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1982 Air Florida Crash Revisited: Mid-Air Collision at Reagan National Airport Draws Parallels

A tragic midair collision over the Potomac River near Reagan National Airport mirrors the 1982 Air Florida Flight 90 disaster. Authorities investigate.

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1982 Air Florida Crash Revisited: Mid-Air Collision at Reagan National Airport Draws Parallels

Once again, a disastrous mid-air collision over the Potomac River, this time involving a regional passenger jet and a military Blackhawk helicopter, brought back to memory the tragedy of the 1982 Air Florida Flight 90 disaster. The collision was over Washington D.C.’s Ronald Reagan National Airport when a huge search-and-rescue mission began.

Emergency responders were quick to the scene as air traffic stopped with people plunged into the icy waters of the Potomac as the accident unfolded.

The crash happened around 9 p.m. EST as American Airlines Flight 5342, a Bombardier CRJ-701 carrying 60 passengers and four crew members, collided with a military helicopter as it was coming into the airport. The regional jet had been coming from Wichita, Kansas, and was just 2,400 feet short of the runway when its radio transponder stopped transmitting, signaling the moment of impact.

The collision occurred within one of the world’s most heavily surveilled airspaces and less than three miles from the White House. Surveillance footage caught by cameras located at the Kennedy Center filmed an enormous fireball illuminating the night sky.

Recalling the 1982 Air Florida Flight 90 Disaster

The crash mid-air near Reagan National has drawn remarkable similarity to the infamous 1982 Air Florida Flight 90 crash over the Potomac River, a span of over forty years ago. Air Florida Flight 90, a Boeing 737-200, left Washington National Airport on January 13, 1982, and plunged within minutes into the icy waters of the Potomac River. The crash that killed 78 people occurred when the aircraft struck the 14th Street Bridge before crashing into the river. Of the 74 passengers and five crew members aboard, only six survived.

The investigators established that pilot error and failure to activate the aircraft’s de-icing systems were the primary causes of the crash. The pilots did not activate the internal ice protection systems for the engines when the temperature dropped to freezing point. This caused the aircraft to stall due to incorrect thrust readings. Captain Larry M. Wheaton had accumulated over 8,300 flight hours but was inexperienced in flying in snowy conditions. The National Transportation Safety Board found that the crew had opted to use jet thrust from another aircraft to melt ice on the wings instead of using normal de-icing techniques.

Among the few survivors was flight attendant Kelly Duncan, whilst another passenger, Arland D. Williams Jr., sacrificed his life to help others before he died in the icy waters. The rescuers’ efforts were later recognized by President Ronald Reagan in his State of the Union address.

Tragic similarities in Both Crashes

While the exact cause of the January 2025 midair collision remains under investigation, the two tragedies share significant similarities. Both incidents occurred over the Potomac River in difficult conditions. The 1982 crash was caused by human error in managing adverse weather conditions, while preliminary reports suggest that the 2025 crash may have been triggered by miscommunication between air traffic control and the two aircraft involved.

Investigators are currently analyzing radar data, cockpit voice recordings, and communications between air traffic control and the aircraft. They will focus on whether the air traffic controller’s directive for the helicopter to pass behind the CRJ-701 was properly executed. They will also examine whether the regional jet’s sudden loss of altitude played a role in the collision.

Rescue and Response Efforts in Icy Waters

In both scenarios, rescue teams managed to launch response operations under strictly difficult conditions. Police helicopters; U.S. Park Police along with the Metropolitan Police Department were hovering over this scene while at the same time, fire boats were scouring the icy water of the Potomac for survivors. Officials have confirmed they have recovered 18 bodies and the death toll is not available yet.

The Federal Aviation Administration has released information confirming air traffic remains shut at Reagan National Airport, in continuation of further investigations of the crash. Experts from the NTSB and the FAA continue working to outline what actually took place during these unfortunate incidents, hence giving explanations for the succession of events prior to the collision.

Ongoing Investigation and Safety Concerns

The cause of the crash is still under investigation, but miscommunication, and miscoordination between air traffic controllers and the pilots, played a role in the disaster. Of great interest here is the sequence of the final radio communications leading up to the collision with the NTSB and whether the instructions to the helicopter were carried out.

For now, the tragedy of January 2025 stands as a stark reminder of the deadly history that unfolded at the same airport more than four decades ago. As authorities continue to search for survivors and recover bodies from the icy Potomac River, the nation watches closely, hoping for answers to prevent further loss of life.