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The Worst Day: A Plane Crash, A Train Wreck, and Remarkable Acts of Heroism in Washington, DC
A REAL-LIFE DISASTER A minute-by-minute account of 2 simultaneous catastrophes during a 1982 blizzard—and the extraordinary courage of civilians and first responders
For fans of Deep Survival and Adam Higginbotham’s Midnight in Chernobyl and A True Story of Heroism and Disaster on the Edge of Space
Dedicated to first responders and every person who steps up to act when it matters…
More than 40 years before a Black Hawk helicopter collided mid-air with American Airlines Flight 5342 over the Potomac River, a desperate race against time took place nearby in overwhelming conditions.
Washington, DC, was in the grips of a historic snowstorm on January 13, 1982 that gridlocked the city when Air Florida 90 crashes into a bridge jammed with traffic and plunges into the iced-over Potomac River.
6 people survive the crash, clinging to wreckage in the icy river as a Park Police helicopter risks a daring rescue in nearly whiteout conditions. As the rescue is taking place, DC’s Metro system suffers its first fatal derailment nearby, with dozens injured.
In this page-turning drama, journalist and former firefighter/EMT Bruce Goldfarb recreates the harrowing struggles for survival and acts of incredible courage. Told through the eyes of survivors, firefighters, police, and bystanders, many of whom have never before shared their stories, Goldfarb explores the day’s impact on these participants as well as on the resulting aviation and transit safety measures that have protected us over the decades.
For fans of Deep Survival and Adam Higginbotham’s Midnight in Chernobyl and A True Story of Heroism and Disaster on the Edge of Space
Dedicated to first responders and every person who steps up to act when it matters…
More than 40 years before a Black Hawk helicopter collided mid-air with American Airlines Flight 5342 over the Potomac River, a desperate race against time took place nearby in overwhelming conditions.
Washington, DC, was in the grips of a historic snowstorm on January 13, 1982 that gridlocked the city when Air Florida 90 crashes into a bridge jammed with traffic and plunges into the iced-over Potomac River.
6 people survive the crash, clinging to wreckage in the icy river as a Park Police helicopter risks a daring rescue in nearly whiteout conditions. As the rescue is taking place, DC’s Metro system suffers its first fatal derailment nearby, with dozens injured.
In this page-turning drama, journalist and former firefighter/EMT Bruce Goldfarb recreates the harrowing struggles for survival and acts of incredible courage. Told through the eyes of survivors, firefighters, police, and bystanders, many of whom have never before shared their stories, Goldfarb explores the day’s impact on these participants as well as on the resulting aviation and transit safety measures that have protected us over the decades.
233 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 9, 2025
3 people are currently reading
62 people want to read
About the author
Bruce Goldfarb
8 books35 followersBruce Goldfarb has contributed to Baltimore magazine, Maryland magazine, Washington Post, USA Today, American Health, American Archaeology, and many other publications. He has written or edited seven medical reference book and textbooks, and publishes welcometobaltimorehon.com. Goldfarb's first work of popular nonfiction, 18 TINY DEATHS; THE UNTOLD STORY OF FRANCES GLESSNER LEE AND THE INVENTION OF MODERN FORENSICS will be published by Sourcebooks in February, 2020.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
October 10, 2025
Publication date: December 2, 2025
I usually give 5 stars to exceptional books: a thorough historical research that took years to complete, a book that left me speechless with its emotional impact, or a classical work I want to return to again and again. THE WORST DAY: A PLANE CRASH, A TRAIN WRECK, AND REMARKABLE ACTS OF HEROISM IN WASHINGTON, DC by Bruce Goldfarb isn’t exceptional. But... but I wanted to be captivated, entertained, and feel a chill run down my spine. I didn’t wait for something breath-takingly literary. Additionally, I watched all episodes of ‘Seconds Before Disaster’ multiple times. The book met my expectations, and that is why it received my five stars.
