He is best known for his actions as captain of US Airways Flight 1549 on January 15, 2009, when he ditched the plane, landing on the Hudson River after both engines were disabled by a bird strike.

He served as the co-chairman, along with his co-pilot on Flight 1549, Jeffrey Skiles, of the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA)'s Young Eagles youth introduction-to-aviation program from 2009 to 2013.

[6] Sullenberger is the co-author, with Jeffrey Zaslow, of the New York Times bestseller Highest Duty: My Search for What Really Matters, a memoir of his life and of the events surrounding Flight 1549.

[7] In 2021, President Joe Biden announced he would nominate Sullenberger as U.S. representative to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) with the rank of ambassador.

According to his sister, Sullenberger built model planes and aircraft carriers during his childhood; she says he became interested in flying after seeing military jets from an Air Force base near his house.

[20] He was a featured speaker for two panels: one on aviation and one on patient safety in medicine, at the High Reliability Organizations (HRO) 2007 International Conference in 2007.

[34] Quickly determining he would be unable to reach either LaGuardia or Teterboro Airports,[35] Sullenberger flew the plane to an emergency water landing[23] on the Hudson River.

[14][38] Sullenberger, described by friends as "shy and reticent",[39] was noted for his poise and calm during the crisis; New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg dubbed him "Captain Cool".

"[43] The National Transportation Safety Board ruled that landing on the river was the correct decision instead of attempting a return to LaGuardia Airport[44] because the normal procedures for engine loss are designed for cruising altitudes, not immediately after takeoff.

Simulations performed at the Airbus Training Centre Europe in Toulouse showed that Flight 1549 could have made it back to LaGuardia had that maneuver begun immediately after the bird strike.

However, such scenarios both neglected the time necessary for the pilots to understand and assess the situation, and risked the possibility of a crash within a densely populated area.

[45][46] U.S. President George W. Bush called Sullenberger to thank him for saving the lives of the passengers,[47] as did President-elect Barack Obama,[48] who invited him and the crew to join the presidential inauguration ceremony.

[49] On January 16, 2009, the United States Senate passed a resolution recognizing and honoring Sullenberger, Skiles, the cabin crew, the passengers, and the first responders involved in Flight 1549's emergency landing.

[53] While in the Tri-Valley, Sullenberger gave his first official interview to Jega Sanmugam of The Wildcat Tribune,[54] the student newspaper of Dougherty Valley High School, which his daughter attended at the time.

[57] Sullenberger, Skiles, and Flight 1549's cabin crew—Doreen Welsh, Sheila Dail, and Donna Dent—were honored with a standing ovation during the Super Bowl XLIII pre-game ceremony on February 1, 2009.

[64] On June 6, 2009, Sullenberger returned to Denison to participate in the town's D-Day celebration and to give the commencement address for his alma mater, marking the 40th anniversary of his graduation from the school.

[67] Sullenberger works as an international lecturer and keynote speaker at educational institutions, corporations, and non-profit organizations about the importance of aviation and patient safety, high performance systems improvement, leadership and culture, risk and crisis management, lifelong preparation, and living a life of integrity.

[6] From 2009 to 2013, Sullenberger and Skiles acted as the co-chairmen of the EAA's Young Eagles Program, which gives children the opportunity to experience flight and learn about general aviation.

In 2019 Sullenberger said that Boeing 737 MAX crashes "are demonstrable evidence that our current system of aircraft design and certification has failed us.

[82][83] In late October 2018, Sullenberger wrote an op-ed in The Washington Post ahead of the 2018 mid-term elections, calling on Americans to vote "for leaders who are committed to the values that will unite and protect us,"[84] who have a "moral compass ... competence, integrity, and concern for the greater good.

"[85] In a subsequent interview with Lawrence O'Donnell, Sullenberger elaborated his position, discussing his belief that voters should act as a check and balance in a partisan government.

[89][90][91] On June 15, 2021, President Biden nominated Sullenberger to be the U.S. representative to the Council of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), with the rank of ambassador.

[100] Sullenberger's speech before Congress concerning U.S. civil aviation is featured in Michael Moore's 2009 documentary Capitalism: A Love Story.

Throughout the film, Justin Timberlake's character repeatedly suggests to people he meets aboard planes that modern airplanes practically fly themselves, and that Sullenberger's feat was less impressive than it was portrayed, an idea for which he encounters incredulity and hostility.

[102][103][104] The 2010 song "A Real Hero", by French electronica artist College and the band Electric Youth, is in part inspired by Captain Sullenberger and Flight 1549.

[106] "Hudson River Runway", the March 14, 2011, episode of the TV series Mayday, documents the events around Flight 1549's emergency landing and includes interviews with several of its real-life participants.

Directed by Clint Eastwood and starring Tom Hanks as Sullenberger and Aaron Eckhart as Skiles, it recreates the events around the Hudson River landing.

[115] In season 2 of the ABC sitcom Abbott Elementary, episode 6 features teacher Gregory Eddie dressed up as Sullenberger for Halloween.