When Air Florida Flight 90 Crashed into the 14th Street Bridge

Send us Fan MailIt was a cold and snowy day in Washington, DC as passengers boarded the narrow-body Air Florida 737. The plane was sprayed with de-icing fluid while waiting at the gate, but a series of errors before the plane reached the runway, and more errors on the runway, sealed the fate of this flight. Just moments after take-off, the plane fell from the sky and crash-landed on the 14th Street Bridge and then plunged into the icy Potomac River. Only five passengers and one crew member survived the crash, while four motorists were killed on the bridge. Following the crash, heroes emerged with names still recognized today. What went wrong with Flight 90? Was it a mechanical failure? Could the weather be blamed? What role did the flight crew play in this disaster? And was the nearby train derailment, where three people died, related to the plane crash? This episode of Radar Contact Lost has the answers. Note: None of the sound effects in this episode are from the actual Air Florida crash.