Sully Sullenberger | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Sullenberger in May 2022 | |
| United States Ambassador to the International Civil Aviation Organization | |
| In office February 3, 2022 – July 1, 2022[1][2] | |
| President | Joe Biden |
| Preceded by | Sean E. Doocey |
| Succeeded by | Brent Christensen[1] |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Chesley Burnett Sullenberger III (1951-01-23)January 23, 1951 (age 75) Denison, Texas, U.S. |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 2 |
| Education | United States Air Force Academy (BS) Purdue University (MS) University of Northern Colorado, Greeley (MPA) |
| Known for | Ditching ofUS Airways Flight 1549 on theHudson River |
| Awards | See below |
| Military career | |
| Allegiance | United States |
| Branch | United States Air Force |
| Service years | 1973–1980 |
| Rank | Captain |
Chesley Burnett "Sully"Sullenberger III (born January 23, 1951) is an American retired aircraft pilot, diplomat and aviation safety expert, who is best known for his actions ascaptain ofUS Airways Flight 1549 on January 15, 2009, when heditched the plane on theHudson River after both engines were disabled by abird strike; all 155 people aboard survived. After the Hudson landing, Sullenberger became an outspoken advocate foraviation safety[3] and helped develop new protocols for flight safety. He served as the co-chairman, along with hisco-pilot on Flight 1549,Jeffrey Skiles, of theExperimental Aircraft Association (EAA)'sYoung Eagles youth introduction-to-aviation program from 2009 to 2013.[4]
Sullenberger retired fromUS Airways in 2010, after 30 years as a commercial pilot.[5] In 2011, he was hired byCBS News as an aviation and safety expert.[6]
Sullenberger is the co-author, withJeffrey Zaslow, of theNew York Times bestsellerHighest Duty: My Search for What Really Matters, a memoir of his life and of the events surrounding Flight 1549. His second book,Making a Difference: Stories of Vision and Courage from America's Leaders, was published in 2012. He was ranked second inTime'sTop 100 Most Influential Heroes and Icons of 2009, afterMichelle Obama.[7]
In 2021, PresidentJoe Biden announced he would nominate Sullenberger as U.S. representative to theInternational Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) with the rank ofambassador.[8][9] He was confirmed byunanimous consent in theSenate[10] and served in that role from February 3 to July 1, 2022.[1]
Chesley Burnett Sullenberger III was born January 23, 1951, inDenison, Texas.[11] His father was a descendant ofSwiss-German immigrants named Sollenberger (modern spelling is Sollberger) fromWynigen, Switzerland.[12] He has one younger sister, Mary.[13] The street on which he grew up was named after his mother's family. According to his sister, Sullenberger built model planes andaircraft carriers during his childhood; she says he became interested in flying after seeing military jets from an Air Force base near his house.[14] He went to school in Denison and was consistently on the 99thpercentile in every academic category.[15]
At age 11, hisIQ was deemedhigh enough that he was allowed to joinMensa International.[15] In high school, he was the president of theLatin club, afirst chairflutist, and anhonor student.[16] He was an active member of the Waples MemorialUnited Methodist Church.[17] He graduated fromDenison High School in 1969,[16] near the top of his class of about 350.[14] At 16, Sullenberger learned to fly in anAeronca Champion 7DC at a private airstrip near his home. He said that the training he received from a local flight instructor influenced his aviation career.[18]
Sullenberger earned aBachelor of Science degree inpsychology andbasic sciences from theUnited States Air Force Academy. He earned amaster's degree inindustrial-organizational psychology fromPurdue University in 1973 and aMaster of Public Administration fromUniversity of Northern Colorado in 1979.[19]
Sullenberger was appointed to theUnited States Air Force Academy, entering with the Class of 1973 in June 1969. He was selected along with around a dozen other freshmen for a cadetglider program, and by the end of that year, he was an instructor pilot.[14] When he graduated in 1973, he received the Outstanding Cadet in Airmanship award, as the class's "top flyer". Immediately following his graduation with aBachelor of Science degree and his commissioning as an officer, theAir Force sent Sullenberger toPurdue University to pursue a master's degree prior to entering Undergraduate Pilot Training (UPT).[citation needed]
Following completion of his master's, he was assigned to UPT atColumbus AFB, Mississippi, flying theT-37 Tweet andT-38 Talon. After earning his wings in 1975 as apilot, he completed replacement training in theF-4 Phantom II atLuke AFB, Arizona. This was followed by his assignment to the493d Tactical Fighter Squadron of48th Tactical Fighter Wing atRAF Lakenheath, United Kingdom,[20] in theF-4D Phantom II.
