Miracle on the Hudson pilot Captain Chesley ‘Sully’ Sullenberger said he fears being a ‘burden’ on his wife as his Alzheimer’s disease progresses. 

The 75-year-old announced in mid-July that he has an early stage of the progressive brain disorder, which slowly destroys memory and cognitive functioning.

Speaking alongside his wife of 37 years, Lorrie, the retired pilot opened up about his devastating diagnosis during an interview with Good Morning America’s Robin Roberts on Wednesday. 

Sullenberger is famed for successfully landing a passenger plane on the Hudson River between Manhattan and New Jersey in January 2009 after both engines were disabled by a bird strike, and all 155 people on board miraculously survived.

He said that ‘having to devise a plan’ for this mission has helped him face the challenge of living with Alzheimer’s decades later – but he still fears being a ‘burden’ for Lorrie as his caregiver. 

‘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. 

‘So I think we’re we’re doing the same thing here. We’re focusing clearly on the highest priority items first, and we’re ignoring everything we don’t have time to do as being only distractions and unimportant.’

Miracle on the Hudson pilot Captain Chesley ‘Sully’ Sullenberger (pictured right) is advocating for people to get tested for Alzheimer’s in his first interview since his heartbreaking diagnosis

The 75-year-old announced in mid-July that he has an early stage of the disease, which slowly destroys memory and cognitive functioning

Sullenberger famously landed a plane on the Hudson in New York City in 2009. The aircraft, which had taken off from LaGuardia, had double engine failure after hitting a flock of birds

Turning to his wife later in the interview, Sullenberger added: ‘I do worry about you as a caregiver, and I know that what a burden caregivers have. 

‘I know it’s going to be a thing, and I am very aware of it. And I think as this progresses, it’s going to be an increasing challenge.’

Lorrie said her plan as caregiver was to ‘just take it one day at a time’. ‘I have no idea what’s coming,’ she added.

Lorrie said they decided to speak out about her husband’s diagnosis in an attempt to break the stigma surrounding the disease, and to raise awareness about early symptoms. 

‘Initially, like a lot of families, we were not going to tell,’ she said. 

‘And I said to Sully one day, this is a disease, not a character flaw. I think we need to talk about it more openly and maybe other people can do the same.’ 

Sullenberger previously said that the first signs of the disease for him included trouble sleeping, along with forgetting names and stories he had recently told.

Sullenberger was hailed a hero after he famously landed a damaged plane on the Hudson river in New York City in 2009 following a bird strike

Sullenberger, his wife Lorrie, and their two daughters, Kelly and Kate. The retired pilot said that he and his wife ‘won the baby lottery with our two daughters’

Sullenberger famously landed a plane on the Hudson in New York City in 2009. The aircraft, which had taken off from LaGuardia, had double engine failure after hitting a flock of birds

‘This new phase of my life has challenged what it means to be of service,’ he added. 

‘And the answer is to speak up. It is my hope that by sharing this, other families living in the shadows with this disease will feel they too can step forward.’

Sully was behind the yoke of US Airways Flight 1549 on January 15, 2009 when it encountered double engine failure after colliding with a flock of geese after takeoff from NYC’s LaGuardia airport.

All 155 people on board survived the plane’s crash landing into the Hudson, which has since been dubbed the Miracle on the Hudson.

Sully was portrayed by Tom Hanks in the 2016 movie named after him about the flight, which Clint Eastwood directed.