Plane Emergency Chesley Person Airplane Landing Large Flying

On January 15, 2009, Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger was the "pilot" (the person whose job is to fly a plane) of U.S. Airways Flight 1549 from New York City to Charlotte, North Carolina. Soon after "taking off" (leaving the ground and beginning to fly), the plane hit a large "flock of birds" (a large group of birds flying together). The "impact" (hit; collision), made the engines stop working.

Chesley knew that he wouldn't be able to get the plane to land at the nearest airport in New York, so he decided to make an emergency landing. He landed the plane in the Hudson River, even thought there wasn't any "thrust" (power to move forward) in the engines. How did he do that? Well, he had many years of experience "gliding" (flying without power, only with the wind), having earned his glider pilot's license when he was only 14 years old. He knew how to control a plane without engines, although obviously the plane he was flying that day was not supposed to be a glider.

Chesley's actions that day saved the lives of all 155 passengers. As the plane "floated" (stayed above the surface of the water) on the river, he made sure that everyone else had been "evacuated" (left the plane) before he became the last person to get off.

The story received a lot of "media coverage" (with many stories on TV and in the newspapers) and Chesley was congratulated by then-President George W. Bush and "President-elect" (the person who had been chosen to be the next president) Barack Obama. He has also received many "honors" (awards and recognition) for his "heroism" (bravery to help others). Many people have called him the "Hero of the Hudson."