Captain Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger, the pilot who became known worldwide for the “Miracle on the Hudson,” is urging people to seek Alzheimer’s testing in his first television interview since revealing his diagnosis.
The 75-year-old said in mid-July that he had been diagnosed with an early stage of Alzheimer’s disease, a condition that progressively affects memory and cognitive abilities.
Although he acknowledged that the disease will affect his memory, Sullenberger said his diagnosis “will not prevent me from looking forward to and appreciating our future.”
Sullenberger and his wife of 37 years, Lorrie, discussed their experience with the disease in an interview with Robin Roberts on Good Morning America.
The couple said Captain Sullenberger officially tested positive in August 2025, although they had begun noticing concerning changes several years earlier.
“I think we began to notice that I was changing in the few years before that,” Sullenberger said in a clip ABC News previewed on Tuesday.
Lorrie said the couple decided to speak publicly in hopes of encouraging others to consider testing for Alzheimer’s, particularly when early warning signs appear.
“That’s part of why we wanted to do the interview today, because a lot of what I think people see in the news are late-stage Alzheimer’s symptoms,” Lorrie said.
“In the very beginning, they are so subtle. It’s what’s unusual for your person,” she added.
“Miracle on the Hudson” pilot Captain Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger, pictured right, is encouraging people to get tested for Alzheimer’s following his early-stage diagnosis
The 75-year-old announced in mid-July that he had an early stage of Alzheimer’s disease, which gradually damages memory and cognitive functioning
Sullenberger famously landed a plane on New York’s Hudson River in 2009 after the aircraft, which had departed from LaGuardia Airport, lost both engines after striking a flock of birds
Captain Sully said identifying Alzheimer’s early could make the condition easier to manage.
“Early diagnosis is so critically important. If you have doubts, get tested because the sooner you act, the more options there are, the better the outcome is likely to be,” he said.
The full interview was scheduled to air Wednesday morning on ABC.
Sullenberger revealed in a mid-July statement how he and Lorrie have remained hopeful since learning of his diagnosis.
“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.
“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 and his wife of 37 years, Lorrie, spoke to Robin Roberts on Good Morning America about how they’re experiencing the disease
Sullenberger shares a toast with members of the crew of US Airways Flight 1549 in 2009
Sullenberger was hailed a hero after he famously landed a damaged plane on the Hudson River in New York City in 2009 following a bird strike.
‘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.
Sullenberger was hailed a hero after he famously landed a damaged plane on the Hudson river in New York City in 2009 following a bird strike
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’
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‘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.’
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.
