Frozen Flight Crashes In the Potomac River

June 1, 2023·1 hr 2 min·5 clips

The pilots left engine anti-ice off in freezing weather, causing fatal false readings on their thrust gauges.

This episode analyzes the 1982 crash of Air Florida Flight 90, which stalled and plunged into the frozen Potomac River after takeoff from Washington D.C., killing 78 people. The hosts explore how the crew's failure to use engine anti-ice led to false instrument readings, combined with ice on the wings, causing insufficient thrust and lift. The discussion includes the dramatic rescue of five survivors and the accident's impact on aviation safety procedures.

As heard by us

A clear, sobering reconstruction with real technical depth.

Black Box Down presents a careful reconstruction of Air Florida Flight 90, moving through the delays, de-icing, sudden stall warning, and the final seconds before the plane hit the 14th Street Bridge and plunged into the Potomac.

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Why you'd press play

You want the full chain of weather, procedures, and engineering in one crash story.

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