‘Sully’: Miracle on the Hudson!

Have you watched the movie, Sully? It stars Tom Hanks as hero pilot Chesley Sullenberger, who made an emergency landing and saved the lives of 155 people. US Airways Flight 1549 had been flying over the Hudson River when it struck a flock of geese. As a result, the plane landed into the frigid Hudson River in New York on Jan. 15, 2009. Millions watched the film, but only these 155 people know first-hand what really happened. We asked several survivors to tell their astounding, terrifying, and inspiring experiences on that freezing winter day in New York City.

Josh Peltz, 39

I'm not a nervous flyer; in fact, I was napping as we took off. After a while, we heard a loud explosion. The plane had hit birds. There were screams. I was frightened, but I tried to relieve other passengers by saying "Just pray. It's going to be all right."Captain Sullenberger was calm all the time. He was brilliant. I’m forever grateful to the pilot and everyone who helped us. I’ve been throwing a party every year for fellow survivors and the first responders. I am glad to have met these people!

Melanie Thompson, 24

“This is the captain, brace for impact!” said the captain a few minutes after the take-off. I was terrified. Flight attendants were shouting: “Brace, brace, brace. Heads down, stay down.” I was totally shocked and didn’t know what to do. It was a near-death experience. Thank God, Captain Sullenberger saved our lives. This changed my philosophy on life completely. I had been a depressed and unhappy person all my life before that tragic accident. Now I feel fortunate and optimistic. I’m lucky to be alive!

Clay Presley, 42

I had been always afraid to fly. I hadn’t wanted to get on this plane, but we did. When I heard the captain, I was frightened. I thought, “Oh my God, now I'm watching my wife die.”The pilot safely landed the plane into the river. We waited on the wings of the plane for a ferry to pluck us out of the water. It was freezing, and nobody had a jacket. Some people were submerged up to their waists. I was thinking, "OK, now we're going to drown. We're going to die of hypothermia." It was a nightmare. But in the end, they rescued all of us and we felt relieved.