Capt. Sully shares greatest concern after Alzheimer’s diagnosis

Capt. Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger III is opening up about what lies ahead for him and his family after his recent Alzheimer's disease diagnosis.

Speaking with "Good Morning America" on Wednesday, Sept. 23, the 75-year-old former airline captain compared navigating the early stages of the disease with the emergency landing he made on the Hudson River 17 years ago.

"I've done harder things than this before," Sullenberger said. "We had to devise a plan, execute that plan flawlessly for the first time, never having done it before, and save every life in 208 seconds. 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."

In 2009, Sullenberger was piloting an Airbus A320 passenger aircraft that had just departed LaGuardia Airport in New York when the plane suffered bird strikes, disabling both its engines. Sullenberger famously ditched the airliner in the Hudson River just off Manhattan in an event still remembered as the "Miracle on the Hudson." All 155 passengers and crew aboard were safely evacuated.

Sullenberger explained that he and his family were "doing the same thing" now, including focusing on the highest-priority items first and…

Original source: https://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/