Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger Returns Back For Flight Duty

By Mike Mitchell

TEMPE, Arizona Sep. 28, 2009, US Airways announced today that Capt. Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger, who piloted Flight 1549 during its emergency water landing on the Hudson River in January, is returning to work in a new role as a management pilot. In addition to his flying duties, Capt. Sullenberger will join the US Airways flight operations safety management team.  

On January 15, 2009, at approximately 3:27 PM Eastern Standard Time, US Airways flight 1549, an Airbus A320-214, N106US, equipped with CFM engines, incurred multiple bird strikes during initial climb. The airplane subsequently lost thrust to its engines and ditched in the Hudson River at approximately 3:30 PM Eastern Standard Time. The flight was a Title 14 CFR Part 121 scheduled domestic passenger flight from New York's La Guardia Airport (LGA) to Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT) in Charlotte, North Carolina.  

While on its initial climb out, the Airbus A320 struck a flock of Canada Geese which resulted in an immediate almost complete loss of thrust from both engines. When the aircrew determined that the aircraft would be unable to safely reach any airfield from its location just northeast of the George Washington Bridge, they turned it southbound and glided over the river into which they successfully ditched the airliner near the USS Intrepid Museum in midtown Manhattan about three minutes later.   

The pilot, Captain Chesley B. Sullenberger, splash-landed the plane in the icy Hudson River. All 155 occupants safely evacuated the still virtually intact (although partially submerged and slowly sinking) airliner from which ferries and rescue boats swarmed toward the plane from both banks of the river, and all on board were brought to shore safely in a dramatic episode.