Department of Transportation Medals

[Guest Darrell]

The following thread will highlight the Department of Transportation Medals.

[Guest Darrell]

The Mother of all DOT medals, the Distinguished Service Medal. Now Obsolete.

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION ? Distinguished Service Medal

The Transportation Distinguished Service Medal was established by Executive Order 12824 signed by President George Bush on December 07, 1992. It may be awarded to any member of the Coast Guard who has provided exceptionally meritorious service in a duty of great responsibility while assigned to the Department of Transportation, or in other activities under the responsibility of the Secretary of Transportation, either national or international as may be assigned by the Secretary. The Transportation Distinguished Service Medal is worn only by the Coast Guard officers. It is worn after the Defense Distinguished Service Medal and before the Coast Guard DSM.

The Transportation Distinguished Service Medal was designed by Nadine Russell of the Institute of Heraldry. In the center of the obverse is a silver medallion containing a narrow-bordered blue triskelion adapted from the Department of Transportation Seal. It is contained within a raised border of continuous cable in gold, superimposed over crossed anchors on a circular field. The field in turn surrounded by a raised laurel wreath in green enamel, finished in gold.

The suspender which connects the medal to it?s ribbon is integral to the medal and consists of a miniature Coast Guard officer?s cap device in gold. In the upper-central portion of the reverse there is a raised plaque for engraving the recipient?s name.

The ribbon to the Transportation Distinguished Service Medal is predominantly Old Glory Blue edged in white with two stripes of paprika near each edge, the colors traditionally associated with other Department of Transportation awards. Additional awards were denoted with gold stars. However, since the entire Coast Guard organization was transferred to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security after the 9-11 attacks, this medal will no longer be awarded to Coast Guard personnel.

The following comes with Minature, lapel pin and Ribbon Bar. Very rare set.

Obverse:

[Guest Darrell]

Reverse:

[Guest Darrell]

Department of Transportation 9/11 Medal

The 9-11 Medal is a special decoration of the U.S. Department of Transportation which was first created in 2002. The decoration recognizes those civilians and members of the military who performed heroic deeds and valorous accomplishments in the immediate aftermath of the September 11, 2001 attacks on the United States of America.

The 9-11 Medal is not a simple service decoration, but rather recognizes individual acts of bravery that resulted in the saving of life or great assistance to the rescue efforts from the September 11th attacks. A separate military decoration, the 9-11 Ribbon, is presented to members of the U.S. military for general aide and assistance to the victims of the September 11th attacks.

The 9-11 Medal is a one time decoration and is authorized for wear by both civilians and members of the U.S military.

Obverse:

[Guest Darrell]

Reverse.

[Ed_Haynes]

Department of Transportation 9/11 Medal

The 9-11 Medal is a special decoration of the U.S. Department of Transportation which was first created in 2002. The decoration recognizes those civilians and members of the military who performed heroic deeds and valorous accomplishments in the immediate aftermath of the September 11, 2001 attacks on the United States of America.

The 9-11 Medal is not a simple service decoration, but rather recognizes individual acts of bravery that resulted in the saving of life or great assistance to the rescue efforts from the September 11th attacks. A separate military decoration, the 9-11 Ribbon, is presented to members of the U.S. military for general aide and assistance to the victims of the September 11th attacks.

The 9-11 Medal is a one time decoration and is authorized for wear by both civilians and members of the U.S military.

Obverse:

When was this shifted to a normal suspension-medal? The original design had a large (obscenely large, some may say) medal of this design suspended from a neck ribbon. Really tacky.

While this cannot be called a lovely medal, they have surely improved it.

[Guest Darrell]

When was this shifted to a normal suspension-medal? The original design had a large (obscenely large, some may say) medal of this design suspended from a neck ribbon.

Ed maybe you were thinking of the "Guardian Medal", which was awarded to higher up officials?

