US Airways Flight 1549

US Airways
Industry	Airline
Founded	1939; 87 years ago
Headquarters	Tempe, United States
Products	Air transport services

US Airways Flight 1549 was a regularly scheduled service operated by US Airways, traveling from LaGuardia Airport in New York City to Charlotte and Seattle. On January 15, 2009, shortly after departure, the Airbus A320 collided with a flock of birds, resulting in the failure of both engines. Captains Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger and Jeffrey Skiles made the decision to perform an emergency water landing on the Hudson River near Midtown Manhattan. All 155 people aboard were safely evacuated by nearby vessels; no lives were lost, although 100 passengers sustained injuries, five of which were serious. The interval between the bird strike and the water landing was less than four minutes.

New York Governor David Paterson famously referred to the incident as the "Miracle on the Hudson," while the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) hailed it as "the most successful ditching in aviation history." Simulations of the flight indicated that a prompt attempt to return to LaGuardia might have been feasible; however, the NTSB determined that ditching in the river offered the greatest likelihood of survival under actual circumstances.

In recognition of their extraordinary efforts, the pilots and cabin crew were awarded the Master's Medal by the Guild of Air Pilots and Air Navigators for their "heroic and unique aviation achievement."

Background

On January 15, 2009, US Airways Flight 1549—also identified as United Airlines Flight 1919 (UA1919) due to a Star Alliance codeshare agreement—was scheduled to fly from New York City's LaGuardia Airport (LGA) to Seattle–Tacoma International Airport (SEA), with an intermediate stop at Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT). The aircraft involved was an Airbus A320-214, equipped with two CFM56-5B4/P turbofan engines. Registered as N106US and delivered to US Airways in August 1999, this plane had completed 16,299 flights accumulating a total of 25,241 flight hours. Its most recent maintenance included an "A Check" on December 6, 2008, and a comprehensive "C Check" on April 19, 2008.

Captain Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger served as pilot in command; a former Air Force fighter pilot with a total of 19,663 flight hours, including 4,765 hours on the A320. He was widely acknowledged for his expertise in aviation safety. The first officer was Jeffrey Skiles, who had logged 15,643 flight hours overall but only 37 on the A320; this flight marked his initial experience as pilot flying on this aircraft type. Onboard were 150 passengers along with three flight attendants—Sheila Dail, Donna Dent, and Doreen Welsh—who were later commended for their exemplary conduct during the emergency.

Takeoff and bird strike

The aircraft received clearance for takeoff from LaGuardia's Runway 4 at 15:24:56 EST. With First Officer Skiles at the controls, the crew reported reaching approximately 700 feet altitude while climbing shortly after liftoff. Weather conditions included visibility of ten miles with broken cloud cover at 3,700 feet and winds between eight and nine knots.

At approximately 15:27:11, during ascent at an altitude near 2,818 feet and about 4.5 miles north-northwest of LaGuardia Airport, the plane struck a flock of Canada geese. Passengers and crew heard loud noises accompanied by visible flames from both engines followed by silence and a strong smell of fuel. Both engines lost power; Captain Sullenberger took over control while First Officer Skiles attempted to restart them without success. Although the aircraft decelerated, it continued climbing for another nineteen seconds reaching roughly 3,060 feet at about 185 knots before entering a glide descent that accelerated to approximately 210 knots at an altitude near 1,650 feet.

At 15:27:33, Sullenberger declared a mayday to New York TRACON: "Cactus fifteen thirty nine, hit birds. We've lost thrust on both engines. We're turning back towards LaGuardia." Air traffic controller Patrick Harten immediately halted departures and directed Flight 1549 toward Runway 13; however, Sullenberger replied that returning was not possible ("Unable"). He then inquired about alternative landing sites across New Jersey and mentioned Teterboro Airport specifically. Clearance was granted for Teterboro's Runway 1; initially agreeing to attempt landing there, Sullenberger soon reported they could not make it and declared: "We're gonna be in the Hudson." The plane passed less than 900 feet above the George Washington Bridge as Sullenberger instructed passengers to brace for impact while flight attendants communicated these orders onboard. Meanwhile, air traffic controllers alerted Coast Guard personnel to prepare for rescue operations along the Hudson River.

Ditching and evacuation

Approximately ninety seconds later, at 15:30, the aircraft performed an unpowered water landing, gliding southward into the central portion of the Hudson River's tidal estuary, known as the North River. This occurred at coordinates , situated on the New York side near West 50th Street, close to the Intrepid Museum in Midtown Manhattan and opposite Port Imperial in Weehawken, New Jersey.

