| Director | Clint Eastwood |
|---|---|
| Budget | $60 million |
| Box office | $240.8 million |
On January 15, 2009, captain Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger and first officer Jeff Skiles take off in US Airways Flight 1549 from LaGuardia Airport. During climbout, the Airbus A320 strikes a flock of birds, damaging both engines. Without much time to think, they judge themselves as unable to reach nearby airports (Teterboro Airport being the closest), and Sully ditches the disabled plane onto the icy waters of the Hudson River.
Although some people suffer mild injuries, all 155 crew and passengers survive and evacuate successfully. Sully is heralded as a hero by the public and media for his unprecedented feat of aviation skill. However, he experiences aftereffects, and finds himself unable to escape the attention of the press, which is targeting not only him but also his family.
Still in New York City for investigation reasons, Sully learns that preliminary data from ACARS suggest that the left engine was still running at idle power. Theoretically, it still had enough power to land the plane at either LaGuardia or Teterboro. Furthermore, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) claims that several confidential computerized simulations show similar results, even with the engine damage that Sullenberger and Skiles claim occurred. Sully and Jeff firmly insist otherwise, even though the NTSB says its results were confirmed with 20 different simulations. When the NTSB representatives adjourn the meeting, Sullenberger and Skiles discuss their bewilderment.
The NTSB suspects it may be a case of pilot error, which would likely destroy Sully's reputation and career. He arranges to have the simulations rerun with live pilots, then relayed to the public. They result in successful landings. Sully debates that the simulations are unrealistic because they do not take human factors into account, such as the element of surprise, the time required for analysis and decision-making, and the significantly higher stakes he and Jeff faced.
However, the simulation pilots knew in advance of the situation that they would face and of the suggested emergency action, were able to practice the scenario several times—successfully completing the simulation only after 17 previous failed attempts—had no passengers to think about, and were in no personal danger. The NTSB reluctantly accepts his criticism, and the simulations are rerun with a 35-second pause before the plane is diverted. The LaGuardia rerun ends with the plane crash-landing short of the runway, and that to Teterboro with a crash into buildings before it can reach the airport.
After listening to the cockpit voice recorder of the real-life incident, NTSB announces that analysis of the left engine, now recovered from the river, confirms Sully's account that it had indeed been seriously damaged by the bird strike and concludes that Sully had acted correctly in the event. Sully credits everyone on board, the air traffic controllers, the ferry crews, and the emergency response teams for the success. When asked if he would change anything if he did it all over again, Jeff jokes that he would have ditched the plane in July if he were to do it again, much to everyone's amusement.