Engine Search Hampered By Mud, Strong Tides

Thick mud, strong tides and freezing temperatures could make it nearly impossible to find the engines of a US Airways jetliner at the bottom of the Hudson River.

Thomas M. Creamer of the Army Corps of Engineers said the river is so murky that police and fire department divers will have to feel for the engines by hand.

Investigators are using sonar to search for the engines. The wreckage could be somewhere at the bottom, 30 to 50 feet down in the mud and possibly obscured by thick sediment.

In the meantime, the Coast Guard has advised ships to stick to the New Jersey side of the river, and to stay on the lookout for the drifting engines.

NTSB officials say it's unclear when the engines separated from the plane.

Experts say it's not uncommon for engines to break apart from planes after bird strikes, because of the severe vibration brought on in such incidents.

Crews plan to begin hoisting the plane from the water on Saturday before putting it on a barge and removing the flight data recorder and the cockpit voice recorder.

Wife Says Pilot Loves 'Art Of Airplanes'

The wife of the pilot who safely landed the jetliner in the Hudson River said her husband is "a pilot's pilot" who "loves the art of the airplane."

Lorrie Sullenberger also said it's "a little weird" to hear the country calling him a hero.

Sullenberger and her two daughters spoke outside their California home Friday morning, a day after pilot Chesley B. "Sully" Sullenberger III guided the jetliner to a safe landing in New York.

She said it was "really a shock" to hear about what happened. She said her husband has told her over the years that it's "highly unlikely for any pilot to ever have any incident in his career, let alone something like this."

She said when her daughters went to sleep Thursday night, "I could hear them talking, 'Is this weird or what?'"

A union official said Sullenberger is "in good shape physically, mentally and in good spirits."

James Ray, a spokesman for the U.S. Airline Pilots Association, said he spoke with him Friday morning. He said Sullenberger, a former Air Force fighter pilot who runs a safety consulting firm, acted "just very calm and cool, very relaxed, just very professional."

Ray said the crew has been asked not to speak to the media until after the federal investigators complete their work.

Bush, Obama, US Senators Salute Pilot

The pilot's status as a national hero rose by the hour as he took congratulatory calls from the president and president-elect, earned effusive praise from passengers on the plane and become the subject of a growing global fan club.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg also commended Sullenberger Friday, along with others who helped save the 155 people on the plane.

Saying the the civilian and uniformed rescuers showed an "indomitable spirit," Bloomberg presented them with certificates, saying, "New Yorkers wasted no time in helping."

He added: "No matter how bad things get, New Yorkers can get through anything as long as they do it together."

Water ferries were at the scene within moments and started rescuing passengers. Paramedics treated at least 78 patients, many for hypothermia.

Bloomberg, an experienced pilot himself, plans to present the key to the city to the plane's pilot.

Bloomberg said Sullenberger's "brave actions have inspired millions of people."

US Airways CEO Doug Parker said of the crew: "They are safe and they are doing well."

Bloomberg said on his radio show Friday morning that the city "got away with a miracle."

U.S. senators are also praising Sullenberger.

A resolution introduced by Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., praises pilot Chesley B. "Sully" Sullenberger III. It also paid tribute to responders, ferry operators and tug boat drivers who, it said, helped save the lives of the 155 passengers on board Flight 1549.

The measure was co-sponsored by fellow New York Sen. Hillary Clinton and senators from North Carolina, Wisconsin and California.