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NEW YORK (WPIX) — Capt. Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger, the pilot who landed a commercial airplane on the Hudson River, recently revealed he has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease.
On Jan. 15, 2009, Sullenberger landed a US Airways flight with 155 passengers in the water after a bird strike took out both engines. It’s known as the “Miracle on the Hudson.”
“I recently found out I have been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease. It is early stage. 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,” Sullenberger said in a statement.
Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger throws out the ceremonial first pitch before a baseball game between the Chicago White Sox and the New York Mets, Monday, May 26, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)
“This disease, [my doctor] has told me, spares no age group and impacts millions of people around the world. It is the unwanted visitor at the door,” he added.
Sullenberger’s heroics and life-saving landing were famously portrayed by Tom Hanks in the 2016 film “Sully.”
Some of the 155 passengers aboard the plane told Nexstar’s WPIX at the 10th anniversary that they believe Sullenberger was “guided by angels” as he safely landed the jet on the river.
FILE – In this Jan. 15, 2009, file photo, passengers in an inflatable raft move away from US Airways Flight 1549 that went down in the Hudson River in New York. The jet ditched in the Hudson River after both engines failed when they ingested birds shortly after takeoff. All 155 people on board were safe; Captain Chesley Sullenberger and other crew members were hailed as heroes. (AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews, File)
“Over the years, when people would ask about the successful outcome of Flight 1549, I would say that ‘courage can be contagious,’ and on that day, it helped everyone band together to get everyone off that airplane successfully. Now we need that courage to battle this disease. I am now part of a larger community with many of you, and we will be courageous together,” Sullenberger said.
An estimated 7.4 million Americans live with Alzheimer’s disease, according to the Alzheimer’s Association. There is currently no cure for the disease.
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