Air Florida Flight 90

Salvage operations on January 19, 1982 of the wreckage Air Florida Flight 90 wreckage bering removed from Potomac River January 19, 1982 File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ...
Summary
Date	January 13, 1982
Cause	Icing and pilot error
Site	Washington, D.C.
Origin	Washington National Airport
Destination	Tampa International Airport
Fatalities	78 (4 on ground)
Injuries	10
Aircraft
Aircraft type	Boeing 737-222
Operator	Air Florida
Tail number	N62AF
Passengers	74
Crew	5
Survivors	5

U.S. National Transportation Safety Board diagram of flight path for Air Florida flight 90 which crashed on takeoff at Washington, D.C. on January 13, 1982, killing 78 persons.

Air Florida Flight 90 was an Air Florida flight of a Boeing 737-222 airliner that crashed into the 14th Street Bridge across the Potomac River in Washington, D.C. on January 13, 1982 immediately after takeoff in a severe snowstorm. The accident claimed the lives of 78 people, including four motorists on the 14th Street Bridge. However, a few survivors from the shattered aircraft were rescued from the icy river by a combination of heroic efforts of civilians and professionals. Some of that heroism was commended during President Ronald Reagan's State of the Union speech a few days later. The National Transportation Safety Board determined that the cause of the accident was pilot error. The pilots failed to switch on the engines' internal anti-icing equipment, used reverse thrust in a snow storm prior to take-off, and failed to abort takeoff per FAA regulations even after detecting a power problem while taxiing, and visually identifying ice and snow buildup on the wings. January 13 is the 13th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1982 (MCMLXXXII) was a common year starting on Friday (link displays the 1982 Gregorian calendar). ... Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (IATA: DCA, ICAO: KDCA) in Arlington County, Virginia is the closest commercial airport to Washington, D.C. Originally Washington National Airport, it was renamed after former President Ronald Reagan in 1998. ... FAA diagram of Tampa International Airport (TPA) Tampa International Airport (IATA: TPA, ICAO: KTPA) is a public airport located in Tampa, Florida in the United States, serving the Tampa Bay Area. ... Air Florida Flight 90 This article discusses the 1971-1984 airline. ... Download high resolution version (480x707, 58 KB)NTSB diagram of Air Florida Flight 90 crash January 13, 1982 File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Download high resolution version (480x707, 58 KB)NTSB diagram of Air Florida Flight 90 crash January 13, 1982 File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Seal of the National Transportation Safety Board The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is a U.S. government independent organization responsible for investigation of accidents involving aviation, highway, marine, pipelines and railroads in the United States. ... For other uses, see Washington, D.C. (disambiguation). ... January 13 is the 13th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1982 (MCMLXXXII) was a common year starting on Friday (link displays the 1982 Gregorian calendar). ... Air Florida Flight 90 This article discusses the 1971-1984 airline. ... A hummingbird Female Mallard Duck in midflight A dragonfly in flight Flight is the process by which an object achieves sustained movement either through the air by aerodynamically generating lift or aerostatically using buoyancy, or movement beyond earths atmosphere, in the case of spaceflight. ... The Boeing 737 is the worlds most popular short to medium range, single aisle, narrow body airliner. ... An Airbus A340 airliner operated by Air Jamaica An airliner is a large fixed-wing aircraft with the primary function of transporting paying passengers. ... The 14th Street Bridge is a complex of three bridges which carry Interstate 395 and U.S. Highway 1 traffic across the Potomac River, connecting Arlington, Virginia and Washington DC. The bridge is also known for being the location of the Air Florida Flight 90 airplane crash on January 13... The Potomac River flows into the Chesapeake Bay, located along the mid-Atlantic coast of the United States (USA). ... For other uses, see Washington, D.C. (disambiguation). ... January 13 is the 13th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1982 (MCMLXXXII) was a common year starting on Friday (link displays the 1982 Gregorian calendar). ... A winter storm is a storm where the dominant forms of precipitation are forms that occur only at cold temperatures, such as snow or sleet, or a rainstorm where ground temperatures are cold enough to allow ice to form. ... Ronald Wilson Reagan, (February 6, 1911 – June 5, 2004) was the 40th President of the United States (1981 – 1989) and the 33rd Governor of California (1967 – 1975). ... Seal of the National Transportation Safety Board The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is a U.S. government independent organization responsible for investigation of accidents involving aviation, highway, marine, pipelines and railroads in the United States. ... For other uses, see Aviator (disambiguation). ... FAA may refer to: Federal Aviation Administration in the United States Fleet Air Arm in the UK Royal Navy Fuerza Aérea Argentina in Argentina This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ...

