An instant hero, the pilot of US Airways Flight 1549 kept his cool despite crippled engines, as he began to descend over New York City . Guiding the plane to crash in the frozen Hudson River, passengers received instructions to brace for the impact, which many survivors say felt more like a rear-end car collision.

Coast Guard vessels and commuter ferries were at the site of the crash in minutes, plucking survivors to safety. Miraculously, all 155-passengers on board survived with minimum injury, suffering only hypothermia, bruises and other minor injuries, apart from a woman, who broke both her legs.

The plane took-off from LaGuardia Airport for Charlotte , N. C. , when barely 5-minutes into its flight, it collided into a flock of birds, and ended up disabled. Reporting the mishap to the air controllers, the pilot was asked to divert to an airport in nearby Teterboro , N. J. However, for reasons best known to him, he instead guided it into the Hudson , with a water temperature of 36 degrees and with both engines cut, he actually floated the plane into the river.

Taking place on one of the coldest days of the season in New York , when the temperature stood at 20-degrees, the plane was submerged up to its windows. As water slowly filled the cabin, some passengers waded out into knee-high water or stood on the wings of the plane, waiting to be rescued.

The pilot of Flight 1549, Chesley B. 'Sully' Sullenberger III, 57, of Danville , Calif. , is a former fighter pilot, who in addition to flying commercial aircraft, also runs a safety consulting firm. Winning accolades from the mayor and governor for saving 155-people on board his jetliner, within hours of the emergency landing, an online fan club sprang up on Facebook. Gov. David Paterson declared it a 'miracle on the Hudson '.