Horror & Heroism, Air Florida Plane Crash, Wash. DC, Jan. 13, 1982- 41 Yrs Ago: Graphic Images, Info

[appalachiablue]

Last edited Sat Jan 21, 2023, 10:21 PM - Edit history (2)

- The horror and heroism of Air Florida Flight 90, 37 Years Ago, Jan. 13, * 2019. USA TODAY, - Ed.

- PHOTO: A U.S. Park Police helicopter pulls 2 people from the wreckage of an Air Florida jetliner that crashed into the Potomac River when it hit a bridge after taking off from National Airport in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 13, 1982.
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(2019, USA Today).. 37 years earlier, on another frigid Jan. 13, a similar storm pounded the D.C. area & led to one of the most haunting tragedies in the city's history: the crash of Air Florida Flight 90 into the icy depths of the Potomac River.

It was a pre-digital, pre-cable universe on that bleak Wednesday afternoon in 1982. But a TV crew stuck in gridlocked traffic nearby captured the graphic footage after the Boeing 737 struck the 14th Street Bridge, just a few miles from the White House. The images would become seared into the memories of Washingtonians through the years: the Potomac swallowing the plane except for a slice of its tail section; the dazed eyes of a passenger, her head barely above water as she gripped a safety ring during a rescue attempt; a truck hanging over the bridge after being struck by the jetliner; a survivor clinging to a rope line dangled from a U.S. Park Police helicopter.

Flight 90, operated by the now-defunct Air Florida, was headed to Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, a popular winter weather escape route. Moments after takeoff, the plane with 74 passengers & 5 crew members failed to maintain altitude & slammed into the bridge, striking 7 occupied vehicles and plummeting into the Potomac.
- 4 passengers & 1 flight attendant were rescued; 4 motorists on the bridge were killed.

The day was also marked by stunning acts of heroism. Military personnel from the Pentagon raced to the scene to help in rescues. Others on the river's edge threw in makeshift lifelines, some fashioned out of belts or battery cables, to survivors thrashing about in the water.
*Arland Williams was one of 6 aboard the aircraft who initially survived. But Williams would drown after dramatically passing the helicopter rescue rope to others. *The 14th Street Bridge was renamed in his honor in 1985.
- Roger Olian, a sheet metal worker ensnared in a nearby traffic jam, was believed to be the first person to jump into the water with a rope entwined around his waist, but he had to be reeled back in when he got stuck on ice.
- Bystander Lenny Skutnik, a Congressional Budget Office assistant who tore off his coat & cowboy boots & plunged into the Potomac, was able to tow one passenger, Priscilla Tirado, to shore.
- Don Usher & Gene Windsor, 2 Park Police helicopter pilots, managed to pull out 4 people.

The National Transportation Safety Board determined the cause of the crash was pilot error, including improper de-icing procedures. The lessons from the Air Florida disaster would put a spotlight on everything from de-icing to issues with start-up air carriers for years to come.
* DC Metro Subway Train Derailment, 3 Deaths. Jan. 13, 1982, had a 2nd reason to be a dark day in Washington, D.C. history: About 30 minutes after the Air Florida incident, a subway train derailment in the heart of downtown led to the deaths of 3 passengers, the first fatalities involving the city's Metro system... More, https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2019/01/13/air-florida-flight-90-crashed-potomac-37-years-ago/2565245002/
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- Survivor Joseph Stiley's recollections with original film footage. Stiley was a passenger on Flt. 90 & traveling on business with assistant Nikki Felch. Years later, he described his experiences during and after the 1982 disaster.

- Bystander Lennie Skutnick rescues passenger Priscilla Tirado who was traveling with her infant baby that day.
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- (Wiki). Air Florida Flight 90 was a scheduled U.S. domestic passenger flight operated by Air Florida from Washington National Airport (now Reagan Washington Natl. Airport) to Fort Lauderdale–Hollywood International Airport, with an intermediate stopover at Tampa International Airport. On January 13, 1982, the Boeing 737-222 registered as N62AF crashed into the 14th Street Bridge over the Potomac River.

