Chesley ‘Sully’ Sullenberger has publicly disclosed a Sully Sullenberger Alzheimer’s diagnosis, announcing on 14 July 2026 that he is living with early-stage Alzheimer’s disease. The retired US Airways captain posted a statement to his website describing relatively mild symptoms and confirming he has begun treatment.
‘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, but I am in the beginning of this long journey,’ Sullenberger said in the statement, reported by Skyfarera Academy.
In making the announcement, Sullenberger, now 75, said he hoped that other families ‘living in the shadows with this disease will feel they too can step forward.’ He added: ‘I am now part of a larger community with many of you, and we will be courageous together.’
A life of service as the backdrop to the Sully Sullenberger Alzheimer’s announcement
According to The New York Times, Sullenberger framed the public disclosure as a continuation of a life spent in service, pointing to his work as a United States ambassador, his time in the Air Force and his career as an aviation accident investigator. Speaking publicly about the diagnosis, he said, was another way to serve others.
That career spans several decades. Before joining the airlines, Sullenberger graduated from the US Air Force Academy, served as a fighter pilot, flight leader and training officer, reached the rank of captain, and took part in multinational Red Flag exercises as a mission commander. He also performed accident-investigation duties for the Air Force and served as a safety representative for the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA), before helping to develop the crew resource management course used by US Airways.
Sullenberger retired from US Airways in 2010 after a 30-year airline career that began with Pacific Southwest Airlines. By the time of Flight 1549, he had logged more than 20,000 flight hours.
Flight 1549 and the Hudson River landing that defined his public profile
Sullenberger became one of the most recognised pilots in the world on 15 January 2009. US Airways Flight 1549 struck a flock of birds shortly after departing New York LaGuardia Airport, causing the Airbus A320 to lose almost all thrust from both engines within about two minutes of takeoff. Sullenberger and First Officer Jeff Skiles determined the aircraft could not safely reach LaGuardia or nearby Teterboro Airport. They put the aircraft down on the icy Hudson River near midtown Manhattan.
All 155 people aboard survived. The flight carried 150 passengers and five crew members. One flight attendant and four passengers suffered injuries, according to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). The NTSB subsequently credited the pilots’ decision-making and crew resource management, the cabin crew’s evacuation work, and the rapid response of nearby ferry boats and emergency services with making the accident survivable. The landing became widely known as the ‘Miracle on the Hudson.’
The story was retold in the 2016 film Sully, directed by Clint Eastwood, with Tom Hanks playing Sullenberger and Aaron Eckhart portraying Skiles.
After retiring from flying, Sullenberger became one of the most prominent public voices on aviation safety. He testified before Congress in 2019 that Boeing 737 MAX pilots should receive simulator training before the aircraft returned to service following two fatal crashes, and he opposed moves to reduce airline-pilot experience requirements. In 2022, he served as the US ambassador to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), the United Nations agency responsible for setting global civil aviation standards.
Sullenberger’s statement makes clear the Sully Sullenberger Alzheimer’s diagnosis is at an early stage and that he intends to remain publicly active. His next formal commitment, as set out in his statement, is continuing advocacy on behalf of others affected by the disease.
