Seconds From Disaster Season 3 Episode 11 Plane Crash in the Potomac

On January 13, 1982, Air Florida Flight 90 takes off from Washington D.C.'s National Airport on its way to Fort Lauderdale, Florida with 79 passengers and crew members on board. As the Boeing 737 reaches altitude, it encounters severe winter weather conditions, including heavy snow, freezing rain, and low visibility. Despite the adverse conditions, the cockpit crew decides to take off, confident that the plane had been de-iced and was fit for takeoff.

Shortly after takeoff, the pilots are unable to stabilize the plane and it begins to lose altitude. They struggle to gain altitude, and moments later, the plane crashes into the Potomac River just moments after takeoff, killing 74 people on board and four on the ground.

Using interviews with surviving passengers and crew members, as well as air traffic controllers and investigators, Seconds From Disaster season 3 episode 11, "Plane Crash in the Potomac," investigates the events leading up to the tragedy and delves into the factors that caused the crash.

The episode explores the human errors that contributed to the accident, including the failure of the pilots to properly respond to a warning light indicating that the engines were not producing sufficient thrust. The aircraft was also carrying excess weight in the form of ice on the wings, which likely played a role in the crash.

The episode also looks at the response of emergency crews and the efforts made to rescue survivors from the freezing waters of the Potomac. In particular, the heroic actions of one bystander, Lenny Skutnik, who risked his own life to rescue a survivor from the river, are highlighted.

The investigation into the crash led to changes in aviation regulations, including the implementation of more rigorous de-icing procedures, as well as improvements in training for pilots and aircraft design. The episode shows how the lessons learned from this tragedy have helped to prevent similar accidents in the years since.

Overall, "Plane Crash in the Potomac" is a gripping and informative look at one of the worst aviation disasters in U.S. history. Through interviews with survivors and experts, the episode provides a detailed and illuminating account of the chain of events that led to the accident and the efforts made to investigate and learn from it. Anyone interested in aviation or the science of disaster will find this episode both engaging and thought-provoking.