++++++++++++++++++

CRITERIA FOR DOT 9-11 AWARDS

The Secretary of Transportation has approved and authorized the Guardian Medal, Transportation 9-11 Medal, and Transportation 9-11 Ribbon for Active, Reserve, Auxiliary, and Civilian Coast Guard employees who responded to the terrorist attacks, which occurred on September 11th 2001. The following paragraphs outline the individual criteria and period of eligibility set forth by the DOT for all 9-11 Awards. Approval authority for the 9-11 Medal and Ribbon has been delegated to the Area Commanders.

A. Guardian Medal.

1. Eligibility Requirements. Awarded to senior government transportation officials who, through visionary leadership, have re-directed the focus and resources of their organization, or major entities within their organization, and had a profound impact in their field, federal government or on the general public in providing for the protection and security of the United States and its citizens. To justify this decoration, nominations must demonstrate exceptional performance of duty while in a position of great responsibility, clearly above that normally expected, which has contributed materially to the betterment of the United States.

2. Submission Requirements. The Secretary of Transportation presents this award to those persons in national level positions of great responsibility. If consideration is being given for a nomination, contact Ms. Phyllis Dula in G-WPM-1 at (202) 267-2249 to discuss specific requirements.

B. Transportation 9-11 Medal.

1. Eligibility Requirements. Awarded to employees of the Department of Transportation and private citizens for meritorious service resulting from unusual and outstanding achievement in response to the attacks on September 11, 2001. The award may be made posthumously and the decoration, certification and citation presented to the next of kin with appropriate ceremony. Specifically this award is authorized for the following personnel:

a. Employees of the DOT who were on scene at the World Trade Center Complex in New York, the crash site in Pennsylvania, or at the Pentagon on September 11, 2001 and performed a role in the initial rescue and recovery operations.

b. All personnel directly involved in the evacuation of lower Manhattan to include DOT employees, masters and crews of commercial vessels, and masters and crews of recreational boats that actually transported evacuees during the evacuation on September 11, 2001. The level of effort must clearly set the member above that described in the 9/11 Ribbon.

c. Personnel that demonstrated extraordinary participation or leadership while patrolling harbors, securing critical infrastructure facilities, escorting high interest vessels, and conducting boardings of vessels entering U. S. waters during the period of September 11, 2001 to September 11, 2002. The level of effort must clearly set the member above that described in the 9/11 Ribbon.

d. Employees of the DOT who demonstrated extraordinary dedication or leadership between September 11, 2001 and September 11, 2002. Participation must have been at an exceptional level to warrant consideration for the awarding of the 9/11 Medal. The level of effort must clearly set the member well above that described in the 9/11 Ribbon.

2. Submission Requirements. Commanding Officers of Coast Guard units shall forward a complete list of names for those individuals eligible, and summary of action for each person (no more than one page), via the chain of command to Area Commanders. In the event that actions of a group of individuals were very similar in nature, and can easily be described in a single page, commands may group these names together and attach them to a single summary of action for submission.

3. The citation for the 9-11 Medal follows:

The Secretary of Transportation takes pleasure in presenting the

Transportation 9-11 Medal for services set forth in the following:

CITATION:

"For meritorious service and sacrifice in the wake of the horrific terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center in New York City and the Pentagon in Washington, DC. In the hours and days after the attacks, countless humanitarian and heroic acts, as well as extraordinary devotion to duty took place, followed by response, recovery and rebuilding. As a shocked Nation awoke to the new and real threat of terrorism within the borders of the United States, these dedicated professionals rose to the challenge of establishing a dramatically heightened security presence, positively impacting millions of citizens throughout the entire transportation infrastructure. By their sacrifice, professionalism, and esprit de corps, these men and women reflect great credit upon themselves and the United States of America."

