The captain goes down with the ship concept has been explicitly extended in law to the pilot in command of an aircraft, in the form of laws stating that he "[has] final authority and responsibility for the operation and safety of the flight." Jurisprudence has explicitly interpreted this by analogy with the captain of a sea vessel. This is particularly relevant when an aircraft is forced to ditch in the ocean and becomes a floating vessel that will almost certainly sink. For example, following the crash of US Airways Flight 1549 into the Hudson River, pilot Chesley Sullenberger was the last person to exit the partially-submerged aircraft,
US Airways Group in three years. US Airways Group and the aforementioned subsidiaries, including US Airways, emerged from Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection with the help $125 million equity investment from Air Wisconsin's parent company Air Wisconsin Airlines Corporation on September 27, 2005, in connection with the completion of its merger with America West Holdings Corporation. On May 19, 2005, US Airways Group announced that it would merge with Tempe, Arizona-based America West Holdings Corporation, whose strength in the West would complement US Airways' routes in the Northeast, Europe, and the Caribbean. Prior to merging with America West Holdings Corporation, US Airways Group was