Co-Pilot of U.S. Airways Flight 1549, “The Miracle on the Hudson”

Jeff Skiles

On a bright, 20-degree afternoon in January, US Airways Flight 1549 accelerated down New York La Guardia Airport’s main runway, loaded with 155 passengers and crew, headed skywards for Charlotte, NC. Everything was normal until First Officer Jeff Skiles spotted a formation of Canada geese almost directly ahead. In a matter of seconds, he heard numerous thunks as the birds impacted the aircraft. Both engines immediately failed. Captain Chesley Sullenberger took over flying the plane and lowered the nose down to retain airspeed. Within seconds, the pilots made the decision that returning to LaGuardia was simply not possible—they’d have to fly over densely populated areas and there was no guarantee that they’d make it. Surrounded by nothing but skyscrapers and neighborhoods, they decided to head to the only open, flat space available—the Hudson River.

Crisis Management at 3,200 Feet. Skiles tried to restart the engines. But the manuals are written for failures that happen at 30,000 feet, and the only training pilots receive for water landings is focused on ditching in the open ocean. Skiles and Sullenberger were truly in uncharted territory. As the passengers and flight attendants braced for impact, the plane descended 3,200 feet toward the river. Eye-witnesses in the surrounding buildings said it looked like a perfect three-point landing.

News of plane crashes and airline disasters usually hits the public hard. Yet those same accidents become the training tools and examples that help pilots avoid repeating those mistakes. But the exploits of the flight crew of U.S. Airways Flight 1549 are a rare example where future pilots learn from a resounding success rather than a failure.

Adapt, React, and Don’t Fear a Change of Course. The son of two pilots, Skiles started flying at the age of 16 and has logged over 23,000 hours in the sky. Skiles has spent the last 30 years as a US Airways pilot and his lifetime of experiences contributed to the astounding outcome. The perfect landing was not a fluke; it was the result of intense training, preparation, and the lessons learned from other pilots’ successes and failures.

Skiles believes that life changes all around you, and if you can’t adapt and change with it, you can’t succeed. He attributes the success of the emergency landing on the Hudson to the extensive training that all members of a flight crew experience. From the mechanics and the maintenance workers to the people who write the emergency protocols and the flight attendants, he believes that every level of the US Airways organization is responsible for the outcome on January 15, 2009. While he and Captain Sullenberger piloted the plane to a safe landing, the success was a group effort representing the contributions of an entire organization.

Author | Facilitator | Integrator - Harvard Business Publishing Corporate Learning

Martha Acosta

AUTHOR
My book “Safety Capacity: Leadership Practices for Failing Safely” helps safety leaders develop the practices that build the capacity to fail safely into organizational and operational systems. It’s full of case studies, practical leadership tools, and honest reflection on the challenges of leading fallible people to do dangerous work safely.

FACILITATOR
Over the decades, I have had many engagements with globally-diverse clients in a variety of industries. Each project is unique, except in one way―I have approached every one as an invaluable opportunity both to learn and to contribute past learning. Although I have worked as a manager, consultant, scholar and trainer, my primary role is that of an expert learner who guides others through a process of understanding, insight, and mastery. Nothing is more rewarding to me than helping people and organizations push their own boundaries.
INTEGRATOR
My scholarship is multi-disciplinary and my consulting practice pulls together research and best practices from various disciples and sources. My superpower is synthesis: integrating complex ideas, explaining them clearly, and identifying how to put them to practical use. My best personality trait is curiosity: no idea is too crazy, no theory too far-fetched, no concept too difficult, no problem insurmountable. We can always figure this out together!

Trusted Guide & Coach for SafetyTech, Work Design & Digital Transformation

Cam Stevens

Cam Stevens is the trusted voice for safety innovation, technology and digital
transformation; A chartered safety professional with an MSc in Human Factors,
postgraduate studies in artificial intelligence ethics and extensive experience in
both safety and technology roles. Cam has supported more than 200 emerging
technology deployments in high risk enterprises across the globe.
As the CEO of boutique safety transformation consultancy Pocketknife Group and
Founder of the Safety Innovation Academy, Cam is a world leader in digital safety
transformation. Cam Stevens is a well established international keynote speaker
on the intersection of safety and technology and an agent of change for the future
of work

CEO - Reaching Results

Dr. John Austin

Dr. John Austin is an internationally recognized expert in providing behavior-based solutions to organizational challenges. He is founder of Reaching Results, a consultancy for management, motivation, leadership, and safety. Dr. Austin was a Professor of Psychology at Western Michigan University. He has consulted with organizations for 20 years to improve productivity and safety in various industrie.

John has experience in occupational safety, motivation, performance measurement, leadership development, coaching, and organizational change management.

In the area of improving human performance he has published nearly 100 articles and chapters, delivered over 200 presentations at regional, national, and international conferences, and has published three books, Organizational Change, Handbook of Applied Behavior Analysis, and Mindfulness at Work.

Specialties: I specialize in leadership, coaching, safety, and behavioral science in business, including performance improvement, performance management, organizational behavior management, and behavior-based safety.

Principal - EHS Transformation Consultants

Subena Colligan

Greetings! I’m Subena Colligan, a dedicated advocate for revolutionizing safety ecosystems.

As an EHS Leader, have you ever found yourself navigating the challenges of reactive firefighting instead of proactive prevention? I’ve been there, experiencing burnout and questioning the true impact of my efforts.

Motivated by my own journey through burnout and frustration, I set out to discover a solution. This exploration led to the creation of the EHS Transformation Model, a proven methodology consistently delivering outstanding results. Organizations implementing this model have achieved an impressive 30% reduction in injuries year over year, coupled with increased near-miss reporting and successful strategy execution.

Beyond my fieldwork, I proudly serve as the Chair for the Board for Global EHS Credentialing (formerly known as ABIH), actively contributing to shaping industry standards and ensuring professionals are equipped with the right credentials.

In my personal life, I’m a dedicated dog mom, a loving wife, and an avid yogi. I also consider myself a foodie, always eager to explore new culinary experiences.

If you’re an EHS Leader looking to revolutionize your safety culture, prevent incidents, and create a lasting impact, I’d love to connect with you. Let’s collaborate and unlock the full potential of your organization’s safety ecosystem.

Hybrid Leadership expert - Highly experienced L&D professional | Executive Coach

Sarah Brummitt

As a dynamic, highly experienced L&D professional and qualified Executive Coach, I have worked with individuals, teams and organisations to help them succeed.

I have extensive experience of working across a wide range of industries, cultures and countries and engages with all levels inside a business to build trust, manage stakeholders and deliver commercial value.

I have over 21 years of expertise in B2B sales, leadership and learning and development. After graduating with an honours degree in Business Studies, I began my career in the pharmaceutical industry.

I spent nine years at AstraZeneca, during which time I won the Top Salesperson of the Year award for the highest territory sales in the company. I also ran both sales and L&D teams during my tenure and was the UK Head of Training & Development for the largest pharmaceutical sales force in the country.

I then spent 5 years at a fast paced, growing, entrepreneurial training consultancy where I designed, developed and delivered learning solutions, in addition to running large, complex, client facing projects and managing large virtual teams.

Thought leadership, sharing best practice, deepening client engagement, managing change, growing the business and delivering commercial value to clients were the continual priority for myself and my team.