NORMAN Y. MINETA

Secretary of Transportation

C. Transportation 9-11 Ribbon (Lapel Pin for Civilians).

1. Eligibility Requirements. Awarded to an individual serving in any capacity within the DOT, Merchant Marines or other civilians, for an act or service that contributed to recovery from the attacks of September 11 2001, force protection following the attacks, or efforts that directly contributed to the increased infrastructure security effort between September 11, 2001 and September 11, 2002. The award may be made posthumously and the decoration, certification and citation presented to the next of kin with appropriate ceremony. Specifically, it may be awarded to the following authorized personnel:

a. Coast Guard units that shifted Operational Control (OPCON) to Operations Enduring Freedom, Noble Eagle, or Protecting Liberty for any amount of time between September 11, 2001 and September 11, 2002.

b. All personnel involved in patrolling harbors, critical infrastructure facilities, escorting high interest vessels, and conducting boardings of vessels entering U. S. waters during the period of September 11, 2001 to September 11, 2002. Participation in these operations must be no less than 14 days.

c. All personnel to include active, reserve, auxiliary, and civilian personnel that manned or augmented for no less than 14 days, Coast Guard, DOT, FEMA and DOD command centers (including Operations Centers at Groups and above, COTP ICS, FEMA Regional Operations Centers and VTS) between September 11, 2001 and September 11, 2002.

2. Submission Requirements. Commanding Officers of eligible Coast Guard units shall submit a complete list of all members who have participated in any of the above events with a brief overall description of the unit's involvement, to Area Commanders via the chain of command.

3. The citation for the 9-11 Ribbon follows:

The Secretary of Transportation takes pleasure in presenting the Transportation 9-11 Ribbon for services set forth in the following:

CITATION:

"For extraordinary service to the citizens of the United States in the wake of the horrific terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center in New York City and the Pentagon in Washington, DC. Quickly rising to the challenges posed by both recovery from the attacks and the need for significantly increased security throughout the many modes of the transportation system, these men and women made their mark in history with acts of dedication and professionalism that had a significant impact on millions of citizens through the entire transportation infrastructure. Virtually overnight, Department of Transportation employees and others augmented command centers, vessel traffic service centers and other important command posts around the country. Security forces were rapidly augmented to reduce the vulnerability of America's airports, harbors, borders and transportation systems. In addition, they contributed to the coordinated distribution of critical relief supplies, emergency personnel and equipment, helping speed the recovery efforts in New York, Pennsylvania, and Washington D.C. Their dedication, pride and professionalism are in keeping with the highest traditions of patriotism and are appreciated by a grateful Nation."

NORMAN Y. MINETA

Secretary of Transportation

Precedence

The following precedence should be followed for the Department of Transportation Guardian Medal, Transportation 9-11 Service Medal, and Transportation 9-11 Ribbon:

For uniformed members of the Coast Guard:

The Guardian Medal will be placed in between the Defense Superior Service Medal and the Legion of Merit.

The Transportation 9-11 Medal will be placed in between the Joint Service Achievement Medal and the Coast Guard Achievement Medal.

The Transportation 9-11 Ribbon will be placed in between the Humanitarian Service Medal and the Special Operations Ribbon.

[Paul R]

Here is my ribbon bar, that illustrates the 9-11 ribbon bar. It is the red white and blue stripped one(Second row from the bottom, center).

[Guest Darrell]

Paul, do you know the answer to Ed's inquiry?

[Guest Darrell]

Gold Life Saving Medal (Gold Plated Version)

Obverse:

[Guest Darrell]

Reverse:

[Guest Darrell]

Silver Life Saving Medal (Silver Plated Version)

Obverse:

[Guest Darrell]

Reverse;

[Paul R]

Paul, do you know the answer to Ed's inquiry?

I am sorry for the delay. I am only now seeing this reply.

I have never seen the 9-11 medal as a decoration worn around the neck. Perhaps it was a prototype consideration?

The only two levels of the 9-11 recognition are the two shown(Medal and ribbon only grades).

[Paul R]

Beautiful Lifesaving medals.

These are very rare awards(by citations anyway). I have only seen one of each.

