Published June 13, 2011 USA Today
The US Airways jet that made the now-famous "miracle" splash landing on the Hudson River in January 2009 has finally made it to its final destination of Charlotte. That's where the fuselage from the Airbus A320 will go on permanent display at the Carolinas Aviation Museum.
The Charlotte Observer writes US Airways Flight 1549 arrived at the museum Friday, making it to its original destination of Charlotte "after an 876-day delay."
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| By MEL EVANS, AP |
PHOTO GALLERY: 'Miracle on the Hudson' plane makes its final journey
During the jet's journey, the Observer says "thousands watched and cheered from roadsides, bridges, hillsides - and boats on Lake Norman - along Interstate 77 and then Interstate 85, as the plane's 120-foot-long fuselage, covered in sponsor stickers, was trailered to its final resting spot at the Carolinas Aviation Center near the airport."
The Associated Press says the jet made the "600-mile journey on a flatbed truck from Newark, N.J., where it spent the last two years in a hangar. The wings from the damaged Airbus A320 were removed and shipped earlier to the Carolinas Aviation Museum."
Then-Capt. Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger III, who helped guide the damaged jet safely into the Hudson after its engines were disabled in bird strike, says he was caught off guard by all of the people who turned out to see the jet on its journey to North Carolina.
"When I see images of people in their lawn chairs waiting for the airplane to roll by on the freeway overpass with a camera to get a glimpse of it is surprising and wonderful," Sullenberger says in an interview with AP.
Sullenberger tells the news agency that he thinks the story struck a chord with fliers and non-fliers alike.
"It gives them hope. It came at a time during the financial worldwide meltdown and people were quite frankly beginning to question basic goodness of human nature and this kind of reaffirmed our belief in the potential of good that exists in all of us," he says.
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