'Sully' Sullenberger Announces Early-Stage Alzheimer's Diagnosis

Capt. Chesley B. "Sully" Sullenberger III, the pilot best known for safely landing US Airways Flight 1549 on the Hudson River after a bird strike disabled both engines in 2009, has announced that he has been diagnosed with early-stage Alzheimer's disease.

Sullenberger, 75, shared the news Tuesday in a statement posted on his personal website.

“My doctor, Dr. Gil Rabinovici with UCSF Medical Center, has opened my eyes to the prevalence of Alzheimer's,” Sullenberger wrote. “This disease, he has told me, spares no age group and impacts millions of people around the world. It is the unwanted visitor at the door.”

Alzheimer's disease is a progressive brain disorder and the most common form of dementia. It gradually affects memory, thinking, and other cognitive abilities. While treatments may help manage symptoms, there is currently no cure.

Sullenberger became internationally recognized after successfully landing US Airways Flight 1549 in the Hudson River on Jan. 15, 2009, saving the lives of all 155 people aboard after both engines failed following a bird strike. The event became known as the "Miracle on the Hudson" and was later portrayed in the 2016 film Sully, starring Tom Hanks.

Throughout his career, Sullenberger has served as a commercial airline pilot, aviation safety expert, accident investigator, and U.S. ambassador to the United Nations' International Civil Aviation Organization.

In his statement, Sullenberger reflected on the courage shown by passengers and first responders during the Hudson River emergency and said he intends to bring that same determination to his latest challenge.

“Over the years, when people would ask about the successful outcome of Flight 1549, I would say that 'courage can be contagious,' and on that day it helped everyone band together to get everyone off that airplane successfully,” he wrote. “Now we need that courage to battle this disease. I am now part of a larger community with many of you, and we will be courageous together.”

Originally reported by Alexandra Skores, CNN.