1982 Year in Review

Nick Charles: In January, an Air Florida 737 carrying 71 passengers and five crew members crashed into a bridge while taking off form Washington DC National Airport during a heavy snow storm. Passenger Joe Stiley who survived said he sensed during take off that something was wrong.

Joe Stiley: “I knew we didn't have the take off speed. I am a pilot and I have lot of flights on and I have flown 737s quite a bit. I knew we were out of runway and I knew when we reached that corner, I knew we weren't going to make it.”

Nick Charles: 78 people were killed, including four who were in their cars when the plane struck the bridge before falling into the Potomac river. In New Orleans in July, a Pan Am 727 jet crashed on take off, 153 people died in that crash.

Patrice Secora: The space shuttle Colombia was involved in three flights during 1982, in March, June and November. Bob Horne (ph) covered all three.

Bob Horne: “Flights with the third through fifth in the shuttle program, the third flight in late March and early April proved a lot about the shuttle's usefulness. The fourth flight in late June and early July marked the completion of the shuttle's test phase. Flight 4 also landed on 4th of July in a star-spangled ceremony with President Reagan in attendance, but it was Flight 5 from November 11 through 16, that saw the shuttle hit pay dirt.

Unknown Speaker: “Three, two, one and solid motor ignition and lift off, lift off as the third operational space shuttle mission, with two satellites on board and shuttle has cleared the tower.

Bob Horne: The shuttle was indeed operational, carrying a pair of commercial communication satellites for paying customers for the first time. The satellites were launched flawlessly by Colombia's first four-man crew. There was a disappointment though. The first space walk from the shuttled had to be called off when the $2 million spacesuits to be worn by astronauts Joe Allen and Bill Lenoir developed problems. This is Bob Horne.