Sully Sullenberger, hero of Hudson River landing, announces early-stage Alzheimer's diagnosis
Sully Sullenberger, the pilot who became a household name after safely landing a disabled US Airways flight on the Hudson River in 2009, has been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. In a statement posted on his personal website on Tuesday, Sullenberger, 75, said he is receiving treatment at UCSF Medical Center in San Francisco. "It is early stage," he said. "For now, this means a name may not come easily to me, I forget a story I have recently told, or I don't sleep as well, but I am in the beginning of this long journey." Sullenberger has worked as a lecturer and public speaker since his retirement in 2010 and frequently appeared on television news programs to discuss aviation-related issues. He served as the U.S. ambassador to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) for several months in 2022. "This new phase of my life has challenged what it means to be of service," Sullenberger said. "And the answer is to speak up. It is my hope that by sharing this, other families living in the shadows with this disease will feel they too can step forward." US Airways Flight 1549 in the Hudson River [FLYING Archives] "Though it may impact my memory of the past, this diagnosis will not prevent me from looking forward to and appreciating our future…I will navigate this chapter with my wonderful family by my side." Sullenberger served in the U.S. Air Force and became a commercial pilot in 1980. Together with first officer Jeffrey Skiles, he glided US Airways Flight 1549 onto the Hudson after a bird strike disabled both of the Airbus A320's engines. All 155 people on board survived. Fellow pilots and aviation experts hailed Sullenberger's skill in navigating the situation, and his water landing is considered one of the finest examples of ditching in aviation history. Both houses of Congress passed resolutions honoring Sullenberger and the flight crew, and Sullenberger met President Barack Obama in Washington, D.C., at his inauguration. A stream of other accolades and honors followed, including the key to New York City, the first pitch at a Major League Baseball game, grand marshal of the Rose Parade, and multiple awards from aviation and aerospace organizations. Sullenberger's modesty in the face of public admiration only increased praise for his strength of character. "Over the years, when people would ask about the successful outcome of Flight 1549, I would say that 'courage can be contagious,' and on that day it helped everyone band together to get everyone off that airplane successfully," Sullenberger said. "Now we need that courage to battle this disease. I am now part of a larger community with many of you, and we will be courageous together."