Summary

There were 74 passengers (including three infants) and five crew members on board when it crashed during a failed takeoff attempt in severe weather conditions. All but five of the occupants of the plane died. The aircraft struck the bridge which carries Interstate Highway 395 between Washington, D.C., and Arlington, Virginia. It crushed seven occupied vehicles on the 14th Street Bridge which killed four people and took out 20 feet of guard rail before it plunged through the ice into the Potomac River. A total of 78 persons died. The crash occurred less than two miles from the White House and within view of both the Jefferson Memorial and The Pentagon. Interstate 395 (abbreviated I-395) in Virginia is a 13 mile (21 km) long spur route that begins at a junction with Interstate 95 in Springfield, Virginia and ends in downtown Washington, District of Columbia. ... Arlington County is a county located in the U.S. state of Virginia (which calls itself a commonwealth), directly across the Potomac River from Washington, DC. By an act of Congress July 9, 1846, the area south of the Potomac was returned to Virginia effective in 1847 As of 2000... For other uses, see White House (disambiguation). ... The Jefferson Memorial from outside The Thomas Jefferson Memorial is a presidential memorial in Washington, D.C. that is dedicated to Thomas Jefferson, an American Founding Father and the third president of the United States. ... This article is about the United States military building. ...

Record cold weather conditions

During the second week of January 1982, one of the worst periods of exceptionally cold weather in history had struck the east coast of the United States. Atlanta, Georgia recorded freezing temperatures, and the citrus crop in Florida was considered to be at risk. For several days, freezing temperatures had brought vehicles to a standstill and interfered with daily activities around the nation's capital.

On January 13, at Washington National Airport (DCA), which is located in Arlington, Virginia, immediately across the Potomac River from Washington, D.C., the airport had opened at noon under marginal conditions. The crew of Air Florida Flight 90 had left Miami at 11:00 a.m. EST, and arrived at about 1:45 p.m. EST. Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (IATA: DCA, ICAO: KDCA) in Arlington County, Virginia is the closest commercial airport to Washington, D.C. Originally Washington National Airport, it was renamed after former President Ronald Reagan in 1998. ... Arlington County is a county located in the U.S. state of Virginia (which calls itself a commonwealth), directly across the Potomac River from Washington, DC. By an act of Congress July 9, 1846, the area south of the Potomac was returned to Virginia effective in 1847 As of 2000... The Potomac River flows into the Chesapeake Bay, located along the mid-Atlantic coast of the United States (USA). ... Nickname: Location in Miami-Dade County and the state of Florida Coordinates: , Country State County Miami-Dade Incorporated July 28, 1896 Government  - Type Mayor-Commissioner Plan  - Mayor Manny Diaz (I)  - City Manager Pedro G. Hernandez  - City Attorney Jorge L. Fernandez  - City Clerk Priscilla Thompson Area  - City  55. ...

That afternoon they were to return south to Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL), Fort Lauderdale, Florida with an intermediate stop at Tampa International Airport (TPA), Tampa, Florida. The scheduled departure time was delayed about 1 hour 45 minutes due to a moderate to heavy snowfall, which temporarily closed the airport. FAA diagram of FLL “FLL” redirects here. ... Nickname: Coordinates: , Country State County Broward Established 27 March 1911 Government  - Type Commission-Manager  - Mayor Jim Naugle Area  - City  36. ... FAA diagram of Tampa International Airport (TPA) Tampa International Airport (IATA: TPA, ICAO: KTPA) is a public airport located in Tampa, Florida in the United States, serving the Tampa Bay Area. ... Nickname: Location in Hillsborough County and the state of Florida. ...

