Capt. Chesley B. Sullenberger III, known for landing a plane safely on the Hudson River in 2009, has announced he has Alzheimer’s disease.

Early Stage Diagnosis

Sullenberger, 75, posted an update on his personal website that he recently found out about the diagnosis, which is in an early stage. His doctor, Dr. Gil Rabinovici with UCSF Medical Center, has been working with him to understand the prevalence of Alzheimer’s.

Alzheimer’s is a progressive brain disorder that leads to memory loss and other intellectual inabilities. The disease is the most common form of dementia and is fatal, with no cure.

Sullenberger has devoted much of his career to aviation, as a commercial airline pilot, an accident investigator, and US ambassador to the United Nations’ civil aviation organization. He frequently advocates for aviation safety matters following his landing of US Airways Flight 1549 on the Hudson.

Sullenberger said, ‘Now we need that courage to battle this disease. I am now part of a larger community with many of you, and we will be courageous together.’

Original reporting: KEYT (Ventura/Santa Barbara) — read the source article.