Capt. Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger III, the pilot who performed the “Miracle on the Hudson” in 2009, revealed on Tuesday that doctors have diagnosed him with Alzheimer’s disease. He learned of the diagnosis in August 2025, according to People.
“It is early stage,” he told the magazine. “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.”
The first signs that something was wrong, Sully said, was when he noticed he’d started forgetting things, since he once had a photographic memory. Sullenberger’s wife, Lorrie, told People that Sully remained focused. “That strength and steadiness is guiding us as a family,” she said. “We’re supporting him on this journey that we now walk with so many other families. Though the future is uncertain, we continue to live our lives, have hope, and find joy in the everyday.”
Like actor Danny Glover, who spoke out about his Alzheimer’s diagnosis earlier this month, when Sully learned of his diagnosis, he decided the best first step was to release a statement to help educate people about the disease, which affects millions. Alzheimer’s affects people’s cognition and memory.
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“This new phase of my life has challenged what it means to be of service,” Sully told People. “And the answer is to speak up. It is my hope that by sharing this, other families living in the shadows with this disease will feel they too can step forward.”
On Jan. 15, 2009, Sully landed US Airways Flight 1549 after a bird flew into an engine, stopping it, on the Hudson River between New York City and New Jersey. That act saved the lives of 155 passengers and crew. Tom Hanks portrayed Sully in the 2016 biopic Sully. In September, Sully will be inducted into the National Aviation Hall of Fame.
