7.02.21 – 27 Years Later: In Memory of USAir Flight 1016

Friday, July 2, 2021

27 Years Later: In Memory of USAir Flight 1016

Today marks the 27th Anniversary of the crash of USAir Flight 1016. On July 2, 1994, the flight from Columbia, SC, crashed near Charlotte-Douglas International Airport in an intense thunderstorm.

As a massive downdraft struck the McDonnell Douglas DC-9 aircraft, Captain Mike Greenlee and First Officer Phil Hayes attempted to go around. However, the jet lost height, crashed in a residential neighborhood, and hit trees and a house. Twenty passengers, including the 3 Flight Attendants and 2 Pilots, successfully evacuated the aircraft. Of the 57 passengers on board, 37 died in the crash. Today, we remember those who lost their lives on that fateful evening.

Flight Attendant Richard DeMary’s life-saving measures earned him the Flight Safety Foundation (FSF) Heroism Award, which he received in 1994 at FSF’s 47th annual International Air Safety Seminar in Lisbon, Portugal. Flight 1016 is a reminder of the significance of our career as Flight Attendants in quickly and safely evacuating passengers in a catastrophic event such as this one.

APFA honors the bravery and courage the entire crew displayed that evening. We especially commend Flight Attendants Richard DeMary, Shelley Markwith and Karen Forcht, for their heroism that evening.