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1
Posted on 1/27/26 at 10:48 pm to Thracken13
... on the contrary ...
because I know first hand just how sinister these people really are ...
Posted on 1/27/26 at 11:21 pm to Bubb
quote:
NTSB cites systemic issues, multiple errors in collision between regional jet and Army helicopter that killed 67
FAA rejected recommendations to move helicopter traffic away from airport
Justice Department has admitted federal liability in crash
WASHINGTON, Jan 27 (Reuters) - The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board found on Tuesday that a series of systemic failures by the Federal Aviation Administration led to a devastating mid-air collision that killed 67 people last year.
The January 2025 collision between an American Airlines (AAL.O), opens new tab regional jet and an Army Black Hawk helicopter near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) was the deadliest U.S. aviation disaster in more than two decades.
The NTSB determined the accident was caused by the FAA's decision to allow helicopters to travel close to the airport with no safeguards to separate them from airplanes and its failure to review data and act on recommendations to move helicopter traffic away from the airport.
NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy said the airport's air traffic control tower personnel repeatedly sought to raise concerns only to get "squashed by management."
"This was 100% preventable," Homendy said. "There's definitely need for serious reform."
The board also cited failings in the Army safety culture and the Army pilot's failure to properly see and avoid the passenger airplane.
In December, the Justice Department said the federal government was liable in the crash due to the actions of the Army helicopter and the FAA air traffic controller.
The maximum altitude for the route the helicopter was taking was 200 feet (61 m), but the collision occurred at an altitude of nearly 300 feet.
HEARING SHEDS LIGHT ON FAA CULTURE
A hearing in Washington on Tuesday quickly turned into a lengthy rebuke of the FAA, shedding light on serious communication, culture and safety issues surrounding the 26th busiest U.S. airport which has the single busiest U.S. runway and is regularly used by members of Congress.
The FAA said it would diligently consider the recommendations and said after the collision the agency immediately acted to improve safety.
"We reduced the DCA hourly arrival rate from 36 to 26 and restricted helicopter traffic in the surrounding airspace," the FAA said, noting the arrival rate was currently set at 30.
The agency said it was now "acting proactively to mitigate risks before they affect the traveling public."
The NTSB displayed dramatic animation of the collision and some anguished families wearing photographs of their loved ones left the hearing room before it was shown.
Homendy said airlines had reached out to her to say "the next mid-air (collision) is going to be at Burbank, and nobody at FAA is paying attention." She added, "people are raising red flags."
The FAA said it had made changes around the airport in California. Reuters reported in October the FAA was scrutinizing airplane traffic flows around Hollywood Burbank Airport and Van Nuys Airport in the Los Angeles area, which are fewer than 10 miles (16 km) apart and serve a mix of aircraft with closely spaced arrival and departure paths.
RECOMMENDATIONS TO FAA
The NTSB made more than 30 recommendations to the FAA, citing a series of failures before the Washington crash. "They better do them all," Homendy said.
Since 2021, there had been 15,200 air separation incidents near Reagan airport between commercial airplanes and helicopters, including 85 close-call events.
The NTSB found issues with how the FAA handles traffic at Reagan and that it rejected advice to add hot spots to a helicopter route chart. Homendy said the FAA also did not review the helicopter routes annually as required and had routes that were not designed to ensure proper separation.
The NTSB also said the air traffic controller should have issued a safety alert, which "may have allowed action to be taken to avert the collision."
Homendy said a key safety system known as ADS-B In and Out could have given the passenger plane pilot an alert 59 seconds before the collision and the helicopter crew 48 seconds before. Lawmakers are trying to mandate the technology.
That's great and all, but woman pilot.
Posted on 1/28/26 at 1:47 am to Shreve Perry
quote:
So, ATC "swung" what?
When DCA is landing north aircraft line up for runway 01. It’s the longest runway so most pilots prefer it, especially in larger aircraft. Since DCA is already a congested airport, ATC will ask pilots on approach to 01 if they can “accept” the visual to runway 33. Especially the smaller, lighter aircraft like the CRJ.
**If you look at the path of the regional jet in the animation you can see them originally lined up for 01, before the circle to 33.
This buys some time for ATC but 33 is a shorter runway and it’s a visual approach not backed up by a precision approach. Meaning, a lot more can go wrong if someone isn’t doing what they are supposed to.
It is totally optional, and can be declined by the pilots on approach if they don’t have the numbers for 33 or don’t feel comfortable with the maneuver.
This post was edited on 1/28/26 at 4:45 am
Posted on 1/28/26 at 5:06 am to bayou2
quote:
Absolutely
Can you expand on why you believe no fewer than two people would be willing to kill themselves or end their career for the sake of taking out a group of ice skaters?
Posted on 1/28/26 at 6:27 am to DownshiftAndFloorIt
Confirmation bias.
Posted on 1/28/26 at 6:37 am to RollTide1987
Crazy that was just over a year ago.
Her arse shouldn't have been in that seat.
They should not be running those training ops during peak traffic. There should be designated periods for this which coordinate with reduced or halted traffic at DCA.
