MELISSA BLOCK, Host:
Joining us now is Fred Beretta of North Carolina. He was on flight 1549. He was traveling home. Mr. Beretta, did you get any warning from the pilot about this emergency landing?
BLOCK: We did. The left engine failed, and there was a loud explosion, and there was a bit of silence. The pilot made a very gradual left turn, and then he came on, and the only words he said were prepare for impact. And at that point, we pretty much knew that we were going into the Hudson River.
BLOCK: Now, you were near Manhattan so there are very large buildings all around you. You were certain that you were going to land in the water?
BLOCK: Well, at the moment that he said those words, we were already over the river, and we could pretty much deduce from the level of altitude that we were at that we were going in the river.
BLOCK: Where were you seated in the plane?
BLOCK: I was in seat 16A. It was, I believe, just behind the left wing.
BLOCK: And - and so you were actually one of the first passengers then able to get to that door and get out on the wing.
BLOCK: Not actually. The exit row was a few rows ahead of me. I had to go forward. I think some of passengers might have gone to the rear doors. And I initially got off and we were standing on the left wing, and that was kind of getting overcrowded, people were going into the water so I went out back up into the right front of the plane. So I had to go back into the plane and then got on a raft on the right side of the front of the aircraft. And at that point, I looked back and just the pilot and the attendants were on the plane, and it looked like everyone had gotten off which I was very grateful for at that point.
BLOCK: I'm trying to image what the scene must have been like inside that plane as people are trying to get out.
BLOCK: It really was, I think, amazing. I mean people were remarkably calm. The only time there was really shouting was when we were just about to hit the water, and people were yelling to the folks in the exit row to prepare to get the doors open. There just wasn't a lot of time, and I think that everyone was just stunned. I don't think people really had time to panic.
BLOCK: Were there children or older people on board? Were they able to get easily to safety?
BLOCK: There was an elderly lady because when I had to go back in the plane, she was one of the last ones off. I think she - I don't know if she was slightly injured, but she was walking kind of slowly. People were trying to help her get off. There was a mother with an infant. I know they got off the plane. I don't know which boat she got on, but she was sitting kind of on the raft, I believe, kind of half-submerged in the water, but I believe she was rescued.
BLOCK: Mr. Beretta, we have been able to follow along by watching some of these pictures, and there's one incredible image with the plane partially submerged, and passengers standing on both wing,s looking almost like they're standing on water. I'm trying to imagine what it must have been like for you while you're standing there waiting for these boats to come and get you to safety on land.
BLOCK: Well, it was pretty incredible. I was just - I think we're all grateful that the plane was not sinking rapidly. I think that was the first thought. We survived the crash, and then you're thinking this is going to go down pretty quickly. We're going to all be in the water, and we just hoped that the boats were going to get there soon, and they did. It was remarkable how quickly all those - you know, the boats got there, helicopters. They just worked extremely - almost flawlessly from that point on.
BLOCK: How did you get to land?
BLOCK: Well, most of the passengers were able to get to the rafts which extended off the doors. So we stayed on a raft until one of the ferry boats came and then exited on to that. At one point, we were concerned because the raft was tethered to the plane. The plane was sinking, and there was no way to get it untethered. So we had someone throw a knife down from the boats so we were able to cut the raft from the plane. That was another interesting moment, but (laughing) it all worked out fine.
BLOCK: Fred Beretta, I must say you sound incredibly calm given what you've been through today.
BLOCK: Well, I'm sure it's just adrenaline and shock, but just glad to be here talking to you.
BLOCK: Well, Mr. Beretta, so glad you're safe. Thank you very much for speaking with us.
BLOCK: Thank you. Have a good night.
BLOCK: That's Fred Beretta of Weddington, North Carolina. He was a passenger on board US Airways flight 1459 when it landed in the Hudson River this afternoon.