Hero Pilot Reveals Early-Stage Alzheimer’s Diagnosis

Capt. Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger, the pilot forever remembered as the “Hero of the Hudson,” has revealed a heartbreaking health diagnosis.

Sullenberger, 75, said he has been diagnosed with early-stage Alzheimer’s disease, more than 17 years after he safely landed US Airways Flight 1549 in the Hudson River and saved all 155 people on board.

“I recently found out I have been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease. It is early stage,” Sullenberger said in a statement.

“For now, this means a name may not come easily to me, I forget a story I have recently told, or I don’t sleep as well, but I am in the beginning of this long journey,” he added.

The retired US Airways pilot was diagnosed by his doctor, Gil Rabinovici, at California’s UCSF Medical Center.

Now, Sullenberger and his family are sharing the news publicly in the hope that it helps other families dealing with the disease feel less alone.

“I have spent my life in service, in the US Air Force, as a commercial airline pilot, an accident investigator, as the US Ambassador to the International Civil Aviation Organization,” Sullenberger said.

He added that he has spent decades advocating for the safety of the traveling public.

After the “Miracle on the Hudson,” Sullenberger said he used the larger platform that came with his sudden fame to push for aviation safety reforms and speak out on issues facing the industry.

“I was proud to work with many colleagues, fighting for increased pilot training, more pilot rest, in favor of the two-pilot rule, on increased technology issues, and more,” he said.

For Sullenberger, the diagnosis has now forced him to think about service in a new way.

“So this new phase of my life has challenged what it means to be of service. And the answer is to speak up,” he said.

“It is my hope that by sharing this, other families living in the shadows with this disease will feel they too can step forward.”

Sullenberger said the “Miracle on the Hudson” taught him and his family about the power of hope. Now, even as he faces a disease that could affect his memory, he said he is choosing to look ahead with courage.

“Though it may impact my memory of the past, this diagnosis will not prevent me from looking forward to and appreciating our future,” he said. “I will navigate this chapter with my wonderful family by my side.”

Sullenberger became a national hero on Jan. 15, 2009, after US Airways Flight 1549 struck a flock of birds shortly after taking off from LaGuardia Airport in New York.

The impact caused the plane to lose both engines, leaving Sullenberger and his crew with only moments to act.

With no safe way to return to an airport, Sullenberger made the split-second decision to land the aircraft in the Hudson River.

The emergency landing was violent enough to crack the plane’s fuselage, but all passengers and crew members survived. The rescue quickly became known as the “Miracle on the Hudson.”

At the time, Sullenberger had been flying for US Airways since 1980 and had logged more than 20,000 hours of flight time.

His calm under pressure made him an instant American hero.

In the months that followed, he was honored by then-New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who awarded him the Key to the City. He was also celebrated by survivors of the flight, aviation officials, and the public.

His story later became the 2016 Hollywood film Sully, with Tom Hanks portraying the pilot whose steady hands helped turn a terrifying emergency into one of the most unforgettable survival stories in modern aviation history.

Now, years after guiding 155 people to safety, Sullenberger is once again using his voice to help others.

This time, his message is about honesty, courage, and facing an uncertain road with family by his side.