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The Deadly Crash That Changed Airline De-Icing Standards
40th anniversary of the deadly Air Florida flight #90 icing crash is recalled and it’s influence on modern weather airline deice and anti-ice winter operations. (www.foxweather.com) עוד...Sort type: [Top] [Newest]
I was there on the day of the accident. I was a first officer with Piedmont Airlines and our flight departed a few hours before Air Florida. The snow was falling at a pretty good rate and we were deiced with type one fluid as was the practice back in the day. There was no hold over time (HOT) back then just the discretion of the captain. We did not sit on the ground for very long before we were on our way. When we finally arrive in ATL a couple stops later we heard of the accident in DCA. Less than a week later we were back in Washington and having a few hours to wait between flights I heard that the accident aircraft was in a hangar near the end of the field. I was told I could probably get in to see it if I went over. I got a ride from a ramp agent and being in uniform I managed to get in without much difficulty. How times have changed. While standing behind the ropes that blocked off the wreckage a gentleman wearing a NTSB jacket approached me and ask if I flew a 737. I answered yes and he said to come with him as he wanted to show me something. We entered what was left of the cabin from the rear a few rows just forward of the aft galley. Since the plane had only recently been out of the water I remember seeing pieces of ice still in the over head bins. In the cockpit the forward windows were all intact but shattered and impossible to see through. The pilot’s seats were twisted forward and slightly to the left almost off their tracks. The control wheels were bent almost sideways as if pushed with a tremendous force. The NTSB agent pointed to the overhead panel and put his finger on the engine anti-ice switches. They were both in the off position. He said this is one of the things they were looking at right now. Standing there behind the first offer’s seat I couldn’t imagine what it must have felt like to watch the water racing towards them and knowing, at that point, there was nothing they could do to stop it. The heartbreak is that if just one of them had firewalled the throttles they might have pulled out of it.
Your last sentence said it all... Even if they had blown an engine or 2, they probably would not have hit the river and probably more survivors.... Since he would have shown an Engine Exceedance he would have turned back and everyone would have been delayed, but they would have been delayed and still alive...
Not long after the DC Air Florida crash, two hundred and fifty-six people died when a chartered Arrow Air DC-8 full of U.S. servicemen and women crashed almost immediately into a forest after take-off from Gander, New Foundland due to icing at night. To visit the memorial site is sobering. Then there was Continental Airlines Flight 1713 that crashed while taking off in a snowstorm from Stapleton International Airport in Denver, Colorado, on November 15, 1987. Twenty-eight died. The NTSB cited a failure to return for a second deicing as a major cause, in addition to the First Officer over rotating on takeoff, causing an aerodynamic stall. The Pilot might be in command of the aircraft, but the aircraft may not be physically able to fly.
With all the updated CCTV cameras available, put them everywhere on the whole fuselage! Would be nice for pilot to see if gear, flaps or ice is working like it should!
Heck, I have 8 cameras on my pickup and love them!
Add some in the cabin also!
Heck, I have 8 cameras on my pickup and love them!
Add some in the cabin also!
I remember that day as I worked at the Pentagon and lived on Ft Meyer not far away. The level of snow was unexpected and they send everyone home early. We waited and waited for our shuttle bus but it never showed. Traffic was obviously a mess, and we could hear sirens and helicopters that we assumed were due to traffic. So we hiked towards the base through the snow. When we got there we found out what had happened. From where we were walking we could have seen the rescue efforts but the snow made visibility less than half a mile or so. One of my friends was on the bridge and helped with rescue efforts. The next day we went by the scene and I'll never forget the tail sticking up out of the water.
That all said, I remember the investigations and results. What a mess. Can't believe it's been 40 years. (I feel old!)
That all said, I remember the investigations and results. What a mess. Can't believe it's been 40 years. (I feel old!)
I posted this article elsewhere. A fellow blogger came back saying he’d lost his Commanding Officer, Executive Officer, & Command Sergeant Major in the incident. Said he was the Duty Officer just going on for his shift/tour/duty, that the phones were going crazy, & the CO’s wife came & stayed for any news……
This was before anyone really gave thought to not having your chain of command flying different flights & probably thought more work could get done on the flight home.
This was before anyone really gave thought to not having your chain of command flying different flights & probably thought more work could get done on the flight home.