On January 15, 2009, Captain Chesley 'Sully' Sullenberger managed to land his plane, both engines disabled by a flock of birds, on the icy waters of the Hudson River, saving all 155 people aboard. While public opinion hails him as a hero, an official investigation begins to question his decision and to suggest that perhaps he could have returned to the airport. Sully must then defend before the board that split-second judgment that changed everything. Clint Eastwood, with Tom Hanks at the helm, builds a sober and human tale about responsibility, experience and the weight of a single instant.