Thank you to my U.S. Air Force Academy classmate and retired Northwest Airlines captain Mike Hay and my fellow fighter pilot and current Southwest Airlines captain Jim Leslie for their assistance in reviewing the events in this book and supplementing my memories with their own. While their help has been invaluable throughout the writing process, I take responsibility for the content of this book. Any errors or omissions are mine alone.
And finally, I’d like to thank L. T. Cook Jr., who saw the potential in me and helped me realize it.
APPENDIX A
Flight Path of Flight 1549, January 15, 2009
APPENDIX B
National Transportation Safety Board Cockpit Voice Recorder Transcript Excerpt
Transcript of an Allied Signal/Honeywell model SSCVR cockpit voice recorder (CVR), s/n 2878, installed on an Airbus Industrie A320-214, registration N106US. The airplane was operated by US Airways as Flight 1549, when it ditched into the Hudson River, NY, on January 15, 2009.
LEGEND
RDO Radio transmission from accident aircraft, US Airways 1549
CAM Cockpit area microphone voice or sound source
PA Voice or sound heard on the public address system channel
HOT Hot microphone voice or sound source1
TOGA Takeoff/Go Around thrust
INTR Interphone communication to or from ground crew
For RDO, CAM, PA, HOT and INTR comments:
-1 Voice identified as the Captain (Hot-1: Capt. Sullenberger)
-2 Voice identified as the First Officer (Hot-2: First Officer Skiles)
-3 Voice identified as cabin crewmember
-4 Voice identified as groundcrew
-? Voice unidentified
FWC Automated callout or sound from the Flight Warning Computer
TCAS Automated callout or sound from the Traffic Collision Avoidance System
PWS Automated callout or sound from the Predictive Windshear System
GPWS Automated callout or sound from the Ground Proximity Warning System
EGPWS Automated callout or sound from the Enhanced Ground Proximity Warning System
TWR Radio transmission from the Air Traffic Control Tower at LaGuardia
DEP Radio transmission from LaGuardia departure control (Air Traffic Control Specialist Harten)
CH[1234] CVR Channel identifier 1 = Captain 2 = First Officer 3 = PA 4 = Cockpit Area Microphone
* Unintelligible word
@ Non-Pertinent word
& Third party personal name (see note 5 below)
# Expletive
-, — Break in continuity or interruption in comment
( ) Questionable insertion
[ ] Editorial insertion
. . . Pause
Note 1: Times are expressed in Eastern Standard Time (EST), based on the clock used to timestamp the recorded radar data from the Newark ASR-9.
Note 2: Generally, only radio transmissions to and from the accident aircraft were transcribed.
Note 3: Words shown with excess vowels, letters, or drawn out syllables are a phonetic representation of the words as spoken.
Note 4: A non-pertinent word, where noted, refers to a word not directly related to the operation, control, or condition of the aircraft.
Note 5: Personal names of 3rd parties not involved in the conversation are generally not transcribed.
PHOTO SECTION
US Airways Flight 1549 had just taken off from New York’s LaGuardia Airport when we struck birds, permanently damaging both engines and forcing an emergency landing in the Hudson River. (Associated Press)
A dramatic photographic sequence of Flight 1549 landing in the Hudson River taken from a security camera. (Associated Press)
We landed close to the ferry terminals, so the first responders were able to reach the aircraft quickly and rescue the passengers and crew. (Associated Press)
Despite my efforts to account for the passengers during the rescue, it was not until hours later that I received the final word: There were no fatalities, and all 155 passengers and crew were safe. (Associated Press)
The events of January 15, 2009, would not have ended the way they did without the tremendous work of the first responders. The first ferryboat was at the scene in less than four minutes, ensuring the survival of all the passengers on board. (Associated Press)
I will forever be grateful to the first responders for their courage, skill, determination, and quick actions. (Associated Press)
The air temperature that day was 21 degrees and the water was 36 degrees. (Associated Press)
On Monday, February 9, 2009, New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg honored the crew of Flight 1549 with keys to the city. (Associated Press)
The aircraft, still in the Hudson River in the early evening, waiting to be salvaged. (Associated Press)
The crew of US Airways Flight 1549 (from left to right): Flight Attendant Doreen Welsh, First Officer Jeffrey Skiles, Captain Chesley Sullenberger, Flight Attendants Donna Dent and Sheila Dail. (Nigel Parry/CPi Syndication)
I first met Air Traffic Controller Patrick Harten (center) on February 24, 2009, when we both testified before the Aviation Subcommittee of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. His quick thinking and single-minded focus were instrumental in helping us achieve a successful outcome on January 15. (Associated Press)
On June 22, I visited some of the captains and crew from NY Waterway who participated in the passenger rescue. Standing fifth from the left is Arthur Imperatore, Sr., owner of NY Waterway. The three people in the white uniform shirts are (from left to right) Captain Manuel Liba of the Moira Smith, Captain Brittany Catanzaro of the Governor Thomas H. Kean, and Captain Vince Lombardi of the Thomas Jefferson. (Daniel H. Birman)
The airplane is in storage at J. Supor & Son Trucking and Rigging in New Jersey. (Daniel H. Birman)
On April 15, 2009, I was honored by the United States Air Force Academy with the Jabara Award for Airmanship. My classmate, Superintendent Lt. Gen. John Regni, presented the award. (Air Force Photo/Mike Kaplan, DenMar Services Inc.)
