WTOP, radio station in DC has a good article with a ton of photos from the Air Florida Flt 90 crash 40 years ago today. They also have a clip from radio reports that day.
https://wtop.com/local/2022/01/40-years ... snowstorm/
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- PSAatSAN4Ever
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Re: 40 Years Ago - Air Florida Flt 90
I was in high school at the time, and I didn't hear about it until later in the day. Like everyone else, I was utterly horrified. "Snow and ice on the wings" was all I remember for many years.
It wasn't until decades later that I read the entire report, and realized that, just like at Tenerife, an incredibly complex chain of events had to occur in a very specific order for this accident to occur. And as someone who has followed investigations since the late 1970's, even I was taken aback by the nature of how random this all was.
SO much we learned from this accident...
It wasn't until decades later that I read the entire report, and realized that, just like at Tenerife, an incredibly complex chain of events had to occur in a very specific order for this accident to occur. And as someone who has followed investigations since the late 1970's, even I was taken aback by the nature of how random this all was.
SO much we learned from this accident...
Re: 40 Years Ago - Air Florida Flt 90
And six months later PA 759 went down at MSY, also shortly after takeoff. Not a good year for commercial aviation in the U.S. Well-remember both crashes.
Re: 40 Years Ago - Air Florida Flt 90
My father was supposed to be on that flight with one of his customers headed to The Keys for a fly fishing trip. The weather was so horrible that they didn't want to do it. Instead they waited until the next day and flew back home to STL. Just a horrific event.
Re: 40 Years Ago - Air Florida Flt 90
Even though the engines were not at full output, due to ice covering the engine tubes, did the captain ever firewall the throttles when it started stalling? A youtube vid stated other pilots in a simulator were able to fly out of it by lowering the nose, still close though.
Re: 40 Years Ago - Air Florida Flt 90
https://youtu.be/iUmnFOiIijY?t=1618
A 737 pilot explains the crash........So sad the mistakes made along the way to rush out of DCA.
A 737 pilot explains the crash........So sad the mistakes made along the way to rush out of DCA.
Re: 40 Years Ago - Air Florida Flt 90
I remember watching this unfold on live TV as a 10 year old. The reasons for the crash itself aren't all that spectacular, compared to so many others, a small sequence of events leading to catastrophic results, , but the rescues filmed like that are still rarely caught on camera.
The MGM Grand Fire in Las Vegas also recently had a big anniversary I believe.
The MGM Grand Fire in Las Vegas also recently had a big anniversary I believe.
Re: 40 Years Ago - Air Florida Flt 90
For viewing, the 1984 tv-movie on the crash is up on YouTube.
Re: 40 Years Ago - Air Florida Flt 90
The famous helicopter seen on the rescue is at permanent display at Law and Enforcement museum in Washington, DC.
Along with a very touching video with interviews with pilot and survivors alongside with real EMS radio talk of the event. Very strong and powerful. Would recommend.
Along with a very touching video with interviews with pilot and survivors alongside with real EMS radio talk of the event. Very strong and powerful. Would recommend.
Re: 40 Years Ago - Air Florida Flt 90
mga707 wrote:And six months later PA 759 went down at MSY, also shortly after takeoff. Not a good year for commercial aviation in the U.S. Well-remember both crashes.
And to add to that, the original Braniff ceased operations and declared bankruptcy in June, 1982. I was living in Brewton, Alabama at the time, and I remember watching coverage of that and the crash of Pan Am 759 on a new cable TV channel, CNN.
Re: 40 Years Ago - Air Florida Flt 90
william wrote:Even though the engines were not at full output, due to ice covering the engine tubes, did the captain ever firewall the throttles when it started stalling? A youtube vid stated other pilots in a simulator were able to fly out of it by lowering the nose, still close though.
Didn’t touch the throttles, never understood it. Must have been overwhelmed. The plane I fly always takes off at full power so the throttle is always effectively “firewalled” anyway but still one to remember, if it’s not performing as you expect, get on any reserve power available. Would have saved this flight for sure.
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Re: 40 Years Ago - Air Florida Flt 90
mga707 wrote:And six months later PA 759 went down at MSY, also shortly after takeoff. Not a good year for commercial aviation in the U.S. Well-remember both crashes.
However, 1980 and 1981 had both been exceptionally safe years for the airline industry in the US. 1982 was the year the "law of averages" caught up to the industry.
I think the QH crash was the first crash of a jet operated by a US airline since the Western DC 10 crash in MEX in Oct 1979
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- ClassicLover
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Re: 40 Years Ago - Air Florida Flt 90
stlgph wrote:For viewing, the 1984 tv-movie on the crash is up on YouTube.
This is an excellent television movie of the crash - the link is here by the way - https://youtu.be/IBlRsNACp3k
Why is it so good?
- Aircraft footage throughout is of actual Air Florida 737s
- The actual television footage taken of the rescue on the day is included (intercut with the actors obviously, but plenty of real footage)
- Little details such as the N62AF placard in the cockpit
- Noting, in a subtle manner, that the pregnant flight attendant was originally assigned to sit at the back with the surviving flight attendant, but moved to sit up the front with her friend.
- Cockpit dialogue is taken from the flight recorder transcript
All in all it's a very, very well put together production.
Re: 40 Years Ago - Air Florida Flt 90
ClassicLover wrote:stlgph wrote:For viewing, the 1984 tv-movie on the crash is up on YouTube.
This is an excellent television movie of the crash - the link is here by the way - https://youtu.be/IBlRsNACp3k
Why is it so good?
- Aircraft footage throughout is of actual Air Florida 737s
- The actual television footage taken of the rescue on the day is included (intercut with the actors obviously, but plenty of real footage)
- Little details such as the N62AF placard in the cockpit
- Noting, in a subtle manner, that the pregnant flight attendant was originally assigned to sit at the back with the surviving flight attendant, but moved to sit up the front with her friend.
- Cockpit dialogue is taken from the flight recorder transcript
All in all it's a very, very well put together production.
Thanks for the recommendation.
It was different than I expected - a drama about the people rather than a documentary about the investigation - but it was good. And it was great to see all the old planes and airlines again.
I agree that the fine aviation details were generally excellent. For instance the clicking sound that a windmilling JT8D on a 737-200 makes was dead on.
Though I had a good laugh about the "pushback tug" (it was a bag tractor) and the "towbar" (it was about the diameter of a broomstick) - that would end VERY badly! Lol Though mercifully that was just a one or two second scene.
Yes, the day of the crash was very sad. Though all of us watching the news then were immensely relieved to see each of the 5 who made it to shore get there.