“Miracle on the Hudson” Pilot Sully Sullenberger Diagnosed with Alzheimer’s

On January 15th, 2009, both engines on US Airways Flight 1549 shut down after a bird strike shortly after takeoff. Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger landed the plane on the Hudson River, saving all 155 people on board, with news outlets calling the event the “Miracle on the Hudson.” Sullenberger used the fame afforded by his heroism to speak about aviation safety. 

Earlier this month, Sullenberger, now 75, revealed he was diagnosed with early-stage Alzheimer’s in August 2025. He intends to shift his advocacy efforts toward the disease, which affects more than seven million Americans over 65. 

“So this new phase of my life has challenged what it means to be of service. And the answer is to speak up,” he wrote in a statement. “It is my hope that by sharing this, other families living in the shadows with this disease will feel they too can step forward.” 

Getting an early diagnosis 

It’s normal to experience changes to memory and thinking with age. However, when these symptoms affect daily life, it may be a sign of a larger problem.

In the earliest stages of the disease, someone might have trouble remembering appointments or miss payments on their bills. “For now, this means a name may not come easily to me, I forget a story I have recently told, or I don’t sleep as well.” Sullenberger wrote.

But these symptoms overlap with many reversible medical conditions. Fortunately, most of the time these changes aren’t caused by Alzheimer’s disease.

To figure out an accurate diagnosis, doctors will take a medical history, run standard blood tests, and perform routine brain scans. This can reveal whether the memory and thinking problems result from medication side effects, vitamin and hormone deficiencies, depression, or other medical conditions rather than Alzheimer’s. 

Then doctors may run a blood test that could help rule out whether someone has  signs of Alzheimer’s proteins in their  brain. If needed, they can send the person  to a specialist who can try to confirm the diagnosis by looking for signs of Alzheimer’s-related proteins called beta-amyloid, using biomarker tests such as a PET brain scan, lumbar puncture, or additional blood tests. 

Getting an early diagnosis like Sullenberger gives families more time to plan for the future, to take part in clinical trials, and to see if they qualify for two approved treatments that may slightly slow the course of the disease in the earliest stages.

“Courage can be contagious.”

For years after landing the Miracle on the Hudson, Sullenberger would tell people that “courage can be contagious.” Now he’s hoping that speaking out about Alzheimer’s could push advocacy and research efforts forward. 

He spent time with his wife, Lorrie, discussing whether to publicly disclose his diagnosis, but ultimately shared so that others don’t feel alone.

“We have been shocked by the number of friends who are personally touched by this disease and still have been trying to keep their struggle a secret,” he wrote on LinkedIn. The sheer number of people is personally astounding. A few people have told us they have made appointments to be tested as well.” 

The recent approvals of the newest disease modifying drugs Leqembi and Kisunla, and the development of blood tests that help diagnose the disease have galvanized the field. But scientists are still working on developing better treatments and prevention strategies. 

“Now we need that courage to battle this disease,” he wrote. “I am now part of a larger community with many of you, and we will be courageous together.”

Photo: U.S. Department of State/Wikimedia Commons