I have had many remarkable experiences since January 15, but few are as memorable as the reception I received upon returning to my alma mater. (Air Force Photo/Dave Ahlschwede, DenMar Services Inc.)
The Academy arranged for me to take a flight in a glider during my visit. (Air Force Photo/Dave Ahlschwede, DenMar Services Inc.)
The next generation of Academy cadets is a truly exceptional group of young men and women whose dedication and service to their country are inspiring. As a token of their appreciation, Cadet Wing Commander C1C Jonathan Yates presented me with a hand-carved falcon, the mascot of the Academy. (Air Force Photo/Dave Ahlschwede, DenMar Services Inc.)
Since January 15, I have thrown a first pitch for the San Francisco Giants, the Oakland Athletics, and the New York Yankees. It took some practice, but I managed to get the ball to the catcher all three times. Here Lorrie and the girls enjoy our visit to AT&T Park in San Francisco. (Alex Clemens)
Lorrie and Diane Sawyer before our taping of Good Morning America, February 9, 2009. (Alex Clemens)
Life since January 15 has been a constant adventure for Lorrie and me, taking us to the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, Buckingham Palace, even an Academy Awards party. Here we are in Tampa, Florida, for Super Bowl XLIII. (Alex Clemens)
The National Football League honored the crew of Flight 1549 during the pregame celebration before Super Bowl XLIII on February 1, 2009. (Alex Clemens)
Lorrie and I have always been strong supporters of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, and I am grateful that I can now play a more significant role in championing their work. I visited with Darcy and her mother, Cathy, on May 29, 2009. (St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, BMC, Ann-Margaret Hedges)
Upon my return to California from New York, my hometown of Danville hosted a celebration in my honor. I was overwhelmed and touched by the number of my friends and neighbors who came to welcome me home. (San Ramon Vall
ey Fire Department)
Danville Police Department
The Sullenberger family with President Obama and the First Lady at an inaugural ball, January 20, 2009. (Author’s Collection)
I will forever feel a deep connection to the people of New York and New Jersey who behaved so admirably on January 15 and who welcome me so warmly each time I return. (Alex Clemens)
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
CHESLEY B. “SULLY” SULLENBERGER III has been dedicated to the pursuit of safety for his entire adult life. While he is best known for serving as Captain during what has been called the “Miracle on the Hudson,” Sullenberger is a speaker, aviation safety expert, and accident investigator, serves as the CBS News Aviation and Safety Expert, and is the founder and chief executive officer of Safety Reliability Methods, Inc., a company dedicated to management, safety, performance, and reliability consulting. He lives with his family in the San Francisco Bay Area.
JEFFREY ZASLOW was a Wall Street Journal columnist, coauthor with Randy Pausch of The Last Lecture, and the author of The Girls from Ames. Zaslow died in 2012 at the age of fifty-three.
Discover great authors, exclusive offers, and more at hc.com.
PRAISE FOR SULLY
“Sullenberger’s all-American life story is so compelling that it screams to be required reading for all young people, or anybody else who needs confirmation that courage, dignity, and extraordinary competence can still be found in this land. . . . A remarkable life story.”
—Washington Times
“Sullenberger’s account of gliding his crippled jetliner down safely onto the Hudson River is a wingdinger. . . . The tone is gently folksy first-person. . . . Sullenberger comes across as an honorable, courageous man.”
—Plain Dealer (Cleveland)
“It’s no big surprise that Sullenberger’s book—a gripping and genuinely heartwarming account of the splashdown—manages to portray everyone involved as more heroic than himself. . . . Sullenberger’s account of Flight 1549 is a Capra-esque ode to American competence and decency. . . . The book includes details that add a compelling new dimension to the tale.”