Delays, poor decisions, crash

The aircraft was de-iced by spraying the wings with the de-icing agent monopropylene glycol but the plane had trouble leaving the gate when the ground services tow motor couldn't get traction on the ice. For a period of close to five minutes the crew elected to use the reverse thrust of the 737's JT8D engines, ingesting ice and failing to move the aircraft. Cooler heads prevailed and a tug properly equipped with snow chains was used to push the aircraft back from the gate. After finally leaving the departure gate the Boeing 737-222 aircraft waited on a taxiway for 49 minutes in line with other aircraft for clearance to use the congested airport's only instrument-rated runway. This departure runway requires a treacherous flight path north following the river and winding between restricted airspace and obstacles such as the Washington Monument and The Pentagon. The Washington Monument at dusk For other Washington Monuments, see Washington Monuments (world). ... This article is about the United States military building. ...

Air Florida N62AF Boeing 737-222 photographed at Miami, Florida.

The pilot apparently decided not to return to the gate for reapplication of de-icing, fearing the flight's departure would be even further delayed, and chose to continue waiting to take off. Then, with snow and ice on the airfoil surfaces of the aircraft, the aircraft attempted to take off on the main (and only open) runway in heavy snow at 3:59 p.m. EST. Even though it was freezing and snowing, the crew did not activate the anti-ice systems. Analysis (confirmed by the FBI) of the cockpit voice recorder determined that during the departure checklist, the copilot announced, and the pilot confirmed, that the plane's own anti-icing system was turned off. This system uses heat from the engines to prevent sensors from freezing and providing inaccurate readings. Air Florida B737-222 N62AF crashed in Washington, DC on January 13, 1982 File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Air Florida B737-222 N62AF crashed in Washington, DC on January 13, 1982 File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... 737 in new Boeing Colors. ... Cockpit Voice Recorder (Exhibit in Deutsches Museum, Munich, Germany). ...

During the plane's taxiing, the cockpit voice recorder picked up this conversation between the captain and first officer, in which they discussed the icing situation.

Adding to the plane's troubles was the pilots' decision to maneuver closely behind a DC-9 that was taxiing just ahead of the Air Florida aircraft prior to takeoff due to their mistaken belief that the warmth from the DC-9's engines would melt snow and ice accumulated on Flight 90's wings. This action — which went specifically against flight manual recommendations for an icing situation — actually contributed to additional icing on the accident aircraft.

Neither the captain nor the first officer had much experience flying in snowy, cold weather. And the captain, Larry Wheaton, had failed a flight simulator test the previous year with one of his instructors citing Wheaton's unfamiliarity with flight rules and regulations. He took a repeat test soon after and passed.

As it turned out, the failure to operate the plane's anti-icing system caused exactly what could be expected to happen: the Engine Pressure Ratio (EPR) thrust indicators provided false high readings — when the pilots thought they had throttled up to the correct take-off EPR of 2.04, the actual EPR was only 1.70. The aircraft traveled almost ½ mile (800 m) further down the runway than is customary before liftoff was accomplished. Survivors of the crash indicated the trip over the runway was extremely rough, one of whom admitted he feared that they would not get airborne and would "fall off the end of the runway." The Integrated Engine Pressure Ratio (IEPR) is the ratio of the pressure at the core engine exhaust and fan discharge pressure compared to the intake pressure to the gas turbine engine. ...

As the plane began its takeoff roll the first officer noted several times to the captain that the readings he was seeing on the instrument panel didn't seem to reflect reality (he was referring to the fact that the plane didn't seem to have developed as much power as it needed for takeoff, despite the controls saying otherwise.) The captain dismissed the first officer's concerns and let the takeoff proceed. Investigators later determined that there was plenty of time and space on the runway for the captain to have aborted the takeoff, and criticized his refusal to listen to his first officer, who was correct that the instrument panel readings were wrong. The captain likely felt pressure to depart quickly because he knew another aircraft was on final approach using the same runway. Indeed, that aircraft landed just as the Air Florida plane took off and had Flight 90 aborted its takeoff the aircraft on final would have been instructed by air traffic controllers to execute a missed approach, delaying the arrival.

Below is a transcript of Flight 90's cockpit voice recorder during the plane's acceleration down the runway. It's evident that the first officer saw a problem with the instrumentation and that the captain shrugged off his concerns. (CAM-1 is the captain, CAM-2 is the first officer)

15:59:32 CAM-1 Okay, your throttles.

