Flight 1549: A Routine Takeoff Turns Ugly

Captain Sullenberger Recalls The Bird Strike And The Tense And Crucial Minutes That Followed

(CBS)  The airplane was about 3,000 feet over New York City and descending fast. Thirty seconds after the engines failed, Captain Sullenberger began urgently looking for someplace to land and radioed air traffic control.

The , but he didn't fly there. "I quickly determined that due to our distance from LaGuardia and the distance and altitude required to make the turn back to LaGuardia, it would be problematic reaching the runway and trying to make a runway I couldn't quite make could well be catastrophic to everyone on board, and persons on the ground. And my next thought was to consider Teterboro," he told Couric.

It soon became clear he couldn't make it to Teterboro either.

"The only viable alternative, the only level smooth place sufficiently large to land an airliner was the river," Sullenberger said.

The river, Sullenberger said, was right to his left, and he contacted air traffic control again. "I said, 'We're going in the Hudson.'"

That decision to go in the Hudson was made two and a half minutes into the flight - and just one minute after the birds had hit. Sullenberger and his co-pilot Jeff Skiles started preparing to land on the water.

Asked what kinds of things he'd have to think or worry about during that process, Sullenberger said, "As soon as I assumed control of the aircraft, I turned the engine ignition on. So if there was any chance of a relight, we would have gotten it automatically. The next thing I did was I started the auxiliary power unit, another small jet engine that we used to provide electrical power for the airplane."

But the engines didn't start. "No luck. I mean, I got the AP running, I turned the ignition on, but still, no usable thrust. We were descending rapidly toward the water," he recalled. "The water was coming up at us fast."

"Do you think about the passengers at that moment?" Couric asked.

"Not specifically," Sullenberger said. "I mean, more abstractly, perhaps. I mean, knew I had to solve this problem. I knew I had to find a way out of this box I found myself in."

Asked if he at any point prayed, he told Couric, "I would imagine somebody in back was taking care of that for me while I was flying the airplane."

"My focus at that point was so intensely on the landing," he said. "I thought of nothing else."

There were just three and a half minutes for Captain Sullenberger to accomplish what only a few commercial airline pilots had ever done, and he was determined to avoid the fate of an Ethiopian airliner, which landed in the Indian Ocean in 1996 and broke into pieces, killing most of the passengers on board.

"What were some of the things you had to do to make this landing successful?" Couric asked.

"I needed to touch down with the wings exactly level. I needed to touch down with the nose slightly up. I needed to touch down at a descent rate that was survivable. And I needed to touch down just above our minimum flying speed but not below it. And I needed to make all these things happen simultaneously," he explained.

And he had to keep his cool. "The physiological reaction I had to this was strong, and I had to force myself to use my training and force calm on the situation," he said.

He told Couric that wasn't a hard thing to do. "It just took some concentration."

And he told Couric the three-and-a-half minute descent actually felt like three and a half minutes - there was no sensation of slow motion. "I wish it had been. I might've thought about more things on the way down."

Asked what he saw from the cockpit, Sullenberger said, "I saw the river ahead of me. Long, wide with boats at the south end. We were trained to land in the water near other boats to facilitate rescue. That was where the airplane was headed and that was a good place to go."

The Landing:

[moreyel]

When CBS contracted to interview a true American hero, they should have known by then that he is a very intelligent, well spoken, thoughtful person. To have someone as empty headed as Couric interviewing him was shameful. Yes, she tried to get him to say there was panic in the isles and blood was flowing, but he wouldnt acquiesce. It could have been so much better with an interviewer that realized Sully's intelligence and asked more intelligent and thought provoking questions. I'm not sure what hold Ms Couric has over CBS, such as a high powered relative in the business or similar, but she is a disgrace. It wasnt hard to see Capt. Sullenberger was somewhat taken aback by her questions, but in true form, he answered politely and as thoroughly as he could, given the emptiness of the questions.

[Randers4]

I am so very very upset, why have you let that Stale Drug Bill Couric insult those "Real Heros" for over 30 minutes, no wonder I'm out of work, I could never put on a show so stale, we have ALL heard ALL of it before, that Captain & his staff deserve all they can get but they don't deserve the insults of Couric, the only reason I watch CBS as it is, is because my real dad is Bob Simons?/Pat Sjakak, me & Susie Richards only know him as Everette Francis Richards, then there is the guy that helped raised me like an Uncle, your Steve that is doing his Son's interview, Jon Bon Jovi........who used to be......??!! & is still.........??!! My Dad would never ever let me act like Katie Couric & I'm feeling really cheated, neither would Warren Kolen.

[mikeinak26]

I am so tired of seeing this guy pat his own back. This guy did what he was trained to do. Stay calm and focused. One or two interviews would have been enough but this guy loves the spotlight. He's not a professional anymore. He wants a career on TV. Sad.

[KahunaHawaii]

Katie has to go.. she is not attractive and not bright.. who writes her questions anyway..
let the man tell his story and stop interrupting the track of energy with your wide eyed
little girl look, yukkk.

[HannibalHayes]

Katie Couric is without a doubt the worst interviewer I have ever heard. Watching the captains face when he was asked one dumb question after another by this "journalist" is laughable, no wonder network news ratings are down, hope her contract ends soon and CBS can replace her with some one with at least some interviewing skills

[goodsamarata]

For crying out loud what''s the deal with this hate crowd going after Couric???
I thought the interview went on smoothly, even if it was edited that way, it went well covering every aspect of the Hudson adventure.
If we''re going to start to ditch on someone like Couric then let''s go after all of them.
I don''t think there''s a single interviewer out there that''s worth one tenth of what they''re getting paid with the excpetion of Bill Moyers and Charlie Rose.
Everyone else want to play it safe and keep it all superficial and family friendly, not just Couric.
It''s some kind of contagious disease that has pestered the US MSM for decades.

I cringed during Couric''s entire interview with Captain Sullenberger and the crew. I had a good laugh when she positioned her glasses on the end of her nose while talking to the crew. Was this just a pathetic attempt to appear studious and interested? CBS are definitely not getting their money''s worth from this "reporter".

[richardj390]

Katie Couric is awful. Just awful. The geese that hit that plane had more sense than Katie has. It must have pained this pilot to have to sit in the same room with someone as stupid and asinine as Couric.

[happygrandm1]

While I greatly appreciated "Captain Sully''s" answers, I think Katie''s questions were asnine and stupid. One of the comments here is that she was "sensitive!" Perhaps, but she should have just let him relay the information as he saw fit. The look in his eyes told me he was "suffering fools" patiently, still in a degree of shock, and wished it was over. He is a true American hero at a time when we need one, but I hope he can soon return to the peace and quiet of his home and family very soon.

[closethippy1]

Ever since I heard about this story I''ve been fantasizing about how, like, I''d be on that 1549 flight and all of a sudden the pilot and co-pilot faint after the birds hit the plane''s engine and disable them and the flight attendants look all panicky. I get up to check out what''s going on and I realize I have to take control of the plane and get that Sully guy out of his seat and radio for help.
And then they tell me what to do and I''d be, like, "No La Guardia or Jersey for me, mister. I''ll only be able to go glide this thing on the Hudson."
And then they''ll give me an idea of what to do and I land the plane on the Hudson safely.
But I''d never appear on Larry King, that guy is boring!