Air Florida: When Weather Changed History (TV Episode)

Plot

The face of the commercial aviation industry was forever altered by a tragedy which occurred on January 13, 1982. A scant few seconds after Air Florida Flight 90 took off from Washington National Airport, the plane suddenly plummeted into the icy Potomac river. Of the 79 people on board, all but five were killed, while four motorists on the 14th street bridge also perished. The subsequent investigation revealed that the pilots of Flight 90 had failed to switch on the proper de-icing equipment. Originally telecast January 20, 2008, this episode of When Weather Changed History uses eyewitness testimony, archival footage and dramatized vignettes to re-enact the Flight 90 tragedy, placing special emphasis on the anti-icing guidelines and new communication protocol that have been in place since 1982. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi