# ‘Miracle on the Hudson’ Pilot Sully Sullenberger Reveals Alzheimer’s Diagnosis, Vows to Keep Looking Forward
Captain Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger III, the retired airline pilot whose split-second decision-making saved 155 lives when he glided a crippled jetliner onto the Hudson River in 2009, disclosed this week that he has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease.
The 75-year-old aviator, who has deep Texas roots as a Denison native, shared the news in a personal statement posted to his website and in an interview with People magazine, marking a strikingly candid turn for a man long regarded as one of America’s most composed public figures.
## An Early-Stage Diagnosis, Shared Publicly
,Sullenberger wrote that he recently found out he has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, describing it as early stage., ,He explained that for now, this means a name may not come easily to him, he forgets a story he has recently told, or he doesn’t sleep as well, but that he is in the beginning of this long journey.,
According to ,reports, Sullenberger was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in August 2025, but the disease is still in its early stage, affecting his memory and sleep., In his own statement, he credited his physician with helping him understand the scope of the disease. ,He said his doctor, Dr. Gil Rabinovici with UCSF Medical Center, opened his eyes to the prevalence of Alzheimer’s, noting that the disease spares no age group and impacts millions of people around the world, calling it the unwanted visitor at the door.,
Family remains central to how Sullenberger is processing the diagnosis. ,He reflected that he and his wife, Lorrie, often said they won the baby lottery with their two daughters, and that grandchildren have proven to be a game changer, adding that their granddaughter gives a whole new meaning to life — before revealing his diagnosis in that same message., ,He acknowledged that, like millions of families impacted by the disease, they had to debate their next steps before going public.,
His wife, Lorrie, offered her own message of steadiness, saying ,”Just as he was the same steady person before and after Flight 1549, he is the same steady person now, before and after this diagnosis.”,
## Calling on the “Courage” That Defined the Hudson Landing
Sullenberger, who has spent recent years traveling the country as an aviation safety advocate, drew a direct line between the crisis he faced in the cockpit in 2009 and the one he now faces personally. He has often said that courage can be contagious, crediting that spirit with helping everyone aboard Flight 1549 make it off the plane safely — and he said that same resolve is needed now to confront Alzheimer’s, framing himself as part of a larger community bound together in facing the disease.
He added that although the diagnosis may affect his memory of the past, it will not stop him from looking ahead, and that he intends to face this new chapter surrounded by his family.
## The Flight That Made Him a Household Name
Sullenberger’s disclosure resonates far beyond the diagnosis itself because of the singular event that made him internationally famous. ,He is best known for safely landing US Airways Flight 1549 on the Hudson River in 2009 after the plane lost power in both engines., ,On January 15, 2009, a bird strike caused double engine failure to Flight 1549, but Sullenberger acted decisively, landing the plane in the middle of the New York waterway and saving all 155 people aboard.,
The episode, forever remembered as the “Miracle on the Hudson,” ,was later dramatized in the 2016 film “Sully,” directed by Clint Eastwood and starring Tom Hanks in the title role., ,Sullenberger and his crew received international acclaim for their actions, including the passage of a Congressional resolution recognizing their bravery, and he was ranked second in TIME’s list of the year’s most influential heroes and icons.,
,After serving as a fighter pilot in the U.S. Air Force, Sullenberger worked as an airline pilot, instructor and accident investigator until his retirement in March 2010, roughly a year after guiding his crew through the emergency landing that made him a household name., He has since become a fixture in aviation safety circles, testifying before Congress and serving as a U.S. ambassador to the International Civil Aviation Organization.
His accolades continue even as he confronts this new health challenge: ,Sullenberger is set to be inducted into the National Aviation Hall of Fame in September.,
## A Message Meant to Help Others
Sullenberger has framed his decision to go public with deeply personal medical news as an extension of the same public-service instinct that guided him through the emergency landing 17 years ago. By speaking openly about his diagnosis, he has said he hopes other families quietly living with Alzheimer’s will feel emboldened to share their own stories rather than face the disease in isolation.
,According to the Alzheimer’s Association, more than 7 million people age 65 and older live with the disease in the United States, — a staggering figure that underscores why advocates say high-profile disclosures like Sullenberger’s can help destigmatize the condition and encourage earlier diagnosis and treatment.
For now, Sullenberger says he plans to keep flying privately, keep speaking on aviation safety, and keep leaning on the same steady temperament that once calmed a cabin full of terrified passengers — this time, with his family by his side as he navigates whatever comes next.