Chesley Sullenberger
Encyclopedia
Chesley Burnett "Sully" Sullenberger III (born January 23, 1951) is an American airline transport pilot (ATP)
, safety expert, and accident investigator from Danville, California
. Sullenberger rose to fame when he successfully ditched
US Airways Flight 1549
in the Hudson River
off Manhattan
, New York City
, on January 15, 2009, saving the lives of all 155 people on the aircraft.
Sullenberger is an international speaker on airline safety
and has helped develop new protocols for airline safety. As of September 30, 2009, Sullenberger is also the co-chairman of the EAA
's Young Eagles
youth introduction-to-aviation program. Sullenberger retired from US Airways after 30 years as a commercial pilot on March 3, 2010. In May of the following year, Sullenberger was hired by CBS News
as an on-air aviation expert.
He is the author of Highest Duty, a memoir of his life and of the events surrounding Flight 1549, published in 2009 by HarperCollins. He was ranked second in TIME Magazine's
Top 100 Most Influential Heroes and Icons of 2009
.
to a dentist father — a descendant of Swiss
immigrants named Sollenberger — and an elementary school teacher mother. He has one sister, Mary Wilson. The street on which he grew up in Denison, was named after his mother's family, the Hannas. According to his sister, Sullenberger built model planes and aircraft carriers during his childhood, and says he became interested in flying after seeing military jets from a nearby Air Force base from his house. He went to school in Denison, and was consistentiy in the 99th percentile
in every academic category. At the age of 12, his IQ was deemed high enough to join Mensa International
. In high school he was the president of the Latin club, a first chair flute, and an honor student. His high school friends have said that Sullenberger developed a passion for flying from watching jets based out of Perrin Air Force Base
. He was an active member of the Waples Memorial United Methodist Church
in Denison, and graduated from Denison High School
in 1969 near the top of his class of about 350. At 16, Sullenberger learned to fly in an Aeronca 7DC
from a private airstrip near his home. He said the training he received from a local flight instructor set the base for his aviation career for the rest of his life.
Chesley Sullenberger enrolled at the United States Air Force Academy
in 1969.
He was selected as one of around a dozen other freshmen for a cadet glider
program, and by the end of that year, he was an instructor pilot. In the year of his graduation, 1973, he received the Outstanding Cadet in Airmanship award, as the class "top flier". Following graduation with a BSc. degree and his commissioning as an officer, the Air Force immediately sent Chesley to Purdue University
.
Sullenberger served as a fighter pilot
for the United States Air Force
, piloting McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom IIs from 1975 to 1980. He advanced to become a flight leader and a training officer, and attained the rank of captain, with experience in Europe
, the Pacific, and at Nellis Air Force Base
, as well as operating as Blue Force Mission Commander in Red Flag Exercises. While in the Air Force, he was a member of an aircraft accident investigation board.
or its predecessor airlines from 1980 until 2010. (Pacific Southwest Airlines
was acquired by US Air, later US Airways, in 1988.) In total, he has more than 40 years and 19,000 hours of flying experience, and since 2007 has run his own safety consulting business, Safety Reliability Methods Inc., which provides "emergency management, safety strategies and performance monitoring to the aviation industry". He has also been involved in a number of accident investigations conducted by the USAF and the National Transportation Safety Board
, such as Pacific Southwest Airlines Flight 1771 and USAir Flight 1493
. He served as an instructor, Air Line Pilots Association safety chairman, accident investigator, and national technical committee member. His safety work for the ALPA led to the development of a Federal Aviation Administration
Advisory Circular. He was instrumental in developing and implementing the Crew Resource Management
course that is used by US Airways, and he has taught the course to hundreds of other airline members.
Working with NASA
scientists, he coauthored a paper on error-inducing contexts in aviation. He has gained more than 19,000 hours of flight experience to destinations across North America, Europe and South America on Airbus A320
s and similar planes since joining US Airways. His résumé
states that he was an air accident investigator for a National Transport Safety Board inquiry into a major accident at Los Angeles International Airport
, which "led to improved airline procedures and training for emergency evacuations of aircraft". Sullenberger has also been studying the psychology
behind keeping an airline crew functioning during a crisis. He holds an Airline Transport Pilot Certificate for single and multi-engine airplanes, and a Commercial Pilot Certificate rating in gliders
, as well as an expired flight instructor
certificate for airplanes (single, multi-engine, and instrument), and gliders.
