Patrick Harten is an American Air Traffic Controller who guided US Airways Flight 1549 to its successful ditching in the Hudson River.
Harten was controlling arrivals and departures at New York'sLaGuardia Airport on the day of the accident and was the only controller to have contact with the aircraft during the emergency sequence. Despite offering the flight crew multiple runways at LaGuardia as well as options to land at
Teterboro
Teterboro ( ) is a borough in Bergen County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough's population was 67,Newark airports, Harten was also the first to know the Airbus A320 would ditch in the water. He did not learn that everyone had survived until an hour after the accident.
Harten spent years of his career prior to flight 1549 working in the New York area. He worked Newark traffic before being moved to LaGuardia departure.
Harten has openly discussed the mental anguish he experienced during and after the ordeal. He suffered from post-traumatic stress for months after the accident and sought therapy.
Harten has been an Air Traffic Controller since at least 2004. His father was an air traffic controller as well.
Personal life and education
Harten is married and lives in Long Beach with his wife. He has three siblings.
Harten earned a degree in
chemistry
Chemistry is the science, scientific study of the properties and behavior of matter. It is a natural science that covers the Chemical element, elements that make up matter to the chemical compound, compounds made of atoms, molecules and ions ...
from
Stony Brook University
Stony Brook University (SBU), officially the State University of New York at Stony Brook, is a public research university in Stony Brook, New York. Along with the University at Buffalo, it is one of the State University of New York system's ...
before training to become an Air Traffic Controller in Alaska.
Harten is an avid runner and triathlete who was completed the
Boston Marathon
The Boston Marathon is an annual marathon race hosted by several cities and towns in greater Boston in eastern Massachusetts, United States. It is traditionally held on Patriots' Day, the third Monday of April. Begun in 1897, the event was i ...
craft beer
Craft beer is a beer that has been made by craft breweries. They produce smaller amounts of beer, typically less than large breweries, and are often independently owned. Such breweries are generally perceived and marketed as having an emphasis o ...
.
Media
Harten was portrayed by Patch Darragh in the 2016
Clint Eastwood
Clinton Eastwood Jr. (born May 31, 1930) is an American actor and film director. After achieving success in the Western TV series '' Rawhide'', he rose to international fame with his role as the "Man with No Name" in Sergio Leone's "''Doll ...
film '' Sully''. Harten invited Darragh to observe an ATC shift before shooting the movie to help make Darragh's depiction more accurate.