Chemical analysis of feathers has confirmed that the birds that caused US Airways Flight 1549 to crash-land in the Hudson River in New York were migratory Canada geese, researchers from the Smithsonian Institution said Monday.
The Airbus 320 collided Jan. 15 with a flock of birds about 2,900 feet above the ground about 5 miles out from LaGuardia Airport, where it had taken off. Both engines were damaged, but Capt. Chesley Sullenberger III managed to land the plane in the river with only minor injuries to some of the 155 people on board.
Today, the National Transportation Safety Board begins three days of hearings on the accident. One of the questions it hopes to answer is who cracked open a rear door of the plane after it landed in the Hudson, sending water gushing into the cabin.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
