Flight 90: Disaster on the Potomac

The film introduces Marilyn Nichols, a stewardess who has just learned she is pregnant, and several others preparing for trips or new jobs: Priscilla Tirado and Jose, Nikki Felch, Bert Hamilton, Roger Olian, Arland D. Williams Jr., Donna and Carol Biggs, Joe Stiley, and Kelly Duncan. Each character has their own plans as they head toward Florida or Washington, setting up a mosaic of fates for the disaster to come. The convergence center is Air Florida Flight 90 on January 13, 1982.

The Boeing 737-222 departs from Florida and arrives at Reagan National Airport in a blinding snowstorm. After the passengers board, the crew must wait about 50 minutes before takeoff. The delay allows ice to accumulate on the aircraft, and most passengers ignore the safety briefing, setting the stage for dangerous de-icing later.

De-icing is performed poorly, allowing ice to build up on the wings. Pilots Wheaton and Pettit appear unconcerned about the ice, and ice on the sensors creates a false impression of airspeed. The crew's confidence falters as the situation deteriorates just before takeoff.

The plane tries to take off but cannot gain sufficient altitude. It stalls at about 352 feet, losing lift and control, and then crashes toward the Potomac River. The moment marks the abrupt end of the flight and the beginning of a harrowing rescue effort.

The aircraft strikes the 14th Street Bridge and crashes into the Potomac River. Debris and wreckage scatter, and several passengers manage to cling to floating pieces of the fuselage in the icy water. The disaster zone becomes a scene of urgency and peril.

Bert Hamilton, Joe Stiley, Nikki Felch, Priscilla Tirado, and Kelly Duncan survive the crash and cling to wreckage in the freezing river. Arland Williams Jr. remains in the water near the wreckage, while Roger Olian on the bridge dives in to assist the victims. The first moments after impact show both courage and desperation.

Donald Usher and Melvin Windsor take off in a helicopter to reach the survivors and reach Bert Hamilton first. The air rescue crew provides the early lifeline from above, trying to pull survivors from the wreckage. Their efforts establish the pattern of helicopter-assisted rescues that follows.

Rescue crews lower a rope to the victims, but Arland Williams repeatedly passes the rope to others rather than accepting it himself. Joe Stiley, Nikki Felch, and Priscilla Tirado are repeatedly offered the rope, yet the chain of rescue becomes a tense, tragic stalemate. The act underscores the peril and moral gravity of the moment.

A bystander, Lenny Skutnik, dives into the freezing water and successfully pulls Priscilla Tirado from the wreckage to safety. His brave act provides a glimmer of hope amid the escalating crisis and spurs further rescue efforts. The scene crystallizes the contrast between civilian courage and the dangers faced by the passengers.

Joe Stiley is pulled to shore and saved, followed by Bert Hamilton’s eventual rescue. Nikki Felch is rescued later, while the ground teams continue to work the wreckage. The pattern of lifelines gradually reaches the survivors as the river becomes a staging ground for the rescue.

As the rescue operation unfolds, Arland Williams slips beneath the water and dies after repeatedly offering the rope to others. His sacrifice is recognized as a poignant, tragic moment within the broader rescue saga. The immediate relief of those on shore is tempered by the loss at sea.

In Florida, Marilyn Nichols is confirmed dead, and her husband Larry learns the heartbreaking news. The tragedy reverberates back to the victims’ families who had been waiting for updates from the flight. The human toll becomes personal for those far from the crash site.

Survivors are transported to various hospitals in the Washington, D.C. area for treatment and examination. Families are reunited with loved ones as the immediate crisis gives way to recovery and reflection. The medical response frames the lasting impact of the disaster.

As the day closes, the survivors begin to come to terms with what happened while their families cope with loss. The film closes on a note of resilience amid tragedy, acknowledging the cost of the disaster for both the living and the dead. The narrative leaves viewers with a sense of the continuing impact on those touched by the event.