ALEXANDRIA, Va. — Nearly three weeks after an American Airlines plane and U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter collided over Reagan National Airport, first responders are still grappling with its mental and physical toll.
The crash that sent both aircraft into the icy Potomac River and killed 67 people became the deadliest U.S. plane crash since 2001, when a jet crashed into a New York City neighborhood, claiming 265 lives, WTOP reported.
“This is going to stick with them their entire careers,” D.C. Firefighters Local 36 President Dave Hoagland said. “This is going to be something they’re going to deal with their whole lives.”
As more details emerged, first responders revealed the challenges they faced, including prolonged exposure to jet fuel that had spread across the river.
“You know when you’re at a gas station in the summertime, and you see the vapor of the fuel coming off of the gas pump? Just picture that all across the river, just this vapor coming out of the water,” Hoagland said. “Everybody was just coated with jet fuel.”
Some responders experienced rashes and temporary loss of taste and smell due to exposure to jet fuel.
The recovery efforts were made even more challenging by freezing temperatures and icy conditions in the river. Hoagland noted that after hours of work at the crash site, ice had already begun reforming as responders made their way back to shore.
They were navigating all of those conditions and trying to move everything they recovered from the crash site back to shore,” Hoagland said. “We’re talking about the cumulative effects of the trauma, of the horrible scene that they encountered, but also the physical effects.”
The D.C. Fire & EMS Foundation is providing support to help responders process the aftermath of the incident. The impact extends beyond the first responders themselves, affecting their families and the broader community, making comprehensive support essential.
