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

[appalachiablue]

Last edited Fri Jan 10, 2020, 12:49 AM - Edit history (1)

'37 years ago today: Air Florida Flight 90 crashes into the Potomac River,' Kevin Connell/ABC7| WJLA, Jan. 13th 2019.

Washington (ABC7) — 37 years ago Jan. 13, 1982. The plane, on a scheduled domestic passenger flight operated by the now-defunct Air Florida en route to Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, went into the Potomac River after crashing into the 14th Street Bridge shortly after takeoff from Washington National Airport.

The death toll was 78, including 74 of the plane’s occupants. Five people – four passengers and one crew member – who were on the plane survived after several daring rescues in an icy Potomac.



-A U.S. Park Police helicopter pulls 2 survivors out of the wreckage of the Air Florida 737 plane crash, Jan. 13, 1982.

The National Transportation Safety Board determined that the cause of the accident was pilot error due to ice on the wings. The plane had not been de-iced for a significant amount of time when the pilot chose to take off just before 4 p.m.

Around four to eight inches of snow fell in the Washington, D.C. area on that day.

Passengers Patricia "Nikki" Felch, Joe Stiley, Priscilla Tirado and Bert Hamilton and flight attendant Kelly Duncan were the survivors of the crash. A sixth person, passenger Arland D. Williams Jr., initially survived the crash but drowned before he could be rescued after allowing the other survivors to be saved first.

One of the 14th Street bridges was renamed the Arland D. Williams Jr. Memorial Bridge in 1983 in his honor.

Roughly 30 minutes after Air Florida Flight 90 crashed, three others were also killed and 25 more injured when an Orange Line Metro train derailed between the Federal Triangle and Smithsonian stations. Response to the Metro incident was slowed due to emergency personnel already responding to the plane crash.

More & Source, WJLA/ABC & Report, https://wjla.com/news/local/anniversary-air-florida-flight-90-crashes-potomac-river

(78 deaths: 74 people in the plane; 4 injured motorists on the bridge after the plane struck it before diving into the river).
(19 occupants were believed to have survived the impact, but their injuries prevented them from escaping.)

WTOP, Tragedy Struck the Potomac, https://wtop.com/dc/2017/01/in-1982-tragedy-struck-the-potomac/

More, Air FL Flt. 90 Disaster, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air_Florida_Flight_90

(~ That afternoon I watched the tragedy unfold on TV. I was then a DC resident and working at the Smithsonian. The summer before I had spent time at Washington Hospital Ctr. ER for an injury which was an inconvenience. I did fine unlike the severe Air FL casualties).

> For a complete look at the Air Florida Flight 90 disaster, watch the videos below:

(3 mins). Departure delay, ice & snow, take off from Washington National Airport bound for Ft. Lauderdale, FL.

(10 mins). The crash and rescue efforts.

(7 mins). Rescue.

[appalachiablue]

1. Bystander Lenny Skutnik dove into the river from the bank to

try to rescue plane passenger Priscilla Tirado in the water. Soon after he swam out to rescue her, the Park Police helicopter arrived to help Priscilla out of the freezing water.

Priscilla was almost in shock and temporarily blinded by aeronautic fuel in the water. That day at 22 years old, she survived but lost her husband and two month old son.

[Skittles]

2. I watched it live

Pricilla started to drown on live TV - thank goodness for Lenny.

[appalachiablue]

3. Same here, I remember her face so well at the time. Although

she survived, her life hasn't been easy since then from what I've read. It's understandable given the loss of loved ones.

[SCantiGOP]

4. I was going to post this if you hadn't

I have always considered this guy to be a prime example of what a genuine hero is. He dove into moving water cluttered by ice without hesitation.

The word “hero” is used so loosely today it has become meaningless. People are called heroes for calling the police if they hear an abandoned baby crying, instead of just noting that this is a fundamental action if one wants to be considered human.

[appalachiablue]

5. Lenny's actions were exceptional and rare, like that

of Arland Williams, the sixth passenger in the water who helped other survivors ahead of himself and was lost.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arland_D._Williams_Jr.

[appalachiablue]

6. U.S. Park Police helicopter pilot Don Usher and medic Gene Windsor

rescued survivors from the Potomac River. Usher was a combat veteran of Vietnam.

Interview with helicopter pilot Don Usher, 2017.

[appalachiablue]

7. CBS Evening News with Anchorman Dan Rather, Wed. Jan. 13, 1982

5 mins. On-air segment of the CBS Evening News on January 13, when Air Florida Flight 90 crashed into the 14th Street Bridge over the Potomac River just two miles from the White House. Retrieved from YouTube on April 24, 2017.

(*Correction, 6 survivors of the plane crash, not 16. Four motorists died after the plane struck cars on the bridge).

https://danratherjournalist.org/anchorman/breaking-news/compilation-breaking-news-additional-materials/video-1982-air-florida-flight

[mahatmakanejeeves]

8. Today's the day.

Last edited Mon Jan 13, 2020, 11:40 AM - Edit history (2)

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.