Captain Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger III will speak at 7 p.m. March 8 at The Museum of Flight in Seattle.
As pilot in command of the US Airways Flight 1549 that was dubbed the “Miracle on the Hudson,” 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 Jan. 15, 2009.On that day, shortly after taking off, Sullenberger reported to air traffic control that the plane had hit a large flock of birds, disabling both engines. After discussing his options with air traffic control and determining that he could neither return to LaGuardia Airport nor attempt to land at the Teterboro Airport in New Jersey, Sullenberger determined that ditching in the Hudson River was his only option. Telling the passengers to “brace for impact,” he piloted the plane to a smooth ditching in the river, where all passengers and crew members were rescued. The last to leave the aircraft, Sullenberger checked the passenger cabin twice to make sure everyone had evacuated before retrieving the plane’s maintenance logbook.
A pilot for US Airways and its predecessor, Pacific Southwest Airlines, since 1980, Sullenberger has more than 40 years and 27,000 hours of flying experience. A 1969 graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy, Sullenberger served as a fighter pilot in the U.S. Air Force, flying F-4 Phantom IIs.
For more information: 206-764-5720 or MuseumOfFlight.org
