Hero-making as a Defence against the Anxiety of Responsibility and Risk: A Case Study of US Airways Flight 1549

By examining US Airways Flight 1549's glider-like landing on New York City's Hudson River on 15 January 2009, this article contributes to a deeper understanding of the psycho- and socio-analytic aspects of American culture. Using system psychodynamics as a conceptual framework, the essay uses this case study to demonstrate how individual psychology, group dynamics, and systemic influences intertwined to tap a collective societal need for a traditional male hero to salve the cultural disillusionment created by corporate scandals, executive greed, job loss, and terrorist attacks in post- 9/11 America. Understanding how this phenomenon occurred helps us grapple with psycho-cultural factors that favour searching for a saviour over recognising collective responsibilities that encourage more collaborative approaches to crisis decision making.