1951年出生于美國得克薩斯州。

1969年中學畢業(yè)后，薩倫伯格進入美國空軍學院，學習駕駛滑翔機。

1973年，他從空軍學院心理學和基礎科學專業(yè)畢業(yè)，此后又攻讀了美國普渡大學的工業(yè)心理學碩士和美國科羅拉多北部大學的公共管理碩士學位。

1973年到1980年，薩倫伯格在空軍駕駛F4戰(zhàn)斗機，并升職為飛行指揮員和飛行教練。

1980年起，薩倫伯格退役進入太平洋西南航空（后為全美航空）工作。

2007年起，薩倫伯格機長成為安全依賴方法公司（Safety Reliability Method，Inc. (SRM)) 創(chuàng)始人，CEO.

2009年1月15日，薩倫伯格機長駕駛全美航空1549次航班起飛不久后發(fā)生鳥擊事件，雙發(fā)停車，無法返回機場。薩倫伯格機長冷靜處置，成功將飛機迫降在哈得孫河上。全機155人全部生還。

2010年3月3日，薩倫伯格機長駕駛全美航空1167次航班由佛羅里達州Fort Lauderdale 飛往北卡羅來納州首府夏洛特，完成了他最后一次飛行，從機長位置退休。機上副機長為和他一起將全美航空1549次航班迫降在哈得孫河上的Jeff Skiles. 六位曾經搭乘全美航空1549次航班的乘客也同機見證了薩倫伯格機長的退役儀式。機場空管，全美航空飛行員，機場地勤等均在航程中對機長退休送上祝福。

2009年1月15日，薩倫伯格駕駛美國合眾國航空公司N106US號空中客車A320，從紐約長島拉瓜迪亞機場飛往北卡羅來納州夏洛特，但起飛約5分鐘后便與飛鳥撞擊，兩個發(fā)動機停止工作。薩倫伯格駕駛飛機迫降在哈得孫河上，全機乘客及機組人員，包括一名9個月的嬰兒和一個幼兒在內的155名機上人員全部幸存。紐約州州長帕特森稱之為“哈得孫河奇跡”。

附：2009年1月15日全美航空1549航班全程塔臺與駕駛員對話：

The following is an excerpt of the transcript: (In the transcript Flight 1549 is sometimes mistakenly referred to as 1539 and 1529.)

Capt. Chesley Sullenberger (15:26:37): Uh what a view of the Hudson today.

First Officer Jeffrey Skiles (15:26:42): yeah.

Skiles (15:26:52): Flaps up please, after takeoff checklist.

Sullenberger (15:26:54): Flaps up.

Sullenberger (15:27:07): After takeoff checklist complete.

Sullenberger (15:27:10.4): Birds.

Skiles (15:27:11): Whoa.

(15:27:11.4): (Sound of thump/thud(s) followed by shuddering sound.)

Skiles (15:27:12): oh (expletive).

Sullenberger (15:27:13): Oh yeah.

(15:27:13): (Sound similar to decrease in engine noise/frequency begins.)

Skiles (15:27:14): Uh oh.

Sullenberger (15:27:15): We got one rol -- both of ’em rolling back.

(15:27:18): (Rumbling sound begins and continues until approximately 15:28:08.)

Sullenberger (15:27:18.5): Ignition, start.

___

Sullenberger (15:27:32.9): Mayday mayday mayday. Uh this is uh Cactus fifteen forty
nine hit birds, we’ve lost thrust (in/on) both engines we’re turning back towards LaGuardia.

LaGuardia departure control (15:27:42): Ok uh, you need to return to LaGuardia? Turn left heading of uh two two zero.

(15:27:43): (Sound similar to electrical noise from engine igniters begins.)
___

Skiles (15:28:02): Airspeed optimum relight. Three hundred knots. we don’t have that.

Flight warning computer (15:28:03): (Sound of single chime.)

Sullenberger (15:28:05): We don’t.

Departure control (15:28:05): Cactus fifteen forty nine, if we can get it for you do you want to try to land runway one three?

Skiles (15:28:05): If three nineteen...

Sullenberger (15:28:10.6): We’re unable. We may end up in the Hudson.
___

Departure control (15:28:31): Arright Cactus fifteen forty nine it’s gonna be left traffic for runway three one.

Sullenberger (15:28:35): Unable.

Traffic Collision Avoidance System (15:28:36): Traffic traffic.

Departure control (15:28:36): Okay, what do you need to land?

Skiles (15:28:37): (He wants us) to come in and land on one three ... for whatever.

Predictive Windshear System (15:28:45): Go around. Windshear ahead.

Skiles (15:28:45): FAC (Flight Augmentation Computer) one off, then on.

Departure control (15:28:46): Cactus fifteen (twenty) nine runway four’s available if you wanna make left traffic to runway four.

Sullenberger (15:28:49.9): I’m not sure we can make any runway. Uh what’s over to our right anything in New Jersey maybe Teterboro?

Departure control (15:28:55): Ok yeah, off your right side is Teterboro airport.

Traffic Collision Avoidance System (15:28:59): Monitor vertical speed.

Skiles (15:29:00): No relight after thirty seconds, engine master one and two confirm ...

Departure control (15:29:02): You wanna try and go to Teterboro?

Sullenberger (15:29:03): Yes.
___

Sullenberger (over public address system) (15:29:11): This is the Captain brace for impact.
___

Departure control (15:29:21): Cactus fifteen twenty nine turn right two eight zero, you can land runway one at Teterboro.

Skiles (15:29:21): Is that all the power you got? ... (Wanna) number one? Or we got power on number one.

Sullenberger (15:29:25): We can’t do it.

Sullenberger (15:29:26): Go ahead, try number one.

Departure control (15:29:27): Kay which runway would you like at Teterboro?

Flight Warning Computer (15:29:27): (Sound of continuous repetitive chime for 9.6 seconds.)

Sullenberger (15:29:28): We’re gonna be in the Hudson.

Departure control (15:29:33): I’m sorry say again Cactus?
___

Departure control (15:29:53): Cactus fifteen forty nine radar contact is lost you also got Newark airport off your two o’clock in about seven miles.

Enhanced Ground Proximity Warning system (15:29:55): Pull up. Pull up. Pull up. Pull up. Pull up. Pull up.

Skiles (15:30:01): Got flaps out.

Skiles (15:30:03): Two hundred fifty feet in the air.

Ground Proximity Warning System (15:30:04): Too low. Terrain.

Ground Proximity Warning System (15:30:06): Too low. Gear.

Skiles (15:30:06): Hundred and seventy knots.

Skiles (15:30:09): Got no power on either one? Try the other one.

Radio from another plane (15:30:09): Two one zero uh forty seven eighteen. I think he said he’s going in the Hudson.
___

Enhanced Ground Proximity Warning system (15:30:15): Caution terrain.

Skiles (15:30:16): Hundred and fifty knots.

Skiles (15:30:17): Got flaps two, you want more?

Sullenberger (15:30:19): No lets stay at two.

Sullenberger (15:30:21): Got any ideas?

Departure control (15:30:22): Cactus fifteen twenty nine if you can uh .... you got uh runway uh two nine available at Newark it’ll be two o’clock and seven miles.

Enhanced Ground Proximity Warning system (15:30:23): Caution terrain.

Skiles (15:30:23): Actually not.

Enhanced Ground Proximity Warning system (15:30:24): Terrain terrain. Pull up. Pull up. ("pull up" repeats until the end of the recording).

Sullenberger (15:30:38): We’re gonna brace.