Hero pilot Captain Sully Sullenberger, known for landing a jet on the Hudson River in 2009, has voiced concerns over the recent DC plane crash that claimed 67 lives. “I nearly dropped my phone when I saw the headline,” the author writes, emphasizing Sully’s credibility in aviation safety.

Sully suspects nighttime flights over water played a role, as the lack of ground reflections makes spotting other aircraft difficult. “All you can see are the lights on them,” he explained, making altitude and distance hard to judge. While air traffic controllers usually monitor separation, pilots confirming visual contact can take over—something that tragically failed here.

Speaking on Good Morning America, Sully warned that once safety measures break down, it’s like “dominoes lined up the wrong way.” The busy Reagan National Airport, with short runways and dense traffic, adds further risk. Reports suggest the same controller was handling multiple aircraft, highlighting staffing challenges.

Investigators have recovered black boxes, which may clarify what went wrong. Sully stresses that factors like night flying, water reflections, and staffing shortages created “the perfect storm.”

Drawing from his Hudson River landing, he warns, “Any lapse could potentially be fatal, even though we have a lot of safety.”