How a Life’s Commitment to Excellence Saved 155 People Aboard US Airways Flight 1549
A Conversation With Capt. “Sully” Sullenberger
Date: Monday, Nov. 4
Time: 4 p.m. (Doors open at 3 p.m.)
Location: Elliott Hall of Music
Purdue University alumnus Capt. “Sully” Sullenberger piloted the safe landing of a commercial airliner on the Hudson River in January 2009, saving all 155 passengers and crew in what became known as the “Miracle on the Hudson.”
Just after takeoff from LaGuardia Airport in New York City on Jan. 15, 2009, a flock of Canada geese took out both engines on US Airways Flight 1549. Capt. Sullenberger told his passengers to brace for impact, and he and First Officer Jeff Skiles deftly and calmly landed the plane on the Hudson River. With the Manhattan skyline as a backdrop, Sullenberger stayed on board until the passengers and crew were safely off the plane.
In his 2009 memoir, “Highest Duty: My Search for What Really Matters,” Sullenberger describes the events surrounding the heroic water landing that became known as the “Miracle on the Hudson.” Along with his life story, in the book Sullenberger discusses leadership, responsibility, service and how his studies at Purdue prepared him well for the challenges he would face.
“Highest Duty” also inspired a Hollywood movie about his life. The 2016 film “Sully” was directed by Clint Eastwood, and Tom Hanks played Sullenberger.
After his gallant feat 15 years ago, Sullenberger spoke throughout the United States about the business of human factors in flying — matching human and machine — and how those human factors helped him land an airplane safely in the water.
“The facts tell us what to do and how to do it, but it is our humanity which tells us that we must do something and why we must do it,” Capt. Sullenberger famously has said.
In June, the Sullenberger Aviation Museum opened in Charlotte, giving people a chance to see up close the US Airways Airbus A320 airliner that Sullenberger landed on the Hudson. US Airways Flight 1549 was bound for Charlotte. Formerly known as the Carolinas Aviation Museum, Sullenberger Aviation Museum was renamed to honor the famous pilot.
Sullenberger’s most recent book, “Making a Difference: Stories of Vision and Courage from America’s Leaders,” was published in 2012 and explores what it takes to lead and inspire.
In 2010 Sullenberger, who earned his master’s degree in industrial psychology in 1973 from Purdue, joined President Emeritus Martin Jischke as the only two individuals to receive the university’s Neil A. Armstrong Medal of Excellence. Sullenberger also received the Distinguished Alumnus Award from the College of Liberal Arts, an honorary doctorate from Purdue, and spoke at the university’s Spring 2011 Commencement ceremony.
During Indiana’s Bicentennial celebration in 2016, Sullenberger was featured in the West Lafayette Public Library’s exhibition “Pop! Goes Purdue.” The project featured works from local artists who highlighted pop culture figures from Purdue as their subject matter.
A native of Denison, Texas, who learned to fly as a teenager, Sullenberger received his undergraduate degree from the U.S. Air Force Academy in 1973. He earned the Outstanding Cadet in Airmanship Award there. Within weeks, he was at Purdue taking summer classes to complete his master’s work. He also received a master’s degree in public administration from the University of Northern Colorado.
Sullenberger served as a fighter pilot for the U.S. Air Force from 1975-80 and became a flight leader and training officer. Afterward, he joined Pacific Southwest Airlines, which later became US Airways, as a pilot.
He has more than 57 years of flying experience and has served in various safety and investigative capacities in the airline industry. As a safety advocate and expert, he also has served on the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Advisory Committee on Automation in Transportation, and most recently served as the U.S. ambassador and representative to the International Civil Aviation Organization, a United Nations specialized agency, having been appointed by President Joe Biden in 2021.
