Retired Capt. Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger, the pilot known for his heroic role in the “Miracle on the Hudson,” has spoken movingly about his Alzheimer’s diagnosis for the first time — calling it his “last flight.”
Sullenberger, 75, on Wednesday appeared with his wife, Lorrie, on ABC’s “Good Morning America,” and explained to co-anchor Robin Roberts that he was in the early stage of the progressive brain disorder, which was first diagnosed in August 2025.
“One of the first things I noticed was it was harder and harder to remember people’s names, even people we knew,” Sullenberger said of the changes he became aware of before his diagnosis. “That’s still an issue. Just forgetting things that I normally wouldn’t, or repeating myself, not realizing I had just said that an hour ago.”
Sullenberger, who takes a monthly treatment to slow the progression of the condition, urged anyone fearing they might have the disease to get tested, as the earlier the diagnosis, “the better the outcome is likely to be.”
Alzheimer’s, the most common cause of dementia among older adults, gets progressively worse over time and affects memory, thinking and behavior.
On Jan. 15, 2009, a bird strike disabled both engines of Sullenberger’s plane shortly after takeoff from New York’s LaGuardia Airport.
By safely landing the stricken US Airways flight 1549 on the Hudson River in New York City, Sullenberger and first officer Jeff Skiles saved the lives of all 155 people on board.
When asked whether he draws strength from the “Miracle on the Hudson,” Sullenberger said he had done “harder things than this before.”
“You have to devise a plan, execute that plan flawlessly for the first time, never having done that before, and save every life in 208 seconds,” he continued. “Had even one person not survived, I would have considered it a tragic failure. I would have felt deeply for the rest of my life.”
He added, “So I think we’re doing the same thing here.”
The veteran said he felt that he and Skiles “made a difference” that day, and that with his decision to speak publicly about his health condition “maybe we can make a difference in this way also.”
Asked about his current biggest concern, the father and grandfather said: “That this is my last flight. But if this has to be my last flight, I’m going to go out using full afterburner.”
Watch the full interview here.