American commercial airline pilot who became celebrated when he landed his USAirways jet bearing 155 passengers and crew in the Hudson River in New York City with no casualties and very few injuries.
On January 15, 2009 the flight took off from LaGuardia Airport in NY at around 3:25 PM heading for Charlotte, NC. A few minutes later, flocks of birds were sucked into the engines which shut down. Although the pilot and co-pilot along with air traffic control thought he could land in nearby Teterboro Airport in NJ, “Sully” as he is known, determined quickly that he wouldn’t make it and aimed for the Hudson River. With great skill and drawing on his extensive training, he landed on the Hudson River at about 3:31 PM on January 15, 2009, a frigid afternoon. Thanks to his skillful handling of the jet, the plane did not break apart or burst into flames, and passengers were able to disembark quickly via the emergency chutes and wing doors. Ferries in the area were able to rescue all passengers and crew. Sully was especially noted for the fact that he made two trips down the aisles of the plane after the emergency landing to ensure that all passengers had evacuated. His quick thinking and heroic efforts averted any serious injury to passengers, crew and no injury at all to anyone living or working in the vicinity.
The son of a dentist and a teacher, he became fascinated with aircraft at an early age and earned his pilot’s license as a young teen. In 1973 he earned his bachelor’s degree from the Air Force Academy, graduating with a major in psychology. After serving in the Air Force for seven years as a fighter pilot who had attained the rank of captain, he turned to the commercial airlines. In the meantime he had earned two master’s degrees, the first from Purdue University in 1973 in industrial psychology and the second in public administration from the University of Northern Colorado in 1979. In 1980 he joined US Airways. In additon he has worked as a flight instructor, safety expert, and accident investigator, investigating accidents for the National Transportation Safety Board and developing safety protocols. In 2007 he established his own safety-consulting firm. Although he returned to flying, he retired on March 3, 2010.
He and his wife have two children.
Link to Wikipedia biography