On 13 Jan 1982, a Boeing 737-222 (registration N62AF) operated by Air Florida was involved in an aviation accident near 1,4 km N of Washington-National Airport, DC (DCA) [Potomac River]. 78 people were killed. The investigation identified pilot error, icing conditions as causal factors. This summary draws on records from Wikidata contributors; 13 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.
Aircraft registered N62AF. Photo: Original Photographer Unknown / Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
On January 13, 1982, Air Florida Flight 90, a Boeing 737-200, crashed into the 14th Street Bridge and plunged into the Potomac River shortly after takeoff from Washington National Airport.
Accident Overview
On January 13, 1982, Air Florida Flight 90, a scheduled domestic passenger flight, crashed into the 14th Street Bridge over the Potomac River just after takeoff from Washington National Airport. The aircraft, a Boeing 737-200 registered as N62AF, was operating the route from Washington National Airport to Fort Lauderdale–Hollywood International Airport with an intermediate stopover at Tampa International Airport.
Impact and Damage
The Boeing 737-200 struck the 14th Street Bridge, which carries Interstate 395 between Washington, D.C., and Arlington County, Virginia. The impact involved seven occupied vehicles and destroyed 97 feet (30 meters) of guard rail. The aircraft subsequently plunged through the ice into the Potomac River.
