Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Copy URL Email The cards we feature here are from partners who compensate us when you are approved through our site, and this may impact how or where these products appear. We don’t cover all available credit cards, but our analysis, reviews, and opinions are entirely from our editorial team. Terms apply to the offers listed on this page. Please view our advertising policy and product review methodology for more information. I was worried that the "Miracle on the Hudson Experience" at the Sullenberger Aviation Museum would be a Disney-like ride, akin to flight-theater attractions that simulate flying over a city.
To my relief, that's not what the museum experience was about.
"Miracle on the Hudson" refers to the Jan. 15, 2009, incident in which US Airways Flight 1549 struck a flock of geese, resulting in engine failure. Captain Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger managed to land the plane safely in New York's Hudson River, and all 155 people aboard (150 passengers, three flight attendants and two pilots) miraculously survived.
The entire recovered US Airways Flight 1549 Airbus A320 — including the fuselage, wings and tail — is the centerpiece of the recently revamped and much-expanded museum, which is located near Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT).
In addition to seeing the plane, visitors can watch a short documentary about the incident, explore a wide variety of related exhibits and join "passenger talks" where survivors of US Airways Flight 1549 share their stories.
But the museum knows some visitors want more.
"This plane has transitioned from a regular, everyday commercial aircraft to one of the most important and significant aviation artifacts of the 21st century," said Shelby Dains, collections specialist at the museum.
So, in early 2026, the museum introduced the Miracle on the Hudson Experience, a small-group, guided, interactive tour that shares additional information about the event and its aftermath and allows visitors to ask questions.
"It is not just somebody talking at you for two hours. You have time to discuss all the things that you're interested in with somebody who's an expert on the subject," Dains said. "Everyone also gets a boarding pass that tells a story about a passenger, a first responder or crew member and you follow that person's story throughout the entire experience."
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My pretend boarding pass was for Vince Lombardi — not the famed football coach, but the captain of the Thomas Jefferson ferry, which was the first boat on the scene. With his crew, Lombardi rescued 56 people from the freezing water.
During my tour, I was reminded why the Miracle on the Hudson plane was on display in Charlotte rather than at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C., or perhaps the Museum of Flight in Seattle.
"We were one of the few museums that had the room and could make a commitment to display the entire plane," Dains said. "For example, we can allow visitors to see the damage at the back of the plane and the way that the straps used to pull the air…