Audio released of Hudson pilot's calm mayday call

The calm, baritone voice of a pilot who successfully ditched a passenger jet into New York's Hudson River last month is heard in audio recordings released Thursday telling air traffic controllers in a matter-of-fact tone, "We're going to be in the Hudson."

The recordings of the mayday call, released by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration and posted on several U.S. media websites, provide a glimpse into the pilot's demeanour in the moments before the dramatic splashdown on Jan. 15, as well as the initial confusion about whether US Airways Flight 1549 went into the river.

On the tapes, an air traffic controller is heard asking the pilot, Chesley (Sully) Sullenberger, which airport he would like cleared for an emergency landing attempt.

After agreeing upon a nearby runway in Teterboro, N.J.,  the controller instructs Sullenberger to turn the Airbus A320 right to a course of 280 degrees.

"We can't do it," Sullenberger is heard saying.

"Okay, which runway would you like at Teterboro?" the air traffic controller asks.

"We're gonna be in the Hudson," Sullenberger states.

"I'm sorry, say again," the air traffic controller is heard responding, but there was no response from the aircraft.

The flight had just departed from LaGuardia Airport in New York City on Thursday and was headed to Charlotte, N.C., when the pilot reported a "double bird strike" about six minutes after takeoff.

The 57-year-old pilot steered the jet toward the river and slowly brought it down on the water, keeping the fuselage intact. All 155 aboard survived.

Sullenberger, dubbed the "Hero of the Hudson" after the incident, has told FAA investigators he put the plane down in the river rather than risking a catastrophic crash in a densely populated area.