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My literary agent, Jan Miller, and her associate Shannon Marven have also offered tremendous advice and counsel. They and their colleagues at Dupree/Miller helped me find my way to HarperCollins and deftly guided me through the process of taking a book from idea to completion.

Since the day after the event, Alex Clemens, Libby Smiley, and their colleagues at Barbary Coast Consulting have been by my family’s side, guiding us through this unfamiliar territory with their wise counsel and tireless efforts.

Thanks also to Gary Morris, Captain James Hayhurst, Alex King, Captain Al Haynes, Helen Ott, Bracha Nechama Bomze, Herman Bomze, Patrick Harten, Eric Stevenson, Conrad Mueller, Paul Kellen, Karen Kaiser Clark, Bart Simon, Theresa Hunsicker, and David Sontag.

My union colleagues were an incredible source of support on January 15, 2009, and throughout the aftermath. Thank you especially to Captain Larry Rooney and Captain Dan Sicchio, who have spent countless hours assisting me with everything from my NTSB testimony to this book. Thanks also to First Officer Gary Bauhan, Captain Ken Blitchington, Captain Steve Bradford, Captain Dan Britt, Captain John Carey, Captain Carl Clarke, Captain Mike Cleary, First Officer Jeff Diercksmeier, Captain Peter Dolf, Captain David Douglas, Captain Arnie Gentile, First Officer Bob Georges, Captain Michael Greenlee, Captain Pete Griffith, Captain Jonathan Hobbs, Captain Mark King, Captain Tim Kirby, Captain Tom Kubik, Dr. Pete Lambrou, Captain Jan Randle, Captain James Ray, Captain John Sabel, Lee Seham, First Officer Carol Stone, Captain Gary Van Hartogh, Captain Valerie Wells, and Captain Lucy Young. Each of you was there for me at a time when I very much needed your help. I am indebted to you, and to all my brothers and sisters in the U.S. Airline Pilots Association.

I’d like to thank all the people who work at US Airways. You have consistently confronted the challenges facing our profession with grace and excellence, and I am proud to call you my colleagues. All airline employees have an important job to do, and despite changes in the industry, they do it well. Readers, I hope that the next time you fly, you take a moment to thank your flight attendants for continually preparing for your safety, and your pilots for the dedication and care with which they conduct each and every flight.

Thank you to my U.S. Air Force Academy classmate and retired Northwest Airlines captain Mike Hay and my fellow fighter pilot and current Southwest Airlines captain Jim Leslie for their assistance in reviewing the events in this book and supplementing my memories with their own. While their help has been invaluable throughout the writing process, I take responsibility for the content of this book. Any errors or omissions are mine alone.

And finally, I’d like to thank L. T. Cook Jr., who saw the potential in me and helped me realize it.

Flight Path of Flight 1549, January 15, 2009

APPENDIX B

National Transportation Safety Board Cockpit Voice Recorder Transcript Excerpt

Transcript of an Allied Signal/Honeywell model SSCVR cockpit voice recorder (CVR), s/n 2878, installed on an Airbus Industrie A320–214, registration N106US. The airplane was operated by US Airways as Flight 1549, when it ditched into the Hudson River, NY, on January 15, 2009.

LEGEND

RDO Radio transmission from accident aircraft, US Airways 1549

CAM Cockpit area microphone voice or sound source

PA Voice or sound heard on the public address system channel

HOT Hot microphone voice or sound source1

TOGA Takeoff/Go Around thrust

INTR Interphone communication to or from ground crew For RDO, CAM, PA, HOT and INTR comments:

-1 Voice identified as the Captain (Hot-1: Capt. Sullenberger)

-2 Voice identified as the First Officer (Hot-2: First Officer Skiles)

-3 Voice identified as cabin crewmember

-4 Voice identified as groundcrew

-? Voice unidentified

FWC Automated callout or sound from the Flight Warning Computer

TCAS Automated callout or sound from the Traffic Collision Avoidance System

PWS Automated callout or