THE
THE SUSPECTS. NBC HEADQUARTERS, NBC CHARLOTTE. >>> THANK YOU.
IT HAS BEEN 10 YEARS, WE HAD A
MIRACLE ON 34th STREET, AND NOW
WE HAVE HAD A MIRACLE ON
HUDSON.>> SINCE THE PLANE WENT
DOWN ON THE HUDSON RIVER.
AMAZINGLY, EVERYBODY SURVIVED,
BUT THE IMAGES, SOMETHING
EVERYBODY WILL NEVER FORGET.>> I
SIGNIFICANTLY DOUBTED THE
SUCCESSFUL OUTCOME.
>> REMEMBERING THE MIRACLE
CONTINUES RIGHT NOW.
>> A DECADE LATER, IT IS STILL
ONE OF THE GREATEST FEATS WE
HAVE EVER WITNESSED, A CRASH
LANDING IN BELOW FREEZING
TEMPERATURES, MORE THAN HUNDRED
PEOPLE ON THAT PLANE HAD TIED
TO THE CAROLINAS.>> TODAY,
PASSENGERS AND THE FLIGHT CREW
MET IN CHARLOTTE TO CELEBRATE
THE MIRACLE ON THE HUDSON.
>> TONIGHT, AT 5 PM, WE HAVE
TEAM COVERAGE FROM ALL OF THE
DAYS EVENTS, INCLUDING A
CELEBRATION LUNCH AND A
CHAMPAGNE TOAST AT THE CAROLINA
AVIATION MUSEUM.
BUT FIRST, WE ARE WALKING YOU
THROUGH THE ENTIRE FLIGHT FROM
TAKEOFF TO THE CRASH LANDING.
>> YOU'VE SEEN THE VIDEO OF THE
PLANE IN THE WATER, BUT HERE'S
WHAT HAPPENED BEFORE THAT
MIRACULOUS LANDING.>> IT WAS
3:24 THURSDAY AFTERNOON,
JANUARY 15, 2009, WHEN US
AIRWAYS FLIGHT 1549 WAS CLEARED
FOR TAKEOFF.
THE PLANE LEFT RUNWAY 4 AT
LABORIOUS AIRPORT BOUND FOR
CHARLOTTE.
ABOUT TWO MINUTES INTO THE
FLIGHT, AS THE PLANE WAS
APPROACHING 3000 FEET, THE
PLANE STRUCK A FLOCK OF CANADA
GEESE, PASSENGERS HEARD A VERY
LOUD BANG AND SAW FLAMES
SHOOTING FROM THE ENGINES, AS
THE CAPTAIN TOOK CONTROL AND
FIRST OFFICER, JEFFREY STILES
WORKED TO RESTART THE ENGINE.
BUT ROUGHLY 20 SECONDS LATER,
THEY RADIOED THE FIRST MADE A
CALL.
WHAT HAPPENED NEXT IS WHAT
CAPTIVATED THE WORLD.
HE WAS TOLD TO RETURN TO
LAGUARDIA, FLIGHTS WERE HALTED,
RUNWAYS CLEARED, BUT THE
VETERAN PLAY LATE PILOT WAS
LOOKING FOR OTHER OPTIONS.
ONE NEARBY THE AIRPORT, BUT
THEN WE HEARD THIS CALL, YET
CHILLING, ONE SECOND RADIO CALL.
>> WE CAN'T DO IT.
>> WITH NO OPTIONS LEFT, HE
BEGAN DITCHING THE PLANE INTO
THE HUDSON RIVER, LESS THAN 900
FEET ABOVE THE GEORGE
WASHINGTON BRIDGE.
HE WAS TELLING THE PEOPLE ON
BOARD TO BRACE FOR IMPACT.
>> THOSE CHILLING WORDS, THOSE
THREE CHILLING WORDS, BRACE FOR
IMPACT, STILL SOMETHING THE
PASSENGERS ON BOARD REMEMBER TO
THIS DAY.
>> MANY OF THEM WERE IN
CHARLOTTE TODAY TO RECONNECT
THE DECADE SINCE THAT EMERGENCY
LANDING, THEY RECOUNTED THE
EVENT THAT STILL PLAYS OVER AND
OVER IN THEIR MINDS EVERY DAY.
AMONG THEM, IN CHARLOTTE, THE
HERO CAPTAIN.>> NBC CHARLOTTE,
MIKE HANSEN WAS THERE FOR THE
EMOTIONAL CELEBRATION, 10 YEARS
IN THE MAKING.
WHAT AN EVENT.
>> OVER AND OVER AGAIN, WE
HEARD HOW THE MIRACLE CREATED A
POSITIVE IMPACT AND LASTING
LEGACY.
>> IT IS A WONDERFUL DAY.
>> A TRAGEDY TURNED TRIUMPH.
THE EMOTIONS OF THAT DAY STILL
FRESH 10 YEARS LATER.>> POLICE
-- THE SURVIVORS AND FAMILY
MEMBERS MADE THEIR WAY INSIDE
FOR A LUNCHEON.
>> AS A CITY, WE ARE HONORED TO
BE APART.
>> THE MAYOR REFLECTING WHAT
THE FLIGHT DID FOR SO MANY
GOING THROUGH TOUGH ECONOMIC
TIMES.>> WE NEEDED THIS
MIRACLE.>> THIS COMPANY IS
CLOSER BECAUSE OF WHAT
HAPPENED, 10 YEARS AGO.
>> IT IS HARD, BUT WE ARE JUST
SO PROUD.
>> THE NEARLY 100 PASSENGERS
LISTENED TO A PANEL DISCUSSION.
THE CAPTAIN REMINDED THE
AUDIENCE THAT NO ONE HAD EVER
TRAINED FOR A FLIGHT LIKE THIS.
>> SO, THE ONLY TRAINING WE HAD
GOTTEN FOR A WATER LANDING WAS
READING A FEW PARAGRAPHS IN THE
MANUAL AND HAVING A THEORETICAL
CLASSROOM DISCUSSION.>>
FINALLY, A TOAST WITH THE
AIRPLANE ITSELF, PASSENGERS
+@
FINALLY, A TOAST WITH THE AIRPLANE ITSELF, PASSENGERS POURING INTO THE AVIATION
MUSEUM TO REMEMBER 331, THE
EXACT TIME ALL OF THEM BRACED
FOR IMPACT.
DIANE HIGGINS SUMMED UP THE
FEELINGS FELT BY