Captain Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger, the pilot celebrated for the 2009 “Miracle on the Hudson,” is urging people to undergo Alzheimer’s testing during his first televised interview since revealing his diagnosis.
The 75-year-old announced in mid-July that he had been diagnosed with early-stage Alzheimer’s disease, a progressive condition that gradually affects memory and cognitive abilities.
Sullenberger and his wife of 37 years, Lorrie, discussed their experience with the disease in an interview with Robin Roberts on Good Morning America.
The couple said Sullenberger received the official diagnosis in August 2025, although they had noticed concerning changes well before then.
“I think we began to notice that I was changing in the few years before that,” Sullenberger said in a clip teased by ABC News on Tuesday.
Lorrie said they chose to speak publicly in the hope that others would recognize possible warning signs and consider seeking testing that could significantly affect their lives.
“That’s part of why we wanted to do the interview today, because a lot of what I think people see in the news are late-stage Alzheimer’s symptoms,” she said.
“In the very beginning, they are so subtle. It’s what’s unusual for your person,” she added.
Captain Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger (pictured right), the pilot of the “Miracle on the Hudson,” is encouraging people to seek Alzheimer’s testing after his diagnosis
The 75-year-old said he has early-stage Alzheimer’s disease, which progressively damages memory and cognitive function
Sullenberger emphasized that identifying Alzheimer’s early may give patients and families more time and flexibility to manage the condition.
“Early diagnosis is so critically important. If you have doubts, get tested because the sooner you act, the more options there are, the better the outcome is likely to be,” he said.
The couple’s full interview was scheduled to air Wednesday morning on ABC.
When Sullenberger first disclosed his diagnosis in July, he also spoke about how he and Lorrie were choosing to remain hopeful.
“Lorrie and I often said we won the baby lottery with our two daughters. And we have learned what people say is actually true: that grandchildren are a game changer. Our granddaughter gives a whole new meaning to life,” he said.
“With that said, I recently found out I have 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.”
Although he expects the disease to affect his memory, Sullenberger said his “diagnosis will not prevent me from looking forward to and appreciating our future.”
Sullenberger and his wife, Lorrie, have been married for 37 years and spoke with Robin Roberts on Good Morning America about living with his diagnosis
Sullenberger shares a toast with members of the crew of US Airways Flight 1549 in 2009
Sullenberger was hailed a hero after he famously landed a damaged plane on the Hudson river in New York City in 2009 following a bird strike.
‘I will navigate this chapter with my wonderful family by my side,’ he said, sharing how Lorrie has asked that others show them hope in this time of need.
‘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 added.
‘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.’
An estimated 7.2 million Americans aged 65 and older are living with Alzheimer’s, according to the Alzheimer’s Association.
The disease was also the fifth-leading cause of death among people over age 65 in 2024.
Sullenberger highlighted how he is now using the ‘greater voice afforded to me by The Miracle on the Hudson’ to speak out about the global impact of Alzheimer’s.
‘My doctor, Dr Gil Rabinovici with UCSF Medical Center, has opened my eyes to the prevalence of Alzheimer’s,’ he wrote in his statement.
Sullenberger was hailed a hero after he famously landed a damaged plane on the Hudson river in New York City in 2009 following a bird strike
Sullenberger, his wife Lorrie, and their two daughters, Kelly and Kate. The retired pilot said that he and his wife ‘won the baby lottery with our two daughters’
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‘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.’
He added: ‘So this new phase of my life has challenged what it means to be of service. And the answer is to speak up. It is my hope that by sharing this, other families living in the shadows with this disease will feel they too can step forward.’
Sully was behind the yoke of US Airways Flight 1549 on January 15, 2009 when it encountered double engine failure after colliding with a flock of geese after takeoff from NYC’s LaGuardia airport.
All 155 people on board survived the plane’s crash landing into the Hudson, which has since been dubbed the Miracle on the Hudson.
Sully was portrayed by Tom Hanks in the 2016 movie named after him about the flight, which Clint Eastwood directed.