‘Miracle on the Hudson’ First Officer Retires

Jeff Skiles continued flying for American Airlines after the 2009 incident.

Ryan Ewing

Tuesday, November 19, 2024 at 10:50 AM ET

Verified

Edited By: tccjeremy

Jeff Skiles, pictured second to left, and the US Airways 1549 crew. [Credit: American Airlines]

Key Takeaways:

Jeff Skiles, known as the first officer of the "Miracle on the Hudson" US Airways Flight 1549, has retired from American Airlines after a decades-long flying career.
Unlike Captain "Sully" Sullenberger, Skiles continued flying after the 2009 water landing, serving as a Boeing 787 captain for American Airlines until his final flight coincided with his 65th birthday.
The 2009 incident involved Skiles and Captain Sullenberger successfully ditching their bird-struck Airbus A320 in the Hudson River, saving all 155 people on board, an event later portrayed in the film *Sully*.

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Jeff Skiles has retired from American Airlines after a decades-long flying career. Skiles is best known as the first officer on US Airways Flight 1549, which landed in the Hudson River in 2009.

While Captain Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger retired from US Airways in 2010, Skiles continued flying at US Airways and later American Airlines when the two carriers merged in 2013. Most recently, Skiles was a Boeing 787 Dreamliner captain for American.