Reagan National Airport isn't like any other travel hub. After flying in and out of Washington, D.C.
, for decades, I know it inside and out. I've spent countless hours navigating its terminals, watching the steady flow of flights, while never tiring of one of the most breathtaking approaches in aviation. The final descent into Reagan is like no other, sweeping past the Washington Monument, the US Capitol, and the Lincoln Memorial before touching down just yards from the Potomac River.
Despite the dark, frigid night sky, those on board American Airlines flight 5342 would, too, have been looking out the window, oblivious to the pending disaster . Reagan Airport is an iconic gateway into the heart of America's capital, a place where history and modern aviation meet in dramatic fashion. Having been near the airport just last week, I can't help but think about the conditions I saw and how they must have contributed to this tragic event.
The Potomac River, which runs alongside the airport, was frozen solid. Blocks of ice stretched as far as the eye could see, a chilling reminder of just how unforgiving winter can be. It is difficult to imagine how anyone in that Bombardier CRJ700 plane would have survived the ice-covered waters.
Not only was the impact catastrophic, but the fall into the river alone is life-threatening in itself. The sight was eerily similar to the conditions during the 1982 Air Florida Flight 90 disaster, when a plane crashed into the frozen Potomac, and only a ha.
