ARLINGTON, Va. — After a helicopter and plane collided killing 67 people near Reagan National Airport, CBS 6 spoke with a woman who’s lived in the greater D.C. area her whole life. She said as soon as she heard the news, it reminded her of what happened in 1982.
On Jan.13, 1982, a plane leaving Reagan National headed to Florida crashed into the 14th Street Bridge and the Potomac River.
Jean Mallon said she remembers that day clearly. She was nearly on that flight.
"Normally we flew Air Florida, but we didn’t because we got a cheaper rate on another airline that no longer exists… People’s Express. And we were going to leave the next day," Mallon said.
A familiar feeling of pain and sorrow returned on Wednesday night: 43 years and 16 days later.
“Everybody called was hysterical, the next door neighbors called, she was hysterical, by the time I was through with it, it was just more than I could bear, so all of that came tumbling back with this last night. Just awful," Mallon said.
Mallon says the area is always flooded with air traffic.
“I mean, I’m not an expert but it doesn’t look right," she added.
CBS 6 talked to a source familiar with military flight in the area who said that the busy flight patterns are normal and navigating them is part of military training.
Mallon wonders, though, if it was just a matter of time before something like this happened.
“I mean it’s just an awful, horrible thing that’s happened. And it hurts. It hurts everybody. Your chest hurts because it’s pain that you feel for other people and it shows the empathy that we as Americans have for one another," she said.
The source we spoke with said multiple errors or last minute changes may have led to this crash and changes in altitude by just a matter of feet may have made the difference.
They also said it is feasible that those operating the helicopter may not have seen the plane, because of the aircraft's positioning and the lighting in the area at the time.
CBS 6 is committed to sharing community voices on this important topic. Email your thoughts to the CBS 6 Newsroom.
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