How five people survived after a plane crashed into the Potomac River 42 years ago

The aviation disaster near Washington DC has brought up memories of another crash into the Potomac River 43 years ago – the Air Florida Flight 90.

The search at the crash site of the American Airlines plane and US military Black Hawk helicopter has turned into a recovery operation after officials said they don’t ‘believe there are any survivors.’

At least 28 bodies have been pulled out of the water in the hours after the mid-air collision last night which split the passenger plane in two and sent the chopper to the bottom of the river.

Follow the latest updates on the Washington plane crash on Metro’s live blog

Potomac River – a 400-mile waterway flowing from West Virginia to the Chesapeake Bay – witnessed another air disaster 43 years ago.

Only five people survived, and 78 were killed when an Air Florida Flight 90 stalled and crashed just moments after taking off from the Reagan National Airport, then known as Washington National Airport, on January 13, 1982.

The Boeing 737-200 plane plunged into the river after hitting the 14th Street Bridge near the Pentagon, killing four motorists on the bridge.

Here is a look back on the 1982 Potomac River disaster and those who escaped alive against the odds.

Why did the Air Florida Flight 90 crash?

The passenger plane carrying 74 passengers and five crew members was on its way to Fort Lauderdale Airport in Florida when the disaster struck.

Despite sub-zero temperatures and snowy conditions, the engine anti-ice heaters were not activated before takeoff, which proved to be their first mistake.

The pilots reportedly had little experience flying in snowy and icy conditions. Instead of de-icing measures, they followed behind a DC-9 plane so that its warmth would melt the snow and ice on the plane’s wings.

While the wings briefly melted, the slush quickly froze back on the wings and the engine, the National Transportation Safety Board report published later in 1982 found.

In the early stages of the takeoff, the plane failed to become properly airborne, reaching just 352 feet before it stalled and lost altitude.

The last exchange between the First Officer Roger Pettit was telling the captain ‘Larry, we’re going down, Larry.’

Captain Larry Wheaton responded, ‘I know it’ before the plane hit the bridge.

Its right wing was badly damaged when it hit a boom truck and a steel barrier and railing on the bridge before sinking into about 25 to 30 feet of water in ‘several major pieces,’ the investigators said.

The search and rescue operation in Potomac River

Unlike the American Airlines crash shortly before 9pm, the Air Florida plane plunged into the water during daytime.

However, despite daytime conditions, those who survived were not in the clear yet as they ‘cling to pieces of the floating wreckage.’

The water temperature under the surface was around 1C and the survivors ended up being in the water ‘from 22 to 35 minutes before being rescued,’ the report said.

Miraculously, all five survivors managed to stay conscious, although they told the investigators that ‘the cold was so intense that they quickly lost most of the effective use of their hands.’

The only surviving crew member, Kelly Duncan, told ABC News in 1982 thatthe next things she know was ‘I was just floating through white and I felt like I was dying and I just thought I’m not really ready to die.’

Joe Stiley, a businessman and a private pilot – had jumped to action when he felt the plane had not become airborne, telling his co-worker and fellow survivor Patricia Felch to take the crash position.

Stiley was among the worst injured of the handful of survivors, suffering more than 60 broken bones, including a skull fracture and spinal injuries, but he managed to cling on.

He told the Seattle Times: ‘I remember coming out of the airplane. I remember the (rescue) helicopter…. I remember the ambulance. I remember seeing the lights in the hospital. I remember a lot of other things related to the Air Florida crash, but I don’t know how much of that was because of the coverage.’

The five survivors were eventually rescued by a US Park Police helicopter and taken to the shore.

When the rescue helicopter arrived, three of the survivors were still able to help themselves into the life ring and the loop of the rescue rope while the others were helped on. One of the survivors was saved by a heroic ‘civilian bystander who swam out and pulled her ashore,’ the report said.

One of the initial survivors, Arland D.Williams, eventually drowned trapped on his seat after first making sure the other five passengers got hold of the rescue rope. When the tail section of the plane began to sank further into the river, he was dragged with it. After the details of his actions emergeda year later, he was awarded the US Coast Guard Gold Lifesaving Medal by President Ronald Reagan.

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