Sullenberger sweats lost book

May he be a role model so that more people use libraries and develop such a sense of honor.

Hero pilot Chesley (Sully) Sullenberger sweats lost book

by Bill Hutchinson - Daily News

Tuesday, February 3rd 2009, 7:37 PM
He has nerves of steel, but hero pilot Chesley (Sully) Sullenberger is jittery about an overdue library book.

Living up to his squeaky clean image, the US Airways captain has informed his hometown library that he may not be able to return a borrowed book - about ethics, of all things.

The former fighter pilot has a good excuse: The book was lost when he was forced to make a splash landing on the frigid Hudson River last month.

Sullenberger and co-pilot Jeffrey Skiles have been credited with saving themselves and 153 passengers and crew.

Officials at the Danville, Calif., library revealed that the flying ace rang them up saying the book is still in the crashed airliner's cargo hold and could he get an extension and a waiver on overdue fees.

The book had been borrowed from the Fresno State University library.

Peter McDonald, dean of library services at Fresno State, said he was bowled over by Sully's sense of responsibility.

"Clearly this is a wonderful, feel-good story, and we honor Mr. Sullenberger both for what he did on the Hudson and for his quick response to a lost book," McDonald told the Fresno Bee newspaper.

Citing privacy issues, McDonald refused to reveal the book's title and said Sullenberger's name should have been kept confidential.

"But now that the story's broke, we thank him again and we will replace the book in his honor," said McDonald, adding that any overdue fees will be forgiven.

Sullenberger, 58, had just taken off from LaGuardia Airport Jan. 15 when his Airbus jet flew into a flock of birds, causing both engines to conk out.

Unable to make it safely to an emergency landing strip, Sullenberger decided to ditch the plane in the river.

A similar scare happened yesterday in Denver when a United Airlines jet was forced to return to the airport after a bird was sucked into one of its engines on takeoff.

The Boeing 757 landed safely and none of the 151 passengers and crew was injured.