THE WORST DAY reads as a long newspaper article, with the author’s intent to enthral by the scope of the events. A plane crash that resulted in the deaths of both the plane’s passengers and people on the ground is a tragedy in itself; a derailment of a metro train illuminates the fragility of your lives. As always, the question of fate starts to haunt the survivors: why me? in what way was I special? The book also emphasizes weak places in the safety net. We assume the first responders have an answer to every challenge, yet there are loopholes, multiplied by the human factor, in inter-departmental and inter-state cooperation. Many of them were addressed after that tragic day in January 1982; others still remain unresolved.
The author clearly knows his craft. With a wave of a magic wand, aka by his words, the wizard makes readers jump on the edge of their seats or deeply sympathize with the heroes. The story of Priscilla Tirado left me wet-eyed. She has never recovered from the loss of her husband and a nine-week-old son. Though she physically survived, she lost her soul in the plane crash, and there has been nothing magical in her life afterwards.
I wished there would be more of the train disaster, so that it didn’t look like a filler.
I received an advanced review copy through Netgalley, and I’m leaving my review voluntarily.
I usually give 5 stars to exceptional books: a thorough historical research that took years to complete, a book that left me speechless with its emotional impact, or a classical work I want to return to again and again. THE WORST DAY: A PLANE CRASH, A TRAIN WRECK, AND REMARKABLE ACTS OF HEROISM IN WASHINGTON, DC by Bruce Goldfarb isn’t exceptional. But... but I wanted to be captivated, entertained, and feel a chill run down my spine. I didn’t wait for something breath-takingly literary. Additionally, I watched all episodes of ‘Seconds Before Disaster’ multiple times. The book met my expectations, and that is why it received my five stars.
THE WORST DAY reads as a long newspaper article, with the author’s intent to enthral by the scope of the events. A plane crash that resulted in the deaths of both the plane’s passengers and people on the ground is a tragedy in itself; a derailment of a metro train illuminates the fragility of your lives. As always, the question of fate starts to haunt the survivors: why me? in what way was I special? The book also emphasizes weak places in the safety net. We assume the first responders have an answer to every challenge, yet there are loopholes, multiplied by the human factor, in inter-departmental and inter-state cooperation. Many of them were addressed after that tragic day in January 1982; others still remain unresolved.
The author clearly knows his craft. With a wave of a magic wand, aka by his words, the wizard makes readers jump on the edge of their seats or deeply sympathize with the heroes. The story of Priscilla Tirado left me wet-eyed. She has never recovered from the loss of her husband and a nine-week-old son. Though she physically survived, she lost her soul in the plane crash, and there has been nothing magical in her life afterwards.
I wished there would be more of the train disaster, so that it didn’t look like a filler.
I received an advanced review copy through Netgalley, and I’m leaving my review voluntarily.
September 10, 2025
The Worst Day by Bruce Goldfarb is a fast-paced look at the crash of Air Florida Flight 90 in Washington DC in January 1982, along with a Metrorail derailment on the same day in DC that was long overshadowed by the Air Florida crash. Most will not remember the Metrorail incident and Goldfarb brings it to light in this short but informative read. The writing is crisp. The author does a good job recounting the lessons learned from both incidents. A solid read. Thank you to #netgalley and #steerforth for the opportunity to preview this book.
January 16, 2026
The Worst Day by Bruce Goldfarb reads like a real-life disaster movie brought to the page. In fact, Goldfarb openly notes that the events could easily serve as the backbone for a fictional blockbuster, and it’s hard to disagree once you’re into the story. The tension is constant, the stakes are high, and the human element never gets lost amid the chaos.
In one sentence, the book recounts how a chain of unfolding emergencies converged into a single, overwhelming day of crisis that tested first responders, systems, and leadership to their limits. That clear focus keeps the narrative grounded even as the scope grows larger and more intense.
Goldfarb’s greatest strength is how smoothly he moves the reader from one major event to the next. Each section builds naturally on what came before, creating momentum without feeling rushed or confusing. You always know where you are in the timeline and why the next development matters.
