Summary Of A Hudson River Hero By Chesley Sullenberger

It would be very difficult to make a decision in a split second with the weight of the world on your shoulders. For Chesley Sullenberger, this was reality mid-flight on January fifteenth of 2009, according to the text, “A Hudson River Hero”. He had to decide where to land his jetliner full of passengers after he began facing problems with the engines. The text, “What is Heroism”, states that there are many forms of heroism. For example, Sullenberger displayed his heroism through saving the lives of all of his passengers, risking his own reputation, and staying humble after receiving awards for his heroic flight landing.

Sullenberger is a true hero because he guided a plane full of passengers to safety after his plane encountered maintenance issues. In the text, “What is Heroism”, it states, “heroism may be an almost instantaneous reaction to a situation.” This relates to Sullenberger’s actions because he used quick-thinking to land the plane and its 155 passengers on the Hudson River safely. In the text, “A Hudson River Hero” it says Sullenberger “safely landed his disabled jetliner… saving the lives of all 155 people onboard.” This proves Sullenberger is a hero because he used good judgment in an instant decision involving not only his own life but the lives of the passengers and his fellow crew members also.

In the text “What is Heroism,” the author states, “heroism must have some form of actual or anticipated risk or sacrifice.” This connects to Sully because after his heroic landing, some people disagreed with his new title of a hero. In the text, “A Hudson River Hero” Sullenberger is supported by several people in the fact that he is a hero; Beth McHugh, a passenger stated, “we’re all alive because of him.” This proves Sullenberger is a hero because he considered and met the needs of others before his