Jan 17 2009
Investigators Struggle to Recover Plane from Hudson River
Almost as captivating as Thursday’s brilliant landing and rescue operation are the efforts which are now taking place to extract the 80 ton downed US AIR Airbus A320 from the Hudson River
Investigators hope to accomplish the delicate task by rigging slings around the aircraft and hoisting it out of the river without it breaking. Two cranes will be used to gingerly lift the plane from the water while allowing it to drain. After the plane is up it will be put on a barge and brought to New Jersey for investigation.
Temperatures here in New York City fell to 5 degrees overnight and large patches of ice have formed in the river, hampering the mission.
Meanwhile boats with sonar scour the muddy river bed in an attempt to locate the two engines which have broken from the plane.