Her arse shouldn't have been in that seat.
They should not be running those training ops during peak traffic. There should be designated periods for this which coordinate with reduced or halted traffic at DCA.
Posted on 1/28/26 at 6:48 am to Tuscaloosa
quote:
Tuscaloosa
What does this mean exactly?
quote:
there had been 15,200 air separation incidents near Reagan airport between commercial airplanes and helicopters
What qualifies as air separation incident? Within a couple hundred feet or what?
Posted on 1/28/26 at 7:53 am to Shreve Perry
quote:
But you say Helo was complacent?
Yes. Complacent in that the lights of the arriving planes were stacked on approach to Runway 1. They even mention it in their comms.
Posted on 1/28/26 at 8:03 am to LSUFanHouston
quote:
"PAT25 pass behind the CRJ"
Supposedly there were audio transmission issues so they only heard “PAT CRJ”
It always boggles my mind how unclear the audios sound and how unclear they always speak. I know that it's mainly because I'm just not familiar with the dialogue and the terms they use. But frick, I had the words up on the screen in front of me and still couldn't understand about 90% of what some of those audio clips were saying.
Posted on 1/28/26 at 8:06 am to Bubb
quote:
but it appears neither knew what hit them.
I believe the CRJ tried turning at the lost moment. Go back and watch the final few seconds from their vantage point.
Posted on 1/28/26 at 8:08 am to dupergreenie
According to the wiki article the CRJ pulled up hard about 1 second before contact
Posted on 1/28/26 at 8:15 am to DownshiftAndFloorIt
quote:
According to the wiki article the CRJ pulled up hard about 1 second before contact
Yeah the animation kind of shows that as well. I want to watch it again but on my IPAD.
Posted on 1/28/26 at 8:19 am to DownshiftAndFloorIt
quote:
"PAT25 pass behind the CRJ"
*proceeds to fly right in front of it*
I give directions everyday and honestly people are just plain stupid
Posted on 1/28/26 at 8:29 am to HeadSlash
ATC here.
This accident is just a poor combination of things and there really isn't one reason only.
As far as the "pass behind", that is a common instruction used between helicopters and fixed wing aircraft when applying pilot applied visual separation. The controller should have exchanged traffic and told the CRJ about the helicopter. That alone might not have prevented the collision but then maybe one of the JIA pilots would have spotted the PAT earlier and initiated a go-around. When using pilot applied visual you are required to inform both aircraft.
Not sure if anyone watched the presser yesterday with this video but something that came out was that a lot of the military helicopters would call traffic in sight when they didn't actually have traffic in sight. Apparently many of them are trained to to this so they can continue their mission without interruption. Around a busy class B airport with air carriers that is unacceptable. My opinion is that PAT had the aircraft on final for RWY 1 in sight the entire time and never in fact saw JIA.
Lots has also been made about the multiple instances of safety reporting about the helicopters routes and that will be an underlying contributor as well.
This accident is just a poor combination of things and there really isn't one reason only.
As far as the "pass behind", that is a common instruction used between helicopters and fixed wing aircraft when applying pilot applied visual separation. The controller should have exchanged traffic and told the CRJ about the helicopter. That alone might not have prevented the collision but then maybe one of the JIA pilots would have spotted the PAT earlier and initiated a go-around. When using pilot applied visual you are required to inform both aircraft.
Not sure if anyone watched the presser yesterday with this video but something that came out was that a lot of the military helicopters would call traffic in sight when they didn't actually have traffic in sight. Apparently many of them are trained to to this so they can continue their mission without interruption. Around a busy class B airport with air carriers that is unacceptable. My opinion is that PAT had the aircraft on final for RWY 1 in sight the entire time and never in fact saw JIA.
Lots has also been made about the multiple instances of safety reporting about the helicopters routes and that will be an underlying contributor as well.
Posted on 1/28/26 at 8:32 am to FnTigers
quote:
DEI murdered those people.
I saw a stat that DEI makes up like 10% of pilots but accounts for like 60% of human error related accidents in aviation.
Posted on 1/28/26 at 8:36 am to bayou2
quote:
because I know first hand just how sinister these people really are ...
Your troll game is weak and needs a lot of work.
Posted on 1/28/26 at 8:47 am to RollTide1987
Helo turned right into the path.
I also thought I saw where the instr. said to come down to 300 but the arrow for the helo was at 480.
I also thought I saw where the instr. said to come down to 300 but the arrow for the helo was at 480.
Posted on 1/28/26 at 9:37 am to BHM
quote:
They were confirming they had the crk in sight but it was actually off to their left.
Based on that recreation I'm confused as to how anyone would be able to tell if one of the planes coming in was a CRJ vs some other smaller regional jet. And the fact that they consistently flew training routes directly through the final approach for passenger jets at night is insanity to me.
Posted on 1/28/26 at 9:41 am to Tuscaloosa
quote:
To clarify, you believe at least two people were willing to kill themselves for the purpose of murdering a group of… ice skaters?
He's trolling
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