'Air Traffic Controllers Were Unbelievable' In 2nd 'Miracle' Hudson River Crash: Commissioner

LONG ISLAND, NY — Some might be calling it the second miracle on the Hudson, but it wasn't without help.

There were more than a few angels that helped it through.

Within the plethora of public safety officials that were involved in coordinating the response to the small plane crash into the icy water off of New Windsor Monday on night, there were air traffic controllers who are being credited for being nothing short of "unbelievable" after the release of audio from the emergency.

As air traffic control was communicating with the pilot, about an emergency landing at Stewart Airport, they divulged the engines cut out, that they weren't necessarily going to make it back to the airport.

"At that time, the air traffic control did an outstanding job of coaching the pilot on on the approach to the to the river," Orange County Emergency Services Commissioner Peter Cirigliano said. "What I think was critically important was that the the air traffic control asked him which bank was he going to be landing on, so more or less coaching him to the western side of the Hudson River."

Cirigliano, who coordinates the divisions of emergency management, fire services, 911, police liaison services, and EMS, had two deputies at the scene.

The air traffic controllers knew that it was going to be closer to the bank on a Newburgh side, but warned him that the Newburgh Beacon Bridge would have been ahead of his location, and as a result of the pilot hearing from air traffic control, they confirmed that they saw the bridge in the distance and then ultimately landed the plane in closer proximity on the river bank.

"At the end of the day, that's ultimately why these people survived," he added.

"If that plane lands in the middle of the Hudson River, it's extremely unlikely they survive, because getting rescue boats to them with icy conditions on the river would have been timely," he said. "Ultimately, the plane would have submerged."

There were a lot of coordinating aspects to this response, not only air traffic control, but the Orange County 911 Center, which was coordinating the emergency as it was happening, allowing for first responders to be dispatched out to the field while the aircraft was on approach to the Hudson River.

"It was all timely," he said. "Time was of the essence. And I think at the end of the day, credit really needs to go also to the air traffic control for keeping the pilot calm, cool, and collected. He just did an outstanding job. So I want to commend the air traffic control at Stewart Airport for a job well done."

About eight different agencies responded to the scene, resulting in the deployment of a massive amount of personnel.

"If you're talking about eight different agencies, the initial concern was that it was two-fold," Cirigliano said.

One thing first responders did not initially know was where the information was coming from, as far as a "potentially a downed aircraft," he said.

"It was confirming that an aircraft actually did go down into the Hudson River,"he said. "The belief was that it happened, right? But we didn't have anybody specifically see it go into the water initially, so we had to confirm that not only did it happen, but where did it happen? And it was very difficult utilizing, also, aviation assets."

"There was a staff flight that was in the air, circling, trying to illuminate the area, and then the first responders along the riverbank were essentially trying to illuminate the water to see if they can locate the aircraft," he added. " They eventually did locate it from the river bank, and at that time, they were able to determine that there were two occupants from the aircraft that were essentially coming through the water to the river bank."

They were greeted at the riverbank, and were given immediate medical attention before being taken St. Luke's for further care, and expected to recover.

Also unknown was who would be lead agency on the rescue.

"The first responders are driven out of the 911 Center here in Orange County, and then you had numerous agencies that were responding," he said. "It was unknown whether or not this was going to be in the City of Newburgh. Was this in the Town of Newburgh? Where did this ultimately happen? We had to pinpoint that."

"I think that's why you had a large response," he said, adding that there was an "uncertainty" about that and how many people were on board.

"Naturally will get a large response from multiple agencies," he said.

Cirigliano credited the teamwork.

"I think that's really critical," he said. "It was just a combined effort, a coordinated effort with all of our first responders. In Orange County, we drill for this."

Only several months ago, the county hosted a full-scale exercise about a downed aircraft near the Newburgh Beacon Bridge, and it proved that rescue operations come down to preparation and emergency preparedness.

"We take a lot of pride in that here in Orange County," he said.

This is a breaking story and will be updated.

SEE ALSO:

• Plane From Long Island Crashes Into Hudson River In Orange County: Authorities
• 'I Think I Might Have To Put It In The Water' Radio Transmissions Reveal Moments Before Plane Crash
• 'Air Traffic Controllers Were Unbelievable' In 2nd 'Miracle' Hudson River Crash: Commissioner