On January 15, 2009, Sullenberger was pilot in command
of an Airbus A320
from New York's LaGuardia Airport
to Charlotte/Douglas International Airport
in Charlotte, North Carolina
. The flight was designated as US Airways Flight 1549
as well as United Airlines Flight 1919. Shortly after taking off, Sullenberger reported to air traffic control
that the plane had hit a large flock of birds
, disabling both engines. Several passengers saw the left engine on fire. Sullenberger discussed with air traffic control the possibilities of either returning to LaGuardia airport or attempting to land at the Teterboro Airport
in New Jersey. However, Sullenberger quickly decided that neither was feasible, and determined that ditching in the Hudson River
was the only option for everyone's survival. Sullenberger told the passengers to "brace for impact", then piloted the plane to a smooth ditching in the river at about 3:31 P.M. All passengers and crew members survived. He later said, "It was very quiet as we worked, my co-pilot and I. We were a team. But to have zero thrust coming out of those engines was shocking—the silence." Sullenberger walked the unflooded part of the passenger cabin twice to make sure everyone had evacuated before retrieving the plane's maintenance logbook and being the last to evacuate the aircraft.
Sullenberger, described by friends as "shy and reticent", has been noted for his poise and calm demeanor during the crisis. New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg
, for example, dubbed him, "Captain Cool". However, Sullenberger acknowledged that he had suffered some symptoms of posttraumatic stress for the first couple of weeks following the crash, including sleeplessness and flashbacks, though this condition had improved by the time of his late February 2009 interview with People
magazine. In a CBS
60 Minutes
interview, he was quoted as saying that the moments before the crash were "the worst sickening, pit-of-your-stomach, falling-through-the-floor feeling" that he had ever experienced. Speaking with news anchor Katie Couric
, Sullenberger said, "One way of looking at this might be that for 42 years, I've been making small, regular deposits in this bank of experience: education and training. And on January 15 the balance was sufficient so that I could make a very large withdrawal."
U.S. President
George W. Bush
called Sullenberger to thank him for saving the lives of the passengers, as did President-elect
Barack Obama
who also invited him, as well as the entire crew, to join the presidential inauguration ceremony. On January 16, 2009, the United States Senate
passed a resolution to recognize and honor Sullenberger, co-pilot Jeff Skiles, the cabin crew, the passengers, and the first responders involved in Flight 1549's emergency landing. The United States House of Representatives
passed a similar resolution of praise on January 26, 2009.
Sullenberger attended the presidential inauguration on January 20, 2009, where he and his wife met President Obama. On January 22, 2009, he and the rest of the crew of Flight 1549 were awarded a Masters Medal by the Guild of Air Pilots and Air Navigators
. A ceremony for Sullenberger was held on January 24, 2009, in his hometown of Danville, California
, where he was presented with awards including Danville's "Key to the Town", and was named an honorary Danville police officer
.
San Ramon Valley Fire Protection District
Chief Richard Price presented Captain Sullenberger with his district's highest award, the Medal of Valor, which has been given only a few times in the district's history. Sullenberger, Skiles, and Flight 1549's cabin crew, Doreen Walsh, Sheila Dail and Donna Dent, were honored with a standing ovation during the Super Bowl XLIII
pre-game ceremony on February 1, 2009. Sullenberger was awarded with honorary lifetime membership in The Seaplane
Pilot's Association. Admirers of Sullenberger also started a Facebook
fan site that, as of late February 2009, had half a million members.
A few weeks after the crash, it was revealed that Sullenberger had lost a library book about professional ethics, Just Culture: Balancing Safety and Accountability, in the plane's cargo hold. When Sullenberger telephoned the library to notify them of the lost book, it waived the usual fees. New York City Mayor Bloomberg replaced the book when presenting Sullenberger with the Key to the City of New York.
Sullenberger threw out the first pitch of the 2009 Major League Baseball
season for the San Francisco Giants
. His Giants' jersey was inscribed with the name "Sully" and the number 155 - a reference to the 155 people aboard the plane.
On June 6, 2009, Sullenberger returned to his childhood hometown of Denison, Texas, to participate in that town's D-Day
celebration, and to give the commencement address for his alma mater, Denison High School
, marking the 40th anniversary of his own graduation from the school.
Sullenberger also made an appearance in St. Louis, Missouri
, on July 14, 2009, to participate in the Red Carpet All-Star Parade that took place before the 2009 Major League Baseball All-Star Game
.
Sullenberger testified before the U.S. House of Representatives's Subcommittee on Aviation of the Committee on Transportation & Infrastructure on February 24, 2009, that his salary had been cut by 40 percent, and that his pension, like most airline pensions, was terminated and replaced by
a "PBGC" guarantee worth only pennies on the dollar. Sullenberger also mentioned his pay cut in an October 13, 2009 appearance on The Daily Show
.
Sullenberger retired from US Airways and its predecessor airline after 30 years with them on March 3, 2010. He indicated, however, that his advocacy for aviation safety and the piloting profession would continue.
In 2009, Sullenberger filmed a TV commercial as a spokesman for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
.
Sullenberger is repeatedly referenced in the 2011 feature film romantic comedy Friends with Benefits
. Throughout the film, Justin Timberlake
's character, a Los Angeles immigrant to New York City, repeatedly suggests to people, while flying between the two locations, that modern airplanes practically fly themselves, and that Sullenberger's feat is less notable than it is portrayed to be, only to encounter incredulity and hostility for this idea.
