Fact check
“Capt Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger III landed a disabled passenger plane safely in the Hudson River in 2009 without any loss of life.”
Reasoning
The supplied excerpts describe the incident: the aircraft lost thrust after a bird strike, Sullenberger chose to ditch in the Hudson River, and all 155 passengers and crew survived. This directly confirms the claim.
On confidence: Multiple primary sources from The Guardian explicitly state that Captain Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger III landed a disabled US Airways passenger aircraft in the Hudson River in 2009 and that all aboard survived.
Important context
The event is commonly referred to as the "Miracle on the Hudson" and is a well-documented aviation incident from January 2009.
Evidence
Supporting (3)
- Tier 1 — Primary source‘Miracle on the Hudson’ pilot Chesly Sullenberger inducted into US Aviation Hall of Fame | Hudson river plane crash | The Guardian
Chesley ‘Sully’ Sullenberger III attends his induction into the US National Aviation Hall of Fame by video on 24 September 2026 in Washington DC. Photograph: John Harrington Productions View image in fullscreen Chesley ‘Sully’ Sullenberger…
- Tier 1 — Primary source‘Miracle on the Hudson’ pilot Chesly Sullenberger inducted into US Aviation Hall of Fame | Hudson river plane crash | The Guardian
passengers and five crew members. Not long after takeoff, the aircraft struck a flock of birds, resulting in a total loss of thrust from both engines. Sullenberger ultimately realized that the plane would not be able to make it back to…
- Tier 1 — Primary sourceHudson river plane crash | The Guardian
Hudson river plane crash | The Guardian Skip to main content Skip to navigation Hudson river plane crash September 2026 ‘Miracle on the Hudson’ pilot Chesly Sullenberger inducted into US Aviation Hall of Fame Sullenberger landed a disabled…
Limitations
All evidence comes from the same news outlet (The Guardian); however, the consistency across multiple articles provides sufficient corroboration for the factual claim.
- Last verified:
- Sep 27, 2026, 4:33 AM CDT
- Pipeline:
- 2.1.0
- Claim type:
- Factual
Where this claim appeared
‘Miracle on the Hudson’ pilot Chesly Sullenberger inducted into US Aviation Hall of FameThe Guardian · Marina Dunbar