I was at an award ceremony for a civilian fisherman in Alaska who received the Gold version. He basically jumped into the water and rescued several people from a sinking vessel. Very heroic as hypothermia sets in about 4 mins in that area. Even with a float suit, the effects of the cold are delayed for a short while.

I met a Coast Guard member who was wearing the silver medal on his ribbon bar while I was at "A" school(learning to be a Corpsman) 14 years ago.

[Guest Darrell]

Beautiful Lifesaving medals.

These are very rare awards(by citations anyway). I have only seen one of each.

I was at an award ceremony for a civilian fisherman in Alaska who received the Gold version. He basically jumped into the water and rescued several people from a sinking vessel. Very heroic as hypothermia sets in about 4 mins in that area. Even with a float suit, the effects of the cold are delayed for a short while.

I met a Coast Guard member who was wearing the silver medal on his ribbon bar while I was at "A" school(learning to be a Corpsman) 14 years ago.

Remember that Airliner that crashed in Washington DC in 1982'ish? There were some civilians who risked jumping into that ice covered river to rescue some of the survivors. Would that be classified as a possible award of one of these ... or was it confined to SEA rescue?

[pmargulies]

Remember that Airliner that crashed in Washington DC in 1982'ish? There were some civilians who risked jumping into that ice covered river to rescue some of the survivors. Would that be classified as a possible award of one of these ... or was it confined to SEA rescue?

Darrell called it right on The Guardian Medal...It was awarded to several high ranking personnel, though I don't know who at present.

I am in the USCGR...in that time I have seen two-three Coasties (in passing) with the Silver Lifesaving Medal - never a Gold. I attended ROCI (OCS for reservists) in 1998 and one of our instructors had the Silver Lifesaving Medal - LT L.A. Rocks. He was awarded the medal for saving several people from a train that derailed into a bay, large creek, river or something to that effect. He was a passenger on the train. You can go to www.uscg.mil and if you play around enough you can go to a link that gives all of the names of the winners of the lifesaving medals.

The Airliner that crashed would qualify for a person for a lifesaving medal. ONe reason that not too many Coasties have the lifesaving medal is that they tend to be awarded The Coast Guard Medal vice a lifesaving medal - there is somehting in the regulations to that effect, but again, I am not totally sure about it.

[Guest Darrell]

The Airliner that crashed would qualify for a person for a lifesaving medal. ONe reason that not too many Coasties have the lifesaving medal is that they tend to be awarded The Coast Guard Medal vice a lifesaving medal - there is somehting in the regulations to that effect, but again, I am not totally sure about it.

Maybe I'll do a search to see what I come up with. Thanks.

[Guest Darrell]

SUBNOTE ON INCIDENT*

Air Florida Flight 90 was an Air Florida flight of a Boeing 737-222 airliner that crashed into the 14th Street Bridge across the Potomac River near Washington, D.C. on January 13, 1982 immediately after takeoff in a severe snowstorm. The accident claimed the lives of 78 people, including four in cars on the 14th Street Bridge. However, a few survivors from the shattered aircraft were rescued from the icy river by a combination of heroic efforts of civilians and professionals. Some of that heroism was commended during President Ronald Reagan's State of the Union speech a few days later. The National Transportation Safety Board determined that the cause of the accident was aircraft icing and the failure of the pilots to use all of their anti-icing equipment or abort the takeoff.

There were 74 passengers (including 3 infants) and 5 crew members on board. All but 5 of the occupants of the plane died. The aircraft struck the bridge which carries Interstate Highway 395 between Washington, D.C., and Arlington, Virginia. It crushed 7 occupied vehicles on the 14th Street Bridge, killing 4 people, and took out 20 feet of guard rail, before it plunged through the ice into the Potomac River. A total of 78 persons died in what was the worst air disaster in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area until the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. The crash occurred less than two miles from the White House and within view of both the Jefferson Memorial and The Pentagon.

Record cold weather conditions

During the second week of January 1982, one of the worst periods of exceptionally cold weather in history had struck the east coast of the United States. Atlanta, Georgia recorded freezing temperatures, and the citrus crop in Florida was considered to be at risk. Around the nation's capital, for several days, freezing temperatures had brought vehicles to a standstill and interfered with daily activities.

