Miracle On The Hudson’s Capt. Sully Speaks On Fatal Mid-Air Collision Near Washington, D.C.
on Jan 30, 2025
Who Is Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger?
Captain Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger, renowned for his miraculous landing on the Hudson River in 2009, was recently featured on Good Morning America.
During the segment, he discussed the tragic aircraft collision that occurred on Wednesday, January 29th.
Sully, a retired American pilot, is celebrated for safely landing US Airways Flight 1549 on January 15, 2009.
After the plane struck a flock of geese, both engines lost power completely.
Defying the odds, he landed the aircraft in the Hudson River, saving the lives of all 155 passengers on board.
Since that extraordinary event, Sullenberger has become an expert in aviation safety, a keynote speaker, and an author. He dedicates his time to improving air travel safety, crisis management, and leadership.
What Happened To The American Airlines Flight?
On Wednesday evening, January 29, a passenger jet collided with an army helicopter near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.
The American Airlines flight was carrying 64 people, while the army helicopter had 3 individuals on board.
This horrific collision is projected to leave no survivors, although the exact cause of the incident is still under investigation.
Reports are beginning to emerge about the passengers on the flight, which included several members of the U.S. figure skating team, as well as Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov, who are both Russian world champion figure skaters.
Search and recovery efforts are currently underway, as both the plane and the helicopter fell into the Potomac River after the collision. Approximately 300 responders are involved in the search efforts.
RELATED: President Trump Issues Statements About Plane & Helicopter Collision Near D.C.
Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger Shared His Thoughts On The Tragic Plane Crash
After the devastating crash, Captain Sully shared his insights on flight regulations, the safety of air travel, and the specific safety measures at Reagan Airport, where the tragic accident occurred.
He discussed the unique challenges pilots face when landing at Reagan Airport, mentioning that there may be specific complications contributing to a higher likelihood of accidents like this one.
“It’s kind of a special safety airport that pilots need to have unique training on to fly in and out of if you’re an airline pilot. … [It] requires a bit more study to operate there safely because of the short runways, because of the proximity of other airports and because of the traffic level; it’s a high-traffic, high-density area. And lots of different kinds of traffic that’s mixed together.”
However, the investigation is still ongoing, and no causes have been shared with the public yet. According to Sully, they still do not know what caused the crash.
He also took the time to explain the reality of air safety as a whole, highlighting the numerous factors that must align daily to prevent catastrophic events like the one that occurred on Wednesday.
“We have to realize how many things have to go right every day for us to have this now ultra-safe transportation industry. Any lapse could potentially be fatal, even though we have a lot of safety layers in there. If all the dominos line up in the wrong way, we can have, on rare occasions, a catastrophic event — and it’s important to know that given enough time, given enough flights, given enough flight hours, eventually whatever can happen will happen, unless we work very hard to prevent every incident from turning into an accident.”
This might sound scary when heard in the context of yesterday’s crash, but Sully reassures everyone that plane travel is still extremely safe
Sully said the likelihood of a plane crash is “infinitesimal.”
He ended his interview by saying he was “just devastated” by the crash and added, “We have the obligation to learn from every failure and improve.”
Watch his full interview below.
