Tomorrow will mark 15 years since the “Miracle on the Hudson,” when pilot Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger landed a plane on the Hudson River, saving all 155 people on board. An episode that amazed the whole world, even inspiring a film. Sully, his co-pilot and some of those passengers gathered in Manhattan on Thursday ahead of this anniversary.
What happened
On January 15, 2009, US Airways Flight 1549 struck a flock of geese after takeoff from LaGuardia Airport. With a rare dose of courage, Sullenberger landed the plane on the Hudson River, saving everyone on board. Federal investigators called it the most successful emergency water landing in history, and New Yorkers have called it the “Miracle on the Hudson” ever since.
“When you think back to that day 15 years ago, what is it that really resonates with you today and really sticks with you?” asked a presenter of the CBS to the pilot.
«I think that at a time when we needed it, during the financial meltdown of 2008-2009, when it seemed that human nature was mostly based on selfishness and greed, this group of strangers rose to the occasion. of the situation and made it his mission in life. Seeing that every life was saved highlighted the potential that each of us has,” Sullenberger said.
Fifteen years and six blocks from the Hudson River, Sully and then-copilot, Jeff Skiles, then reunited with some passengers at the Paley Center for Media in Midtown.
«That was my first trip after training on the plane. I had qualified the Friday before on an Airbus 320, a new plane for me, and this happened right away,” recalls the then co-pilot. “What resonated with him even more as the years went by is that you realize all the public safety networks that we have out there that have helped us so much. From our air traffic controllers to fire boats, first responders to ferry docks, New York City's medical community. This could not have happened without everyone working together towards a common goal and this still surprises me today,” he added.
Over the years Sullenberger has become an advocate for aviation safety and believes the industry has improved, but says there is still more to do. «We need to attract many more people into aviation who have two things: aptitude and attitude, because in a safety-critical sector, we need to have people who understand that in aviation just good is not enough and that requires people that they are constantly aiming for excellence,” he said. He excellence that Sully, co-pilot Skiles and all those aboard Flight 1549 demonstrated on that fateful day.
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