Now you may be reading my title and thinking “Who is Chesley ‘Sully’ Sullenberge,” but whether you know it or not, you have probably read about him already. He is the heroic pilot of US Airways flight 1549, which crash-landed into the Hudson River earlier this week after taking off from New York bound for Charlotte, North Carolina. Normally, when I see in the headlines that a plane has gone down, I brace myself for the fatality count. In this case, this amazing man and his crew managed to bring the plane down safely and all 155 people on board survived.
Since then, Sullenberger has become somewhat of a celebrity. He’s been trying to lay low because the National Transportation Safety Board is still investigating the crash. It is believed that the crash occurred when the plane hit a flock of birds, which took out the engines. Sullenberger told passengers to brace for impact and set the plane down in the Hudson River, with the help of co-pilot Jeff Skiles.
The crash turned out to be little more than the impact of being rear-ended according to one passenger. All the passengers were pulled to safety as the plane sank. While several passengers were treated for hypothermia due to the 36 degree water, the only serious injury was two broken legs.
For his heroism, Sullenberger has been given the key to the city by NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg. He also got a call from the White House. In a huge coup, the “Today Show” has gotten his first interview, which will air Monday from Washington. Is it just me or does it seem as if everyone in the world is in Washington this week?
Anyhow, in case you miss the interview or just can’t wait, here is a little that is known about Sullenberger. He is a 58 year old former Air Force F-4 fighter pilot has been with US Airways since 1980 and has accumulated over 19,000 hours of experience. Sullenberger also works as a safety and reliability consultant.
(This image or file is a work of a U.S. Air Force Airman or employee, taken or made during the course of the person’s official duties. As a work of the U.S. federal government, the image or file is in the public domain.)
Sounds to me like he is well qualified for the job!