Following his assignment at RAF Lakenheath, he was reassigned to the428th Tactical Fighter Squadron of the474th Tactical Fighter Wing atNellis AFB, Nevada, again flying theF-4D.[21][22] He advanced to become a flight leader and a training officer and attained the rank ofcaptain.[19] He gained experience inEurope,the Pacific, and atNellis Air Force Base, and operated as Blue Force mission commander inRed Flag Exercises.[22] He served on an aircraft accident investigation board.[23]
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Sullenberger worked forUS Airways and its predecessor airlines from 1980 until 2010.[5][25][26] (Pacific Southwest Airlines was acquired by US Air, later US Airways, in 1988.) He holds anairline transport pilot certificate for single and multi-engine airplanes, acommercial pilot license rating ingliders, and aflight instructor certificate for airplanes (single, multi-engine, and instrument) and gliders.[27] In total, he has more than 50 years and 20,000 hours of flying experience. In 2007,[19] he became the founder and CEO of Safety Reliability Methods, Inc. (SRM), a firm providing strategic and tactical guidance to enhance organizational safety, performance, and reliability.[28] He has been involved in a number of accident investigations conducted by the USAF and theNational Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), such asPacific Southwest Airlines Flight 1771 andUSAir Flight 1493.[29] He served as an instructor,Air Line Pilots Association local air safety chairman, accident investigator, and national technical committee member.[20][30] His safety work for ALPA led to the development of aFederal Aviation Administration advisory circular.[22] He was instrumental in developing and implementing theCrew Resource Management course that was used by US Airways, and he has taught the course to hundreds of airline crew members.[22][31]
Working withNASA scientists, he coauthored a paper on error-inducing contexts in aviation.[22] He was an air accident investigator for an NTSB inquiry into a major accident atLos Angeles International Airport, which "led to improved airline procedures and training for emergency evacuations of aircraft."[23] Sullenberger studied thepsychology behind keeping an airline crew functioning during a crisis.[32]
Sullenberger was active with hisunion, serving as chairman of a safety committee within theAir Line Pilots Association.[20]
He was a featured speaker for two panels: one on aviation and one on patient safety in medicine, at the High Reliability Organizations (HRO) 2007 International Conference in 2007.[33]
On January 15, 2009, Sullenberger was the captain ofUS Airways Flight 1549, anAirbus A320 taking off fromLaGuardia Airport inNew York City bound forCharlotte Douglas International Airport inNorth Carolina.[34] Shortly after takeoff, the planestruck a flock ofCanada geese and lost power in both engines.[35] Quickly determining he would be unable to reach either LaGuardia orTeterboro Airports,[36] Sullenberger flew the plane to an emergencywater landing[23] on theHudson River. All 155 people on board survived and were rescued.[37]
Sullenberger said later: "It was very quiet as we worked, my copilot Jeff Skiles and I. We were a team. But to have zero thrust coming out of those engines was shocking—the silence."[38] Sullenberger was the last to leave the aircraft, after twice making sweeps through the cabin to make sure all passengers and crew had evacuated.[14][39]
Sullenberger, described by friends as "shy and reticent",[40] was noted for his poise and calm during the crisis; New York City MayorMichael Bloomberg dubbed him "Captain Cool".[41] Nonetheless, Sullenberger suffered symptoms ofpost-traumatic stress disorder in subsequent weeks, including sleeplessness and flashbacks.[42] He said that the moments before the landing were "the worst sickening, pit-of-your-stomach, falling-through-the-floor feeling" that he had ever experienced.[43] He also said, "One way of looking at this might be that for 42 years, I've been making small, regular deposits in this bank of experience, education and training. And on January 15, the balance was sufficient so that I could make a very large withdrawal."[44]
