Marines meet ‘Miracle on the Hudson’ pilot

Photo By Christine Cabalo | Former airline pilot Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger signs an autograph for Sgt. Corraine Cotton, an aviation maintenance analyst from Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 367, Dec. 5. He had lunch with Marines at Anderson Hall Dining Facility, speaking about his 2009 emergency water landing on the Hudson River. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Christine Cabalo)  

KANEOHE BAY, HI, UNITED STATES

12.05.2014

Story by Christine Cabalo 

Marine Corps Base Hawaii

MARINE CORPS BASE HAWAII — Marines feasted on lunch and the words of the former airline pilot Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger when he came to Anderson Dining Hall Facility, Dec. 5.

Sullenberger, known for successfully piloting an emergency water landing in the Hudson River in 2009, sat down for lunch with Marines from various Marine Corps Base Hawaii units. He spoke about flying during his service in the Air Force, the Hudson River landing and how the event has shaped his life.

“I was in a really sudden event and I couldn’t anticipate how precious a little more than 100 seconds could be,” he said. “There were so few choices, but the advantage we had was our course of action was unambiguous. I couldn’t worry about what happened, I saw the birds hit the plane and at that moment immediately began to react.”

Several Marines who attended said they were surprised to hear that before the emergency, Sullenberger only had theoretical classroom instruction on how to land in the water. He explained there were also no simulators to practice with.

“We had to judge the height and move precisely,” he said. “If we were a fraction of a second off, it could change things. We couldn’t move too fast or too slow.”

Sgt. Corraine Cotton, an aviation maintenance analyst from Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 367, was among the crowd who had lunch with the pilot. Cotton said she remembered seeing the event on the news and thinking it was incredible for Sullenberger to safely land the plane with all of the passengers surviving. Cotton said she could easily relate to the former airline pilot although she hadn’t been in such an extreme situation.

“He trained to do something like this,” said Cotton, of Columbus, Ga. “Service members have similar training, especially in an emergency. Good training kicks in the moment we need to use it. Other than these moments of training, you don’t know what you’re capable of until you’re put into that position.”

As he shared his life experiences with Marines, Sullenberger also talked about physical and mental stresses he faced after the landing. He spoke about how he felt symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder, including elevated blood pressure.

“I didn’t know for about four hours after the landing if everyone had been accounted for,” he said. “I couldn’t relax until then, and I was so emotionally drained.”

Although Sullenberger is retired from commercial flying, he still flies smaller planes for fun and is active in aviation safety work. Cotton said she appreciated how Sullenberger was able to answer technical questions, including some from other Marines in her unit who work with helicopters. She said it was an honor to meet someone who helped save many lives.

“He was someone special who made a huge impact on the lives of everyone on that plane,” she said. “He affected so many lives in a positive way. It was refreshing to see him in person, and it’s different from seeing him on TV.“

Sullenberger also met with senior leaders and spoke with patients at Tripler Army Medical Center earlier in the day. The next day, Sullenberger was a guest speaker at the Pacific Aviation Museum and appeared with several World War II survivors. During his MCB Hawaii trip, he visited the Marines with his wife, Lorrie. She said she’s met several pilots and those in the aviation industry who tell her they feel a special connection to the event and to her husband.

“We’ve been to so many places together and met people or received letters from families who needed something good to hold on to replace bad memories,” she said. “We want to honor that feeling of hope that people get from what happened.”

• Date Taken: 12.05.2014
• Date Posted: 12.09.2014 18:11
• Story ID: 149859
• Location: KANEOHE BAY, HI, US
• Hometown: COLUMBUS, GA, US
• Hometown: DANVILLE, CA, US