Over 15 years ago, Captain Chesley Sullenberger — or Captain Sully — crash-landed an Airbus A320 into the Hudson River.
It was a day that many Americans and aviation enthusiasts won’t forget.
Capt. Sully’s prompt action saved the lives of all 150 passengers and the five crew members.
But have you ever wondered where the plane is now?
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On January 15, 2009, an Airbus A320-214 was handling flight number 1549 for US Airways.
The Airbus A320 is a prominent aircraft – you can think of it as a toned-down version of the Airbus A380 jet.
The aircraft was on its way from LaGuardia Airport in New York to Charlotte in North Carolina.
Shortly after its take-off, the A320 ran into trouble when it encountered a flock of geese.
The birds blocked the pilot’s view in front of the plane when the passengers heard a loud bang and smelled something odd, which was jet fuel.
It turned out that the birds damaged both engines on the Airbus A320, causing the plane to stall.
While the first officer tried to restart the engines, Captain Sully immediately took the plane toward a safe landing zone.
While the plane got clearance to land at Teterboro Airport in New Jersey, it couldn’t make it.
Hence, the captain and his first officer decided that a crash landing on the frozen Hudson River was the best course of action.
The harsh landing was successful and made headlines worldwide back in the day.
No-one died in the crash, and serious injuries were kept low as well.
Sully and his crew unquestionably saved the lives of all 155 people on board – a truly remarkable feat.
You would expect a plane that had a crash landing with both engines damaged to be sent for scrapping.
However, that didn’t happen.
On June 10, 2011, the airline donated the aircraft to the Carolinas Aviation Museum where it found a new home.
It was a great way to mark the plane’s history in a museum, and the museum also benefited from having the iconic plane with everyone wanting to take a look at it.
In 2020, the Carolinas Aviation Museum temporarily closed its doors for relocation but has found a new spot to showcase its artifacts.
It’s set to reopen in June 2024, and its name will be changed to Sullenberger Aviation Museum in honor of Capt. Sully.
A team of experts assigned to the Airbus A320 makes sure that they preserve the plane without damaging it.
