Chesley Sullenberger Announces Alzheimer’s Diagnosis

Chesley Sullenberger announced on July 14, 2026, that he has been diagnosed with early-stage Alzheimer’s disease. The 75-year-old retired pilot said the condition remains in its initial phase. “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,” Sullenberger stated. He added that the diagnosis will not halt his forward outlook. “Though it may impact my memory of the past, this diagnosis will not prevent me from looking forward to and appreciating our future,” he said.

Sullenberger stated he will navigate the chapter with his family. Sullenberger became known for landing US Airways Flight 1549 on the Hudson River on January 15, 2009, after a bird strike disabled both engines. All 155 people aboard survived.

He retired from professional piloting in March 2010 after three decades. In the statement Sullenberger linked the diagnosis to the resolve shown during the flight. “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 said.

“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,” he added. NBC News reported that Sullenberger hopes sharing the diagnosis will encourage other families to step forward.

In recent years he established himself as a prominent advocate for aviation safety.