The untold story of the East Bay’s hero pilot becomes a movie starring Tom Hanks.
Nearly eight years ago, millions of television viewers saw US Airways Flight 1549 floating on the frigid waters of New York’s Hudson River. Just after taking off from LaGuardia Airport, the plane crossed paths with a flock of geese, disabling both engines.
The pilot told passengers to brace for impact. The plane was losing altitude. With skill, perhaps some luck, and what can only be described as nerves of steel, the pilot glided the plane to land on the Hudson. Emergency responders rushed to the scene, and 155 passengers and crew members safely exited the aircraft by walking along the plane’s wing and onto ferries.
The last person to leave the floating plane was East Bay resident Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger, the veteran pilot whose quick action saved every life on Flight 1549.