WASHINGTON (WKBW) — Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz was in Washington, D.C. Wednesday night for a meeting with fellow county executive leaders to discuss issues associated with FEMA.
He spoke with 7 News after his flight was canceled due to the American Airlines Flight 5342 colliding with a Black Hawk military helicopter.
He recalled the last time a deadly plane crash happened on U.S. soil and the terrible impact it had on families. In 2009, Flight 3407 crashed in Clarance, claiming the lives of 50 people. He was Erie County Comptroller at the time.
"I did get to the site and it was just horrible to see," said Poloncarz. "I remember the sight of the Colgan Air, the continental tail just sitting on the ground. But the family that lost loved ones. That's my thought tonight. Some people said goodbye to their loved ones for whatever reason, thinking, 'Oh, I'll see them tomorrow or a day or two, or they're going to Washington for maybe a vacation, and they'll never see them again."
Poloncarz said his heart goes out to the family members who were lost in Wednesday night's accident.
He said he was in the terminal near where the accident occurred at DCA at the time of the crash.
He explained American Airlines is in Terminal 2 at Reagan National Airport. He was set to board an American Airlines flight that would have got him to Buffalo around midnight.
"I was sitting next to the flight attendants and flight personnel when they announced the ground stop," Poloncarz said. "We could see the emergency vehicles heading out towards the area, and we didn't know if it was the runway or the Potomac. It was eerie because here I was waiting for my flight. I was there a little early. I probably wasn't going to board for another hour. Knowing that, in all likelihood, many people have been lost in an accident. You're watching the emergency vehicles head out there, one after another. Then you're reading the reports, and seeing the reports. It's very somber."