On January 13, at Washington National Airport (DCA), which is located in Arlington, Virginia, immediately across the Potomac River from Washington, D.C., the airport had opened at noon under marginal conditions. The crew of Air Florida Flight 90 had left Miami at 11:00 a.m. EST, and arrived at about 1:45 p.m. EST.

That afternoon, they were to return south to Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL), Fort Lauderdale, Florida, with an intermediate stop at Tampa International Airport (TPA), Tampa, Florida. The scheduled departure time was delayed about 1 hour 45 minutes due to a moderate to heavy snowfall, which necessitated the temporary closing of the airport.

Delays, poor decisions, crash

The aircraft was de-iced, by spraying the wings with an antifreeze-type chemical mixture, but the plane had trouble leaving the gate when the ground services tow motor couldn't get traction on the ice. For a period of close to five minutes, the crew elected to use the reverse thrust of the 737's JT8D engines, ingesting ice and failing to move the aircraft. Cooler heads prevailed, and a tug properly equipped with snow chains was used to push the aircraft back from the gate. After finally leaving the departure gate, the Boeing 737-222 aircraft waited on a taxiway 49 minutes in line with other aircraft for clearance to use the congested airport's only instrument-rated runway, which requires a treacherous flight path north following the river, and winding between restricted airspace and obstacles such as the Washington Monument and The Pentagon.

Air Florida N62AF Boeing 737-222 photographed at Miami, Florida.The pilot apparently decided not to return to the gate for reapplication of de-icing, fearing the flight's departure would be even further delayed, and chose to continue waiting to takeoff. Then, with snow and ice on the airfoil surfaces of the aircraft, the aircraft attempted to take off on the main (and only open) runway in heavy snow at 3:59 p.m. EST. Even though it was freezing and snowing, the crew did not activate the anti-ice systems. Analysis (confirmed by the FBI) of the flight voice recorder (black box) tape determined that during the departure checklist, the copilot announced, and the pilot confirmed, that the plane's own anti-icing system was turned off. This system uses heat from the engines to prevent sensors from freezing and providing inaccurate readings.

During the plane's taxiing, the cockpit voice recorder picked up this conversation between the pilot and co-pilot, in which they discussed the icing situation.

? Co-pilot: "It's a losing battle, trying to de-ice these things. It gives you a false feeling of security, that's all it does."

Pilot: "Well, it satisfies the Feds (government regulators)."

?

Adding to the plane's troubles was the pilot and co-pilot's decision to maneuver closely behind a DC-9 that was taxiing just ahead of the Air Florida aircraft prior to takeoff in order that the warmth from the DC-9's engines would melt snow and ice accumulated on Flight 90's wings. This action - which went specifically against flight manual recommendations for an icing situation - actually contributed to additional icing on the accident aircraft.

Unfortunately, neither pilot nor co-pilot had much experience flying in snowy, cold weather. And the pilot, Larry Wheaton, had failed a flight simulator test the previous year, with one of his instructors citing Wheaton's unfamiliarity with flight rules and regulations. He took a repeat test soon after and passed.

As it turned out, the failure to operate the plane's anti-icing system caused exactly what could be expected to happen: the Engine Pressure Ratio (EPR) thrust indicators provided false high readings - when the pilots thought they had throttled up to the correct take-off EPR of 2.04, the actual EPR was only 1.70. The aircraft traveled almost 1/2 mile (800 m) further down the runway than is customary before liftoff was accomplished. Survivors of the crash indicated the trip over the runway was extremely rough, one of whom admitted he feared that they would not get airborne and would "fall off the end of the runway."