Sullenburger flew to the Charlotte, North Carolina
museum where the plane is located on November 18, 2011 as part of a fund-raising effort, entering the plane for the first time since the incident.
degree from the U.S. Air Force Academy, Sullenberger also holds a Master's degree
in Industrial Psychology from Purdue University
and a Master's degree in Public Administration
from the University of Northern Colorado
.
Sullenberger is a visiting scholar at the University of California, Berkeley
's Center for Catastrophic Risk Management. He was a speaker for two panels at the High Reliability Organizations (HRO) 2007 International Conference in Deauville, France, from May 29 to 31, 2007.
. In October 2009, it was reported that the Republican Party had approached Sullenberger about running for Jerry McNerney
's seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. Sullenberger's publicist said that Sullenberger had no desire to run for any public office.
Sullenberger was active with his union, serving as chairman of a safety committee within the Airline Pilots Association. He has not donated money to political campaigns over the last two decades.
.
Sullenberger authored a book called Highest Duty: My Search For What Really Matters about his experience aboard Flight 1549. He is writing a second book about leadership, and CBS News
has hired Sullenburger as an aviation expert.
's Grand Marshal
, which was announced on Thursday, November 5, 2009, in Pasadena, California
, at the Tournament House. In 2009, Sullenberger was awarded the Founders' Medal by The Air League.
Airline Transport Pilot License
The Airline Transport Pilot License , or in the United States of America, an Airline Transport Pilot Certificate is the highest level of aircraft pilot rating -- or license...
, safety expert, and accident investigator from Danville, California
Danville, California
The Town of Danville is located in the San Ramon Valley in Contra Costa County, California. It is one of the incorporated municipalities in California that uses "town" in its name instead of "city". The population was 42,039 in 2010. Danville is one of the wealthiest suburbs of Oakland and San...
. Sullenberger rose to fame when he successfully ditched
Water landing
A water landing is, in the broadest sense, any landing on a body of water. All waterfowl, those seabirds capable of flight, and some human-built vehicles are capable of landing in water as a matter of course....
US Airways Flight 1549
US Airways Flight 1549
US Airways Flight 1549 was US Airways' scheduled domestic commercial passenger flight from LaGuardia Airport in New York City to Charlotte/Douglas International Airport, Charlotte, North Carolina...
in the Hudson River
Hudson River
The Hudson is a river that flows from north to south through eastern New York. The highest official source is at Lake Tear of the Clouds, on the slopes of Mount Marcy in the Adirondack Mountains. The river itself officially begins in Henderson Lake in Newcomb, New York...
off Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
, New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, on January 15, 2009, saving the lives of all 155 people on the aircraft.
Sullenberger is an international speaker on airline safety
Air safety
Air safety is a term encompassing the theory, investigation and categorization of flight failures, and the prevention of such failures through regulation, education and training. It can also be applied in the context of campaigns that inform the public as to the safety of air travel.-United...
and has helped develop new protocols for airline safety. As of September 30, 2009, Sullenberger is also the co-chairman of the EAA
Experimental Aircraft Association
The Experimental Aircraft Association is an international organization of aviation enthusiasts based in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. Since its inception it has grown internationally with over 160,000 members and about 1,000 chapters worldwide....
's Young Eagles
Young Eagles
Young Eagles is a program created by the US Experimental Aircraft Association designed to give children between the ages of 8 to 17 an opportunity to experience flight in a general aviation airplane while educating children about aviation. This program is offered free of charge with donations and...
youth introduction-to-aviation program. Sullenberger retired from US Airways after 30 years as a commercial pilot on March 3, 2010. In May of the following year, Sullenberger was hired by CBS News
CBS News
CBS News is the news division of American television and radio network CBS. The current chairman is Jeff Fager who is also the executive producer of 60 Minutes, while the current president of CBS News is David Rhodes. CBS News' flagship program is the CBS Evening News, hosted by the network's main...
as an on-air aviation expert.
He is the author of Highest Duty, a memoir of his life and of the events surrounding Flight 1549, published in 2009 by HarperCollins. He was ranked second in TIME Magazine's
Time (magazine)
Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...
Top 100 Most Influential Heroes and Icons of 2009
Time 100
Time 100 is an annual list of the 100 most influential people in the world, as assembled by Time. First published in 1999 as a result of a debate among several academics, the list has become an annual event.-History and format:...
.
