LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION honoring US Airways Flight 1549 Pilot Chesley B.
"Sully" Sullenberger III and his crew for their heroic actions, remain-
ing calm under pressure, and their perseverance and dedication to the
safety of all 155 passengers on board

WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body to honor US Airways
Flight 1549 Pilot Chesley B. "Sully" Sullenberger III and his crew for
their heroic actions, remaining calm under pressure, and their persever-
ance and dedication to the safety of all 155 passengers on board; and
WHEREAS, Pilot Chesley B. "Sully" Sullenberger III, along with his
crew, successfully landed the stricken jetliner in the Hudson River on
Thursday, January 15, 2009; and
WHEREAS, This amazing, skilled American hero, a native of Danville,
California, earned a bachelor of science degree from the United States
Air Force Academy, a master of science degree from Purdue University,
and a master of the arts degree from the University of Northern Colora-
do; furthermore, Pilot Chesley Sullenberger III has been named a Visit-
ing Scholar at the University of California, Berkeley; and
WHEREAS, Captain Chesley B. Sullenberger III bravely served his coun-
try as a United States Air Force fighter pilot; and
WHEREAS, Just after takeoff from LaGuardia Airport, New York City, the
passengers of US Airways Airbus A320, bound for Charlotte, North Caroli-
na, all knew something was wrong due to a loud thump, followed by an
eerie silence; furthermore, the flight attendants noticed the smell of
burning metal; and
WHEREAS, Due to a "double bird strike," smoke was billowing from the
engine mounted on the wing, which was aflame; quickly losing altitude,
the pilot instructed his passengers and crew to "Brace for impact
because we are going down!"; and
WHEREAS, Captain Chesley B. Sullenberger III courageously, skillfully
and effectively guided the plane down before it splashed into the frigid
waters of the Hudson River; within minutes of crashing, captains and
crew members of 14 New York Waterway ferries, arrived on the scene and
rescued the cold and frightened passengers from the sinking plane; and
WHEREAS, Despite the obvious danger and risk to his personal safety,
Captain Sullenberger walked the length of the plane, not once but twice,
to assure that no one was left behind and everyone had gotten out;
subsequently, he was the last one off; and
WHEREAS, Saving the lives of 150 passengers, three flight attendants
and two pilots was the result of the collaborative efforts of Captain
Sullenberger, his crew, and the captains and crew members of the New
York Waterway ferries; and
WHEREAS, Turning a potential tragedy into a "Miracle on the Hudson,"
the Heroes include: Captain Sullenberger, 57, who has been a pilot for
US Airways since 1980, and First Officer Jeff Skiles, 49, of Oregon,
Wisconsin, who is a 23-year veteran of US Airways; Flight Attendants,
Doreen Welsh, 58, of Ambridge, Pennsylvania, Donna Dent, 51, of
Winston-Salem, North Carolina, and Sheila Dail, 57, of Weaverville,
North Carolina; Vincent Lombardi, Captain of the Thomas Jefferson, and
his crew members, Hector Rabanes and Wilfredo Rivera, who were responsi-
ble for rescuing 56 people; Brittany Catanzaro, Captain of the Thomas
Kean, and her crew members, Osman Berete and Cosmo Mezzina, who rescued
26 people; Vince Lucante and Michael Starr, Captains of the Yogi Berra,
who rescued 24 passengers, including one infant and one child; Carl
Lucas, Captain of the Athena, and his crew members, Luis Salerno and
Danny Convery, who rescued 19 passengers, including the Pilot; Manny
Liba, Captain of the Moira Smith, and crew members, Natale Binetti and

Gulio Farnese, who rescued 14 people; John Winiarski, Captain of the
Admiral Richard Bennis, and his crew member, Frank Illuzzi, who rescued
three passengers; and Mohamed Gouda, Captain of the George Washington,
and his crew members, Jose Torres, Pepe Carumba and Gregorio Pages, who
rescued one passenger from the plane; and
WHEREAS, The ferry crews reacted instantly to the crash, saving the
passengers on board in the most successful air crash rescue in aviation
history; and
WHEREAS, The members of this Legislative Body who represent all the
people of the Great State of New York, would like to recognize the
Captain and his crew for responding quickly, calmly, with the highest
degree of professionalism and responsibility in the face of catastrophic
mechanical failure and imminent tragedy; their skill and sense of duty
transformed that imminent tragedy into a thankful celebration of life
for everyone aboard US Airways Flight 1549; and
WHEREAS, If the first responders, ferry operators, and tugboat drivers
of New York City hadn't responded as quickly as they did, many people
would have died or suffered severe effects of hypothermia; and
WHEREAS, This Legislative Body is grateful for the heroism, grace,
calmness, determination, and dedication shown by Pilot Chesley B.
"Sully" Sullenberger III, his crew, and the captains and crew members of
the New York Waterway ferries; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
honor US Airways Flight 1549 Pilot Chesley B. "Sully" Sullenberger III
and his crew for their heroic actions, remaining calm under pressure,
and their perseverance and dedication to the safety of all 155 passen-
gers on board; and be it further
RESOLVED, That copies of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be tran-
smitted to the aforementioned Heroes.