Kaptein Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger III. (Foto: AFP)
Captain Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger III, the pilot who gained worldwide fame in 2009 when he successfully landed a passenger plane on the Hudson River in New York, has revealed that he has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease.
The 75-year-old former pilot announced the news on his personal website on July 14 and said that the disease is still in an early stage.
“For now, this means that I will not easily remember a name, forget a story that was recently told to me or that I will not sleep well. But I am at the beginning of this long journey,” he wrote.
Sullenberger was at the helm of US Airways Flight 1549 which took off from New York’s LaGuardia Airport on January 15, 2009 and was en route to Charlotte. Shortly after take-off, both engines failed, after geese hit the plane from the front.
Sullenberger eventually made a successful emergency landing on the Hudson River, a landing that saved the lives of the 155 people on board.
His heroic deed would later also take shape on the silver screen in the 2016 movie Sullyin which Sullenberger was played by veteran actor Tom Hanks.
After his retirement in 2010, he became a global activist for aviation safety and also served as the US ambassador to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).
“For decades, I have campaigned to improve the safety of the public. And of course, after the emergency landing of Flight 1549 on the Hudson River, I used the greater voice I gained from the ‘Miracle on the Hudson’ to further advance aviation safety by speaking out about the many challenges the industry faces,” Sullenberger further writes on his website.
“I was proud to work with many colleagues and fight for better training of and more rest time for pilots, the preservation of the two-pilot rule, improved technology and many other safety measures.
“However, this new phase of my life has made me reflect on what it really means to be of service. And the answer is to make my voice heard. I hope that by sharing my story, other families living with this disease will no longer remain in the shadows, but will also find the courage to come forward.
“And as for hope – so many people told us after flight 1549 that the course of that day gave them hope. Lorrie, my incredible partner of 37 years, says we can all use a little of that hope now.”
Sullenberger believes that although this disease may one day steal his memories, it will not stop him from seizing and appreciating every moment.
“Over the years, when people have asked me about the successful completion of Flight 1549, I have always said, ‘Courage can be contagious.’ On that day, that courage helped everyone stand together and get each person off the plane safely.
“Now we need the same courage to fight this disease. I am now part of a larger community with many of you, and we will take on this fight with courage together.”