Article Text
Hours after a passenger jet and an Army helicopter plunged into the Potomac River, Potomac Riverkeeper Dean Naujoks set out by boat to help—and found fuel-coated wreckage scattered miles downstream.
American Airlines Flight 5342 from Wichita, Kansas, was approaching Reagan National Airport around 9 p.m. on Jan. 29 when it collided with a southbound Army Black Hawk helicopter. Both aircraft fell into the icy river in 35-degree weather. By about 11:30 p.m., reports indicated that no one had survived.
Naujoks learned of the collision when Potomac Riverkeeper Network Vice President Betsy Nicholas called and told him to turn on the news. He stayed awake that night wondering what he could do.
At sunrise the next morning, he headed to Daingerfield Island Marina, where he keeps his boat within sight of the airport. Alexandria police officers were already there after another boater found aircraft debris and reported it for FBI retrieval.
With FBI permission to search away from the crash site, Naujoks used his knowledge of the Potomac’s outgoing tide and wind conditions to predict where debris might collect. He headed about two miles downstream toward Oxon Cove and Smoot’s Cove near the Woodrow Wilson Bridge.
Both areas are difficult to navigate. Shallow water can leave an inexperienced boater stranded in Oxon Cove, while a rock jetty in Smoot’s Cove can severely damage a propeller.
Wreckage scattered across the coves
Naujoks found debris throughout the area. Among the recovered objects were yellow aircraft foam, a metal handle he believed might have come from an emergency exit, a sweater, sugar packets and pieces of a landing gear manual.
The largest items he collected were a seat and a window. Sealed bags of chips were also floating in the river.
Everything he recovered was coated with jet fuel.
After returning to the marina, Naujoks loaded the material into a cart and contacted Alexandria police, who transferred it to the FBI. Other debris was later reported near National Harbor in Maryland.
Navigating around ice floes while pulling wreckage from the water made for a hectic and frightening day, Naujoks said during a Feb. 19 online talk. He was particularly afraid that he might discover human remains.
On the Sunday following the Wednesday collision, FBI officials contacted him for help reaching Oxon and Smoot’s coves. Naujoks guided them by telephone using visible landmarks along the river.
Fuel exposure raises concerns
Naujoks said the widespread jet fuel presented another troubling dimension to the disaster. WTOP reported that many of the roughly 300 first responders were exposed to the fuel, with some developing rashes or temporarily losing their senses of taste and smell.
Two days after the collision, observers reported a fuel sheen and dead fish near Alexandria’s waterfront, according to Naujoks. He consulted academic experts about the fuel’s chemical makeup and possible exposure risks.
Naujoks believes much of the fuel evaporated into the atmosphere and that some may have later settled on Alexandria rooftops. He hopes a state agency or the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will conduct water testing, though he said the specialized analysis is expensive and beyond his organization’s resources.
The full downstream reach of the spill remains unknown, he said. As a precaution, the Potomac Riverkeeper Network canceled its annual polar bear plunge at National Harbor on the weekend after the crash.
When asked whether Potomac fish were safe to eat, Naujoks recommended following state fish-consumption advisories. He said the fuel’s effect on fish was uncertain, while noting that long-term pollutant exposure is generally more dangerous than a single incident.
Despite the tragedy, Naujoks said he would not advise people to avoid the Potomac. He described his role as witnessing both the river’s beauty and its damage while working to defend it.
The collision triggered a regional response involving about 300 emergency personnel from the District, Virginia and Maryland, including crews from as far away as Baltimore and the Eastern Shore. It was widely described as the deadliest U.S. aviation disaster since 2001.
Anyone who finds suspected wreckage should not touch it. Naujoks advised calling 911 and, when it can be done safely, documenting the location with photographs and GPS coordinates. The Potomac Riverkeeper Network also accepts reports through its hotline at 336-809-6041 and through Water Reporter.