Yesterday, the NY Post reported that the FAA redrew the boundaries of Laguardia Airport's "safety zone" to allow for a huge trash facility. And since birds love trash, there are concerns that it'll become bird strike central, a la Flight 1549 (more fodder for the Post's war on birds). Which is why Flight 1549 hero Captain Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger has waded into the debate. And he thinks this is "terrible." more ›

Way to deflate last year's feel-good story of the year: The National Transportation Safety Board is issuing its final report on the amazing Hudson River splash landing of Flight 1549 in January 2009. But the Wall Street Journal reports, "Pilots who used simulators to recreate the accident—including suddenly losing both engines after sucking in birds at 2,500 feet—repeatedly managed to safely land their virtual airliners at La Guardia." more ›

Captain Chelsey Sullenberger, the Flight 1549 captain who safely landed a US Airways plane into the Hudson back in January, tells CityRoom that a book about the plane's landing "'greatly overstates how much it mattered' that the plane he landed in the river, an Airbus A320, featured an automated cockpit." William Langwische's Fly by Wire credits the engineers behind A320's automation, but Sullenberger points out both engines were knocked out, "There are some situations where the automation will protect a pilot, but at the same time a highly automated airplane makes possible other types of errors, so it’s a mixed blessing. And greater knowledge is required to fly a highly automated aircraft." more ›

With Miracle on the Hudson pilot Captain Chesley Sullenberger back in the air, of course there's some grumbling. The Post suggests, "Wimpy US Airways bosses feared... Sullenberger might not be able to hack the media glare of what they billed as his 'return to the air' yesterday," so they had him fly three other flights for prep. A US Airways spokesman explained, "We didn't want to put too much pressure on the guy." Of course, the Post probably has sour grapes since the Daily News was included on one of the earlier flights. more ›

Get ready for the Sully media blitz! The US Airways pilot who landed Flight 1549 into the Hudson River safely will be in New York tomorrow: TMZ reports that Chesley Sullenberger's first flight back in the cockpit "will take off from LaGuardia Airport tomorrow and take the same route that would have landed him in Charlotte, North Carolina ... were if it not for those pesky geese." And his co-pilot will be the same as that January 15th flight—Jeffrey Skiles. And we say media blitz because Sully's book comes out on October 13. more ›

Captain Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger, who captured the hearts of many when he safely landed US Airways Flight 1549 in the Hudson River, says that he's ready to fly planes once again. He said yesterday, in a statement from US Airways, "The months since January 15 have been very full, and my family and I have had some unforgettable experiences. However, I have missed working with my colleagues at US Airways and I am eager to get back in the cockpit with my fellow pilots in the months ahead. In my new role, I will continue to be the same kind of advocate for aviation safety that I have been for several decades." more ›

While Miracle on the Hudson hero Captain Chesley Sullenberger hasn't been flying planes since splash landing US Airways Flight 1549 into the river back in January, he has been working on his media strategy. Last month, it was announced he was writing two books for HarperCollins' William Morrow imprint. The deal is reportedly worth $3.2 million and one book will be based on "the important lessons that helped him become the man and pilot he is today, including his boyhood, his military service, and the fateful emergency landing" (planned for later this year) and the other's subject is to be determined. Now TLC says it has interviewed Sully for a one-hour documentary—titled "Brace for Impact"—which will air sometime before next January. Till then, you can sate your Sully addiction by watching his and the Flight 1549 crew's 60 Minutes interview again. more ›

The Flight 1549 crew received a standing ovation before they testified before the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. The crew members, Captain Chesley B Sullenberger III, First Officer Jeffrey B. Skiles, flight attendant Sheila Dail, flight attendant Donna Dent, flight attendant Doreen Welsh, appeared before the committee alongside LaGuardia air traffic controller Patrick Harten, who gave his first statement about the flight that eventually splash-landed into the Hudson River with everyonen surviving. more ›

Though the Miracle on the Hudson was about a month ago, it's still the month of Sully! Pilot Chesley Sullenberger, whose 60 Minutes interview with other Flight 1549 crew members started off the week, is on the cover of People magazine (on newsstands tomorrow) with the youngest passenger of the flight, 10-month-old Damien Sosa. more ›

The brave crew of U.S. Airways Flight 1549, which splash landed into the Hudson on January 15, was honored by Mayor Bloomberg this morning. The mayor said:

"New York is a city full of heroes: police officers, firefighters, emergency workers and everyday citizens who show their own brand of courage each day," said Mayor Bloomberg. "That’s why I think New Yorkers have felt such a strong connection to the story of Flight 1549, not just because it happened right here at our doorstep, but because the ‘Fearless Five’ - who managed to save every single passenger on that flight - lived up to an ideal that all of us in New York aspire to and many have often reached."

