The heroic pilot who safely abandoned a crashed plane into a New York City river in 2009 has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease.

Captain Chesley ‘Sully’ Sullenberger III, 75, shared the update on his personal website, writing that he was recently diagnosed and is in an early stage.

“For now, this means I may not have an easy time finding a name, I may forget a story I’ve recently told, or I may not sleep well, but I’m at the beginning of this long journey,” he wrote.

US Airways Flight 1549 crashed into the Hudson River on January 15, 2009, after both engines were disabled in a collision with a flock of geese shortly after takeoff. All 155 people on board survived.

Sullenberger’s quick thinking and calm demeanor were credited with averting disaster.

The former U.S. Air Force fighter pilot from California said in a post on his website Tuesday that his Alzheimer’s diagnosis “has challenged what it means to be in the service” and that he has found “the answer is to talk” about the disease.