As the plane headed down the runway, the co-pilot noted several times to the pilot that the readings he was seeing on the instrument panel didn't seem to reflect reality (he was referring to the fact that the plane didn't seem to have developed as much power as it needed for takeoff, despite the controls saying otherwise.) The pilot waved off the co-pilot's concerns, and let the take-off proceed. Investigators later determined that there was plenty of time and space on the runway for the pilot to have aborted the take-off, and criticized his refusal to listen to his co-pilot, who was correct that the instrument panel readings were wrong.

As the plane became briefly airborne, the flight-recorder picked up these words from the cockpit:

? Pilot: "Forward, forward. Easy. We only want 500 (feet per minute)."

Pilot: "Come on - forward. Just barely climb."

Pilot: "Stalling, we're falling!"

Co-Pilot: "Larry, we're going down Larry!"

Pilot: "I know it!"

(Sound of impact, end of tape.)

?

Although the aircraft did manage to become airborne, it attained a maximum altitude of just 337 feet before it began losing altitude. Recorders later indicated that the aircraft was airborne for just 30 seconds. At 4:01 p.m. EST it crashed into the 14th Street Bridge across the Potomac River, 0.75 nautical miles (1400 m) from the end of the runway.

It hit six cars and a truck on the bridge, and tore away 20 feet of guard rail. The wrecked aircraft then plunged into the freezing Potomac River. All but the tail section quickly became submerged.

As a result of injuries received during the crash, 4 of the 5 crew members including both pilots, and 69 of the 74 passengers perished, leaving only 6 survivors in the freezing water out of the 79 who had been aboard the aircraft. There were also four fatalities among the motorists on the bridge, with four others on the bridge injured. Most of the passengers were killed by the forces involved in the impact, not by drowning.

Clinging to the tail section of the broken airliner with 5 passengers in the ice-choked Potomac River, flight attendant Kelly Duncan inflated the only flotation device they could find, and passed it to one of the more-injured passengers, Nikki Felch.

Hampered response, unlikely heroes

The blizzard conditions had happened fairly suddenly on this day, and many Federal Government offices in downtown Washington had just been closed early. Thus, there was a massive backup of traffic on almost all of the city's roads, making it almost impossible for ambulances to reach the crash site. The United States Coast Guard's Capstan (WYTL 65601) a 65-foot harbor tugboat and its crew based nearby whose duties include ice breaking and responding to such a water rescue were some considerable distance away downriver on another search-and-rescue mission. Emergency ground response was greatly hampered by ice covered roads and gridlocked traffic. Ambulances attempting to reach the scene were even driven down the sidewalk in front of the White House. Rescuers who did reach the site stood and watched in horror, as they had no adequate equipment to reach the survivors, and the below-freezing waters and heavy ice made swimming out to them all but impossible. Multiple attempts to try to throw a makeshift lifeline - made out of belts and any other things available that could be tied together - out to the survivors proved ineffectual.

One man, Roger Olian, a sheet-metal foreman at St Elizabeth's, a Washington hospital for the mentally ill, was on his way home across the 14th Street bridge in his truck when he heard a man yelling that there was an aircraft in the water. He was the first to jump into the water to attempt to contact the survivors. Other motorists and civilian bystanders made a makeshift rope of battery cables, scarves, and anything else they could find to keep Olian from drowning. He remained in the water for about twenty minutes until a United States Park Service Police helicopter arrived, whereupon he was reeled back to shore by the others, while the helicopter crew focused on the crash survivors clinging to the tail section of the plane.

The only rescue helicopter arrives

News cameramen watched helplessly from the bridge, being only able to record the disaster for the rest of the world to see. Suddenly hope arrived in the form of a park police helicopter, trailing a lifeline reaching to the outstretched arms of the victims in the water below. The pilot apparently had to navigate by following the freeway out to the Potomac River from the small windows on the bottom of the copter as air visibility was zero at the time. Further compounding the problem was that the disaster location - or exactly what was the disaster - was unknown, as flight controllers were only aware that the plane had disappeared from the runway and did not respond to radio calls, but had no idea what had happened or where the plane was.