The National Transportation Safety Board ruled that landing on the river was the correct decision instead of attempting a return to LaGuardia Airport[45] because the normal procedures for engine loss are designed for cruising altitudes, not immediately after takeoff. Simulations performed at theAirbus Training Centre Europe inToulouse showed that Flight 1549 could have made it back to LaGuardia had that maneuver begun immediately after the bird strike. However, such scenarios both neglected the time necessary for the pilots to understand and assess the situation, and risked the possibility of a crash within a densely populated area.[46][47]
U.S. PresidentGeorge W. Bush called Sullenberger to thank him for saving the lives of the passengers,[48] as did President-electBarack Obama,[49] who invited him and the crew to jointhe presidential inauguration ceremony.[50] On January 16, 2009, theUnited States Senate passed a resolution recognizing and honoring Sullenberger, Skiles, the cabin crew, the passengers, and thefirst responders involved in Flight 1549's emergency landing.[51] TheUnited States House of Representatives passed a similar resolution on January 26, 2009.[52]
Sullenberger attended the presidential inauguration on January 20, 2009, where he and his wife met President Obama.[42] On January 22, 2009, he and the rest of the crew of Flight 1549 were awarded a Masters Medal by theGuild of Air Pilots and Air Navigators.[53] A ceremony for Sullenberger was held on January 24, 2009, in Sullenberger's town ofDanville, California, where he was presented with awards including Danville's "Key to the Town",[40] and was named an honorary Danvillepolice officer.[54] While in theTri-Valley, Sullenberger gave his first official interview to Jega Sanmugam ofThe Wildcat Tribune,[55] the student newspaper ofDougherty Valley High School, which his daughter attended at the time.[56] In a special February 2009 edition, theTribune published "Heroism & Humility on the Hudson", covering Sullenberger and the Flight 1549 landing.[56]
San Ramon Valley Fire Protection District Chief Richard Price presented Captain Sullenberger with his district's highest award, the Medal of Valor,[57] which had been given only a few times in the district's history.[58] Sullenberger, Skiles, and Flight 1549's cabin crew—Doreen Welsh, Sheila Dail, and Donna Dent—were honored with a standing ovation during theSuper Bowl XLIIIpre-game ceremony on February 1, 2009.[59] Sullenberger was awarded with honorary lifetime membership in theSeaplane Pilots Association.[60] In 2009, Sullenberger was awarded the Founders' Medal byThe Air League.[61] Admirers of Sullenberger started aFacebook fan site that, as of late February 2009, had half a million members.[42]
A library book,Just Culture: Balancing Safety and Accountability was in Sullenberger's luggage left behind in the cockpit. When Sullenberger notified the library that the water-damaged book had been recovered, it made a point of waiving any late fees. Bloomberg presented Sullenberger with a new copy along with theKey to the City of New York.[62][63][64]
Sullenberger threw out thefirst pitch of the 2009Major League Baseball season for theSan Francisco Giants. His Giants jersey was inscribed with the name "Sully" and the number 155—a reference to the 155 people aboard the plane.[65]
On June 6, 2009, Sullenberger returned to Denison to participate in the town'sD-Day celebration and to give the commencement address for his alma mater, marking the 40th anniversary of his graduation from the school.[66]
Sullenberger made an appearance inSt. Louis, Missouri, on July 14, 2009, to participate in the Red Carpet All-Star Parade before the2009 Major League Baseball All-Star Game.
