- [last lines]
- Elizabeth Davis: [At the NTSB investigation proceedings] First Officer Skiles, is there anything you'd like to add? Anything... you would have done differently if you... had to do it again?
- Jeff Skiles: Yes. I would've done it in July.
- Ben Edwards: Multiple airports, runways, two successful landings, we are simply mimicking what the computer already told us.
- Charles Porter: Now, a lot of toes were stepped on in order to set this up for today, and frankly... I really don't know what you gentlemen plan to gain by it.
- Chesley 'Sully' Sullenberger: Can we get serious now?
- Charles Porter: Captain?
- Chesley 'Sully' Sullenberger: We've all heard about the computer simulations, and now we are watching actual sims, but I can't quite believe you still have not taken into account the human factor.
- Charles Porter: Human piloted simulations show that you could make it back to the airport.
- Chesley 'Sully' Sullenberger: No, they don't. These pilots were not behaving like human beings, like people who are experiencing this for the first time.
- Charles Porter: Well, they may not be reacting like you did.
- Chesley 'Sully' Sullenberger: Immediately after the bird strike they are turning back for the airport just as in the computer sims. Correct?
- Charles Porter: That is correct.
- Chesley 'Sully' Sullenberger: They obviously knew the turn and exactly what heading to fly. They did not run a check, they do not switch on the APU.
- Charles Porter: They had on all the same parameters that you faced.
- Chesley 'Sully' Sullenberger: No one warned us. No one said "You're going to lose both engines at a lower altitude than any jet in history. But, be cool, just make a left turn for LaGuardia like you are going back to pick up the milk". This was dual engine loss at 2800 feet followed by immediate water landing with 155 souls on board. No one has ever trained for an incident like that. No one.
- Chesley 'Sully' Sullenberger: [Looks at the co-pilot 10 seconds before forced water landing and asks:] Any ideas?
- Jeff Skiles: Actually, not...
- Carl Clark: You know, it's been a while since New York had news this good. Especially with an airplane in it.
- Elizabeth Davis: I'd like to add something on a personal note: I can say with confidence, that after speaking with the rest of the flight crew, with bird experts and airplane engineers, after running all the scenarios and talking to each of the players... there is an X in this result.
- Elizabeth Davis: It's you, Captain Sullenberger. Take you out of the equation and the math just fails.
- Chesley 'Sully' Sullenberger: I disagree. It wasn't just me, it was all of us. Jeff, Donna, Sheila, Doreen. The passengers, rescue workers. Air traffic control, ferry boat crews and scuba cops. We all did it. We survived.
- Bartender - Pete: [Sully walks into a pub and sits at the bar] Hey, is that you? Are you the pilot, Sully? that is you, right?
- Chesley 'Sully' Sullenberger: Yeah.
- Bartender - Pete: Hey, it's a pleasure to meet you. That was unreal what you did the other day, that was really something. It's a real pleasure to meet you. You know, we invented a drink after you as soon as that happened, ain't that right, Johnny?
- Johnny - Drunk Customer: Yeah, yeah, you did.
- Bartender - Pete: The Sully: It's a shot of Grey Goose with a splash of water.
- ATC #1: Aren't you coming?
- Patrick Harten: I guess you didn't hear. I lost Cactus 1549 in the Hudson.
- ATC #1: Yeah? I guess you haven't heard. He landed the son of a bitch.
- Patrick Harten: What?
- ATC #1: Everyone's been pulled off. It's a miracle!
- Patrick Harten: That's not possible.
- LT Cook: A pilot never stops acquiring knowledge. You'll make mistakes, everyone does. Just learn from them.
- Sully (16 Years Old): Yes, sir.
- LT Cook: And never forget, no matter what's happening, to fly the airplane.
- Jeff Skiles: What did you think?
- Chesley 'Sully' Sullenberger: Hearing the CVR just now?
- Jeff Skiles: Let me tell you what I think.
- Chesley 'Sully' Sullenberger: I'm just so damn proud.
- Jeff Skiles: And you, you were right there, through all that distraction. With so much at stake.
- Chesley 'Sully' Sullenberger: We did this together. We were a team.
- Jeff Skiles: Thanks, Sully.
