The Miracle on the Hudson: How US Airways Flight 1549 Was Recovered from the River

On January 15, 2009, Captain Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger ditched Airbus A320 US Airways Flight 1549 in the Hudson River after dual engine failure from bird strike. All 155 aboard survived. Here's how the plane was removed.

1. Emergency Landing & Evacuation (15:27 EST)

• Glide to water touchdown near West 50th St, Manhattan.
• Crew evacuated via 4 slide/rafts; passengers stood on wings/in rafts.
• NY Waterway ferries, Coast Guard, FDNY, NYPD marine units rescued all within 20 minutes.

2. Stabilization (Hours 1–24)

• Divers attached inflatable salvage pontoons to wing hardpoints and fuselage lifting lugs.
• Pontoons kept aircraft afloat, prevented sinking/listing in 35°F water, 4-knot current.
• Security perimeter established; NTSB took custody.

3. Salvage Planning (Days 1–3)

• NTSB, US Airways, insurers, Weyers Marine / Donjon-SMIT (salvage contractors) developed lift plan.
• Chosen: twin-barge lift — Derrick 32 (crane barge) at wings + deck barge at tail.
• Weather window: needed calm, slack tide.

4. Lift Operation (January 17–18)

• Heavy-lift slings rigged to wing roots and rear fuselage.
• Derrick 32's 500-ton crane + tail barge synchronized lift.
• Aircraft raised, cleared water, swung onto submersible barge "Super Servant 3" (semi-submersible heavy transport).
• Ballasted down; plane secured on deck.

5. Transport & Investigation

• Super Servant 3 towed to Kearny, NJ (Port Newark) dry dock.
• NTSB documented wreckage, recovered FDR/CVR (already retrieved), examined engines (GE CFM56-5B) — confirmed Canada goose ingestion.
• Wreckage later moved to Carolinas Aviation Museum (Charlotte) — on display since 2011.

Why It Worked

• Shallow, sheltered water (vs. open ocean).
• Immediate professional response (NY harbor has massive marine capacity).
• Intact airframe (ditching technique preserved structure).
• Pre-existing salvage contracts & mutual-aid plans.

The recovery was a textbook case of urban waterway salvage — turning a potential environmental hazard into a preserved artifact of aviation history.