NEW YORK (CNN) -- A US Airways plane with 155 people on board went into a chilly Hudson River, apparently after striking at least one bird upon takeoff from New York's LaGuardia Airport, according to officials and passengers.Everyone on board was accounted for and alive, officials said. About 15 people were being treated at hospitals and others were being evaluated at triage centers.
The plane's captain came on the speaker and said, " 'Brace for impact,' " he said. "That's when we knew we were going down and into the water. We just hit, and somehow the plane stayed afloat and we were able to get on the raft. It's just incredible right now that everybody's still alive."
Live video showed the plane bobbing in the water and moving with the current surrounded by boats. Bloomberg said later Thursday that the plane was tied to a pier at Battery Park City in lower Manhattan. As night fell, Coast Guard and FDNY boats remained at the scene.
Those being treated at hospitals included a husband and wife with hypothermia at Roosevelt Hospital, as well as a flight attendant with a leg fracture, hospital spokeswoman Michelle Stiles said.
"We circled around ... the captain came on and said, 'Look, we're going down. Brace for impact.' Everyone looked at each other and we said our prayers. I said about five Hail Marys," said passenger Kolodjay, who is from Norwalk, Connecticut, and was headed to Charlotte to play golf.
Jerry Wallis, who said he was a private pilot, said he watched the plane go into the water.
"I've got to tell you, the people flying that airplane deserve all the recognition and commendation they can get," Wallis said.
The National Transportation Safety Board was sending a team to the site, according to an agency spokesman.
Since 1975, five large jetliners have had major accidents in which bird strikes played a role, according to the Web site of Bird Strike Committee USA, a volunteer group dedicated to reducing the frequency and severity of the strikes.
More than 56,000 bird strikes were reported to the FAA from 1998 to 2004, according to the group's Web site.
An Airbus A320 has 150 seats -- 12 in first class and 138 in economy, according to the Airbus Web site.
