BREAKING : Plane lands in River Thames, emergency services rush to the scene.

2:30PM

X (Formerly known as twitter) user River Watcher @thamestweets makes claims that a plane has landed in the River Thames.

[UPDATE] 2:40PM

This has been verified by emergency services, as they rush to the scene. With support from Kent & Essex emergency services also, they do their best to try and rescue passengers on board

[UPDATE] 2:50PM

London City Airport confirm that they have lost contact. with flight US132 at 2:31pm. The flight had just taken off from London City airport intended to land in Amsterdam.

The pilot had reported an engine failure, with little power to return to the original airport, plans to ditch in water went ahead instead.

[UPDATE] 3:00PM

Officers now arrive at the scene, RNLI lifeboat from Gravesend has now arrived with another from Southend on the way, with passengers moving onto wings and into life rafts at front doors.

[UPDATE] 3:10PM

X (Formerly known as twitter)  Nadine Johnson @Nadine63287412 is the first user to report from the scene, saying; 
OMFG! Did not expect to spend my birthday standing on the wing of a plane in the middle of the Thames. The pilot is a total legend for getting us down in one piece. 
Accompanied by picture of RSPB reserve building from the river.

[UPDATE] 3:20PM

The first set of passengers have been brought on to shore on life rafts towed in by RNLI. Essex ambulance crews are now starting medical checks. US airways staff say that 2 out of the 42 passengers are being treated now for minor injuries.

[UPDATE] 3:30PM

Essex police say they are proud to be able to help out at the scene. “We are providing passengers with food and drinks after their ordeal, as well as phones and WiFi to contact relatives. Can’t believe everyone got out alive.”

[UPDATE] 4:00PM

Its reported that all passengers and crew now ashore after being evacuated from the plane. One passenger take to Queens Hospital, Romford with suspected heart attack, and arrangements for other passengers to be taken home are being made. Original reports of birdstrike, but initial examination of engines of #Thamesplane has found drone debris. Work now underway to recover aircraft for @AAIB. The passenger who suffered a suspected heart attack was kept in hospital for observation, but was released that evening; they had suffered indigestion, not a heart problem.