Sully performed the Miracle on the Hudson 15 years ago. Now the airliner is going back on display — see the restored plane.

Taylor RainsJan 16, 2024, 12:02 IST

Captain "Sully" Sullenberger crash-landed a jetliner on the Hudson River in 2009, and all 150 people onboard lived.Todd Sumlin/Charlotte Observer/Tribune News Service via Getty Images

Fifteen years ago, a fully loaded Airbus A320 airliner crash-landed on the Hudson River and no one died.
The jet was put on display in Charlotte, North Carolina, for public viewing but was stored in 2020.

On a bitterly cold day in New York City on January 15, 2009, US Airways Captain Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger pulled off one of the most miraculous saves in aviation history — he successfully crash-landed a fully loaded Airbus A320 jetliner on the Hudson River.

Every one of the 150 souls on board survived the incident after a bird strike caused total engine failure.

The event is known as the "Miracle on the Hudson," and the A320 plane spent nearly 10 years on display at the Carolinas Aviation Museum in Charlotte before being moved into storage in 2019.

But the famous jetliner is not gone forever. In the summer of 2024, a new $30 million state-of-the-art facility will open in Sully's name, where a piece of history will again stand.

Take a look at the plane before its move, and what to expect at the soon-to-open Sullenberger Aviation Museum.

On January 15, 2009, US Airways flight 1549 crash-landed on the Hudson River, and no one died.

Passengers escape the sinking A320.John Roca/NY Daily News via Getty Images

Many people know Sully's name, but first officer Jeffrey Skiles was also in the cockpit that day.

First officer Jeffrey Skiles (L) and Captain "Sully" Sullenberger (R) pose with the Historical 1958 DC7 to benefit hosted by Historical Flight Foundation on November 17, 2011, in Miami, Florida.Larry Marano/Getty Images

Three flight attendants, Donna Dent, Sheila Dail, and Doreen Welsh, led the life-saving evacuation.

Sheila Dail (L), Doreen Welsh (C), and Donna Dent (R) at the Late Show with David Letterman in 2009.Jeffrey Ufberg/Getty Images

The accident has been retold through the movie Sully, with Tom Hanks as the lead.

Sully, Tom Hanks, and director Clint Eastwood.Reuters

The film shows how passengers evacuated through emergency exit doors and used rafts and the jet's wings to stay above water.

Passengers on rafts escaping the crashed plane.Bebeto Matthews/AP Images

Emergency rescue was at the plane within minutes of the crash, getting to the survivors before the plane fully submerged.

Emergency rescue helping passengers after the crash.Reuters

Diane Higgins, who was on the plane with her 85-year-old mother, told Business Insider her mom had to be helped off in a wheelchair.

Lucille Palmer (L), Diane Higgins (C), and Captain Sully (R).Courtesy of Diane Higgins

After the disaster, the plane was put on display in Charlotte to recognize Sully's heroic efforts.

Miracle on the Hudson fuselage.Taylor Rains/Business Insider

Museum president Stephen Saucier told BI that the airplane had to be transferred via road to the museum.

Miracle on the Hudson A320.Tim Shaffer/Reuters

Once at the then-named Carolinas Aviation Museum, Sully and the passengers visited the plane and donated personal items for the display.

Sully inside the Miracle on the Hudson A320.Todd Sumlin/Charlotte Observer/Tribune News Service via Getty Images

Visitors could see the plane's damage, including on the nose, tail, engines, wings, and fuselage.

Miracle on the Hudson wing.Taylor Rains/Business Insider

The plane has since been put into storage to make way for a new exhibit in Sully's name.

The plane was moved into the new museum in November 2023.Sullenberger Aviation Museum

The new museum will officially open in the summer of 2024, with the famous A320 as the centerpiece.

The A320 being wheeled into the museum in November.Sullenberger Aviation Museum

Other aircraft, like historic helicopters and replicas of the Wright Brothers' glider, will also be on display.

The Wright Brothers memorial in North Carolina where the first flight was.Mark Gibson/Getty Images

Saucier said the plane had been stored in a hangar on campus for the past five years, with a team of specialists there to preserve it.

The aircraft after it was recovered from the Hudson River in 2009.Daniel Barry/Getty Images

The museum will promote STEM education, working with companies like American Airlines to offer young people hands-on learning.

High school students board an American jet as part of an aviation-focused field trip.Sullenberger Aviation Museum

It will have been more than 15 years after the crash when the new museum opens, and it's sure to bring back memories for passengers.

Crash survivor Diane Higgins with Captain "Sully" Sullenberger.Courtesy of Diane Higgins

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Sully performed the Miracle on the Hudson 15 years ago. Now the airliner is going back on display &mdash; see the restored plane.