A US Airways jet with 146 people onboard crash-landed in the Hudson River Thursday afternoon shortly after takeoff from LaGuardia airport.

The Airbus A320 was headed to Charlotte, North Carolina when it reportedly encountered a flock of birds, which disabled both engines.

The pilot apparently tried to return to the airport but was forced to make an emergency water landing instead.
The plane was only in the air for about 3 minutes before an emergency was reported and it began to descend.

Passenger ferries and rescue services were quickly on the scene plucking life jacket-clad passengers from the water and from the wings of the sinking plane. It is not yet known whether anyone was killed or injured, but one passenger reported that he believed everyone had gotten out safely.

The plane splashed down in the vicinity of the U.S.S. Intrepid aircraft carrier, which is docked near 48th street on the west side of Manhattan island. The water temperature at the time of the crash was a frigid 42 degrees.

Check back soon for additional updates as they become available.

Related Links: MSNBC, Associated Press, WSAZ, CNN

By Karen Elowitt for PeterGreenberg.com.

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