15:59:35 [SOUND OF ENGINE SPOOLUP]

15:59:49 CAM-1 Holler if you need the wipers.

15:59:51 CAM-1 It's spooled. Real cold, real cold.

15:59:58 CAM-2 God, look at that thing. That don't seem right, does it? Uh, that's not right.

16:00:09 CAM-1 Yes it is, there's eighty.

16:00:10 CAM-2 Naw, I don't think that's right. Ah, maybe it is.

16:00:21 CAM-1 Hundred and twenty.

16:00:23 CAM-2 I don't know

16:00:31 CAM-1 Vee-one. Easy, vee-two.

As the plane became briefly airborne, the flight-recorder picked up these words from the cockpit, with the sound of the stick-shaker (an instrument that warns that the plane is in danger of stalling) in the background:

16:00:39 [SOUND OF STICKSHAKER STARTS AND CONTINUES UNTIL IMPACT]

16:00:41 TWR Palm 90 contact departure control.

16:00:45 CAM-1 Forward, forward, easy. We only want five hundred.

16:00:48 CAM-1 Come on forward....forward, just barely climb.

16:00:59 CAM-1 Stalling, we're falling!

16:01:00 CAM-2 Larry, we're going down, Larry....

16:01:01 CAM-1 I know it!

16:01:01 [SOUND OF IMPACT]

Although the aircraft did manage to become airborne, it attained a maximum altitude of just 352 feet 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 (1400 m) from the end of the runway. (Redirected from 14th Street Bridge) The 14th Street Bridge carries Interstate 395 and U.S. Highway 1 traffic across the Potomac River, connecting Arlington, Virginia and Washington DC. The bridge is also known for being the location of the Air Florida Flight 90 airplane crash on January 13, 1982. ...

It hit six cars and a truck on the bridge, and tore away 20 feet of guard rail. The wrecked aircraft then plunged into the freezing Potomac River. All but the tail section quickly became submerged. Remarkably, it crashed in between two bridges, the second bridge being the high occupancy vehicle (HOV) only bridge that was full of buses and people going away from DC during the afternoon commute. The Potomac River flows into the Chesapeake Bay, located along the mid-Atlantic coast of the United States (USA). ...

As a result of injuries received during the crash, four of the five crew members including both pilots, and 69 of the 74 passengers perished, leaving only six survivors in the freezing water out of the 79 who had been aboard the aircraft. There were also four fatalities among the motorists on the bridge with four others on the bridge injured. Of the passengers killed in the crash, all but one were killed by the forces involved in the impact, not by drowning.

Clinging to the tail section of the broken airliner with five passengers in the ice-choked Potomac River, flight attendant Kelly Duncan inflated the only flotation device they could find and passed it to one of the more-injured passengers, Nikki Felch. Joe Stiley assisted fellow survivor, Priscilla Tirado, and tried to tow her to shore, when the Park Police helicopter returned to try to pull them to safety. Kelly Duncan was the youngest flight attendant on Air Florida Flight 90 which crashed moments after takeoff during severe cold weather conditions from Washington National Airport on January 13, 1982. ...

Hampered response, unlikely heroes

The blizzard conditions developed fairly suddenly on this day and many Federal Government offices in downtown Washington had just been closed early. Thus, there was a massive backup of traffic on almost all of the city's roads, making it almost impossible for ambulances to reach the crash site. The United States Coast Guard's Capstan (WYTL 65601) a 65-foot harbor tugboat and its crew based nearby whose duties include ice breaking and responding to such a water rescue were considerably far downriver on another search and rescue mission. Emergency ground response was greatly hampered by ice-covered roads and gridlocked traffic. Ambulances attempting to reach the scene were even driven down the sidewalk in front of the White House. Rescuers who did reach the site stood and watched in horror as they had no adequate equipment to reach the survivors and the below-freezing waters and heavy ice made swimming out to them all but impossible. Multiple attempts to try to throw a makeshift lifeline (made out of belts and any other things available that could be tied together) out to the survivors proved ineffective. USCG HH-65 Dolphin USCG HH-60J JayHawk The United States Coast Guard (USCG) is at all times a branch of the United States armed forces a maritime law enforcement agency, and a federal regulatory body. ... A tugboat shown turning a large RORO cargo ship. ... For other uses, see White House (disambiguation). ...

One man, Roger Olian, a sheet-metal foreman at St Elizabeth's, a Washington hospital for the mentally ill, was on his way home across the 14th Street bridge in his truck when he heard a man yelling that there was an aircraft in the water. He was the first to jump into the water to attempt to contact the survivors. At the same time, several military personnel from the Pentagon, Steve Raines, Aldo De La Cruz, and Steve Bell, ran down to the water's edge to help Roger. Roger W. Olian was a sheet-metal foreman at St Elizabeths, a Washington, D.C. hospital for the mentally ill. ... St. ...

Finally, a United States Park Service Police helicopter arrived, attempting to navigate between the two bridges and figure out how to rescue the survivors clinging to the tail section of the plane. The National Park Service (NPS) is the United States government agency that deals with U.S. National Parks and U.S. National Monuments. ...

The only rescue helicopter arrives

To meet Wikipedia's quality standards and conform with our NPOV policy, this article or section may require cleanup. The current version of this article or section is written in an informal style and with a personally invested tone. It reads more like a story than an encyclopedia entry. Please see specific examples noted on the talk page. Editing help is available.

News cameramen watched helplessly from the bridge, being only able to record the disaster for the rest of the world to see. Suddenly, hope arrived in the form of a park police helicopter trailing a lifeline reaching to the outstretched arms of the victims in the water below. The pilot apparently had to navigate by following the freeway out to the Potomac River from the small windows on the bottom of the copter as air visibility was zero at the time. Further compounding the problem was that the disaster location - or exactly what was the disaster - was unknown as flight controllers were only aware that the plane had disappeared from the runway and did not respond to radio calls, but had no idea what had happened or where the plane was. Image File history File links Emblem-important. ...

At approximately 4:20 p.m. EST, Eagle 1, a United States Park Police Bell 206L-1 Long Ranger helicopter, N2PP, based at the "Eagles Nest" at Anacostia Park in Washington, D.C. and manned by pilot Donald W. Usher and paramedic Melvin E. (Gene) Windsor arrived and began attempting to assist the survivors to shore. At great risk to themselves, the crew worked close to the river surface, at one time coming so close to the ice-clogged river that the helicopter's skids went beneath the surface of the water. The United States Park Police is the oldest uniformed federal law enforcement agency in the United States. ... The Bell Model 206 JetRanger is one of the most successful helicopter designs in the world. ... For other uses, see Helicopter (disambiguation). ... Anacostia Park is operated by the United States National Park Service. ... For other uses, see Aviator (disambiguation). ... Donald W. Usher was a United States National Park Service police officer and helicopter pilot who acted heroically on January 13, 1982 following the crash of Air Florida Flight 90 in the Potomac River at Washington DC. A total of 78 persons were killed on that day of both tragedy... The Star of Life, a globally recognised symbol for emergency medical services A paramedic is a medical professional, usually a member of the emergency medical service, who responds to medical and trauma emergencies in the pre-hospital environment, provides emergency treatment and, when appropriate, transports a patient to definitive care... Melvin E. Gene Windsor was a United States Park Service police officer and helicopter-based paramedic who acted heroically on January 13, 1982 following the crash of Air Florida Flight 90 in the Potomac River at Washington DC. A total of 78 persons were killed on that day of both...