Early life
Sullenberger was born in Denison, TexasDenison, Texas
Denison is a city in Grayson County, Texas, United States. The population was 22,773 at the 2000 census; it is estimated to have grown to 24,127 in 2009. Denison is one of two principal cities in the Sherman-Denison Metropolitan Statistical Area.-History:...
to a dentist father — a descendant of Swiss
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
immigrants named Sollenberger — and an elementary school teacher mother. He has one sister, Mary Wilson. The street on which he grew up in Denison, was named after his mother's family, the Hannas. According to his sister, Sullenberger built model planes and aircraft carriers during his childhood, and says he became interested in flying after seeing military jets from a nearby Air Force base from his house. He went to school in Denison, and was consistentiy in the 99th percentile
Percentile
In statistics, a percentile is the value of a variable below which a certain percent of observations fall. For example, the 20th percentile is the value below which 20 percent of the observations may be found...
in every academic category. At the age of 12, his IQ was deemed high enough to join Mensa International
Mensa International
Mensa is the largest and oldest high-IQ society in the world. It is a non-profit organization open to people who score at the 98th percentile or higher on a standardised, supervised IQ or other approved intelligence test...
. In high school he was the president of the Latin club, a first chair flute, and an honor student. His high school friends have said that Sullenberger developed a passion for flying from watching jets based out of Perrin Air Force Base
Perrin Air Force Base
Perrin Air Force Base is an inactive United States Air Force base, approximately 7 miles northeast of Sherman, Texas. It was active during World War II as pilot training airfield and during the Cold War as a combat crew and flying training base...
. He was an active member of the Waples Memorial United Methodist Church
United Methodist Church
The United Methodist Church is a Methodist Christian denomination which is both mainline Protestant and evangelical. Founded in 1968 by the union of The Methodist Church and the Evangelical United Brethren Church, the UMC traces its roots back to the revival movement of John and Charles Wesley...
in Denison, and graduated from Denison High School
Denison High School
Denison High School is a public high school in Denison, Texas, United States. It is within the Denison Independent School District.-Athletics:The Denison Yellow Jackets compete in these sports -...
in 1969 near the top of his class of about 350. At 16, Sullenberger learned to fly in an Aeronca 7DC
Aeronca Champion
The Aeronca Model 7 Champion, more commonly known as the Champ, is a single-engine, two-seat, fixed conventional gear airplane. Designed for flight training and personal use, it entered production in the United States in 1945....
from a private airstrip near his home. He said the training he received from a local flight instructor set the base for his aviation career for the rest of his life.
Military service
United States Air Force Academy
The United States Air Force Academy is an accredited college for the undergraduate education of officer candidates for the United States Air Force. Its campus is located immediately north of Colorado Springs in El Paso County, Colorado, United States...
in 1969.
He was selected as one of around a dozen other freshmen for a cadet glider
Gliding
Gliding is a recreational activity and competitive air sport in which pilots fly unpowered aircraft known as gliders or sailplanes using naturally occurring currents of rising air in the atmosphere to remain airborne. The word soaring is also used for the sport.Gliding as a sport began in the 1920s...
program, and by the end of that year, he was an instructor pilot. In the year of his graduation, 1973, he received the Outstanding Cadet in Airmanship award, as the class "top flier". Following graduation with a BSc. degree and his commissioning as an officer, the Air Force immediately sent Chesley to Purdue University
Purdue University
Purdue University, located in West Lafayette, Indiana, U.S., is the flagship university of the six-campus Purdue University system. Purdue was founded on May 6, 1869, as a land-grant university when the Indiana General Assembly, taking advantage of the Morrill Act, accepted a donation of land and...
.
Sullenberger served as a fighter pilot
Fighter pilot
A fighter pilot is a military aviator trained in air-to-air combat while piloting a fighter aircraft . Fighter pilots undergo specialized training in aerial warfare and dogfighting...
for the United States Air Force
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
, piloting McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom IIs from 1975 to 1980. He advanced to become a flight leader and a training officer, and attained the rank of captain, with experience in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, the Pacific, and at Nellis Air Force Base
Nellis Air Force Base
Nellis Air Force Base is a United States Air Force Base, located approximately northeast of Las Vegas, Nevada. It is under the jurisdiction of Air Combat Command .-Overview:...
, as well as operating as Blue Force Mission Commander in Red Flag Exercises. While in the Air Force, he was a member of an aircraft accident investigation board.
Commercial pilot
Sullenberger was employed by US AirwaysUS Airways
US Airways, Inc. is a major airline based in the U.S. city of Tempe, Arizona. The airline is an operating unit of US Airways Group and is the sixth largest airline by traffic and eighth largest by market value in the country....
or its predecessor airlines from 1980 until 2010. (Pacific Southwest Airlines
Pacific Southwest Airlines
Pacific Southwest Airlines was a United States airline headquartered in San Diego, California, that operated from 1949 to 1988. It was one of the first large discount airlines in the United States and is considered a precursor to Southwest Airlines...
was acquired by US Air, later US Airways, in 1988.) In total, he has more than 40 years and 19,000 hours of flying experience, and since 2007 has run his own safety consulting business, Safety Reliability Methods Inc., which provides "emergency management, safety strategies and performance monitoring to the aviation industry". He has also been involved in a number of accident investigations conducted by the USAF and the National Transportation Safety Board
National Transportation Safety Board
The National Transportation Safety Board is an independent U.S. government investigative agency responsible for civil transportation accident investigation. In this role, the NTSB investigates and reports on aviation accidents and incidents, certain types of highway crashes, ship and marine...
