Steely calm on the outside – absolutely.
But hero US Airways Captain Chesley B. Sullenberger III says he was in emotional “turmoil” as he miraculously ditched Flight 1549 in the Hudson River on Jan. 15, saving 155 lives and winning admiration from around the world.
The wonder flyboy known as “Sully” told ESPN’s Rick Reilly the whole experience was nothing short of “surreal.”
His remarks came as he and wife Lori attended Sunday’s Super Bowl in Tampa as VIP guests of NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell.
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Slowly, simply, the veteran flier, safety expert and licensed glider pilot talked about what was going through his mind as he guided a powerless plane toward the Hudson for an incredible splash-down caught on video and seared into the minds of millions who watched the heart-pounding rescue.
Sullenberger said that when both engines on the Charlotte, NC-bound jet conked out after takeoff from La Guardia Airport – investigators say a double bird strike caused both engines to shut down – the feeling of total silence was “shocking.”
“It was very quiet as we worked, my co-pilot and I,” he said, slowly relating the heart-pounding moments.
“We were a team. But to have zero thrust coming out of those engines was shocking – the silence.”
Then prodded to relate his feelings as he dealt with zero power and a split-second decision about how and where to land, Sully said simply:
“Calm on the outside, turmoil inside.”
Before leaving the plane, Sully even walked along the aisles checking to make sure all the passengers had left before he jumped into a life raft.
Of the entire experience, Sully kept telling ESPN it was simply “surreal.”
But his poise under pressure earned him a telephone call from President Obama – who invited him to his Jan. 20 inauguration and offered to fly him aboard Air Force One – a trip to the Super Bowl, and even a job offer from Virgin Air.
And he hasn’t ruled anything out.
“I will be happy to entertain all the things that are coming my way,” he told Britain’s Daily Mail when contacted at his home in Danville, Calif.
The indomitable pilot will give his first full interview about the Miracle on the Hudson to CBS’s “60 Minutes” Sunday.
In the days since the incident, Sully and Lori have opened letters every night – an emotional experience in itself, she told ESPN.
“It allows both of us to express emotion about it all. We both sit there and cry,” she said.