The helicopter crew lowered a line to survivors to tow them to shore. First to receive the line, Bert Hamilton, who was treading water about ten feet from the floating tail, took the single lifeline dangling beneath the chopper and passed it under his arms. The others watched while the helicopter carried him a hundred yards to the Virginia shore and returned. The helicopter pilot had to gently move the survivor across the ice, while avoiding the sides of the bridge and keeping an eye on the crowd. By now, some fire rescue had arrived but military personnel and civilians were the key in pulling the survivors from the shore up to the waiting ambulances. The survivors were nearly frozen with ice on their clothes, making them feel like they were 3 times their body weight. It would take 6 people to get each survivor from the shore up to the waiting ambulances. The helicopter returned to the location of the aircraft's tail, and this time a survivor sometimes referred to as "the sixth passenger" (later identified as Arland D. Williams Jr.) caught the line. Instead of wrapping it around himself, however, he passed it to flight attendant Kelly Duncan. On its third trip back to the wreckage, the helicopter trailed two lifelines, for its crew knew that survival in the river was now only a matter of minutes. One of the lines was aimed at "the sixth passenger." He caught it again, and again passed it on, this time to Joe Stiley, the most severely injured survivor. Stiley slipped the line around his waist and grabbed Priscilla Tirado who, having lost her husband and baby, was in complete hysteria. Patricia Felch took the second line, and the helicopter pulled away. Before it reached the shore, however, both Priscilla Tirado and Patricia Felch lost their grip and fell back into the water. Arland Dean Williams Jr. ...

United States Coast Guard Capstan was too far away on another search and rescue mission downriver to assist the 6 initial survivors of Air Florida Flight 90 which crashed into the 14th Street Bridge and then the ice-choked Potomac River on January 13, 1982. Capstan is seen here with another smaller Coast Guard boat helping with recovery of bodies and salvage operations.

By then one of these passengers, Priscilla Tirado, was too weak to grab the line. A watching bystander, Congressional Budget Office assistant Lenny Skutnik, stripped off his coat and boots, and in short sleeves, dove into the icy water, and swam out to assist her. The helicopter then proceeded to where Patricia Felch had fallen and paramedic Gene Windsor dropped from the safety of the helicopter into the water to attach a line to her. By the time the helicopter crew could return for the sixth passenger, the last survivor, both he and the plane's tail section had disappeared beneath the icy surface. He had been in the paralyzing cold for twenty-nine minutes. His body and those of the other occupants were later recovered. According to the coroner, this man, who had passed the lifeline to others, was the only plane passenger to die by drowning. United States Coast Guard Cutter Capstan at site of Air Florida crash in the Potomoac River in January 1982. ... United States Coast Guard Cutter Capstan at site of Air Florida crash in the Potomoac River in January 1982. ... Martin L. (Lenny) Skutnik III was a 28 year old office worker for a federal agency who acted heroically following the crash of Air Florida Flight 90 on January 13, 1982. ... A coroner is either the presiding officer of a special court, a medical officer, or an officer of law responsible for investigating deaths, particularly those happening under unusual circumstances. ...

Even as the response of emergency crews to the scene was frustrated by the traffic on surface streets, a half hour after the plane crashed, the Washington Metro suffered its first fatal subway crash which meant that Washington's nearest airport, one of its main bridges in or out of the city and one of its busiest subway lines were all closed simultaneously, paralyzing the Washington, D.C. area. The Washington Metro, or simply Metro, is the rapid transit system of Washington, D.C., and neighboring suburban communities in Maryland and Virginia, both inside and outside the Capital Beltway. ... “Mass Transit” redirects here. ...

Responses in the media

News media outlets followed the story with diligence. Notably, The Washington Post published a story about the unidentified survivor of the impact (the "sixth passenger") who handed the lifeline to others and apparently drowned before he could be rescued himself. The Washington Post is the largest newspaper in Washington, D.C.. It is also one of the citys oldest papers, having been founded in 1877. ...

One day after the crash, shock jock Howard Stern called Air Florida during his radio show on WWDC-FM and asked what the fare was for a one-way ticket from Washington National Airport to the 14th Street Bridge. The controversy from this and other incidents led to Stern's eventual dismissal from the station.^[2] A shock jock is a slang term used to describe a type of radio broadcaster (sometimes a disk jockey) who attracts attention using humor that a significant portion of the listening audience may find offensive. ... This article is a biography of Howard Stern as an individual; for information regarding his radio show see The Howard Stern Show. ... WWDC-FM is a radio station which broadcasts in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. ...

NTSB conclusion

The National Transportation Safety Board determined that the probable cause of this accident was pilot error stating that the flight crew’s failure to use engine anti-ice during ground operation and takeoff, their decision to take off with snow/ice on the airfoil surfaces of the aircraft, and the captain’s failure to reject the takeoff during the early stage when his attention was called to anomalous engine instrument readings. Seal of the National Transportation Safety Board The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is a U.S. government independent organization responsible for investigation of accidents involving aviation, highway, marine, pipelines and railroads in the United States. ... Pilot error is a term used to describe the cause of a crash of an airworthy aircraft where the pilot is considered to be principally or partially at fault. ...

