Charlotte, North Carolina (CNN) -- Laura Zych never liked birds. Ben Bostic feared drowning. They faced their fears when US Airways Flight 1549 hit a flock of geese and crash-landed in the Hudson River.





They were strangers on January 15, 2009, when they boarded the fateful flight that would become known as the "Miracle on the Hudson." A year later, they're in love.





"The first time people meet you, they want to hear the sensational part" of the crash, says Ben, 39.





He prefers to talk about something different: "I met this wonderful girl because of what we went through that day."





Laura, 31, looks at him, batting her model-like lashes, and smiles. "We don't dwell on what happened to us in the crash," she says. "It's more so on the experiences and lessons that we've taken from it."





'Is this really happening?'





A buyer for Belk department stores, Laura was in New York for the fashion market. With the nation in the thick of recession, she scooped up bargains for herself. She carried her trendy purchases through the airport that day on her return home to Charlotte, North Carolina.





Wearing a sweater dress, tights and boots, the woman with stylish sandy brown curls was getting a bite to eat when a group of guys asked if she was a model.





"No," she said. "But I am in the fashion industry."





She was traveling with five Belk co-workers. Waiting to board, she fired off e-mails and thought little of the flight home or those around her.





Ben -- who was in New York for a quick business trip for Lending Tree -- caught a glimpse of the 5-foot, 10-inch knockout near the gate.





Later, when they boarded, he noticed her again, coming down the aisle. "The first thought I had was it'll be cool if she sits beside me."





He was in 20A, a window seat on the left side of the plane. She sat down three rows in front of him, in 17D, on the aisle.





It was one of those fleeting moments every single person knows: You see an intriguing stranger, hope for the best, then move on.





Ben picked up a book and began reading. Laura, who didn't notice Ben, thumbed through a Glamour magazine.





At the helm of the Airbus A320 was Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger, a 57-year-old former Air Force fighter jet pilot. He'd been flying for four decades, for US Airways since 1980. His expertise was about to mean everything.





About 90 seconds into the flight, the plane -- traveling at 250 mph and carrying 150 passengers and five crew -- struck a flock of geese.





Some passengers described hearing a series of loud thumps.





"One lady screamed," Ben recalls.





He looked out the window. "The whole back of the engine was pretty much engulfed in flames, just shooting out of the back," he says.





He thought: "This isn't good."





The plane banked to the left. The smell of burning geese, feathers and flames wafted through the cabin. With neither engine working, a silence fell over the jet as it glided through the skies. People began whispering. Some thought they were going back to LaGuardia.





Sullenberger came over the speaker system. "Brace for impact," he said.





"The most harrowing thing I'd ever heard in my life," Ben recalls. "I thought for a second: Is this really it? Am I going to die?"





Three rows in front of him, Laura thought about calling her family. She decided against it. If I die, what a depressing message that would be to leave on a message machine, she thought.





And what would she say if they did answer?





"Guess what? In 60 seconds, you're not going to be
What is the crash called? When did the couple meet? Who met during the flight?
"Miracle on the Hudson." January 15, 2009, Laura Zych
question: What is the crash called?, answer: "Miracle on the Hudson." | question: When did the couple meet?, answer: January 15, 2009, | question: Who met during the flight?, answer: Laura Zych