AUSTIN, Texas — This week’s mid-air plane collision in Washington D.C. that took the lives of several young figure skaters and their coaches is sadly reminiscent of an airline disaster that occurred in 1961.
That year, a plane crash in Brussels claimed the lives of the U.S. Figure Skating Team, along with several coaches and officials.
On Feb. 15, the team was en route to the World Figure Skating Championships in Prague when their flight, Sabena Flight 548, crashed shortly after takeoff from Brussels Airport.
The aircraft, a Boeing 707, went down in a wooded area near the airport, killing all 72 people on board, including 18 members of the U.S. Figure Skating Team.
The investigation revealed that the crash was caused by pilot error, specifically the failure to properly execute the plane’s takeoff procedures.
Just over 20 years later in 1982, an Air Florida jetliner crashed into the Potomac River after taking off from Washington National Airport (now Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, the intended destination of the plane that collided with the Blackhawk helicopter on Jan. 29).
The Boeing 737, bound for Fort Lauderdale, Fla., was carrying 74 passengers and crew. The crash occurred during a snowstorm, and icy conditions were later determined to have played a significant role in the accident.
The plane’s takeoff was delayed due to snow accumulation on the aircraft, and investigators later found that the wings were not properly de-iced before departure. Shortly after liftoff, the plane began to stall and crashed into the Potomac River, killing 78 people, including four crew members and 74 passengers.
Despite the severe impact, six passengers survived, including two who were rescued by bystanders. The crash later became known for the heroic rescue efforts that followed, as emergency responders and civilians rushed to save survivors in the frigid waters.