"Contributing to the accident were the prolonged ground delay between de-icing and the receipt of ATC takeoff clearance during which the aircraft was exposed to continual precipitation, the known inherent pitch up characteristics of the B-737 aircraft when the leading edge is contaminated with even small amounts of snow or ice, and the limited experience of the flight crew in jet transport winter operations."

The aircraft, N62AF, was first delivered to United Airlines in 1969 as N9050U Boeing serial #19556 and was the 130th aircraft off the 737 line.^[3] United Airlines, also known as United Air Lines, Inc. ... Also: 1969 (Stargate SG-1) episode. ... Boeing Commercial Airplanes, based in Renton, Washington, is a unit of The Boeing Company, consisting of the Seattle-based former Boeing Airplane Company (the civil airliner division), as well as the Long Beach-based Douglas Aircraft division of the former McDonnell Douglas Corporation. ...

Honoring heroism

The "sixth passenger", who had survived the crash and had repeatedly given up the rescue lines to other survivors before drowning, was later identified as 46-year-old bank examiner Arland D. Williams Jr. The repaired span of the 14th Street Bridge complex over the Potomac River at the crash site, which had been officially named the "Rochambeau Bridge", was renamed the "Arland D. Williams Jr. Memorial Bridge" in his honor. The Citadel in South Carolina, from which he graduated in 1957, has several memorials to him. In 2003, the new Arland D. Williams Jr. Elementary School was dedicated in his hometown of Mattoon in Coles County, Illinois. Arland Dean Williams Jr. ... The 14th Street Bridge carries Interstate 395 and U.S. Highway 1 traffic across the Potomac River, connecting Arlington, Virginia and Washington DC. The bridge is also known for being the location of the Air Florida Flight 90 airplane crash on January 13, 1982. ... The Arland D. Williams Jr. ... The Citadel, The Military College of South Carolina, is a state-supported, comprehensive college located in Charleston, South Carolina. ... Arland D. Williams Jr. ... Mattoon is a city in Coles County, Illinois, United States. ... Coles County is a county located in the state of Illinois. ...

Civilians Roger Olian and Lenny Skutnik received the United States Coast Guard's Gold Lifesaving Medal. Arland D. Williams also received the award posthumously. Skutnik was introduced to the joint session of the U.S. Congress during President Ronald Reagan's State of the Union speech later that month. President Reagan also personally contacted and privately thanked Roger Olian. Roger W. Olian was a sheet-metal foreman at St Elizabeths, a Washington, D.C. hospital for the mentally ill. ... Martin L. (Lenny) Skutnik III was a 28 year old office worker for a federal agency who acted heroically following the crash of Air Florida Flight 90 on January 13, 1982. ... USCG HH-65 Dolphin USCG HH-60J JayHawk The United States Coast Guard (USCG) is at all times a branch of the United States armed forces a maritime law enforcement agency, and a federal regulatory body. ... The Congress of the United States is the legislative branch of the federal government of the United States of America. ... Alternative meanings in State of the Union (disambiguation) The State of the Union Address is an annual event in which the President of the United States reports on the status of the country, normally to a joint session of the U.S. Congress (the House of Representatives and the Senate). ...

The two crewmen of the U.S. Park Police helicopter Eagle 1 were awarded the United States Coast Guard's Silver Lifesaving Medal. The U.S. Park Service is part of the United States Department of the Interior. Pilot Donald W. Usher and paramedic Melvin E. Windsor also received the Department of the Interior's Valor Award from Secretary of the Interior James G. Watt in a special ceremony soon afterward. Usher is now Superintendent of the U.S. Park Police Training Academy in Brunswick, Georgia. USCG HH-65 Dolphin USCG HH-60J JayHawk The United States Coast Guard (USCG) is at all times a branch of the United States armed forces a maritime law enforcement agency, and a federal regulatory body. ... The United States Department of the Interior (DOI) is a Cabinet department of the United States government that manages and conserves most federally owned land. ... The United States Secretary of the Interior is the head of the United States Department of the Interior, concerned with such matters as national parks and The Secretary is a member of the Presidents Cabinet. ... James Gaius Watt (born January 31, 1938 in Lusk, Wyoming) served as U.S. Secretary of the Interior under President Ronald Reagan from 1981 to 1983. ... Nickname: Location in the state of Georgia Coordinates: , Country United States State Georgia County Glynn Government  - Mayor Bryan Thompson (R) Area  - City 25. ...

