Capt. Sully Reveals the First Signs of Alzheimer’s He Noticed Before His Diagnosis and How He’s Facing What Comes Next

“I’ve gone through harder things than this before,” the “Miracle on the Hudson” pilot says as he opens up about living with the progressive disease

NEED TO KNOW

• Capt. Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger III is detailing the first signs of Alzheimer’s he noticed before his August 2025 diagnosis
• The 75-year-old “Miracle on the Hudson” pilot says he began forgetting names, repeating himself and relying more heavily on his calendar
• Sullenberger, who receives monthly infusion treatments, says he’s approaching the disease with the same focus that helped him save 155 lives in 2009

Capt. Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger III is approaching his Alzheimer’s diagnosis with the same focus that helped him save 155 lives during the “Miracle on the Hudson.”

The famed pilot, 75, opened up about living with the progressive brain disease in his first broadcast interview since his August 2025 diagnosis, telling Robin Roberts on the Wednesday, Sept. 23 episode of Good Morning America that his experience landing US Airways Flight 1549 in New York City’s Hudson River has helped prepare him for the challenge ahead.

“Oh yeah, I’ve gone through harder things than this before,” Sullenberger said when Roberts asked whether he draws strength from the 2009 emergency landing.

“You have to devise a plan, execute that plan flawlessly for the first time, never having done that before, and save every life in 208 seconds,” he continued. “Had even one person not survived, I would have considered it a tragic failure. I would have felt deeply for the rest of my life.”

“So I think we’re doing the same thing here,” he added. “We’re focusing clearly on the highest-priority items first, and we are ignoring everything we don’t have time to do as being only distractions and unimportant.”

Sullenberger became a national hero on Jan. 15, 2009, when a bird strike disabled both engines of US Airways Flight 1549 shortly after takeoff from New York’s LaGuardia Airport. He and first officer Jeff Skiles successfully landed the Airbus A320 on the Hudson River, and all 155 passengers and crew survived.

Now, Sullenberger is confronting a much different kind of challenge alongside his wife of 37 years, Lorrie.

The couple at first considered keeping his Alzheimer’s diagnosis private, Lorrie told Roberts. “Initially, like a lot of families, we were not going to tell,” she said. “And I said to Sully one day, ‘This is a disease, not a character flaw. I think we need to talk about it more openly, and maybe other people can do the same.’ ”

“We felt all those emotions: shock, the anger, ‘Why me?’ ” Sullenberger added. “We are not by any means alone. We are part of this community who are trying to make the best of a bad situation.”

Sullenberger first revealed his early-stage Alzheimer’s diagnosis in an interview with PEOPLE in July. Alzheimer’s is the most common form of dementia and progressively affects memory, thinking and behavior.

During his conversation with Roberts, Sullenberger detailed some of the changes that first made him realize something was wrong.

“One of the first things I noticed was that it was harder and harder to remember people’s names, even people we knew,” he said. “That’s still an issue. Just forgetting things that I normally wouldn’t. Or repeating myself, not realizing that I just said that an hour ago.”

He has also become more reliant on his calendar, he said, checking it daily to keep track of his commitments.

For Lorrie, the early signs were easy to overlook because they bore little resemblance to the more advanced symptoms many people associate with the disease. “A lot of what I think people see in the news are late-stage Alzheimer’s symptoms,” she explained. “They were so little that it was easy to dismiss in the beginning.”

Her advice to other families is to pay attention to changes that are out of character for their loved one: “It’s what’s unusual for your person.”

Sullenberger also stressed the importance of seeking medical attention as soon as something seems amiss.“An early diagnosis is so critically important,” he said. “If you have doubts, get tested. Because the sooner you act, the more options there are.”

He currently receives a monthly infusion treatment, which is designed to slow the disease rather than stop it. “What we’re trying to do is just slow the progression of the disease,” Sullenberger explained. “It’s continuing to progress; it’s inevitable.”

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That reality has also forced the couple to think about what Sullenberger’s condition could eventually mean for Lorrie as his caregiver.

“My plan right now is to just take it one day at a time,” she told Roberts. “I have no idea what’s coming.”

Sullenberger acknowledged that the effect on his wife is already on his mind. “I do worry about you as the caregiver,” he told her. “And I know what a burden caregivers have. I know it’s going to be a thing, and I’m very aware of it. And I think as this progresses, it’s going to be an increasing challenge.”

For now, the parents of two are prioritizing time with their family, including their children and grandchildren. Their daughter Kelly joined them during Roberts’ interview and said the uncertainty surrounding her father’s disease has been particularly difficult for a family accustomed to preparing for whatever comes next.

“Being together and spending time together has been the priority,” Kelly said. “Our family likes to be prepared and have plans in place. It runs in our blood, and it’s something that you can’t really plan for.”

Sullenberger is also looking for ways to turn his diagnosis into another opportunity to help others. As he prepares to be inducted into the National Aviation Hall of Fame, he reflected on the impact he and Skiles were able to have following Flight 1549 — and the one he hopes to have now.

“I felt like after the 2009 flight that Jeff Skiles and I and others had made a difference,” he said. “And I think in this regard, with this issue, maybe we can make a difference in this way also.”

Asked by Roberts about his greatest concern as he looks toward the future, Sullenberger returned once again to the language that has defined so much of his life.

“That this is my last flight,” he said. “But if this has to be my last flight, I’m going to go out using full afterburner.”

“Spoken like a true American hero,” Roberts replied.

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