The pilot who safely landed a crippled U.S. Airways jetliner on the Hudson River Thursday was hailed a hero and the incident a miracle after no one died from the mishap.

Reports quoted passengers of the plane as crediting Chesley B. "Sully" Sullenberger III, 57, of Danville, California for saving the lives of all150 passengers and four other crew members aboard the Airbus A320 that lost power after its two engines struck and sucked birds on the air.

"It would appear that the pilot did a masterful job of landing the plane in the river, and then making sure everybody got out," New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg said at a news conference, according to ABC News.

"We had a miracle on 34th Street. I believe now we have had a miracle on the Hudson," New York Gov. David Paterson told the Houston Chronicle.

Sullenberger also became the talk on Facebook with users of the social networking website praising him for calmly gliding the plane and making a soft landing on the river because there was no more time to make an emergency landing in the nearest airport in New Jersey. The Coast Guard and passing ferries swiftly rescued the passengers who waited on the wings of the plane, which floated on the river.

The plane took off at LaGuardia Airport en route to Charlotte, North Carolina and was just five minutes in the air when it lost power.