Last night, 60 Minutes aired interviews with Flight 1549's pilot, Chesley Sullenberger, as well as the Flight 1549 crew—Sullenberger with co-pilot Jeffrey Skiles and flight attendants Donna Dent, Sheila Dail and Doreen Welsh. Sullenberger said, "It was a normal climb out in every regard," then "Birds, filling the entire windscreen, from top to bottom, left to right, large birds, close, too close to avoid." He soon smelled the burned bird and then engines failed, "It was obvious to me from the moment that we lost the thrust that this was a critical situation. Losing thrust on both engines, at a low speed, at a low altitude, over one of the most densely populated areas on the planet. Yes, I knew it was a very challenging situation." more ›

At last night's performance of the Tony-winning revival of South Pacific, audience members—and cast and crew— got a special treat: A glimpse of US Airways Flight 1549 pilot Chesley Sullenberger, who was attending the Lincoln Center production with his wife and two daughters. Sullenberger returned to NYC for the first time since his amazing landing of the Airbus A320 in the Hudson last month—with all passengers and crew surviving. During the curtain call, the show's star Kelli O'Hara said, "It could have been tragic, but it wasn't. It became a miracle. We've never been more honored than to perform for you, Captain." more ›

Everyone is still amazed at how the crew of US Airways Flight 1549 managed to act so calmly when the plane splash landed into the Hudson River on January 15. Which is why Katie Couric's interview with pilot Chesley Sullenberg, co-pilot Jeffrey Skiles, and flight attendants Donna Dent, Sheila Dail and Doreen Welsh on 60 Minutes this Sunday is a much-anticipated opportunity to hear what was going through their minds. more ›

While US Airways Flight 1549 pilot Chesley Sullenberger and the crew will be speaking at length on 60 Minutes next Sunday, the admired pilot did speak briefly to ESPN's Rick Reilly during the Super Bowl festivities. Reilly wrote: "I had to ask him, What was that like when you realized both engines were out? He thought about it for awhile and then said, slowly and deliberately, 'Shocking. It was very quiet as we worked, my co-pilot and I. We were a team. But to have zero thrust coming out of those engines was shocking - the silence.' How were you feeling inside? I asked. 'Calm on the outside, turmoil inside.' He kept calling the whole thing 'surreal.'" Sullenberger also said he and his wife had been opening letters every night, "It allows both of us to express emotion about it all. We both sit there and cry." more ›

Investigators say that Flight 1549 lost both its engines' power at the same time on Thursday afternoon. The US Airways Airbus A320 ended up in the Hudson River after an apparent bird strike. more ›

US Airways Flight 1549 was removed from the Hudson River yesterday, and the National Transportation Safety Board said that they had recovered both black boxes—the flight data recorder and the cockpit voice recorder. The two recorders (flight data recorder pictured below) were taken to Washington D.C. for analysis. more ›

Evening Update: Scroll down for additional video footage of the landing. more ›

While Captain Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger, the U.S. Airways pilot who is being credited with safely landing Flight 1549 into the Hudson River yesterday, hasn't spoken to the public yet (there that NTSB investigation), the public is speaking for him! Namely, they are drafting him for federal Transportation Secretary, they are demanding Governor Paterson consider appointing him to be the next Senator from New York (even though he's from California) and they are becoming his "fans" on Facebook (so far, 15,629 fans). Even TMZ had to get in on the action, asking who'd you rather (do): Hugh Jackman or Sully. At any rate, we'll sit and continue to marvel at his—and his crew's—actions as his wife and daughters marvel at how people are calling him a hero. more ›

Yesterday's crash of a U.S. Airways Airbus A320 into the Hudson River is being hailed as a "Miracle on the Hudson"—TM Governor Paterson—considering that no one was killed (the most serious injury may be one passenger's broken legs). The federal Department of Transportation is in lower Manhattan, as is a National Transportation Safety Board team, to begin the investigation; they will try to recover the plane's black box. more ›

As everyone continues to marvel how all 155 passengers and crew members were rescued from the U.S. Airways Flight 1549 that landed in the Hudson River, they are ready to call Captain Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger a hero. more ›