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Updated on: July 15, 2026 / 10:35 AM EDT
/ CBS News
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Capt. Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger, who famously landed a passenger jet on the Hudson River in 2009, shared Tuesday he has been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. "It is early stage. 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," he wrote in a post on social media. His statement was first shared with People magazine.Alzheimer's is a brain condition that gradually causes problems with memory and other skills. It is the most common cause of dementia. There is no cure, but there are medications that can slow the progression of the disease, CBS News chief medical correspondent Jon LaPook said. Sullenberger became a national hero when his quick thinking saved 155 people on board US Airways Flight 1549 on Jan. 15, 2009. Shortly after takeoff from New York's LaGuardia Airport, both engines of the plane started to fail due to a bird strike. In less than four minutes, Sullenberger and his crew executed an emergency water landing in the Hudson River, after determining landing at an airport wasn't feasible, according to a cockpit voice recorder transcript. All passengers and crew members were then evacuated from the plane and rescued by first responders.The landing would become known as the "Miracle on the Hudson" and was portrayed in the 2016 film titled "Sully."