The book is relatively brief, but it tells exactly as much of the story as needed. There’s no sense of padding or unnecessary detours. The author keeps the narrative tight, letting the facts, decisions, and consequences speak for themselves. It makes the book easy to read in long sittings while still feeling substantial.
What also works well is the balance between technical detail and human experience. You get enough operational insight to understand how things unfolded, but the story never becomes dry or overly procedural. The people involved, their reactions, and the pressure they faced stay front and center.
Overall, The Worst Day is a gripping piece of narrative nonfiction that delivers suspense, clarity, and strong storytelling in a compact package. It’s informative without being heavy, dramatic without being exaggerated, and engaging from start to finish. If you enjoy real-world stories that unfold with the pace and tension of a thriller, this one is well worth your time.
In one sentence, the book recounts how a chain of unfolding emergencies converged into a single, overwhelming day of crisis that tested first responders, systems, and leadership to their limits. That clear focus keeps the narrative grounded even as the scope grows larger and more intense.
Goldfarb’s greatest strength is how smoothly he moves the reader from one major event to the next. Each section builds naturally on what came before, creating momentum without feeling rushed or confusing. You always know where you are in the timeline and why the next development matters.
The book is relatively brief, but it tells exactly as much of the story as needed. There’s no sense of padding or unnecessary detours. The author keeps the narrative tight, letting the facts, decisions, and consequences speak for themselves. It makes the book easy to read in long sittings while still feeling substantial.
What also works well is the balance between technical detail and human experience. You get enough operational insight to understand how things unfolded, but the story never becomes dry or overly procedural. The people involved, their reactions, and the pressure they faced stay front and center.
Overall, The Worst Day is a gripping piece of narrative nonfiction that delivers suspense, clarity, and strong storytelling in a compact package. It’s informative without being heavy, dramatic without being exaggerated, and engaging from start to finish. If you enjoy real-world stories that unfold with the pace and tension of a thriller, this one is well worth your time.
September 26, 2025
Interesting read.
Full revierw at http://robbiesramblings.com/reviews/a...
Full revierw at http://robbiesramblings.com/reviews/a...
November 29, 2025
Author Bruce Goldfarb provides an incredibly in-depth view of the tragic Air Florida 90 plane crash in 1982, with perspectives of not only survivors but also the heroic individuals who literally flew into the face of danger for the sake of helping strangers. I do wish Goldfarb had included more information about the train wreck -- his coverage is less than a third of the book and we don't hear much about the people involved -- but I did appreciate how much detail Goldfarb includes to help readers understand the issues of miscommunication and unpreparedness that contributed to both awful tragedies. It still blows my mind that, with all of the emergency response teams and law enforcement in the D.C. area, not one practiced for a cold/snow weather catastrophe before January 1982.
Goldfarb also doesn't shy away from the horrific details, dousing readers into the freezing cold water the survivors faced and bringing the tension of the daring rescue from two superhuman-like helicopter pilots who managed to beat the odds stacked against them and bring five people home to their families. I couldn't help but stare at the pictures and cry along with the loss of innocent lives. There were some larger tangents about safety protocols and communication programs that could've been edited to be shorter, and again, I felt the train wreck didn't get the same attention the plane crash did in Goldfarb's writing, but as a whole this was a captivating read examining how difficult it can be to coordinate rescue efforts while also restoring the faith in humanity through the stories of the brave few who helped rescue those in need.
**Thank you, NetGalley and publishers, for a DRC in exchange for an honest review.**
Goldfarb also doesn't shy away from the horrific details, dousing readers into the freezing cold water the survivors faced and bringing the tension of the daring rescue from two superhuman-like helicopter pilots who managed to beat the odds stacked against them and bring five people home to their families. I couldn't help but stare at the pictures and cry along with the loss of innocent lives. There were some larger tangents about safety protocols and communication programs that could've been edited to be shorter, and again, I felt the train wreck didn't get the same attention the plane crash did in Goldfarb's writing, but as a whole this was a captivating read examining how difficult it can be to coordinate rescue efforts while also restoring the faith in humanity through the stories of the brave few who helped rescue those in need.
