Today is the 35th Anniversary of the Air Florida Crash

[mahatmakanejeeves]

Thirty-five years today:

Air Florida Flight 90

Air Florida Flight 90 was a scheduled U.S. domestic passenger flight from Washington National Airport to Fort Lauderdale–Hollywood International Airport with an intermediate stopover at Tampa International Airport. On January 13, 1982, the Boeing 737-200 registered as N62AF, crashed into the 14th Street Bridge over the Potomac River just two miles from the White House. The aircraft had originally been purchased by United Airlines in 1969 and flown with the registration number of N9050U. It was sold to Air Florida in 1980.

The aircraft struck the 14th Street Bridge, which carries Interstate 395 between Washington, D.C. and Arlington County, Virginia. It struck seven occupied vehicles on the bridge and destroyed 97 feet (30 m) of guard rail before it plunged through the ice into the Potomac River. The aircraft was carrying 74 passengers and five crewmembers. Four passengers and one flight attendant survived and were rescued from the crash. Another passenger, Arland D. Williams, Jr., assisted in the rescue of the survivors but drowned before he himself could be rescued. Four motorists on the bridge were killed. The survivors were rescued from the icy river by civilians and professionals. President Ronald Reagan commended these acts during his State of the Union speech a few days later.
....

Background

Weather conditions

On Wednesday, January 13, 1982, Washington National Airport was closed by a heavy snowstorm that produced 6.5" of snow. It reopened at noon under marginal conditions as the snowfall began to slacken. The crew of Air Florida Flight 90 left Miami International Airport in Miami, Florida, at 11:00 a.m. EST and arrived at National Airport about 1:45 p.m. EST.

That afternoon, the plane was to return to Fort Lauderdale–Hollywood International Airport in Dania, Florida, with an intermediate stop at Tampa International Airport. The scheduled departure time was delayed about 1 hour and 45 minutes because of the temporary closing of Washington National Airport. As the plane was readied for departure, a moderate snowfall continued and the air temperature was 24 °F (?4 °C).
....

Events of crash

Flight

....
Although the 737 did manage to become airborne, it attained a maximum altitude of just 352 feet (107 m) before it began losing altitude. Recorders later indicated that the aircraft was airborne for just 30 seconds. At 4:01 p.m. EST, it crashed into the 14th Street Bridge across the Potomac River, 0.75 nautical miles (1,390 m) from the end of the runway. The plane hit six cars and a truck on the bridge, and tore away 97 feet (30 m) of the bridge's rail and 41 feet (12 m) of the bridge's wall. The aircraft then plunged into the freezing Potomac River. It fell between two of the three spans of the bridge, between the I-395 northbound span (the Rochambeau Bridge) and the HOV north- and southbound spans, about 200 feet (61 m) offshore. All but the tail section quickly became submerged.

All the local stations dropped their regular programming and went to coverage of the crash. My grandmother and I watched the TV coverage all afternoon. That night, I walked over to the scene from the middle of Alexandria. I walked up onto the Virginia end of the 14th Street Bridge. No one stopped me.

[elleng]

1. WOW!

I walked from my office, @ 12th and Constitution, across the Mall, to my home/apartment in southwest. Could ALMOST see the crash site from apartment balcony.

[angstlessk]

2. I remember that well....watched on teevee, and

have the image of that woman trying so hard to swim in that icy water...the look on her face is unforgettable even today!

[bpj62]

3. Horrible Traffic

My father worked the evening shift for a company that was located in S.W. DC. Since we lived in Arlington he would cross the 14th street bridge on a daily basis. The traffic was so bad that day that he turned around near the Pentagon and came home. We have no idea if he would have been on the span at the time of the crash but it is really spooky. That day is also the day that the Metro Subway System suffered its first passenger fatality when a train derailed near the Lafayette Plaza Station. It was a bad day in Washington. Lenny Skudnick was the government worker who waded in from the Virginia side to help the survivors get to shore.

[No Vested Interest]

4. Air Florida crash is shown over and over on the Weather Channel. nt