A big crane was used to lift the US Airways jet which had crashed in the frozen Hudson River. Five large slings brought out the plane from the frozen waters.

The bottom of the plane was torn and shredded. Chunks of the damaged plane dropped in the water as it was lifted up by five slings. The jet would be carried by a barge for investigations.  The water logged plane’s weight had increased immensely that hampered rescue work and investigations. The cockpit voice and flight- data recorders would be removed soon.

Though initially it was said that both the engines of the plane were missing, the National Transportation Safety Board has revealed that one engine is still attached to the plane. Sonar devices are being used to trace the missing engine.

"We could not be more happy that we got everyone off the airplane safely," NTSB spokeswoman Kitty Higgins quoted Sullenberger, the plane’s pilot.  The pilot applauded the crew’s professionalism in handling the crash.

The Hudson witnessed a crowd of people who wanted to see the rescue operation.  Many of them even posed for photographs with the semi-submerged plane in the background. Their justification for this act was that it was a historical event which needed to be documented.