**Thank you, NetGalley and publishers, for a DRC in exchange for an honest review.**
December 10, 2025
On 13th Jan 1982 Washington, DC, was already in the midst of a snowstorm that was gridlocking the city when two devastating accidents occur. First, flight Air Florida 90 hits a road bridge jammed with traffic before crashing into the iced-over Potomac River. The few survivors are at high risk in the freezing waters as first responders, including a Park Police helicopter, try to rescue them in the worsening weather conditions. Then a packed DC Metro car derails & the injured are left in darkness with no idea what has happened.
I can't believe that I have never heard of these incidents before. Whilst reading I had to keep reminding myself that this was real life & not a film as events read like they could have been scripted - not one but two major accidents in the same city on the same day. It also brings home just how inadequate & uncoordinated rescue plans were back then, & I was glad to see the book also covered the subsequent updating of disaster procedures & the changes to safety protocols which are in use today.
It was well-researched & written in a factual style whilst showing sensitivity to those involved. If I have a criticism, it's that the Metro crash wasn't covered in as much detail as the plane crash, & so it felt a bit uneven in that respect. All in all though it was an informative read & I've added more of the author's books to my TBR list.
My thanks to NetGalley & publishers, Steerforth & Pushkin, for the opportunity to read an ARC.
I can't believe that I have never heard of these incidents before. Whilst reading I had to keep reminding myself that this was real life & not a film as events read like they could have been scripted - not one but two major accidents in the same city on the same day. It also brings home just how inadequate & uncoordinated rescue plans were back then, & I was glad to see the book also covered the subsequent updating of disaster procedures & the changes to safety protocols which are in use today.
It was well-researched & written in a factual style whilst showing sensitivity to those involved. If I have a criticism, it's that the Metro crash wasn't covered in as much detail as the plane crash, & so it felt a bit uneven in that respect. All in all though it was an informative read & I've added more of the author's books to my TBR list.
My thanks to NetGalley & publishers, Steerforth & Pushkin, for the opportunity to read an ARC.
November 23, 2025
Thank you to NetGalley, the author and publisher for an ARC of The Worst Day.
I don’t very often read non fiction, but this appealed to me as I do enjoy stories of real life disasters and the investigations that follow. The first few pages setting the scene were essential to later on in the story, and needed to be paid attention to, as there is some explanations of the different organisations who would later be involved in the rescue and recovery.
The main focus is definitely on the plane crash, with the train derailment referred to less. The pace of the writing is fast and I felt myself being carried along and wanting to know what happens, as I didn’t remember all the details from the programme I watched on the plane crash.
Overall, a good quick read with solid research and tied up well with details of the survivors and also the investigation outcomes.
I don’t very often read non fiction, but this appealed to me as I do enjoy stories of real life disasters and the investigations that follow. The first few pages setting the scene were essential to later on in the story, and needed to be paid attention to, as there is some explanations of the different organisations who would later be involved in the rescue and recovery.
The main focus is definitely on the plane crash, with the train derailment referred to less. The pace of the writing is fast and I felt myself being carried along and wanting to know what happens, as I didn’t remember all the details from the programme I watched on the plane crash.
Overall, a good quick read with solid research and tied up well with details of the survivors and also the investigation outcomes.
January 17, 2026
why the train wreck information if you go into the details of the pilots why not the train conductor? If you want to show negligence not he pilots why not the whole of the FFA? If you want to discuss the dead baby so tiny why not all the bodies. Why the woman wanting attention on the bridge... Perhaps to used to writing magazine articles. Ugh. I almost thought the book was misprinted when they started discussing the metro train.
December 12, 2025
It is crazy that in all the times I have heard of the Potomac plane crash, I never knew about the train derailment.
January 4, 2026
This plane crash is one of the first major news stories I remember. While the book won't win any awards for its prose, I'm glad to have a better understanding of what happened.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews