Even for first responders who routinely encounter traumatic situations, the plane crash outside Reagan National Airport nearly three weeks ago was a devastating experience that took a significant toll, mentally and physically. An Army Black Hawk helicopter collided with an American Airlines flight and crashed into the icy Potomac River, killing 67 people. “This is going to stick with them their entire careers,” said Dave Hoagland, president of the D.C. Firefighters Union Local 36. “This is going to be something they’re going to deal with their whole lives.” The collision was the deadliest plane crash in the U.S. since 2001, when a jet slammed into a New York City neighborhood just after takeoff, killing all 260 people on board and five more on the ground. More details about the Reagan National crash are emerging, including how first responders were exposed to an enormous amount of jet fuel that had pooled in the river.
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