Free Essay Sample on Captain Sullenberger: Leading 155 to Safety After Bird Strike

Introduction

Captain Chesley is a retired Air force pilot and airline captain who became famous after a bird strike on an airplane that he was piloting. The strike caused damage in both engines and required leadership skills and piloting skills to ensure that the crisis was managed. In the end, all 155 people survived after the plane was ditched in the Hudson River in Manhattan.

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Leadership Traits

The highpoint in Captain Sullenberger’s career in commercial aviation was in the aftermath of the landing of the US Airways Flight 1549. At this moment, the captain not only expressed leadership traits in adversity as he performed the forced landing on the Hudson River with 155 people on board (Stiegler, 2015). The captain was able to showcase excellent decision making under pressure, and he expressed exemplary people management skills and displayed humility in the aftermath of the crisis.

In the time of the on-flight accident, several decisions had to be made to ensure that all the people on board the plane survived. The decisions included communicating with the controllers, deciding to ditch the plane in the river and managing the evacuation of people from the plane (Sullenberger & Zaslow, 2009). These decisions were to be made in a few seconds, and the captain managed to get them right after taking control of the plane.

The captain also displayed top-notch people management skills in the handling of the comfort of the people in the plane. In the moment of the emergency, the captain needed to communicate with the first officer, Patrick the controller, flight attendants Donna and Sheila and the rest of the passengers (Sullenberger III & Zaslow, 2016). The management of the communication between these officers ensured fast evacuation from the water and survival.

Humility is an important trait, and the captain displayed it after the crisis. As the praise was outpouring for his management of the crisis, Captain Chesley Sullenberger was sure to credit his team members and especially his first officer for the teamwork (Sullenberger & Zaslow, 2009). It showed that a well-coordinated team managed the management under the leadership of Captain Chesley and he gave them all credit for the positive outcome.

The dilemma faced by Captain Chesley Sullenberger

The major dilemma faced by the captain was whether to land at the runway at LaGuardia or improvise quickly. The first option for landing at the runway was considered in consultation with Patrick, the controller. Patrick offered the LaGuardia runway that could be reached in the shortest time and path (Sullenberger III & Zaslow, 2016). This option was not particularly feasible at the time, which was 32 seconds after contacting the controller (Sullenberger & Zaslow, 2009). In his own words, Captain Chesley explained that the plane was in a low altitude, it was travelling at a low speed at a total weight of 150 000 pounds (Sullenberger & Zaslow, 2009). At the same time, the plane was too slow, far from the runway, both engines were nonfunctional, and they were still pointed in the wrong direction which was away from the airports that were nearby (Sullenberger III & Zaslow, 2016). Captain Chesley thought about landing somewhere on land. However, the options were less feasible than the runway at LaGuardia (Sullenberger & Zaslow, 2009). A large interstate highway without overpasses would be an ideal alternative. Still, the captain explains that there were few such highways without barriers such as overpasses, road signs and heavy traffic (Sullenberger & Zaslow, 2009). Another feasible alternative would have been a field that was long and level, but there was none. He considered these options in a split second and had so little time to make the correct decision.

The option to land at the runway was the most feasible among these, and yet it came with a lot of complications. First, there was the possibility of not making it to the runway. Failure to make it to the runway would mean that the plane crashed and people in the residential areas would be hurt (Sullenberger III & Zaslow, 2016). If the captain had decided to turn and head for the LaGuardia runway, there would be no chance to reverse that decision (Sullenberger & Zaslow, 2009). But then he considered the other option of the Hudson River (Sullenberger & Zaslow, 2009). It also provided multiple challenges and would require immediate evacuation service. This option also posed a significant risk to the people on the plane. There was a need for quick thinking and solution of the dilemma to solve the dilemma.

How the traits contributed to Captain Chesley Sullenberger’s effectiveness

The leadership traits were apparent in the handling of the crisis. Decision-making under pressure was the most apparent trait in the handling of the crisis (Sullenberger III, 2012). Given the dilemma that faced the captain, his leadership skills, especially decision-making, were needed more than ever. An extremely important split-second decisions were needed for the lives of the 155 people to be saved (Sullenberger & Zaslow, 2009). The captain had to make communication decisions, landing decisions, and salvage decisions while piloting a plane with no functional engine. His decision-making in the highly pressured environment with his life and the lives of 155 people at stake was exemplary. It enabled him to rule out the risky option of turning around to the LaGuardia runway and instead chose the Hudson, and prioritized saving lives.

Chelsey’s people management skills helped him to coordinate the landing efforts with his first officer. A leader needs to delegate duties, and this is exactly what he did as he took control of the plane and let Jeff manage the emergency protocols (Stiegler, 2015). Captain Chelsey also gave the people of the plane clear and concise directions and therefore avoided the development of panic. He achieved these purposes by multitasking with the decision-making under pressure.

Conclusion

Humility is an important aspect of a leader as it helps to improve the relationship between leaders and other people. It strengthens the teamwork between people. Humility is evident in the aftermath of the disaster where Captain Chesley received adulation and praise over his handling of the situation (Stiegler, 2015). He credited the role played by the first officer thereby proving that it was a joint effort. The role played by the first officer and the flight attendants in addition to the role of the captain was essential in avoiding casualties in the crisis.

References

Stiegler, M. P. (2015). What I learned about adverse events from Captain Sully: It’s not what you think. Jama, 313(4), 361-362.

Sullenberger III, C. C. B. (2012). Making a Difference: Stories of Vision and Courage from America's Leaders. Harper Collins.

Sullenberger III, C. C. B., & Zaslow, J. (2016). Sully: My search for what really matters. HarperCollins.

Sullenberger, C. B., & Zaslow, J. (2009). Highest duty: My search for what really matters. Harper Collins.