, such as Pacific Southwest Airlines Flight 1771 and USAir Flight 1493
USAir Flight 1493
USAir Flight 1493 was a scheduled United States domestic passenger flight from Syracuse Hancock International Airport, New York to San Francisco International Airport, California that collided with SkyWest Flight 5569 upon landing at a scheduled stopover at Los Angeles International Airport...
. He served as an instructor, Air Line Pilots Association safety chairman, accident investigator, and national technical committee member. His safety work for the ALPA led to the development of a Federal Aviation Administration
Federal Aviation Administration
The Federal Aviation Administration is the national aviation authority of the United States. An agency of the United States Department of Transportation, it has authority to regulate and oversee all aspects of civil aviation in the U.S...
Advisory Circular. He was instrumental in developing and implementing the Crew Resource Management
Crew Resource Management
Crew resource management or Cockpit resource management is a procedure and training system in systems where human error can have devastating effects. Used primarily for improving air safety, CRM focuses on interpersonal communication, leadership, and decision making in the cockpit...
course that is used by US Airways, and he has taught the course to hundreds of other airline members.
Working with NASA
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
scientists, he coauthored a paper on error-inducing contexts in aviation. He has gained more than 19,000 hours of flight experience to destinations across North America, Europe and South America on Airbus A320
Airbus A320
The Airbus A320 family is a family of short- to medium-range, narrow-body, commercial passenger jet airliners manufactured by Airbus Industrie.Airbus was originally a consortium of European aerospace companies, and is now fully owned by EADS. Airbus's name has been Airbus SAS since 2001...
s and similar planes since joining US Airways. His résumé
Résumé
A résumé is a document used by individuals to present their background and skillsets. Résumés can be used for a variety of reasons but most often to secure new employment. A typical résumé contains a summary of relevant job experience and education...
states that he was an air accident investigator for a National Transport Safety Board inquiry into a major accident at Los Angeles International Airport
Los Angeles International Airport
Los Angeles International Airport is the primary airport serving the Greater Los Angeles Area, the second-most populated metropolitan area in the United States. It is most often referred to by its IATA airport code LAX, with the letters pronounced individually...
, which "led to improved airline procedures and training for emergency evacuations of aircraft". Sullenberger has also been studying the psychology
Psychology
Psychology is the study of the mind and behavior. Its immediate goal is to understand individuals and groups by both establishing general principles and researching specific cases. For many, the ultimate goal of psychology is to benefit society...
behind keeping an airline crew functioning during a crisis. He holds an Airline Transport Pilot Certificate for single and multi-engine airplanes, and a Commercial Pilot Certificate rating in gliders
Glider (sailplane)
A glider or sailplane is a type of glider aircraft used in the sport of gliding. Some gliders, known as motor gliders are used for gliding and soaring as well, but have engines which can, in some cases, be used for take-off or for extending a flight...
, as well as an expired flight instructor
Flight instructor
A flight instructor is a person who teaches others to fly aircraft. Specific privileges granted to holders of a flight instructor qualification vary from country to country, but very generally, a flight instructor serves to enhance or evaluate the knowledge and skill level of an aviator in pursuit...
certificate for airplanes (single, multi-engine, and instrument), and gliders.
Flight 1549
Pilot in command
The pilot in command of an aircraft is the person aboard the aircraft who is ultimately responsible for its operation and safety during flight. This would be the "captain" in a typical two- or three-pilot flight crew, or "pilot" if there is only one certified and qualified pilot at the controls of...
of an Airbus A320
Airbus A320
The Airbus A320 family is a family of short- to medium-range, narrow-body, commercial passenger jet airliners manufactured by Airbus Industrie.Airbus was originally a consortium of European aerospace companies, and is now fully owned by EADS. Airbus's name has been Airbus SAS since 2001...
from New York's LaGuardia Airport
LaGuardia Airport
LaGuardia Airport is an airport located in the northern part of Queens County on Long Island in the City of New York. The airport is located on the waterfront of Flushing Bay and Bowery Bay, and borders the neighborhoods of Astoria, Jackson Heights and East Elmhurst. The airport was originally...
to Charlotte/Douglas International Airport
Charlotte/Douglas International Airport
Charlotte Douglas International Airport is a joint civil-military public international airport located in Charlotte, North Carolina. Established in 1935 as Charlotte Municipal Airport, in 1954 the airport was renamed Douglas Municipal Airport after former Charlotte mayor Ben Elbert Douglas, Sr...
in Charlotte, North Carolina
Charlotte, North Carolina
Charlotte is the largest city in the U.S. state of North Carolina and the seat of Mecklenburg County. In 2010, Charlotte's population according to the US Census Bureau was 731,424, making it the 17th largest city in the United States based on population. The Charlotte metropolitan area had a 2009...