On February 24, 2009, Sullenberger testified before the U.S. House of Representatives Subcommittee on Aviation of theCommittee on Transportation and Infrastructure that his salary had been cut by 40 percent, and that his pension, like most airline pensions, was terminated and replaced by aPBGC guarantee worth only pennies on the dollar.[67] He cautioned that airlines were "under pressure to hire people with less experience. Their salaries are so low that people with greater experience will not take those jobs. We have some carriers that have hired some pilots with only a few hundred hours of experience. ... There's simply no substitute for experience in terms of aviation safety."[68]
TheSullenberger Aviation Museum inCharlotte, North Carolina is named for him. It houses a Miracle on the Hudson exhibit.[69]
In 2010, Sullenberger retired after 30 years with US Airways and its predecessor. His final flight was US Airways Flight 1167 from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, to Charlotte, North Carolina, where he reunited with Skiles and a half dozen of the passengers on Flight 1549.[68]
Sullenberger works as an international lecturer and keynote speaker at educational institutions, corporations, and non-profit organizations about the importance of aviation and passenger safety, high performance systems improvement, leadership and culture, risk and crisis management, lifelong preparation, and living a life of integrity. In 2011 he presented at theWorld Economic Forum in Davos and the Swiss Economic Forum.[78]
He served as the 2010Tournament of Roses Parade'sGrand Marshal.[79]
In December 2010, Sullenberger was appointed an Officer of France'sLegion of Honour.[74]
He and the Flight 1549 crew received the SmithsonianNational Air and Space Museum Trophy for Current Achievement in 2010.[73]
With coauthorJeffrey Zaslow, Sullenberger wrote the 2009 bestselling memoirHighest Duty: My Search for What Really Matters. In the book, Sullenberger also discussed personal matters, including his father's suicide in 1995, the Sullenbergers' struggle with infertility, and their decision to adopt.[80][81]
In May 2011,CBS News hired Sullenberger as an aviation and safety expert.[6]
From 2009 to 2013, Sullenberger and Skiles acted as the co-chairmen of theEAA'sYoung Eagles Program, which gives children the opportunity to experience flight and learn aboutgeneral aviation.[4] Since its inception, the program has flown over 2 million kids and is the most successful of its kind. Through their participation and service toaviation safety, Sullenberger and Skiles received theEAA Freedom of Flight Award in 2015.[72]
Sullenberger's second book,Making a Difference: Stories of Vision and Courage from America's Leaders, was released on May 15, 2012.
In 2019 Sullenberger said thatBoeing 737 MAX crashes "are demonstrable evidence that our current system of aircraft design and certification has failed us. These accidents should never have happened."[82] He sharply criticizedBoeing and theFederal Aviation Administration, saying that the overly "cozy relationship" between the aviation industry and government was evident in March 2019 when Boeing CEODennis Muilenburg lobbied PresidentDonald Trump to prevent the 737 MAX 8 from being grounded.[83][84]
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In late October 2018, Sullenberger wrote an op-ed inThe Washington Post ahead of the2018 mid-term elections, calling on Americans to vote "for leaders who are committed to the values that will unite and protect us,"[85] who have a "moral compass ... competence, integrity, and concern for the greater good."[86] In a subsequent interview withLawrence O'Donnell, Sullenberger elaborated his position, discussing his belief that voters should act as a check and balance in a partisan government.[87] He also wrote that he has been a registered Republican for the majority of his adult life but has "always voted as an American".[88]
In February 2020, Sullenberger endorsed former U.S. Vice PresidentJoe Biden for the presidency.[89] In September 2020, he worked withVote Vets andThe Lincoln Project to create a commercial urging Americans to vote PresidentDonald Trump out of office.[90][91][92]
In 2025, Sullenberger criticised the appointment ofBryan Bedford as the administrator of theFederal Aviation Administration (FAA), stating that "Mr Bedford will not commit to the current1500-hour pilot experience rule".[93]
On June 15, 2021, President Biden nominated Sullenberger to be the U.S. representative to theCouncil of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), with the rank ofambassador.[8][9][94] He was confirmed by the Senate viavoice vote on December 2, 2021.[95][96] He presented his credentials to ICAO Secretary GeneralJuan Carlos Salazar Gómez on February 3, 2022,[97] serving until July 1, 2022.[98]