At approximately 4:20 p.m. EST, Eagle 1, a United States Park Police Bell 206L-1 Long Ranger helicopter, N2PP, based at the "Eagles Nest" at Anacostia Park in Washington, D.C. and manned by pilot Donald W. Usher and paramedic Melvin E. (Gene) Windsor arrived and began attempting to assist the survivors to shore. At great risk to themselves, the crew worked close to the river surface, at one time coming so close to the ice-clogged river that the helicopter's skids went beneath the surface of the water.

The helicopter crew lowered a line to survivors to tow them to shore. First to receive the line, Bert Hamilton, who was treading water about ten feet from the floating tail, took the single lifeline dangling beneath the chopper and passed it under his arms. The others watched while the helicopter carried him a hundred yards to the Virginia shore and returned. The helicopter returned to the location of the aircraft's tail, and this time a survivor sometimes referred to as "the sixth passenger" (later identified as Arland D. Williams Jr.) caught the line. Instead of wrapping it around himself, however, he passed it to flight attendant Kelly Duncan. On its third trip back to the wreckage, the helicopter trailed two lifelines, for its crew knew that survival in the river was now only a matter of minutes. One of the lines was aimed at "the sixth passenger." He caught it again, and again passed it on, this time to Joe Stiley, the most severely injured survivor. Stiley slipped the line around his waist and grabbed Priscilla Tirado, who, having lost her husband and baby, was in complete hysteria. Patricia Felch took the second line, and the helicopter pulled away. Before it reached the shore, however, both Priscilla Tirado and Patricia Felch lost their grip and fell back into the water.

United States Coast Guard Capstan was too far away on another search-and-rescue mission downriver to assist the 6 initial survivors of Air Florida Flight 90 which crashed into the 14th St Bridge and then the ice-choked Potomac River on January 13, 1982. Capstan is seen here with another smaller Coast Guard boat helping with recovery of bodies and salvage operations.By then one of these passengers, Priscilla Tirado, was too weak to grab the line. A watching bystander, Congressional Budget office assistant Lenny Skutnik, stripped off his coat and boots, and in short sleeves, dove into the icy water, and swam out to assist her. The helicopter then proceeded to where Patricia Felch had fallen, and paramedic Gene Windsor dropped from the safety of the helicopter into the water to attach a line to her. By the time the helicopter crew could return for the sixth passenger, the last survivor, both he and the plane's tail section had disappeared beneath the icy surface. He had been in the paralyzing cold for twenty-nine minutes. His body and those of the other occupants were later recovered. According to the coroner, this man, who had passed the lifeline to others, was the only plane passenger to die by drowning.

Even as the response of emergency crews to the scene was frustrated on the traffic on surface streets, a half hour after the plane crashed, the Washington Metro suffered its first fatal subway crash, which meant that the busiest airport, busiest highway and busiest subway line were all closed simultaneously, paralyzing the Washington, D.C. area. (See "Unusual Coincidence" below.)

[edit] Responses in the media

News media outlets followed the story with diligence. Notably, The Washington Post published a story about the unidentified survivor of the impact (the "sixth passenger") who handed the lifeline to others and apparently drowned before he could be rescued himself.

? "He was about 50 years old, one of half a dozen survivors clinging to twisted wreckage bobbing in the icy Potomac when the first helicopter arrived. To the copter's two-man Park Police crew he seemed the most alert. Life vests were dropped, then a flotation ball. The man passed them to the others. On two occasions, the crew recalled last night, he handed away a life line from the hovering machine that could have dragged him to safety. The helicopter crew - who rescued five people, the only persons who survived from the jetliner - lifted a woman to the riverbank, then dragged three more persons across the ice to safety. Then the life line saved a woman who was trying to swim away from the sinking wreckage, and the helicopter pilot, Donald W. Usher, returned to the scene, but the man was gone," [1] ?

One day after the crash, shock jock Howard Stern called Air Florida during his radio show on WWDC-FM and asked if the flight to the 14th Street Bridge was going to be a regular stop.

