FAA Releases Audio of Hudson Landing

Insurer accused of using goodwill towards flight crew to dodge paying up

(NEWSER) - Passengers from US Airways Flight 1549 are having a tough time getting its insurer, AIG, to cough up for claims, the New York Times reports. Aviation liability insurance requires a finding of negligence. But Capt. Chesley Sullenberger and his crew were universally acknowledged to have performed amazingly well in saving all passengers, and the insurer is using that to dodge payments to those who suffered losses or injuries. More»

'Thank you' inadequate for speedy rescuers, says Sully

(NEWSER) - The moments after the engines of US Airways Flight 1549 died were the worst of his life, hero pilot Chesley Sullenberger tells Katie Couric in a 60 Minutes interview to air Monday. Disbelief was followed by a "sickening, pit-of-your-stomach, falling-through-the-floor feeling," as an eerie silence and a disturbing smell filled the plane, he recalled. More»

(NEWSER) - The small town of Danville, Calif., welcomed home its resident celebrity pilot, Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger, the Los Angeles Times reports. Thousands filled the town green to cheer the man who landed Flight 1549 safely in the Hudson River. "I know I can speak for the entire crew when I tell you we were simply doing the jobs we were trained to do," said Sullenberger in brief remarks. "Thank you." More»

(NEWSER) - Investigators hoisted the US Airways jet out of the Hudson last night as crew interviews and transcripts began to shed light on the fateful flight, the New York Times reports. Among the revelations: Pilot Chesley Sullenberger was not at the controls when the plane hit a flock of geese, but he took over from co-pilot Jeffrey B. Skiles—a veteran pilot but one with limited exerience in this type of jet—when both engines failed. Investigators say Skiles had no time to evade the birds. More»

Cool-headed captain has advised NASA, FAA

(NEWSER) - The US Airways pilot who saved the lives of his passengers and crew in yesterday’s crash landing was perfectly suited to the job: he’s a certified glider pilot and runs a safety company, the New York Post reports. After an apparent bird strike disabled the plane’s engines, the aircraft essentially became a glider, which Chesley B. "Sully" Sullenburger III guided into the Hudson River. More»