. The flight was designated as US Airways Flight 1549
US Airways Flight 1549
US Airways Flight 1549 was US Airways' scheduled domestic commercial passenger flight from LaGuardia Airport in New York City to Charlotte/Douglas International Airport, Charlotte, North Carolina...
as well as United Airlines Flight 1919. Shortly after taking off, Sullenberger reported to air traffic control
Air traffic control
Air traffic control is a service provided by ground-based controllers who direct aircraft on the ground and in the air. The primary purpose of ATC systems worldwide is to separate aircraft to prevent collisions, to organize and expedite the flow of traffic, and to provide information and other...
that the plane had hit a large flock of birds
Bird strike
A bird strike—sometimes called birdstrike, avian ingestion , bird hit, or BASH —is a collision between an airborne animal and a man-made vehicle, especially aircraft...
, disabling both engines. Several passengers saw the left engine on fire. Sullenberger discussed with air traffic control the possibilities of either returning to LaGuardia airport or attempting to land at the Teterboro Airport
Teterboro Airport
Teterboro Airport is a general aviation relief airport located in the Boroughs of Teterboro, Moonachie, and Hasbrouck Heights in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. It is owned and operated by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey...
in New Jersey. However, Sullenberger quickly decided that neither was feasible, and determined that ditching in the Hudson River
Hudson River
The Hudson is a river that flows from north to south through eastern New York. The highest official source is at Lake Tear of the Clouds, on the slopes of Mount Marcy in the Adirondack Mountains. The river itself officially begins in Henderson Lake in Newcomb, New York...
was the only option for everyone's survival. Sullenberger told the passengers to "brace for impact", then piloted the plane to a smooth ditching in the river at about 3:31 P.M. All passengers and crew members survived. He later said, "It was very quiet as we worked, my co-pilot and I. We were a team. But to have zero thrust coming out of those engines was shocking—the silence." Sullenberger walked the unflooded part of the passenger cabin twice to make sure everyone had evacuated before retrieving the plane's maintenance logbook and being the last to evacuate the aircraft.
Sullenberger, described by friends as "shy and reticent", has been noted for his poise and calm demeanor during the crisis. New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg
Michael Bloomberg
Michael Rubens Bloomberg is the current Mayor of New York City. With a net worth of $19.5 billion in 2011, he is also the 12th-richest person in the United States...
, for example, dubbed him, "Captain Cool". However, Sullenberger acknowledged that he had suffered some symptoms of posttraumatic stress for the first couple of weeks following the crash, including sleeplessness and flashbacks, though this condition had improved by the time of his late February 2009 interview with People
People (magazine)
In 1998, the magazine introduced a version targeted at teens called Teen People. However, on July 27, 2006, the company announced it would shut down publication of Teen People immediately. The last issue to be released was scheduled for September 2006. Subscribers to this magazine received...
magazine. In a CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
60 Minutes
60 Minutes
60 Minutes is an American television news magazine, which has run on CBS since 1968. The program was created by producer Don Hewitt who set it apart by using a unique style of reporter-centered investigation....
interview, he was quoted as saying that the moments before the crash were "the worst sickening, pit-of-your-stomach, falling-through-the-floor feeling" that he had ever experienced. Speaking with news anchor Katie Couric
Katie Couric
Katherine Anne "Katie" Couric is an American journalist and author. She serves as Special Correspondent for ABC News, contributing to ABC World News, Nightline, 20/20, Good Morning America, This Week and primetime news specials...
, Sullenberger said, "One way of looking at this might be that for 42 years, I've been making small, regular deposits in this bank of experience: education and training. And on January 15 the balance was sufficient so that I could make a very large withdrawal."
U.S. President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
called Sullenberger to thank him for saving the lives of the passengers, as did President-elect
President-elect of the United States
President-elect of the United States is the title used for an incoming President of the United States in the period between the general election on Election Day in November and noon eastern standard time on Inauguration Day, January 20, during which he is not in office yet...
Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
who also invited him, as well as the entire crew, to join the presidential inauguration ceremony. On January 16, 2009, the United States Senate
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
passed a resolution to recognize and honor Sullenberger, co-pilot Jeff Skiles, the cabin crew, the passengers, and the first responders involved in Flight 1549's emergency landing. The United States House of Representatives
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
passed a similar resolution of praise on January 26, 2009.
Sullenberger attended the presidential inauguration on January 20, 2009, where he and his wife met President Obama. On January 22, 2009, he and the rest of the crew of Flight 1549 were awarded a Masters Medal by the Guild of Air Pilots and Air Navigators
Guild of Air Pilots and Air Navigators
The Guild of Air Pilots and Air Navigators is one of the Livery Companies of the City of London. The Guild was established in 1929 and was granted the status of a Livery Company in 1956...