- Flight, Air Florida PALM 90
Occupants: 79
Passengers: 74
Crew: 5
Fatalities: 74
Injuries: 5 (initially 6)
Survivors: 5 (initially 6)

- Ground Casualities: 4
Ground fatalities: 4 (motorists on 14th St. Bridge struck by airplane)
Ground injuries: 4

- Total Fatalities: 78
Total Injuries: 9
Survivors: 5 (initially 6)

Striking the bridge, which carries Interstate 395 between Washington, DC, & Arlington County, Va., the plane hit 7 occupied vehicles & destroyed 97 ft (30 m) of guard rail before plunging through the ice into the Potomac River. The aircraft was carrying 74 passengers & 5 crew members. Only 4 passengers & 1 crew member (a flight attendant) were rescued from the crash & survived. Another passenger, *Arland D. Williams, Jr., assisted in the rescue of the survivors, but drowned before he could be rescued. *4 motorists on the bridge were killed. The survivors were rescued from the icy river by civilians & professionals. President Reagan commended these acts during his State of the Union speech a few days later.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) determined that the cause of the accident was pilot error. The pilots failed to switch on the engines' internal ice protection systems, used reverse thrust in a snowstorm prior to takeoff, tried to use the jet exhaust of a plane in front of them to melt their ice, & failed to abandon the takeoff even after detecting a power problem while taxiing and having ice and snow build up on the wings...

- Read More, https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air_Florida_Flight_90

** Air Florida Flight 'Palm' 90, (7 mins).

** Rec. - Pre-takeoff - explanation of events, action taken by pilots; factors & conditions at Natl Airport. (10 min).

- Air Florida Flight 90, CVR Recording. *Final Cockpit voice recording: takeoff, descent & crash into 14th St. Bridge. Captain Larry M. Wheaton, age 34, & First Officer Roger A. Petit, age 31. (1 min). More info SEE Wikipedia Link above.

- CBS Evening News, Jan.13, 1982. Dan Rather reports on the accident with film footage,

[mahatmakanejeeves]

1. Oh, thank you. I forgot all about that.

My grandmother was still alive then. The television coverage was riveting.

I walked, from central Alexandria, over to the scene that night. No, I don’t know what possessed me to do that. No one blocked my access. No doubt they weren’t expecting company. There was a Renault LeCar on the bridge.

That and the fatal Metro accident made that a bad day for DC.

Thanks again.

[appalachiablue]

5. YW, an unforgettable tragedy nationally & for people attached to the area. Good

on you for walking all the way from Alexandria, that's a hike. One of my fav DC area places. That snowy winter day in 1982 I was at home studying and saw some live TV coverage in the late afternoon. I watched reports that night and followed the news over the next few months.

I've been a fairly regular air traveler and visitor to S. Fla, the Keyes & the Caribbean for some time so this awful disaster really hit home. The Metro Subway Train accident on the same day was additional tragedy & sadness.

Hopefully some positives came out of the disaster, esp. concerning better awareness of hazardous weather conditions and the importance of adhering to to procedures when flying. The need for coordination by area police, fire and rescue from various different jurisdictions was also highlighted. TC and thanks for posting.

[happybird]

2. I remember this even though I was only 7 at the time

Mom was so worried because Dad worked at C&P on 14th and U at the time and she didn’t know how far away he was from the crash. I can still visualize the images on TV of a helicopter pulling a woman out of the icy Potomac. It’s one of my earliest memories of things going on in the world, events happening outside of the safety of my own home. This, and when John Lennon was killed.

[appalachiablue]

7. It's remarkable that you can recall those major events so well. They marked the

times profoundly. In 1980, I can vividly remember first hearing about John Lennon's death on the radio in the car whille driving on Penn. Ave. to GWU in DC, like it was yesterday.

The same when Reagan was shot, in front of the Washington Hilton, and also the Air Florida disaster which I watched on TV and read about from the beginning.

People in Washington and elsewhere were seriously effected by the winter plane crash in the capital. As a fairly experienced air traveler to Fla. and overseas, the disaster especially hit home.

