It’s been 10 years since Captain Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger unexpectedly landed a US Airways plane on the Hudson River, dubbed the “Miracle on the Hudson.”
Even after a decade, the audio from Sullenberger’s cockpit is still terrifying to listen to.
On the afternoon of January 15, 2009, US Airways aircraft 1549 crashed with a flock of Canadian geese, destroying both engines. Sullenberger, a veteran United States Air Force fighter pilot, was able to save the lives of everyone on board the jet by landing in the Hudson River after realizing he couldn’t make it back to LaGuardia Airport.
Even though no lives were lost in the tragedy, listening to the cockpit audio is nonetheless unsettling.
“My name is Cactus 1549. Hit the birds. Both of our engines have lost thrust. “We’re returning to LaGuardia,” Sullenberger informs the air traffic controller, calmly adding, “We could end up in the Hudson.”
The air traffic controller answers that Sullenberger has been approved to make an emergency landing at LaGuardia, but the captain says he is “unable.” The controller then tells the pilot that the plane may land at neighboring Teeterboro Airport in New Jersey, but Sullenberger states, “We can’t do it.” “We’ll be in the Hudson.”
“Cactus 1549, radar contact is lost,” the recording concludes chillingly.
In a subsequent recording, the controller summons emergency services.
“Get me a police department helicopter… right now,” he says. “You can get anyone. You direct them to the Lincoln Tunnel. We had a Cactus Airbus crash into the water… He went down the river, close to the Intrepid.”
Sullenberger, now 67, has been lauded as a hero and is possibly the world’s most famous pilot. He struggled at first to deal with the hero title.
“I resisted the H word initially,” he said in 2016. “But I certainly have grown to understand people’s need to feel the way they feel about this event and, by extension, about me.”
Sullenberger is still in contact with several of the people he saved.
“In those few seconds that we had, I never had any extraneous thoughts.” I didn’t allow myself to, nor did I have any desire to. I never considered my family. On the tenth anniversary, Sullenberger stated, “I never thought about anything other than controlling the flight path and solving each problem in turn until, finally, we had solved them all.” “I consider not only what we did but also what everyone else did.” All of the puzzle parts have to fit together. This gang of strangers had to rise to the occasion and ensure that every life was saved.”
What Sullenberger did 10 years ago will live with us forever! You may hear the cockpit call for yourself below.