US Airways flight 1549 pilot receives hero’s welcome in hometown

Chesley B. “Sully” Sullenberger, the anointed “Hero of the Hudson” who ditched US Airways flight 1549 into the river Jan. 15 and likely saved all on board, received a hero’s welcome this past Saturday as his hometown of Danville, California feted him and a crowd of thousands stood and chanted, simply, “Sully! Sully!”

City Hall presented the 13-year resident with the key to Danville.

What did he have to say? Not much. Sullenberger is holding off making detailed comments about the incident until the National Transportation Safety Board completes its investigation.

It was circumstances that put this experienced crew (in charge) of that plane on that particular day,” Sullenberger, 58, said, as quoted in the San Jose Mercury-News. “We were simply doing the jobs we were trained to do.”

Sullenberger has catapulted into a degree of (deserved) fame since the accident. He attended last week’s inauguration at the invitation of Barack Obama, and he intends to soon sit down with Katie Couric on “60 Minutes” to tell his story.