Roger Olian, Lennie Skutnik, Donald Usher, and Melvin Windsor each received the Carnegie Hero Fund Medal. Carnegie Hero Fund was established to recognize persons who perform acts of heroism in civilian life in the United States and Canada, and to provide financial assistance for those disabled and the dependents of those killed helping others. ...

Kelly Duncan, the only surviving flight attendant, was recognized in the NTSB accident report for her "unselfish act" of giving the only lifevest she could find to another passenger.[2] Kelly Duncan was the youngest flight attendant on Air Florida Flight 90 which crashed moments after takeoff during severe cold weather conditions from Washington National Airport on January 13, 1982. ... The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is a U.S. government organization responsible for investigation of accidents involving aviation, highway, marine, pipelines and railroads in the United States. ... A personal flotation device (also named PFD, lifejacket, life preserver, Mae West, life vest, life saver, cork jacket, life belt) is a device designed to keep a wearer afloat and their head above water, often in swimming pools, rivers, lakes, and oceans. ...

Regulatory and procedure changes

The investigation following the crash, especially regarding the failure of the pilot to respond to crew concerns about the de-icing procedure, led to a number of reforms in FAA regulations [3]. It would become a widely used case study for both air crews and rescue workers. Another result of the accident was the development of an improved rescue harness for use in helicopter recoveries^{[citation needed]}.

References

• Trivers, R. L. & Newton, H. P. The crash of flight 90: doomed by self-deception? Science Digest (November 1982): pp 66,67,111.
• History Channel program on Air Florida Flight 90.

Robert L. Trivers, (born 19 February 1943) is an American evolutionary biologist and sociobiologist, most noted for proposing the theories of reciprocal altruism (1971), parental investment (1972), and parent-offspring conflict (1974). ... Huey Newton Dr. Huey Percy Newton (February 17, 1942 – August 22, 1989), was co-founder and inspirational leader of the Black Panther Party for Self Defense, a black internationalist/racial equality organization that began in October 1966. ...

Notes

1. ^ "A Hero - Passenger Aids Others, Then Dies." The Washington Post. January 14, 1982.
2. ^ [1]
3. ^ Boeing 737 Production List. planespotters.net. Retrieved on 2007-05-06.

is the 14th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1982 (MCMLXXXII) was a common year starting on Friday (link displays the 1982 Gregorian calendar). ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... is the 126th day of the year (127th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

External links

• NTSB Report AAR-82/08 Air Florida, Inc., Boeing 737-222, N62AF, Collision with 14th Street Bridge near Washington National Airport Washington, D.C. January 13, 1982
• Full NTSB Accident Report
• AirDisaster.Com Special Report: Air Florida Flight 90
• Air Florida Flight 90: Reservists remember
• Roads to the Future website - 14th Street Bridge, the Air Florida Crash, and Subway Disaster
• Cockpit voice recording transcript for the crash of Air Florida Flight 90
• Aviation Safety Network - report on Air Florida Flight 90
• Accident details at planecrashinfo.com
• Flight 90: Disaster on the Potomac at the Internet Movie Database
• Arlington VA Fire Department response details to Air Florida 90 crash
• Aviation Past Accident Files, Air Florida Flight 90
• Bridge of Sighs (2003 report on the survivors 21 years later)
• Arlington Fire Journal (Detailed account of Arlington County Fire Dept. operations at crash site)

Coordinates: 38°52′26″N, 77°02′34″W The Internet Movie Database (IMDb) is an online database of information about movies, actors, television shows, production crew personnel, and video games. ... Map of Earth showing lines of latitude (horizontally) and longitude (vertically), Eckert VI projection; large version (pdf, 1. ...