Sullenberger mentioned a "short, childless" first marriage in his memoir. He married fitness instructor Lorraine "Lorrie" Henry in 1989.[99][37] They adopted two daughters, Kate and Kelly.[100][101][23]
On December 7, 1995, Sullenberger's father died by suicide by gunshot shortly after he was released from the hospital following major surgery. He had been suffering from depression and a long and difficultconvalescence. As a result of this, Sullenberger became asuicide prevention activist, having promotedNational Suicide Prevention Week andNational Suicide Prevention Lifeline.[80][81]
Radio personalityGarrison Keillor wrote "Pilot Song: The Ballad of Chesley Sullenberger III" for the January 17, 2009, edition of his radio variety showA Prairie Home Companion.[102]
Sullenberger's speech before Congress concerning U.S. civil aviation is featured inMichael Moore's 2009 documentaryCapitalism: A Love Story.[103]
Sullenberger is referenced in the 2011 romantic comedy filmFriends with Benefits. Throughout the film,Justin Timberlake's character repeatedly suggests to people he meets aboard planes that modern airplanes practically fly themselves, and that Sullenberger's feat was less impressive than it was portrayed, an idea for which he encounters incredulity and hostility.Mila Kunis's character is seen reading Sullenberger'sEnglish Wikipedia article.[104][105][106]
The 2010 song "A Real Hero", by French electronica artist College and the bandElectric Youth, is in part inspired by Captain Sullenberger and Flight 1549. Frontman Austin Garrick was inspired to write the song by his grandfather, whose reference to Sullenberger as "a real human being and a real hero" became the song's refrain.[107]
In 2010,Stephen Colbert,Jon Stewart, andSteve Carell released a comedy record calledEverybody's Talking 'Bout Sully.[108]
"Hudson River Runway", the March 14, 2011, episode of the TV seriesMayday, documents the events around Flight 1549's emergency landing and includes interviews with several of its real-life participants. Sullenberger was not interviewed, but was portrayed in reenactments by actorChristopher Britton.[109]
Sullenberger is invited to the Smith household in season 7 ofAmerican Dad! He is featured In the episodeThe Unbrave One, Stan Smith using Sully as an example of a hero.[110]
The 2016Oscar-nominated dramatic feature filmSully was adapted from Sullenberger's memoirHighest Duty: My Search for What Really Matters. Directed byClint Eastwood and starringTom Hanks as Sullenberger andAaron Eckhart as Skiles, it recreates the events around the Hudson River landing.[111][112]
In 2016, Tom Hanks appeared in a sketch onSaturday Night Live where he reprised his character as "Sully" Sullenberger.
Sullenberger appeared as himself in a cameo role in the 2017 filmDaddy's Home 2.[113]
In season five, episode seven of the NBC comedyBrooklyn Nine-Nine titled "Two Turkeys," (aired November 21, 2017) the characterJake Peralta's (portrayed byAndy Samberg) father Roger Peralta (portrayed byBradley Whitford), a pilot, claims to have flown with Sullenberger. Later on, the characterAmy Santiago's (portrayed byMelissa Fumero) father Victor Santiago (portrayed byJimmy Smits) drunkenly tells a nurse that Roger Peralta taught Sullenberger how to fly.[114]
PresidentGeorge H. W. Bush's service dogSully, who was assigned to Bush in June 2018 after the death of former First LadyBarbara Bush, was named after Sullenberger,[115] and remained with the former president afterBush's November 2018 death, accompanying Bush's casket for its return to Washington, D.C.[116]
Sullenberger is featured in the 2020 pilot of theFox animated TV seriesDuncanville.[117]
Sullenberger is featured in the 2021Family Guy episodeAnd Then There's Fraud. Quagmire buys a pilot's hat thinking it is Sullenberger's, having Sullenberger sign it at the end of the episode.[118]
Sullenberger appeared in the 2022 documentary filmDownfall: The Case Against Boeing.[119]
In the second season of the ABC sitcomAbbott Elementary, episode 6 features teacher Gregory Eddie dressed up as Sullenberger for Halloween.[120]
In the third episode of the second season ofHBO'sThe Rehearsal,Nathan Fielder portrays a fictional version of Sullenberger throughout his life.[121]
| Diplomatic posts | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Sean E. Doocey | United States Permanent Representative to the International Civil Aviation Organization 2022 | Vacant |
