'Miracle on the Hudson' hero Captain 'Sully' Sullenberger reveals Alzheimer's diagnosis

One of the nation’s astir celebrated aviators and large heroes has announced a heartbreaking diagnosis.

Capt. Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger III, the aviator who saved 155 radical aft making an exigency landing successful New York’s Hudson River successful what became known arsenic "The Miracle connected the Hudson," shared successful a nationalist connection that helium was precocious diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease.

"It is aboriginal stage," helium revealed. "For now, this means a sanction whitethorn not travel easy to me, I hide a communicative I person precocious told, oregon I don’t slumber arsenic well, but I americium successful the opening of this agelong journey."

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Sullenberger, 75, shared with People mag that he’s had occupation recalling details wrong the past year, contempt having a photographic memory. He received his authoritative diagnosis successful August 2025.

U.S. Airways Capt. Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger III prepares to attest earlier the House Judiciary Committee's Commercial and Administrative Law Subcommittee connected Capitol Hill successful December 2009. He was precocious diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. (Chip Somodevilla/Reuters)

The aviator became a personage erstwhile helium carried retired the exigency landing of US Airways Flight 1549 connected Jan. 15, 2009, aft colliding with a flock of geese that resulted successful motor failure. Everyone onboard survived.

Alzheimer's, the astir communal benignant of dementia, impacts much than 7 cardinal radical successful the U.S. implicit the property of 65, according to the Alzheimer’s Association.

"It is the unwanted visitant astatine the door."

"My doctor, Dr. Gil Rabinovici with UCSF Medical Center, has opened my eyes to the prevalence of Alzheimer’s," Sullenberger said successful his statement. "This disease, helium has told me, spares nary property radical and impacts millions of radical astir the world. It is the unwanted visitant astatine the door."

Sullenberger’s wife, Lorrie, shared with People that the diagnosis has not dimmed his beardown demeanor.

Capt. Chesley 'Sully' Sullenberger is pictured with woman Lorrie Sullenberger successful 2018. She said the diagnosis has not dimmed his beardown demeanor. (Dave Kotinsky/FilmMagic)

"Just arsenic helium was the aforesaid dependable idiosyncratic earlier and aft Flight 1549, helium is the aforesaid dependable idiosyncratic now, earlier and aft this diagnosis," she said. "That spot and steadiness is guiding america arsenic a family."

"We’re supporting him connected this travel that we present locomotion with truthful galore different families. Though the aboriginal is uncertain, we proceed to unrecorded our lives, person anticipation and find joyousness successful the everyday."

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Flight 1549 archetypal serviceman Capt. Jeff Skiles besides commented connected the quality of his friend’s diagnosis.

"Sully is larger than life, adjacent to me," Skiles told People. "He’s idiosyncratic I’ve ever looked up to, and I deliberation a batch of different radical do, too. Hopefully, it’s going to advancement dilatory and he’s going to beryllium capable to make the benignant of beingness going guardant that helium would beryllium arrogant of."

Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger attends the "Sully" New York premiere astatine Alice Tully Hall, Lincoln Center, successful New York City connected Sept. 6, 2016. (Jim Spellman/WireImage)

Fox News elder aesculapian expert Dr. Marc Siegel noted that Sullenberger had been diagnosed with post-traumatic accent upset (PTSD) aft the Miracle connected the Hudson, which could person accrued his risk.

"Age 75 is comparatively late-onset," helium told Fox News Digital. "PTSD doubles the hazard of processing Alzheimer's due to the fact that of changing encephalon chemistry and operation and slumber disruption."

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Sullenberger reflected connected however helium has been a staunch advocator for question safety, often addressing roadblocks successful the aviation industry, warring for accrued aviator grooming and care.

Now, Capt. Sully, a erstwhile U.S. Air Force combatant pilot, plans to proceed serving the nationalist by focusing connected raising Alzheimer’s awareness.

Alzheimer’s is simply a progressive disease, meaning the symptoms gradually worsen implicit time. (iStock)

"This caller signifier of my beingness has challenged what it means to beryllium of service," helium said. "And the reply is to talk up. It is my anticipation that by sharing this, different families surviving successful the shadows with this illness volition consciousness they, too, tin measurement forward."

"So galore radical told america aft Flight 1549, that the result gave them hope," helium went on. "Lorrie, my unthinkable spouse of 37 years, says we tin each usage a small of that anticipation close now."

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Though the soon-to-be National Aviation Hall of Fame inductee’s representation of the past whitethorn beryllium impacted, Sullenberger said his diagnosis "will not forestall maine from looking guardant to and appreciating our future. I volition navigate this section with my fantastic household by my side."

Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger III testifies earlier the House Judiciary Committee’s Commercial and Administrative Law Subcommittee connected Capitol Hill successful Washington, D.C. He represented the U.S. Airline Pilots Association and spoke astir hose bankruptcy and worker vulnerability. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

"Over the years, erstwhile radical would inquire astir the palmy result of Flight 1549, I would accidental that ‘courage tin beryllium contagious,’ and connected that time it helped everyone set unneurotic to get everyone disconnected that airplane successfully," helium said.

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"Now we request that courageousness to conflict this disease. I americium present portion of a larger assemblage with galore of you, and we volition beryllium courageous together."

What to cognize astir Alzheimer’s

Alzheimer’s illness is simply a benignant of dementia affecting memory, reasoning and behavior, arsenic described by the Alzheimer’s Association. It accounts for 60% to 80% of each dementia cases.

It is simply a progressive disease, meaning the symptoms gradually worsen implicit time. The representation nonaccomplishment is usually mild successful aboriginal stages, but late-stage Alzheimer’s tin see nonaccomplishment of quality to transportation a speech and respond to biology factors.

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While determination is nary cure for Alzheimer’s, determination are treatments that tin assistance dilatory symptoms. Newer, much effectual therapies are connected the horizon, experts say.

Certain manner changes, including intelligence and carnal activity, person been shown to assistance forestall the disease.

Dr. Daniel Amen, a psychiatrist, encephalon imaging doc and laminitis of Amen Clinics successful California, antecedently spoke with Fox News Digital astir Alzheimer’s hazard and management.

"Alzheimer's starts successful your encephalon decades earlier you person immoderate symptoms," helium said. "So, a 59-year-old pistillate I diagnosed with Alzheimer's illness apt had antagonistic changes successful her encephalon successful her 20s."

"It's truly ne'er excessively aboriginal to deliberation astir protecting your encephalon and your mind."

"I volition navigate this section with my fantastic household by my side."

Amen listed 11 large protective factors that tin assistance ward disconnected Alzheimer’s. These see promoting humor flow, reducing inflammation, and avoiding toxins similar intoxicant and drugs. Improving intelligence health, boosting immunity, getting capable slumber and keeping fare and value successful cheque tin besides assistance trim risk.

The doc besides recommends staying informed of hereditary diseases, maintaining a steadfast hormonal equilibrium and keeping the encephalon progressive successful retirement.

Sullenberger's 2009 bestselling autobiography, "Highest Duty: My Search for What Really Matters," co-written with Jeffrey Zaslow, was adapted into a 2016 film, "Sully," directed by Clint Eastwood and starring Tom Hanks.