—Daily News (NY)
“As demonstrated by the subtitle, [Sully has] been intent on using his newfound fame to promote his own code: doing things well, doing them right, the way he did the day he used ‘a lifetime of knowledge to find a way to safety,’ his written description of the feat of flying those hundred fifty passengers to safety.”
—San Francisco Chronicle
“Books by unlikely heroes who hit the front page are always suspect. But as Sullenberger grows from a five-year-old who wants to fly planes, to a fighter pilot, to a fifty-seven-year-old ‘gray-haired man with my hands on the controls of an Airbus A320 over Manhattan,’ it’s clear there’s a story here to tell. . . . Sullenberger speaks frankly of the toll the public spotlight has taken on his marriage, as well as the difficulties he and his family have endured throughout his commercial aviation career. Zaslow’s contributions should not be overlooked; as with Randy Pausch’s The Last Lecture, he invisibly assists Sullenberger in going beyond the moment that sparks readers’ interest. . . . The result is as dramatic as it is inspirational.”
—Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“Sullenberger has emerged as an appealingly modest, straightforward guy, a demeanor maintained here in his easygoing, no-frills account of his Texas boyhood, his early infatuation with flying, his years at the Air Force Academy, his peacetime military career, and his experiences as a commercial pilot, where safety procedures became somewhat of a specialty. . . . Valuable for anyone interested in how a life lived with integrity prepares a man for the ultimate challenge.”
—Kirkus Reviews
“One of the remarkable facets to emerge about Sullenberger was his prior professional activity to improve flight crew performance during emergencies, which echoes Winston Churchill’s famous remark in The Gathering Storm (1948) about saving Britain in 1940 ‘that all my past life had been but a preparation for this hour and for this trial.’ . . . This memoir-drama imparts insights about the piloting professional as it enthralls readers with its exultant plotline of disaster averted.”
—Booklist
“Interwoven with experiences in various places are many stories about the life lessons he learned along the way and his urge to make a difference when he had a chance to. . . . I enjoyed his linkage of family and flying and how much a family can suffer from the wear and tear when a dad and husband are often gone. However, Sully relates many touching family incidents with his girls and wife, Lorrie, and how precious spending time with them has been. . . . Don’t miss reading this one—Sully’s story is great. His humbleness is noteworthy.”
—Times Record News (Wichita Falls, Texas)
“This is exactly the kind of book you would expect the now legendary Sully Sullenberger to write. In his memoir, the pilot of US Airways Flight 1549, which set down so memorably on the Hudson River in January [2009], is earnest, controlled, and exacting. Sullenberger is not prone to flights of fancy—in fact, he is the very pilot you’d choose for the job if you had any say in it. His book reflects the same qualities.”
—BookPage
COPYRIGHT
Previously published under the title Highest Duty.
SULLY. Copyright © 2009 by Chesley B. Sullenberger III. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the nonexclusive, nontransferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse-engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins e-books.
A hardcover edition of this book was published in 2009 by William Morrow, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers.
FIRST WILLIAM MORROW PAPERBACK EDITION PUBLISHED 2016.
FIRST HARPER PAPERBACK EDITION PUBLISHED 2010.
Map by Nick Springer, Springer Cartographics LLC
* * *
The Library of Congress has catalogued the hardcover edition as follows:
Sullenberger, Chesley.
Highest duty : my search for what really matters / Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger with Jeffrey Zaslow. — 1st ed.
p. cm.
ISBN 978-0-06-192468-2
1. Sullenberger, Chesley, 1951–. 2. Air pilots—United States—Biography. 3. Airplanes—Ditching—Hudson River (N.Y. and N.J.) 4. Airlines—Safety measures. 5. US Airways Flight 1549 Crash Landing, 2009 (Hudson River, N.Y. and N.J.). I. Zaslow, Jeffrey. II. Title.
TL540.S45 A3 2009
629.13092B 22
2009035858
* * *
ISBN 978-0-06-256120-6 (pbk.)
EPub Edition August 2016 ISBN 9780062643148
16 17 18 19 20 WBC/RRD 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
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1. This recording contained audio from Hot microphones used by the flightcrew. The voices or sounds on these channels were also, at times, heard by the CVR group on the CAM channel and vice versa. In these cases, comments are generally annotated as coming from the source (either HOT or CAM) from which the comment was easiest to hear and discern.
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