. A ceremony for Sullenberger was held on January 24, 2009, in his hometown of Danville, California
Danville, California
The Town of Danville is located in the San Ramon Valley in Contra Costa County, California. It is one of the incorporated municipalities in California that uses "town" in its name instead of "city". The population was 42,039 in 2010. Danville is one of the wealthiest suburbs of Oakland and San...
, where he was presented with awards including Danville's "Key to the Town", and was named an honorary Danville police officer
Police officer
A police officer is a warranted employee of a police force...
.
San Ramon Valley Fire Protection District
San Ramon Valley Fire Protection District
The San Ramon Valley Fire Protection District is an autonomous Special District as defined under the Fire Protection District Law of 1987, California Health and Safety Code, Section 13800...
Chief Richard Price presented Captain Sullenberger with his district's highest award, the Medal of Valor, which has been given only a few times in the district's history. Sullenberger, Skiles, and Flight 1549's cabin crew, Doreen Walsh, Sheila Dail and Donna Dent, were honored with a standing ovation during the Super Bowl XLIII
Super Bowl XLIII
Super Bowl XLIII was an American football game pitting the American Football Conference champion Pittsburgh Steelers against the National Football Conference champion Arizona Cardinals to decide the National Football League champion for the 2008 season. The game was played on February 1, 2009,...
pre-game ceremony on February 1, 2009. Sullenberger was awarded with honorary lifetime membership in The Seaplane
Seaplane
A seaplane is a fixed-wing aircraft capable of taking off and landing on water. Seaplanes that can also take off and land on airfields are a subclass called amphibian aircraft...
Pilot's Association. Admirers of Sullenberger also started a Facebook
Facebook
Facebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...
fan site that, as of late February 2009, had half a million members.
A few weeks after the crash, it was revealed that Sullenberger had lost a library book about professional ethics, Just Culture: Balancing Safety and Accountability, in the plane's cargo hold. When Sullenberger telephoned the library to notify them of the lost book, it waived the usual fees. New York City Mayor Bloomberg replaced the book when presenting Sullenberger with the Key to the City of New York.
Sullenberger threw out the first pitch of the 2009 Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
season for the San Francisco Giants
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division....
. His Giants' jersey was inscribed with the name "Sully" and the number 155 - a reference to the 155 people aboard the plane.
On June 6, 2009, Sullenberger returned to his childhood hometown of Denison, Texas, to participate in that town's D-Day
D-Day
D-Day is a term often used in military parlance to denote the day on which a combat attack or operation is to be initiated. "D-Day" often represents a variable, designating the day upon which some significant event will occur or has occurred; see Military designation of days and hours for similar...
celebration, and to give the commencement address for his alma mater, Denison High School
Denison High School
Denison High School is a public high school in Denison, Texas, United States. It is within the Denison Independent School District.-Athletics:The Denison Yellow Jackets compete in these sports -...
, marking the 40th anniversary of his own graduation from the school.
Sullenberger also made an appearance in St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
, on July 14, 2009, to participate in the Red Carpet All-Star Parade that took place before the 2009 Major League Baseball All-Star Game
2009 Major League Baseball All-Star Game
The 2009 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was the 80th midseason exhibition between the all-stars of the American League and the National League , the two leagues comprising Major League Baseball. The game was held on July 14, 2009, at Busch Stadium in St. Louis, Missouri, the home of the...
.
Sullenberger testified before the U.S. House of Representatives's Subcommittee on Aviation of the Committee on Transportation & Infrastructure on February 24, 2009, that his salary had been cut by 40 percent, and that his pension, like most airline pensions, was terminated and replaced by
a "PBGC" guarantee worth only pennies on the dollar. Sullenberger also mentioned his pay cut in an October 13, 2009 appearance on The Daily Show
The Daily Show
The Daily Show , is an American late night satirical television program airing each Monday through Thursday on Comedy Central. The half-hour long show premiered on July 21, 1996, and was hosted by Craig Kilborn until December 1998...
.
Sullenberger retired from US Airways and its predecessor airline after 30 years with them on March 3, 2010. He indicated, however, that his advocacy for aviation safety and the piloting profession would continue.
In 2009, Sullenberger filmed a TV commercial as a spokesman for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, founded in 1962, is a leading pediatric treatment and research facility focused on children's catastrophic diseases. It is located in Memphis, Tennessee. It is a nonprofit medical corporation chartered as a 501 tax-exempt organization under IRS regulations.In...
.
Sullenberger is repeatedly referenced in the 2011 feature film romantic comedy Friends with Benefits
Friends With Benefits (Film)
Friends with Benefits is a 2011 American romantic comedy film directed by Will Gluck and starring Mila Kunis and Justin Timberlake. The film features an ensemble cast which includes Woody Harrelson, Bryan Greenberg, Jenna Elfman, Richard Jenkins, Emma Stone and Patricia Clarkson...
