Runways are an airplane’s and a pilot’s friend. That’s where you want to land, not in a river. Ditching an airplane is very difficult, one mistake and the airplane goes cartwheeling down the surface while tearing itself apart. The only way the river became a viable option, was when he reached the conclusion that he didn’t have the altitude and airspeed to make a runway. Tough call.
He had a very difficult decision to make and had to make it quickly. Once he made the decision, he had to execute flawlessly. This sort of stuff is for professionals, don’t try it at home.
Unless he was 100% certain he could make an airport, he made the right decision. The entire flight lasted fives minutes, and I'd say he had only about 30 seconds to make a decision. Looking at the flight path, he probably could have made either Teterboro or LGA with about a mile to spare. But there was no instrument to tell him that.
Ultimately, everybody walked off the plane alive, therefore, he made the right decision.
“Ditching an airplane is very difficult, one mistake and the airplane goes cartwheeling down the surface while tearing itself apart.”
Your right.. It is not a piece of cake.
One only needs to look at the video of the 747, that tried to ditch in the Indian Ocean.
Remember, the distance from the wing to the surface is very
little when your not sitting on a landing gear.
One slight tip down of the wing, and it is all over.