There's been an accident, darling

The pilot who successfully crash-landed a plane into Hudson river in NY yesterday calmly delivered the news to his wife

The pilot who successfully crash-landed a plane into Hudson river in NY yesterday calmly delivered the news to his wife

Great escape: Passengers wait to be rescued on the wings of the US Airways Airbus 320 that safely ditched in the Hudson River in New York yesterday. The pilot (below) Chesley B Sullenberger III has been hailed as a hero. Pic/AP

The pilot who crash-landed his plane into the Hudson river called his wife and said, "There's been an accident." Captain Chesley B "Sully" Sullenberger III (57) was hailed as a hero yesterday after saving 155 passengers.

The pilot of US Airways flight 1549 calmly delivered the news to his wife Lori after pulling off one of the greatest escapes in aviation history. Sullenberger is a former US Air Force fighter pilot.

Speaking from California, Lori said, "I've heard Sully say, '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."

What happened

Three minutes after the plane took off from New York's LaGuardia airport for North Carolina, the Airbus 320's engines lost power after hitting a flock of geese at an altitude of over 3,000 feet.

Sullenberger reported a "double bird strike" to air traffic controllers, but could not return to LaGuardia. He tried to divert to Teterboro airport in New Jersey, but was forced to ditch.

He warned passengers to brace themselves and steered the plane into the Hudson.

Boats from the NY Water-way commuter ferry service and the Circle Line sightseeing fleet rushed to the scene. But even as passengers were taken to safety, Sullenberger walked through the sinking plane twice to check everyone had got out safely.

Praises

Asked by a newspaper when Sullenberger planned to comment, a police official said, "You got a bird, a plane and Superman. He doesn't have to say anything."

New York City mayor Mike Bloomberg hailed Sullenberg-er's actions as "masterful". More than 3,000 people on Facebook have already paid tribute to him, with one man writing, "I run a restaurant in NYC and I promise that Sully will never pay for a meal while I'm still working there!"

A total of 78 injuries, mostly hypothermia and other minor injuries, were reported. One crew member had a broken leg.

Probe begins

Investigators have brought in a giant crane and a barge to help pull the plane from the Hudson. Federal officials will now focus on recovering the flight recorder from the plane and interviewing the crew.