In the aftermath of the crash, the US Airways pilot, Chesley Burnett "Sully" Sullenberger III, was praised for his efforts at landing the plane softly on the river's surface, allowing rescue crews to get to the passengers before the plane sank.
"It would appear that the pilot did a masterful job of landing the plane in the river, and then making sure everybody got out," New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg said at a news conference late today.
The mayor said Sullenberger "walked the plane twice to verify if anyone was onboard" before exiting himself.
