What happened in Air Florida Flight 90?

• A. A bird strike caused engine failure and immediate return to the field.
• B. The crew took off with ice/contamination and improper engine indications, then crashed into the Potomac.
• C. A hydraulic system failure led to loss of control in cruise.
• D. A rainstorm caused hydroplaning on takeoff resulting in setback.

Answer: (B)

Taking off into icing conditions is a dangerous combination because ice on the wings changes the airfoil shape and destroys lift at the speeds used during a takeoff. In Air Florida Flight 90, the Boeing 737 departed Washington National Airport with ice contamination from freezing rain. That ice reduced the aircraft’s ability to generate lift as it tried to climb, especially at the low speeds achievable just after liftoff.

Complicating matters, several engine and air data indications were unreliable due to icing, which can make pilots misread how much thrust or airspeed the airplane actually has. With misleading indications and a compromised lift situation, the crew was less able to recognize the deteriorating performance and maintain safe climb-out. The result was an inability to recover from the low-speed condition, the aircraft stalled at low altitude, and it crashed into the Potomac River after clipping the 14th Street Bridge.

This explanation best fits the incident because it centers on the combination of ice/contamination on the wings and misleading instrument indications, both of which were critical in turning a routine takeoff into a fatal loss of control. It wasn’t due to a bird strike, a hydraulic failure in cruise, or hydroplaning from a rainstorm, which are not describing the actual sequence of this accident.