MSNBC is breaking the story on their site.
Kossacks below say that CNN is saying NO CASUALTIES Passenger interviews indicate that there were some injuries.
Certainly many lives were saved by the pilot's excellent water landing.
Consider this an open thread for this incident. I won't speculate on the reason for the crash but will pass along information from the media.
Update You can watch the rescue effort underway looks like the plane is still intact and not on fire. Passing boats rescued passengers from the water.
More info: 148 (had 146 and 164 wrong earlier) Passengers and 5 crew members. Pilot reported a bird strike on takeoff.
Plane was outbound from Laguardia to Charlotte NC, eventual final destination was Seattle, WA.
Cause is tentatively that the plane ran into a flock of geese. Pilot could not regain control.
The plane was an Airbus 320 (sorry I'm not crediting individual Kossacks here supplying the information, but you can scroll down the open thread and get lots of good info as well).
Thanks below to Peraspera for this US Air statement:
US Airways flight 1549, an Airbus A320 en route to Charlotte from LaGuardia, has been involved in an accident in New York at approximately 3:03 pm Eastern Time.
Airline officials are in direct contact with local, state and national authorities and are cooperating fully with emergency response efforts. US Airways' primary concern at this time is for those on board the airplane and their families.
US Airways is confirming passenger and crew on board the aircraft and will issue additional information as soon as possible. At this point, no additional details can be confirmed.
Individuals who believe they may have family members on board flight 1549 may call US Airways at 1-800-679-8215 within the United States. This number can be reached toll-free from international locations through AT&T's USADirect(R). To contact an AT&T operator, please visit http://www.usa.att.com/... for USADirect(R) access codes.
US Airways will provide additional information as it becomes available. Please monitor usairways.com for the latest information.
MSNBC now has a story up with much of this same information:
A US Airways passenger jet taking off from La Guardia airport in New York en route to Charlotte, N.C., crashed into the Hudson River on Thursday.
WNBC's Tim Minton quoted a governmnet source as saying that the pilot may have hit a flock of geese.
The plane is an Airbus A320. NBC News identified it as Flight 1549, which departed at 3:20 p.m. ET with about 145 passengers and five crew members aboard. It was a scheduled flight to the Charlotte-Douglas, N.C., airport.
Weather at Laguardia - 20 degrees, with windchill of only 7.
Water temperature is only 42 degrees. Reported below that no one had to get in the water, not sure about that, MSNBC is saying up to 60 people may have been in the water. Now saying number of individuals rescued from the water is about 35. Some passengers have been taken to St. Vincent's to be treated for exposure.
Eyewitness on MSNBC said the plane hit the water near 56th street, and that a ferry boat had just left the dock, and was at the plane within 4-5 minutes. The plane also stayed above the water for at least 5 minutes according to that witness.
Passengers report at least one engine was on fire and that the pilot was on the intercom to passengers, telling passengers to brace for impact, keeping them calm.
12 passengers being treated for trauma.
Kossack ekthesy reports West Side Hwy closed north AND southbound between 34th and 56th Streets, traffic being diverted onto the avenues. Avoid the West Side if possible
Personal comment I just flew yesterday, and I didn't listen to the flight attendants when they were telling us about the exits and water landings. This is a reminder that we should all listen to those announcements, as many below have said.