"Miracle on the Hudson" Pilot Chesley B. "Sully" Sullenberger a Humble Hero
Lorrie Sullenberger: "He's a Consummate Professional"
All 150 passengers and 5 crewmen exited the plane safely as it sank below the waters of the Hudson. A Hudson River ferry was first on the scene, but a string of vessels soon had everyone safely ashore.
According to the New York Daily News, George Hamlin, a former Airbus executive said that Manhattan owed him a huge debt of gratitude. "Ditching an aircraft is a significant accomplishment on the part of the pilot, as opposed to crashing one. There's no place for an airplane of that size to land in Manhattan."
New York City Mayor Bloomberg praised the pilot at a press conference, noting that Sullenberger made two passes down the aisle of his sinking plane before exiting.
New York Governor David Patterson called it a "Miracle on the Hudson."
Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger's wife, Lorrie Sullenberger, seemed not to be the least surprised that her husband had done something no one had done in 45 years - land an airplane in water without a fatality.
Lorrie Sullenberger told CNN, "When he called me he said, `There's been an accident.' At first I thought it was something minor, but then he told me the circumstances and my body started shaking and I rushed to get our daughters out of school."
Chesley and Lorrie Sullenberger have two daughters, Katie and Kelly.
Lorrie Sullenberger told a group of reporters and cameramen outside her home that the family was "very proud" of her husband and was thankful that everyone was able to leave the plane safely. "This is the Sully I know," she said. "I always knew this is how he would react to something. He's a consummate professional." As to her husband's reaction to all the attention? "He's very humble," she said.
He can certainly afford to be. In article after article and interview after interview, Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger has been praised. One ABC reporter, Robin Roberts, described Sullenberger's guidance as a "perfect water landing." Roberts watched the entire crash landing into the Hudson River from her New York apartment.
Sullenberger owns a safety consulting firm, Safety Reliability Methods. After all the publicity from the "Miracle on the Hudson," there is little doubt that his firm will do quite well in the future.
Sullenberger and his wife, Lorrie, live with their two daughters in Danville, California.
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Sources:
ABC News
MercuryNews.com
CNN News
NYDailyNews.com
WCNC.com
Published by Saul Relative
WVU graduate, with degrees in History, English, Secondary Education, Computer Programming, and Psychology (and nearly a degree in Political Science). Originally from West Virginia, with stints in Virginia,... View profile
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1 Comments
Post a CommentGreat coverage.