The
US Airways pilot who was forced to land his plane in the Hudson River yesterday had considered emergency landings at two airports,
but twice told air controllers he was unable to make them, before saying that he would go into the river instead.
That account was provided by a person briefed
on pilot Chesley B "Sully" Sullenberger's radio communications after his Airbus A320 apparently struck birds as he climbed
to 1,500ft (457m) after takeoff from LaGuardia airport.
The person, speaking on condition of anonymity
because of the investigation, gave this account:
When Sullenberger advised his controller at
the New York TRACON (Terminal Radar Approach Control Center) of the "double bird strike," the controller gave him a heading
to return to LaGuardia and told him Runway 13 was open, but Sullenberger replied: "unable."
By "double bird strike," controllers believed
Sullenberger meant that both his jet engines had been damaged by bird impacts.
Then Sullenberger saw an airstrip in the northern
New Jersey suburbs, asked what it was and if he could go there. The controller told him it was Teterboro, which is a
smaller field that serves mainly commuter and private planes. The controller gave him clearance to make an emergency
landing on Teterboro's Runway 1.
But Sullenberger again replied: "unable." It
was not immediately clear whether Sullenberger had by then decided he could not reach Teterboro or that he would not be able
to apply the reverse thrusters on his jets to safely stop the aircraft on the Teterboro runway.
The pilot then advised the controller
he was going into the Hudson River. The TRACON notified New York harbour authorities of the imminent ditching.
