Sully (2016) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

Sully determined that returning to LaGuardia or Teterboro was impossible because the plane had lost both engines at only 2,800 feet altitude with insufficient speed to reach any runway. He calculated they had only 208 seconds before hitting something, making the Hudson River the only viable option. His experience told him the math didn't work for turning back, he would have crashed into a populated area.

• hudson river landing
• emergency landing
• la guardia
• airport return
• engine failure

The NTSB investigation focused on whether Sully's decision was the only safe option. Preliminary data from ACARS suggested the left engine might still be operational at idle power, which raised the possibility that the plane could have reached a nearby runway. The investigation wasn't accusing him of wrongdoing, but rather examining if pilot error contributed to the emergency.

• ntsb investigation
• pilot error
• investigation
• flight 1549

The ACARS system initially showed the left engine was producing some power at idle, leading investigators to question whether it was truly destroyed. This data fueled the theory that Sully might have had enough engine power to reach an airport. However, the final investigation confirmed the left engine was indeed destroyed by the bird strike, the ACARS data was misleading because it showed residual spinning rather than actual thrust.

• acars
• left engine
• bird strike
• engine data
• flight data

The initial simulations were run by computer algorithms that assumed optimal conditions, pilots knew in advance the engines would fail and could react perfectly from the moment of the bird strike. When the NTSB reran simulations with live pilots who had to recognize and react to the emergency naturally, no one could successfully reach an airport. The original tests were unrealistic because they removed the human reaction time component.

• flight simulation
• ntsb simulation
• pilot error test
• 208 seconds

The APU is a small turbine in the tail of the Airbus A320 that provides electrical power when the main engines are off. Sully's activation of the APU, the 15th item on the emergency checklist, was crucial because it kept critical systems like hydraulics and instrumentation functioning during the water landing. Without it, controlling the plane during the ditching would have been far more difficult.

• apu
• auxiliary power unit
• airbus checklist
• hydraulics

Sully experienced survivor's guilt and PTSD after the incident. While the public celebrated him, he was haunted by the fact that he had gambled 155 lives on a water landing with no guarantee of survival. The intense media scrutiny and investigation added to his stress, and he turned to alcohol briefly but found no solace. His trauma stemmed from the 208 seconds of pure survival mode and the uncertainty of whether his split-second decision was truly correct.

• ptsd
• trauma
• survivor guilt
• alcohol
• stress

Three minutes after takeoff at 2,800 feet, Flight 1549 struck a flock of Canada geese. The birds were ingested into both engines, causing catastrophic damage that destroyed the fan blades and eliminated all thrust. The Airbus A320 lost power completely from both engines, leaving Sully and Skiles with a gliding aircraft and no ability to maintain altitude or reach any runway.

• bird strike
• geese
• engine failure
• flight 1549
• canada geese

Within 24 minutes of the water landing, multiple ferries arrived at the scene along with over 1,200 rescue workers. Passengers stood on the wings while ferries pulled alongside the plane. The fast response was coordinated by air traffic controller Patrick Harten, who cleared the path for emergency vessels. All 155 passengers and crew survived with only minor injuries.

• rescue
• ferry
• hudson river
• passengers
• evacuation
• rescue workers

The entire crisis unfolded in just 208 seconds, from the bird strike to the water landing. This compressed timeframe became the central focus of the investigation because it represented the minimal window Sully had to assess options, make decisions, and execute the emergency landing. The NTSB scrutinized whether a pilot could reasonably evaluate alternatives in such a short period.

• 208 seconds
• emergency timeline
• bird strike to landing

The investigation concluded that both engines were confirmed destroyed by the bird strike, validating Sully's account that he had no viable option but the Hudson River. When simulations were rerun with live pilots who didn't know in advance about the emergency, no one could reach an airport. This proved Sully's split-second decision was the correct one, and he was fully cleared of any wrongdoing.

• vindication
• ntsb conclusion
• pilot cleared
• innocent