Flight 1549 crew in Charlotte Wednesday
By Jefferson George
jgeorge@charlotteobserver.com
Posted: Friday, Feb. 20, 2009
The crew of US Airways Flight 1549 will be in Charlotte next week for an employee event honoring their actions when the flight splashed down in the Hudson River last month.
All 155 people aboard the flight survived when the Airbus A320 jet – its engines crippled by a bird strike – landed in the river shortly after takeoff Jan. 15. Since then, Capt. Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger – as well as First Officer Jeff Skiles and flight attendants Sheila Dail, Donna Dent and Doreen Welsh – have been hailed as heroes for safely landing and evacuating the plane.
US Airways plans to hold an event for the crew with airline employees and their families Wednesday evening at an uptown Charlotte hotel. The airline also will recognize the contributions of hundreds of employees throughout its system who helped care for Flight 1549 customers. The event is not open to the public.