NTSB conclusion

The National Transportation Safety Board determined that the probable cause of this accident was pilot error stating that "the flight crew?s failure to use engine anti-ice during ground operation and takeoff, their decision to take off with snow/ice on the airfoil surfaces of the aircraft, and the captain?s failure to reject the takeoff during the early stage when his attention was called to anomalous engine instrument readings.

"Contributing to the accident were the prolonged ground delay between de-icing and the receipt of ATC takeoff clearance during which the aircraft was exposed to continual precipitation, the known inherent pitchup characteristics of the B-737 aircraft when the leading edge is contaminated with even small amounts of snow or ice, and the limited experience of the flight crew in jet transport winter operations."

The aircraft, N62AF, was first delivered to United Airlines in 1969 as N9050U Boeing serial #19556 and was the 130th aircraft off the 737 line.

Honoring heroism

The "sixth passenger", who had survived the crash and had repeatedly given up the rescue lines to other survivors before drowning, was later identified as 46-year-old bank examiner Arland D. Williams Jr. The repaired span of the 14th Street Bridge complex over the Potomac River at the crash site, which had been officially named the "Rochambeau Bridge", was renamed the "Arland D. Williams Jr. Memorial Bridge" in his honor. The Citadel in South Carolina, from which he graduated in 1957, has several memorials to him. In 2003, the new Arland D. Williams Jr. Elementary School was dedicated in his hometown of Mattoon in Coles County, Illinois.

Civilians Roger Olian and Lenny Skutnik received the United States Coast Guard's Gold Lifesaving Medal. Arland D. Williams also received the award posthumously. Skutnik was introduced to the joint session of the U.S. Congress during President Ronald Reagan's State of the Union speech later that month. President Reagan also personally contacted and privately thanked Roger Olian.

The two crewmen of the U.S. Park Police helicopter Eagle 1 were awarded the United States Coast Guard's Silver Lifesaving Medal. The U.S. Park Service is part of the United States Department of the Interior. Pilot Donald W. Usher and paramedic Melvin E. Windsor also received the Department of the Interior's Valor Award from Secretary of the Interior James G. Watt in a special ceremony soon afterward. Usher is now Superintendent of the U.S. Park Police Training Academy in Brunswick, Georgia.

Roger Olian, Lennie Skutnik, Donald Usher, and Melvin Windsor each received the Carnegie Hero Fund Medal.

[Craig]

Thanks for that post Darrell very brave men.

We had a show in the UK about 10 years ago called "Black Box" which featured different types of air crashes Mechanical failure, Pilot error, terroisim etc. On board the Air Florida flight was a qualified pilot for this type of aircraft. As they started the take off he could tell that ice from the wings was being sucked into engines and they would freeze. He thought the pilot would abort but when they passed the point of no return he told the woman passenger sitting next to him to take up the crash position saving there lives.

I have also heard though I don't know if its an urban myth or not that one of the rescuers took his life years later due to depression brought on by the accident. I don't know if anyone has heard this?

[Guest Darrell]

Thanks for that post Darrell very brave men.

We had a show in the UK about 10 years ago called "Black Box" which featured different types of air crashes Mechanical failure, Pilot error, terroisim etc. On board the Air Florida flight was a qualified pilot for this type of aircraft. As they started the take off he could tell that ice from the wings was being sucked into engines and they would freeze. He thought the pilot would abort but when they passed the point of no return he told the woman passenger sitting next to him to take up the crash position saving there lives.

I have also heard though I don't know if its an urban myth or not that one of the rescuers took his life years later due to depression brought on by the accident. I don't know if anyone has heard this?

I never heard the fate of these guys and if the story is true. But I can remember vividly the rescue attempts that were televised back then. Harrowing experience and must have been terrifying for the few that did survive.

[Guest Darrell]

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION - Medal for Valor

[Guest Darrell]

Reverse:

[Guest Darrell]

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION - Outstanding Achievement Medal

Obverse:

[Guest Darrell]

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