- Chesley 'Sully' Sullenberger: We did our job.
- Jeff Skiles: We did our job.
- Lorraine Sullenberger: [almost bursting into tears] Oh my *God*...
- Chesley 'Sully' Sullenberger: What?
- Lorraine Sullenberger: I just realized there were a hundred and fifty-five people on that plane and you were one of them!
- Chesley 'Sully' Sullenberger: It's not a crash, it was a forced water landing.
- Charles Porter: Simulation showed that you could make it back to the airport.
- Chesley 'Sully' Sullenberger: Impossible. I felt it go.
- Sheila Dail: Just once I'd like to get out of LaGuardia on time.
- Donna Dent: Well, you know the only way to get out of LaGuardia on time.
- Sheila Dail: Yeah, what's that?
- Donna Dent: Fly out of JFK.
- Chesley 'Sully' Sullenberger: [hotel manager hugs Sully] What just happened?
- Carl Clark: You just got hugged by a total stranger.
- [after landing on the Hudson successfully with passengers and crew being assisted off the ferry boat]
- Chesley 'Sully' Sullenberger: Dan, I need to know who's hurt and how badly and I need a count... 155, that's my number... That's passengers and crew
- Dan Britt: OK, and how are you?
- Chesley 'Sully' Sullenberger: I'll answer that question when we've counted 155
- Dan Britt: All right
- [later on in the hospital and Arnie walks in]
- Chesley 'Sully' Sullenberger: Arnie, The union is pulling out all the big guns today, huh
- Arnie Gentile: Talked to Dan Britt, Sully... got a count... 155
- Chesley 'Sully' Sullenberger: 155
- Arnie Gentile: It's official... 155
- Chesley 'Sully' Sullenberger: 155... 155... Thank you Arnie
- Chesley 'Sully' Sullenberger: [New York late at night and both men can't sleep so they decide to go for a walk. It's cold outside and both are bundled up] It's all so unreal. I guess I'm just having a little trouble separating reality from whatever the hell this is.
- Jeff Skiles: This is two men freezing their asses off.
- [They both laugh]
- Jeff Skiles: Sully
- [pause]
- Jeff Skiles: don't worry. You did a great thing and it's going to be remembered for a very long time.
- Chesley 'Sully' Sullenberger: Funny thing is, I've delivered a million passengers over 40 years in the air and in the end I'll be judged on 208 seconds.
- Jeff Skiles: Come on. Tomorrow's going to be a good day. Computer SIMS will prove you were right and we can all put our wings back on.
- Chesley 'Sully' Sullenberger: Do you want to run?
- [Both men go jogging on down the street]
- Jeff Skiles: I'm hoping six months from now we'll just be laughing about how we got to meet David Letterman.
- Chesley 'Sully' Sullenberger: We're going on David Letterman?
- Jeff Skiles: Yeah, right after the next NTSB interview. I'm guessing David's going to be slightly funnier.
- Elizabeth Davis: [NTSB Hearing Room. Sully and Skiles are transfixed by the video of the engine that almost got them killed] I'd like to add something on a personal note. I can say with confidence, that after speaking with the rest of the flight crew, with bird experts and airplane engineers, after running all the scenarios and talking to each of the players... there is an X in this result. It's you, Captain Sullenberger. Take you out of the equation and the math just fails.
- Chesley 'Sully' Sullenberger: I disagree.
- [the room hushes. Waiting for Sully to finally unleash. Instead...]
- Chesley 'Sully' Sullenberger: It wasn't just me. It was all of us. Jeff, Donna, Sheila, Doreen. The passengers, the rescue workers. Air traffic control. The ferry boat crews and the scuba cops. We did it. We survived.
- Elizabeth Davis: First Officer Skiles, is there anything you'd like to add? Anything you would have done differently, if you had to do it all again?
- Jeff Skiles: Yes.
- [beat]
- Jeff Skiles: I would have done it in July.
- [surprises the room]
- Jeff Skiles: .
- Donna Dent: Welcome onboard US Airways flight 1549, with service to Charlotte. Please review the safety instruction card in the seatback pocket in front of you. It explains the safety features of this aircraft, as well as the location and operation of the exit and flotation devices.