Decades Later: Potomac River Yields Clues to Forgotten Plane Crash

Nearly two decades after a small plane tragically plunged into the icy depths of the Potomac River near Washington D.C., an unexpected discovery has resurfaced the somber memories of a long-forgotten aviation accident. The finding, made by a man simply out walking his dog, has provided a startling new chapter to a mystery that has lingered for 19 years.

The story began to unfold in January 2024 when Kevin Amsler was enjoying a stroll with his canine companion along the banks of the Potomac, near Lock 10 of the historic C&O Canal.

His dog, sensing something unusual, led him to a peculiar piece of metal half-buried in the mud. What Amsler initially dismissed as an odd piece of debris quickly revealed itself to be something far more significant: a mangled fragment of what appeared to be an aircraft. Recognizing its potential importance, he reported his find to authorities.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) swiftly launched an investigation into the newly discovered wreckage.

Their assessment confirmed that the metal fragment likely belonged to a Piper PA-28 Cherokee, the very same single-engine plane that crashed into the river on January 10, 2005. The devastating incident claimed the lives of both occupants: pilot John William Fuller, 53, and passenger Martin W. Noffsinger, 61.

The two were en route from Manassas, Virginia, to Frederick, Maryland, when their flight tragically ended in the nation's capital's famous waterway.

The original crash occurred amidst challenging winter conditions, during what was famously known as the "Ice Storm of 2005." While not directly linked to the storm, the incident added to a period of heightened aviation concerns in the region.

Immediately following the 2005 accident, extensive recovery efforts managed to retrieve most of the plane's fuselage and the bodies of Fuller and Noffsinger. However, due to the powerful currents and vastness of the river, it was understood that some smaller components might have remained undiscovered.

For nearly two decades, those missing pieces lay silently beneath the Potomac's surface or buried along its shifting banks.

Amsler's accidental discovery offers a poignant reminder of the enduring power of nature and the way time can slowly reveal hidden truths. The NTSB confirmed that while this find does not change the original findings of the accident, it provides a sense of closure and a tangible connection to an event that, for many, had faded into history.

It serves as a somber echo of similar aviation tragedies tied to the Potomac, such as the infamous Air Florida Flight 90 crash in 1982, underscoring the river's sometimes unforgiving nature.

This remarkable discovery not only brings a physical piece of history back to light but also rekindles the memory of John William Fuller and Martin W.

Noffsinger, ensuring their story, and the unforeseen circumstances of their final flight, continue to be recognized and remembered.