Flight data recorder information revealed the plane struck the water at a calibrated airspeed of , with a pitch angle of 9.5°, a flight path angle of −3.4°, an angle of attack between 13° and 14°, and descending at a rate of . Flight attendants characterized the ditching as a firm touchdown featuring a single impact without bouncing, followed by gradual slowing. The outgoing tide then propelled the aircraft southward.

Captain Sullenberger opened the cockpit door and commanded the evacuation. Passengers exited through four overwing window exits and an inflatable slide-raft deployed from the front right door; however, the front left slide failed to inflate automatically and had to be inflated manually. The evacuation process was hindered when the rear left door was opened, allowing water ingress—whether this action was taken by a flight attendant or passenger remains unclear. Additional water entered through damage to the fuselage and open cargo doors, prompting crew members to encourage passengers to move forward by climbing over seats. Although Airbus A320s are equipped with a control designed to seal openings after water landings, known as the "ditch switch," this feature was not engaged. Sullenberger later remarked that activating it likely would have had minimal effect due to significant fuselage damage. Among the passengers was an individual using a wheelchair. Sullenberger made two thorough walks through the cabin to ensure no one remained aboard.

The air temperature was approximately , while the water temperature was around . Some evacuees waited knee-deep in water atop partially submerged slides, many wearing life vests; others stood on the wings or swam away out of concern for potential explosion. One passenger who had assisted with evacuation found the wing overcrowded and chose to swim toward a nearby boat.

Rescue

Within minutes, two NY Waterway ferries arrived and began boarding survivors using a Jason's cradle; numerous additional vessels, including those from the U.S. Coast Guard, rapidly joined in rescue efforts. Captain Sullenberger instructed ferry crews to prioritize rescuing individuals on the wings first, as they faced greater risk than those on slides that had detached and were functioning as life rafts. The final person was removed from the aircraft at 15:55.

Approximately 140 firefighters from New York City responded at nearby docks, supported by police officers, helicopters, boats, and divers. Medical assistance was provided primarily on the Weehawken side of the river, where most survivors were transported.

Aftermath

The incident resulted in 95 passengers and crew members sustaining minor injuries, while five suffered more serious wounds, including a severe laceration to a flight attendant’s leg. Medical attention was provided to seventy-eight individuals, primarily for minor trauma and hypothermia. Of these, twenty-four passengers and two rescue personnel required hospitalization, with two passengers remaining overnight for observation. One traveler needed prescription glasses after experiencing eye irritation caused by jet fuel exposure. No animals were on board during the flight.

Each affected passenger received a formal apology letter along with $5,000 in compensation for lost luggage, with the possibility of an additional $5,000 for more significant losses. Ticket refunds were also issued. By May 2009, recovered personal items were returned to their owners. Some passengers stated they were offered $10,000 each in exchange for waiving legal claims against US Airways.

Many survivors and rescuers exhibited symptoms consistent with post-traumatic stress disorder, including insomnia, flashbacks, and panic episodes. In response, some formed an email-based support network. Air traffic controller Patrick Harten described the period following the event as "the hardest, most traumatic part," characterized by intense shock and sorrow.

Captain Sullenberger attributed the successful emergency water landing to his extensive experience and rigorous training during an interview with AARP Magazine: "For 42 years, I’ve been making small, regular deposits in this bank of experience... On January 15, the balance was sufficient for a very large withdrawal."

To reduce the risk of future bird strikes, authorities culled 1,235 Canada geese within New York City in mid-2009 and treated 1,739 goose eggs to prevent hatching. By 2017, approximately 70,000 birds had been removed through wildlife management programs initiated after this event.

The aircraft involved in the accident, N106US, was acquired by the Sullenberger Aviation Museum in Charlotte, North Carolina. The plane and its engines are exhibited there as part of the museum’s collection.

Investigation

The aircraft, found partially submerged, was towed downstream and anchored close to the World Financial Center in Lower Manhattan, approximately from where it had ditched. On January 17, it was moved by barge to a location in New Jersey. The left engine, which had separated during the ditching, was retrieved from the riverbed on January 23.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) initially determined that the loss of thrust resulted from a bird strike, a conclusion supported by data from both the cockpit voice recorder and the flight data recorder. Two days prior to the incident, the aircraft had encountered a compressor stall in its right engine due to a malfunctioning temperature sensor, which was replaced after inspections confirmed no damage.

On January 21, investigators discovered signs of soft-tissue impact damage and organic debris, including feathers, within the right engine; similar damage with fractured parts was found in the left engine. Both engines, missing significant portions of their casings, were forwarded to their respective manufacturers for detailed analysis. DNA testing later identified the bird remains as Canada geese, species known to exceed standard engine ingestion tolerance levels.

Because the aircraft was assembled in France, the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and France’s Bureau of Enquiry and Analysis for Civil Aviation Safety (BEA) participated in the investigation alongside technical experts from Airbus and GE Aviation/Snecma, responsible for the airframe and engines.

