#82: The Impact: What Surviving a Plane Crash Taught Dave Sanderson About Life, Legacy, and Letting Go
Fri Feb 06 2026
There are moments that rearrange your priorities without asking permission.
They don’t feel profound when they arrive.
They feel urgent.
Final.
Unavoidable.
For Dave Sanderson, that moment came on January 15, 2009, when the words “Brace for impact” cut through the cabin of US Airways Flight 1549.
What followed was the Miracle on the Hudson. What came after was something far harder to navigate.
In this episode, Lon sits down with Dave for a deep, unhurried conversation that goes far beyond the crash itself. This is not a disaster story. It’s a story about identity, responsibility, regret, and the quiet decisions that shape the rest of your life long after the headlines fade.
Dave takes us back to second grade, to small-town values, to injuries that ended dreams, to mentors who saw something in him before he saw it in himself. He shares how a life built on achievement, travel, and significance slowly pulled him away from what mattered most—and how a single moment forced him to confront the cost of that drift.
The crash didn’t just threaten his life. It stripped away every illusion about what was important.
What followed was a choice:
Would this be something that happened to him…or something he would use for others?
Dave chose service.
And nothing has been the same since.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
-->Every life has a “brace for impact” moment. Most just aren’t as visible.
-->Success can quietly pull you away from the people you’re doing it for.
-->You don’t get to choose what happens to you, but you always choose the response.
-->Your story becomes powerful when you stop protecting it and start sharing it.
-->What you’ve learned isn’t meant to die with you; pass it on.
WHAT’S NEXT
If this episode stayed with you longer than you expected, that’s not an accident.
You may not be in a plane that’s going down—but you might be ignoring the voice in your head that’s been warning you something needs to change.
You don’t have to wait for catastrophe to choose differently.
Learn more about Dave’s work, books, and speaking here: https://davesandersonspeaks.com
And as always, you can find everything related to Normal 40 here: https://linktr.ee/lon.stroschein
Your life doesn’t change all at once.It changes the moment you decide what matters.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit normal40.substack.com
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There are moments that rearrange your priorities without asking permission. They don’t feel profound when they arrive. They feel urgent. Final. Unavoidable. For Dave Sanderson, that moment came on January 15, 2009, when the words “Brace for impact” cut through the cabin of US Airways Flight 1549. What followed was the Miracle on the Hudson. What came after was something far harder to navigate. In this episode, Lon sits down with Dave for a deep, unhurried conversation that goes far beyond the crash itself. This is not a disaster story. It’s a story about identity, responsibility, regret, and the quiet decisions that shape the rest of your life long after the headlines fade. Dave takes us back to second grade, to small-town values, to injuries that ended dreams, to mentors who saw something in him before he saw it in himself. He shares how a life built on achievement, travel, and significance slowly pulled him away from what mattered most—and how a single moment forced him to confront the cost of that drift. The crash didn’t just threaten his life. It stripped away every illusion about what was important. What followed was a choice: Would this be something that happened to him…or something he would use for others? Dave chose service. And nothing has been the same since. KEY TAKEAWAYS -->Every life has a “brace for impact” moment. Most just aren’t as visible. -->Success can quietly pull you away from the people you’re doing it for. -->You don’t get to choose what happens to you, but you always choose the response. -->Your story becomes powerful when you stop protecting it and start sharing it. -->What you’ve learned isn’t meant to die with you; pass it on. WHAT’S NEXT If this episode stayed with you longer than you expected, that’s not an accident. You may not be in a plane that’s going down—but you might be ignoring the voice in your head that’s been warning you something needs to change. You don’t have to wait for catastrophe to choose differently. Learn more about Dave’s work, books, and speaking here: https://davesandersonspeaks.com And as always, you can find everything related to Normal 40 here: https://linktr.ee/lon.stroschein Your life doesn’t change all at once.It changes the moment you decide what matters. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit normal40.substack.com