Captain Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger, the pilot celebrated for the “Miracle on the Hudson,” has revealed he has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease.
Sullenberger, 75, shared the news Tuesday, saying doctors have identified the disease in its early stages. Alzheimer’s is a progressive condition that affects memory, thinking and other cognitive abilities.
In announcing the diagnosis, Sullenberger said he and his wife of 37 years, Lorrie, are focusing on gratitude and optimism as they face what lies ahead.
“Lorrie and I often said we won the baby lottery with our two daughters. And we have learned what people say is actually true: that grandchildren are a game changer. Our granddaughter gives a whole new meaning to life,” he said.
He continued: “With that said, 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 added.
While acknowledging that the disease will affect his memory, Sullenberger said the diagnosis “will not prevent me from looking forward to and appreciating our future.”
Sullenberger became a national hero in 2009 after safely landing a damaged passenger jet on New York City’s Hudson River following a bird strike, saving everyone on board.
Captain Chesley ‘Sully’ Sullenberger, 75, has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease
Sullenberger famously landed a plane on the Hudson in New York City in 2009. The aircraft, which had taken off from LaGuardia, had double engine failure after hitting a flock of birds
‘I will navigate this chapter with my wonderful family by my side,’ he said, sharing how Lorrie has asked that others show them hope in this time of need.
‘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,’ he added.
‘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.’
An estimated 7.2 million Americans aged 65 and older are living with Alzheimer’s, according to the Alzheimer’s Association.
The disease was also the fifth-leading cause of death among people over age 65 in 2024.
Sullenberger highlighted how he is now using the ‘greater voice afforded to me by The Miracle on the Hudson’ to speak out about the global impact of Alzheimer’s.
‘My doctor, Dr Gil Rabinovici with UCSF Medical Center, has opened my eyes to the prevalence of Alzheimer’s,’ he wrote in his statement.
‘This disease, he has told me, spares no age group and impacts millions of people around the world. It is the unwanted visitor at the door.’
Sullenberger, his wife Lorrie, and their two daughters, Kelly and Kate. The retired pilot said that he and his wife ‘won the baby lottery with our two daughters’
Sullenberger said he and Lorrie are remaining positive despite his diagnosis
He added: ‘So this new phase of my life has challenged what it means to be of service. And the answer is to speak up. It is my hope that by sharing this, other families living in the shadows with this disease will feel they too can step forward.’
Sully was behind the yoke of US Airways Flight 1549 on January 15, 2009 when it encountered double engine failure after colliding with a flock of geese after takeoff from NYC’s LaGuardia airport.
All 155 people on board survived the plane’s crash landing into the Hudson, which has since been dubbed the Miracle on the Hudson.
Sully was portrayed by Tom Hanks in the 2016 movie named after him about the flight, which Clint Eastwood directed.
