Monday marks the 15th anniversary of U.S. Airways Flight 1549 crash-landing into the Hudson River just moments after taking off from LaGuardia Airport, creating the iconic "Miracle on the Hudson."
The plane lost all engine power after striking a flock of Canada geese shortly after takeoff from LaGuardia, prompting pilots Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger and Jeffrey Skiles to skillfully glide the plane into a ditching on the river, ultimately saving all 155 people onboard.
Sullenberger, along with some of the passengers and crew, reunited on Thursday night at the Paley Center for a candid conversation about that day. Reflecting on the passage of 15 years, they emphasized that the memories of the flight and the emotions associated with it remain vivid.
"I’m ever more grateful for the outcome that we had, that we were able to save every life between the passengers and crew and first responders and rescuers. And I think it was at a time when we needed a story that gave us hope. And I think it’s this hopeful vision for humanity and the future that we can hold onto even in difficult times," said Sullenberger.
Over the years, passengers, crew members and first responders have attested to the life-changing impact of the event. The outcome could have been drastically different if not for the heroism displayed by Sullenberger and co-pilot Jeffrey Skiles.
“The emergency happened, honestly I thought everyone had died, you know when they said it was going in the Hudson,” Patrick Harten, an air traffic controller, told NY1 in 2020.
“There was no question in my mind, I was going to die,” passenger Denise Lackey said the same year.
From bird strike to landing, the entire event lasted about four minutes, but the ordeal continued as all passengers and crew had to evacuate onto the wing of the aircraft, standing knee-deep in freezing water as boats rushed to the scene.
New York Waterways Ferry Captain Manny Liba, among the first to arrive, described the plane on the water as "like a giant spaceship” on the ten year anniversary of the event.
In total, 14 New York Waterway ferries saved 143 passengers and crew members, with the U.S. Coast Guard and FDNY saving another 12. It is recognized as the most successful marine rescue in aviation history.
Years later, those passengers, crew members and pilots all stay in touch, reuniting annually to provide comfort to one another and remember the “Miracle.”
“Because we share this amazing event, it was traumatic but ultimately hopeful, we have a bond, and I think that’s something we still feel,” said Sullenberger.
“I wouldn't say it changed me; it really made me appreciate, though, the value of the training that we go through as airline pilots. It’s always great to see the passengers, who we’ve become friends with over the years, had reunions with over the years. We don’t get as much opportunity to get back together like we did say in the first couple of years after the incident, but we share this bond because we share this common experience,” said Skiles.