I read Captain Sullenbergers book, and heard the ATC tapes a few times.
One thing Sully always expressed was that he was doing his job, even after he got fame, he never really wanted it.
You can internets up some other plane crashes of pilots being just as cool as him in the face of death, and from reading his book, that is the point he is making.
I say this as a local, so here comes a small geography lesson.
The hudson river separates NY and NJ, this area is up there as one of the most densely populated regions in the world (people per square mile)
It happened after take off, over a heavy air corridor (3 very close major international airports, (Newark Liberty, Laguardia, and JFK)
He knew the plane was going down, and risked the river rather than a NYC/ NJ suburb. He denied Tetorboro, and said twice in quite possibly the coolest tone ever, "we are going in the river"
Luckily, the hudson is rich with boats, which made this a happy story, rather than a tragic one.
That and Captain Chesly "Sully" Sullenbergers cool reaction, and excellent judgment.
(kind of ironic he remarked on the view of the hudson that day, as he ascended.)