US Airways flight 1549 | Description, Pilot, & Facts (2024)

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US Airways flight 1549 | Description, Pilot, & Facts? ›

Given their position in relation to the available airports and their low altitude, pilots Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger and Jeffrey Skiles decided to glide the plane to ditching on the Hudson River near Midtown Manhattan. All 155 people on board were rescued by nearby boats.

Sullenberger retired from US Airways in 2010, after 30 years as a commercial pilot. In 2011, he was hired by CBS News as an aviation and safety expert.

As pilot in command of the US Airways Flight 1549 that was dubbed the "Miracle on the Hudson," Captain Sullenberger has been hailed as a national hero for his quick thinking and outstanding aviation skills that saved the lives of 155 passengers and crew on January 15, 2009.

Each passenger later received a letter of apology, $5,000 in compensation for lost baggage (or more if they could demonstrate larger losses), and a refund of their ticket price. They also later received any belongings that had been recovered.

As a kid, Sully remembers climbing on the roof of his home in Texas just to see how far he could see, amazed even at a young age by what was possible in the sky. His first solo flight was in the Spring of 1967 at the age of 16. He felt an immediate sense of mastery.

Passengers also reported offers of $10,000 each in return for agreeing not to sue US Airways. Many passengers and rescuers later experienced post-traumatic stress symptoms such as sleeplessness, flashbacks, and panic attacks; some began an email support group.

During his active duty, he was stationed in North America and Europe. After serving in the Air Force, in February 1980 he became an airline pilot with Pacific Southwest Airlines, later acquired by US Airways, until his retirement from commercial flying in March 2010. He still flies privately.

His pension was “cut” because US Airways went bankrupt and its pension liabilities were assumed by the PBGF as mentioned below. There was no retaliation, etc. ALL US Airways pensioners got the same treatment.

Sully Sullenberger's Post. 35 years of marriage!

The passengers all got their items returned to them.

In this case, “they got their luggage back and items would keep trickling in,” says Swaringen. “A few months later, someone would get an individual sock back in a nice box.” Much, but not all of it, survived intact—some of the clothing shrank or was ruined.

Why did Flight 1549 not sink? ›

Some 3 1/2 minutes after colliding with the birds, the plane landed in the river. The fuselage's aft end made first contact, and that section suffered severe damage, notably a rupture that allowed water to enter the aircraft. However, the plane remained buoyant, thanks in part to the fuel tanks, which were not full.

The youngest on board were Damian, 9 months, and Sofia, 4, who were flying with parents Martin and Tess to visit their grandmother in North Carolina.

Sully did not have that luxury. He had to get it right the first time with no reset in the simulator. If you get the Teterboro option wrong you're landing in a neighborhood short of the runway. The Hudson River is about 50 feet deep, or about 15 meters, where the plane landed.

Sullenberger served in the Air Force from 1973 to 1980 and flew F-4 Phantom II fighter planes. The Air Force said he was a flight leader in Europe and the Pacific and led war-game exercises over Nevada. He became a commercial pilot in 1980 for an airline later bought by US Airways.

Sully the Veteran

He graduated from the Air Force Academy and went on to earn two master's degrees and an honorary doctorate of letters. He served in the Air Force from 1975 to 1980, where he became a flight leader and training officer with the rank of captain.

The plane is taken to a museum

Two days after the incident, the plane was pulled from the Hudson River and examined by the National Transportation Safety Board. Most of its remains are now on display at the Carolinas Aviation Museum (now named for Sullenberger) in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Pilot Rick Boettcher, 73, talks with firefighters who brought him in to shore after he crash-landed in the Columbia River. Boettcher crashed his small Mooney M20K 231 airplane in about six feet of water and then swam around 100 feet to Gary Island Park, where he was rescued by firefighters in a small boat.

The story of Flight 1549 resonates globally, symbolizing not just the awe-inspiring actions of Captain Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger and First Officer Jeffrey Skiles but also the remarkable team effort that followed. Their decisive actions in safely ditching the plane on the Hudson River saved all 155 people onboard.

"Flight" is a movie based on Alaska Airlines Flight 261, but not a true story. The movie portrays an alcoholic pilot who saves most passengers after a crash landing. The NTSB blamed Alaska Airlines for the actual crash of Flight 261 due to poor maintenance.