpg
Woke up Sunday morning to learn they had lifted the aircraft out of the water and onto a barge around Midnight. But when I heard that the barge was still tied up at Battery Park City, I had to take another run in to try to catch some photos. Temperatures above the freezing point also made today a much better day for being out shooting.
http://moose135.smugmug.com/photos/457180357_rEP3u-L.jpg
A US Airways employee photographing their bird.
http://moose135.smugmug.com/photos/457180867_DiCeg-L.jpg
The damaged right side engine. The left side engine broke off the wing when they ditched. Crews are searching for it at the bottom of the Hudson.
http://moose135.smugmug.com/photos/457198910_n4fHt-L.jpg
And finally, one more trip back to Jersey City for an overview of the aircraft on the barge.
http://moose135.smugmug.com/photos/457180001_p94vH-L.jpg
Thanks to the great work of the cockpit and cabin crews, the passengers, and the many vessel operators who responded, tragedy was averted, and New Yorkers have one more unique story to tell about the Big Apple.
More photos in my gallery here: http://moose135.smugmug.com/gallery/7107261_vnzaY/1/455682252_nhL8m