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NEW YORK (CBS) ― The pilot of US Airways Flight 1549 was being lauded as a hero Thursday night after he somehow managed to land a plane with two blown engines safely in the middle of the Hudson River. All 155 passengers and crew have been accounted for, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.

There appear to be only minor injuries at this point, in addition to fears of hypothermia. Mayor Michael Bloomberg said passengers were taken to Manhattan and New Jersey on various ferries. He said there was believed to be no significant injuries. The city is trying to contact everyone who was on that plane.

CBS 2 HD has learned the crippled plane missed the George Washington Bridge by less than 900 feet.

The veteran pilot, Chesley Sullenberger, guided the Airbus 320 into the Hudson near 48th Street after it lost two engines shortly after its 3:26 p.m. takeoff from LaGuardia Airport. Early reports said the plane hit a flock of birds.

The 57-year-old Sullenberger, from Danville, Calif., is a 29-year US Airways veteran and a former U.S. Air Forcer fighter pilot who flew F-4 aircraft. He is president of Safety Reliability Methods, a California safety consulting firm.

"We have a heroic pilot who saved himself and 154 other passengers. We've had a Miracle on 34th Street and now I believe we've had a miracle on the Hudson," Gov. David Paterson said at a joint press conference with Bloomberg on Thursday evening.

"This was a potential tragedy that became one of the most spectacular days in the history of New York City's agencies."

Paterson credited N.Y. Waterways, Circle Line, the Coast Guard and various city agencies for assisting in the rescue operation.

Bloomberg said the Sullenberger's actions will not be forgotten any time soon.

"It would appear the pilot did a masterful job. He walked the plane twice after everyone else got off. A passenger said he was the last one up the aisle and that there was no one behind him," Bloomberg said. "This pilot did a wonderful job and it would appear that all 155 got out safely."

Passenger Jeff Kolodjay of Norwalk, Conn., said he heard an explosion two or three minutes into the flight, looked out the left side of the Airbus 320 and saw one of the engines on fire.

"The captain said, `Brace for impact because we're going down,"' Kolodjay said. He said passengers put their heads in their laps and started saying prayers. He said the plane hit the water pretty hard, but he was fine.

"It was intense. It was intense. You've got to give it to the pilot. He made a hell of a landing," Kolodjay said.

Though the pilot reported a "double bird strike" less than a minute after taking off, Bloomberg cautioned that nothing is official as to the cause of the crash. He said the incident will be investigated by National Transportation Safety Board, which was sending a team to the site.

"It's all speculation as to what actually happened," Bloomberg said.

According to the FAA, there were 79,972 incidents of birds hitting planes from 1990-2007. Of those, 9,087 caused damage to aircraft.

It's believed the pilots conducted a very controlled emergency landing after the engines went out, likely why the plane was able to remain upright as it landed.

"You have compromised engines, you don't have much altitude, you don't have much speed…it looks like a remarkable effort," said CBS News Analyst Bob Orr.

"The pilot deserves the Congressional Medal of Honor," said Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-New York. "They did an amazing and miraculous job."
 
US Airways flight attendant Alin Boswell concurred: "This is why we go through training and go through briefing. That 60 seconds you have to go over the emergency card can make all the difference."

LaGuardia Airport has a history of aircraft ending up in the water. In 1992, 27 people died when a US Air Fokker F28 toppled into the water at the end of the runway after struggling to take off because of ice on the wings. In 1989, a US Air flight went into the East River after aborting take-off, killing three. In 1959, an American Airlines aircraft crashed on approach into the East River, killing 65 of the 73 people on board.

Anyone with family members on board can call 1-800-679-8215 for information.

Stay with wcbstv.com and CBS 2 HD for more on this developing story.

(© MMX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)

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