[happybird]

8. I think I remember those two events so well because

my mother was very upset by them. When John Lennon was shot I remember her crying. She was a stay at home Mom, super loving and fun, and we were very close. Codependent, even, which we had to work hard to untangle when I was a teenager. The images shown on the tv are what stuck with me from the 14th st bridge crash.

[zeusdogmom]

3. I vividly remember that crash and how we watched the accident scene on TV

It was horrible to watch. Horrible. I had to fly out of Minneapolis the following year. It was snowing, wings were de-iced twice. Pilot walked back thru the aisles checking the wings and we were de-iced again. Visions of that crash into the Potomac flashed thru my head - several times. Mississippi River not far from the airport. I was a white knuckle flier during that takeoff. We flew out safely but one of the last planes that night.

[Skittles]

4. I watched it live

Lenny, just an everyday guy who couldn't stand watching someone in distress......

[discntnt_irny_srcsm]

6. My wife and I watched this on the news when it happened.

We saw Chernobyl as it happened. I was home sick from work and we watched Challenger live.

These are things I'd rather not remember.

[happybird]

9. They brought a TV into our classroom to watch the Challenger launch

I was in fifth grade. We watched all the shuttle launches but this one was a bigger deal than usual because of the teacher on board. Those images from the tv are burned into my brain, also.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

10. Threads at DU from years gone by

https://www.google.com/search?q=air+florida&sitesearch=democraticunderground.com

Thu Jan 13, 2022: Hard to believe it's been 40 years since the Air Florida crash into the 14th Street Bridge

Thu Jan 9, 2020: Jan. 13, 1982: Air Florida Plane Crash Into The Potomac River, Wash. D.C. Area; 38 Yrs Ago

Mon Jan 13, 2020: Today's the day.

The 13th fell on a Wednesday in 1982.

Sunday, January 13, 2019: 37 Years Ago Today; Air Florida Flight 90 plunges into Potomac River after takeoff

Saturday, January 13, 2007: Air Florida Flight 90 Crash 1/13/82: check in if you remember...

Same day:

1982 Washington Metro train derailment - Wikipedia

At 4:29 p.m. EST (21:29 UTC) on Wednesday, January 13, 1982, an eastbound train (Train 410) on the Orange Line derailed while backing up from an improperly closed rail switch called the Smithsonian Interlocking. ... Due to its occurrence during the evening rush hour, 1,200 persons were reportedly aboard the train.

Also, on Monday, January 12, 2015:

Smoke incident

On January 12, 2015, during early evening rush, a Yellow Line train departing L'Enfant Plaza for Pentagon began to fill with smoke. Everyone on board was evacuated; 84 people were taken to hospitals and one person died. The National Transportation Safety Board released a statement saying "an electrical arcing event" sparked the incident. According to an Associated Press story the next day, the last fatality on the metro system had been on June 22, 2009. The report went on to state that electricity had arced from the third rail to the track, and that the cause was still undetermined. One victim was known to be in critical condition. Questions were raised about the timeliness and adequacy of the emergency response by Metro and rescue personnel.

Sun Jan 13, 2019: 37 Years Ago Today; Air Florida Flight 90 plunges into Potomac River after takeoff

Draws from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air_Florida_Flight_90

Thu Jan-15-09: Florida Air Flight 90 went down almost exactly 27 years ago: Jan 13, 1982

[appalachiablue]

11. Thanks for the addional info. on the AF landmark disaster. The Kickerbocker Theater

event is coming up - Jan. 28, 1922 as you know. I think you'll do an OP but I can if you like. Thanks.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

12. I'd like to get that, if that's okay with you. I've got the article ready to go.

I have a family connection with that. It was one of the first things I heard about when I was a child. No one in my family was killed in that disaster; it's something else.

Long ago, I made a few edits to the Wikipedia page. If you go to the talk page, you can see a few of my rants from years gone by.

Since last year was the one hundredth anniversary, there will be less notice paid to the event this year. The people who have been around forever will remember it, though.

Thanks for the offer.