'Miracle' Plane Passes Through Aberdeen

The US Airways plane that Chesley B. "Sully" Sullenberger III landed in the Hudson River two years ago continued south on Interstate 95 Tuesday en route to the Carolinas Aviation Museum in Charlotte, NC—the city where the plane was headed when it made the emergency landing.  The plane hit a flock of birds shortly after takeoff from New York's LaGuardia Airport.

 Jason Rusticelli, of Street, a retired U.S. Air Force civil engineer, Mike and Charlotte Lattin of Aberdeen, Mike Malat and Bernadine Reynolds all gathered on the Maxa Road overpass to get pictures and video as the plane headed southbound through Aberdeen.

"It's neat to see something this big being moved this distance," Rusticelli said. "It's an engineering marvel."

On Monday night, the "Miracle on the Hudson" plane stopped off at a weigh station in Perryville before resuming its journey across Maryland just after 9 a.m. Tuesday.

Onlookers along its route from Harrison, NJ, have gathered on overpasses and along roadsides to watch the plane's fuselage pass by without the wings that were so instrumental in its survival. (They were transported separately.)

On Jan. 15, 2009, the Airbus A320 took off from LaGuardia Airport en route to Charlotte. Shortly after takeoff, US Airways Flight 1549 hit a flock of geese, knocking out its engines. Sullenberger and First Officer Jeffrey B. Skiles were forced to make an emergency landing in the Hudson River. Passengers and crew made their way onto the wings where rescuers reached them in boats.

Those gathered in Aberdeen on Tuesday marveled at the unique occurrence.

"Everything had to be just perfect," said Wade Schneider, 57, of Churchville who also came to the overpass. "I'm surprised they didn't put it on a barge and try to float it half way to where it's going."

Carly Shatto, who waited two hours to see the plane pass by on Monday, tried again Tuesday morning to get a glimpse but she had to leave for work before it passed.

Mike Lattin and Rusticelli said it was ironic that the famous plane would be reassembled in a Charlotte museum.

“It was going to Charlotte when it crashed,” Lattin said.

“It’s finally going to make it,” Rusticelli quipped.

View video of the dramatic landing here.

To track the plane's progress, go here.

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