To compensate for lost or damaged luggage from the U.S. Airways emergency landing in the Hudson River last week, the carrier is sending each passenger a check for $5,000. The airline said it will likely be months before passengers receive any possessions from the plane that are recoverable. U.S Airways also included checks to reimburse the 150 passengers for the costs of their tickets.
"Investigatory protocol requires that the aircraft and all of its contents must be examined and weighed prior to releasing any items onboard in order to verify the weight and balance on the aircraft," airline executive Kerry Hester wrote in a letter accompanying each check. "The process is to weigh all items in their current state, dry them for eight weeks and then weigh them again. This means we cannot return your items to you until the National Transportation Safety Board."