The NTSB conducted flight simulator tests to evaluate whether returning to LaGuardia or diverting to Teterboro was possible; out of thirteen simulated attempts to return to LaGuardia, only seven were successful, while one of two attempts to reach Teterboro succeeded. However, the NTSB considered these simulations overly optimistic because they assumed immediate pilot reactions without accounting for real-life decision-making delays. When a 35-second delay was incorporated into a simulation, it resulted in a crash. Captain Sullenberger testified that there was insufficient time to safely reach an airport.

The Board concluded that Captain Sullenberger’s choice to ditch was appropriate, emphasizing that checklists for dual-engine failure are intended for scenarios at higher altitudes where pilots have more time to respond. Although simulations showed potential returns to LaGuardia under idealized conditions, these assumed instantaneous decisions without situational evaluation.

On May 4, 2010, the NTSB released its final report identifying "ingestion of large birds into each engine" leading to nearly complete thrust loss as the probable cause. The report praised the crew’s decision-making and coordination, highlighted the A320’s extended overwater certification (ETOPS) which provided life vests and rafts onboard, noted effective evacuation procedures, and recognized nearby rescue vessels’ proximity. Additional factors aiding survival included clear weather and swift emergency response. The report issued 34 recommendations covering areas such as enhanced engine bird-strike resistance testing at low speeds; creation of dual-engine failure checklists tailored for low-altitude scenarios; improved pilot training focused on water landings; mandatory life vest availability on all flights; strengthened wildlife hazard management; aircraft design improvements aimed at reducing bird strikes; research into passenger brace positions; and strategies to increase passenger engagement during safety briefings.

Author and aviator William Langewiesche emphasized the significance of the A320’s fly-by-wire system—where pilot commands via side-stick controls are moderated by flight computers enforcing stability constraints—which allowed pilots to concentrate on restarting engines and navigating course options without needing manual glidepath control. Nonetheless, Captain Sullenberger noted that these computer-imposed limits also prevented executing an optimal landing flare that might have lessened impact forces.

Crew distinctions and recognitions

A member of the NTSB board described the ditching as "the most successful... in aviation history." The Governor of New York State, David Paterson, famously referred to it as the "Miracle on the Hudson." U.S. President George W. Bush lauded the crew for their exceptional skill and bravery, while President-elect Barack Obama praised Captain Sullenberger’s "heroic and graceful job," extending an invitation for the crew to attend his inauguration.

On January 22, 2009, the Guild of Air Pilots and Air Navigators honored the crew with their prestigious Master's Medal, celebrating remarkable accomplishments in aviation. New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg awarded them Keys to the City and gifted Sullenberger a replacement copy of a library book that had been lost during the flight. Emergency responders involved in the rescue were also granted Certificates of Honor.

The team received a standing ovation during Super Bowl XLIII. Additionally, Sullenberger was given the honor of throwing out the ceremonial first pitch at the opening game of the 2009 Major League Baseball season with the San Francisco Giants. His jersey bore "Sully" along with the number 155, symbolizing all passengers aboard.

In July 2009, passengers Dave Sanderson and Barry Leonard hosted a luncheon to express gratitude toward emergency personnel.

Sullenberger served as Grand Marshal for the 2010 Rose Parade. After a distinguished 30-year career with US Airways and its predecessor airlines, he retired on March 3, 2010, marking his final flight by reuniting with both crew members and passengers.

The entire flight crew was awarded the National Air and Space Museum Trophy for Current Achievement on April 28, 2010. Later, in 2013, they were inducted into the International Air & Space Hall of Fame.

In August 2010, Jeppesen, a prominent aeronautical chart publisher, released a commemorative approach plate titled "Hudson Miracle APCH," dedicated to Flight 1549’s five crew members.

In popular culture

Captain Sullenberger’s 2009 memoir, Highest Duty: My Search for What Really Matters, was transformed into the feature film Sully, directed by Clint Eastwood. The movie starred Tom Hanks as Sullenberger and Aaron Eckhart as First Officer Skiles. Distributed by Warner Bros. on September 9, 2016, it emphasizes leadership and business principles in crisis situations.

Irish composer Donnacha Dennehy created Hard Landing, a piece inspired by the incident commissioned by the BBC. This work was first performed by the BBC National Orchestra of Wales on February 6, 2025, and later broadcast on BBC Radio 3 on March 29, 2025.

In 2025, episode three of season two of The Rehearsal, titled "Pilot's Code," features Nathan Fielder reenacting US Airways Flight 1549 within a flight simulator while portraying Sullenberger. The season finale includes an actual flight over the Mojave Desert humorously named the "Miracle over the Mojave," paying homage to Sullenberger’s famed "Miracle on the Hudson."

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