. Throughout the film, Justin Timberlake
Justin Timberlake
Justin Randall Timberlake is an American pop musician and actor. He achieved early fame when he appeared as a contestant on Star Search, and went on to star in the Disney Channel television series The New Mickey Mouse Club, where he met future bandmate JC Chasez...
's character, a Los Angeles immigrant to New York City, repeatedly suggests to people, while flying between the two locations, that modern airplanes practically fly themselves, and that Sullenberger's feat is less notable than it is portrayed to be, only to encounter incredulity and hostility for this idea.
Sullenburger flew to the Charlotte, North Carolina
Charlotte, North Carolina
Charlotte is the largest city in the U.S. state of North Carolina and the seat of Mecklenburg County. In 2010, Charlotte's population according to the US Census Bureau was 731,424, making it the 17th largest city in the United States based on population. The Charlotte metropolitan area had a 2009...
museum where the plane is located on November 18, 2011 as part of a fund-raising effort, entering the plane for the first time since the incident.
Academic life
In addition to his Bachelor of ScienceBachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years .-Australia:In Australia, the BSc is a 3 year degree, offered from 1st year on...
degree from the U.S. Air Force Academy, Sullenberger also holds a Master's degree
Master's degree
A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
in Industrial Psychology from Purdue University
Purdue University
Purdue University, located in West Lafayette, Indiana, U.S., is the flagship university of the six-campus Purdue University system. Purdue was founded on May 6, 1869, as a land-grant university when the Indiana General Assembly, taking advantage of the Morrill Act, accepted a donation of land and...
and a Master's degree in Public Administration
Public administration
Public Administration houses the implementation of government policy and an academic discipline that studies this implementation and that prepares civil servants for this work. As a "field of inquiry with a diverse scope" its "fundamental goal.....
from the University of Northern Colorado
University of Northern Colorado
-Organization:The University of Northern Colorado offers 100 undergraduate programs and more than 100 graduate programs. The university has a satellite campus in Denver, Colorado...
.
Sullenberger is a visiting scholar at the University of California, Berkeley
University of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...
's Center for Catastrophic Risk Management. He was a speaker for two panels at the High Reliability Organizations (HRO) 2007 International Conference in Deauville, France, from May 29 to 31, 2007.
Political leanings
Sullenberger is a registered RepublicanRepublican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
. In October 2009, it was reported that the Republican Party had approached Sullenberger about running for Jerry McNerney
Jerry McNerney
Gerald "Jerry" McNerney is an engineer, energy specialist, and the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2007. He is a member of the Democratic Party...
's seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. Sullenberger's publicist said that Sullenberger had no desire to run for any public office.
Sullenberger was active with his union, serving as chairman of a safety committee within the Airline Pilots Association. He has not donated money to political campaigns over the last two decades.
Personal life
Sullenberger is married to the fitness expert and television personality Lorraine "Lorrie" Sullenberger, with whom he has two adopted daughters, Kate and Kelly. The Sullenbergers reside in Danville, CaliforniaDanville, California
The Town of Danville is located in the San Ramon Valley in Contra Costa County, California. It is one of the incorporated municipalities in California that uses "town" in its name instead of "city". The population was 42,039 in 2010. Danville is one of the wealthiest suburbs of Oakland and San...
.
Sullenberger authored a book called Highest Duty: My Search For What Really Matters about his experience aboard Flight 1549. He is writing a second book about leadership, and CBS News
CBS News
CBS News is the news division of American television and radio network CBS. The current chairman is Jeff Fager who is also the executive producer of 60 Minutes, while the current president of CBS News is David Rhodes. CBS News' flagship program is the CBS Evening News, hosted by the network's main...
has hired Sullenburger as an aviation expert.
Other awards and honors
Chesley Sullenberger was selected as the 2010 Tournament of Roses ParadeTournament of Roses Parade
The Tournament of Roses Parade, better known as the Rose Parade, is "America's New Year Celebration", a festival of flower-covered floats, marching bands, equestrians and a college football game on New Year's Day , produced by the non-profit Pasadena Tournament of Roses Association.The annual...
's Grand Marshal
Grand Marshal
Grand Marshal is a ceremonial, military, or political office of very high rank. The term has its origins with the word "Marshal" with the first usage of the term "Grand Marshal" as a ceremonial title for certain religious orders...
, which was announced on Thursday, November 5, 2009, in Pasadena, California
Pasadena, California
Pasadena is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Although famous for hosting the annual Rose Bowl football game and Tournament of Roses Parade, Pasadena is the home to many scientific and cultural institutions, including the California Institute of Technology , the Jet...
, at the Tournament House. In 2009, Sullenberger was awarded the Founders' Medal by The Air League.
External links
- Safety Reliability Methods, Sullenberger's safety consulting firm.
- 60 minutes interview with Captain Sullenberger
- Profile on LinkedIn
- Survivors of Flight 1549 share their stories