‘A matter of mere seconds’: Fmr. air traffic controller breaks down Philadelphia & DC plane crashes

Late Friday night, a small jet crashed in northeast Philadelphia, killing all 6 on board and one person on the ground. This comes just two days after an Army helicopter collided with a passenger jet near DC, killing everyone involved. Former Air Traffic Controller S. Todd Yeary explains how quickly things can take a deadly turn from an air traffic controller’s point of view.
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#planecrash #americanairlines #helicopter

[@Starfishcentral]

♥️ *My heart goes out to all those who sadly lost their lives and to the family* ♥️

[@BekiWalker]

How wonderful to hear this guest again. Listened to him regarding the other crash. So knowledgeable.

[@kathyshellorne3436]

This guy should get a wider audience. I have been closely (as is possible) by a retiree on internet, and his stern refusal to fudge the facts is rare. Other news sources online have conjectured that the recent shakeup with multiple high level political firings with the FAA, and the ongoing understaffing of air traffic controllers, might have been a significant factor in the tragedy impacting many families. Not to mention the families of local skating team, as the team was returning from an out of town event.

[@kathyshellorne3436]

Just want to say

[@edwardj.coxjr.3031]

Todd was very astute and answered professionally!

[@Papa2thaE]

From air traffic flow control to a Pastor. What a heavenly inspiration man.

[@t.r.campbell6585]

Finding competent tower personnel and ATC personnel has been a concern for the last 50 years since I have been flying. This is a very stressful position in many active airports, and these guys and gals are not paid enough for the work and responsibility they engage in.

[@gailanderson7217]

@t.r.campbell6585 In the 80's air traffic controllers demanded better wages and upgrades to aging equipment that was endangering lives. Reagan fired them, broke their union. The replacements who were hired lacked experience. As a result, near misses happened frequently. Saw one myself while driving past ATL. Broad daylight, 2 planes just a couple hundred feet off the ground, 1 pulled up and banked just in time. I didn't fly until those new controllers had a few years experience under their belts.

[@jrhamilton4448]

Exactly these people on average for entry level in Maryland where I live are only making $22-23 per hour. For that kind of responsibility they should start around $40

[@retroactivehistory]

Yet USA can spend billions on endless wars. What does that tell you?

[@retroactivehistory]

@@jrhamilton4448late stage capitalism

[@magaareinbredhillbillies]

we all know who busted their union.

[@chab1rd155]

God bless you Pastor and also God bless the ATCs in BOTH of these tragedies! ✝️🕯️🙏🇺🇸

[@AmazingJohnny]

So many tragedies in America in 2025, and only one month of the new year has passed. This is crazy 😪😭😢....

[@Premier-Media-Group]

"Aviate - Navigate - Communicate". If the flight crew was occupied with responding to an emergency, they aren't chatting with ATC.

[@Alpinealps-1999]

Prayers 🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏

[@KM-yd8go]

Some think the Philly plane was on fire as it descended. It’s hard to tell from the footage. I wonder if there could have been an explosion with Oxygen tanks on board the medivac flight. This has been an awful week for the families and loved ones, and the overall aviation sector. I think I’m done flying. Rest in peace, to the lost souls. 😢💔

[@joso5554]

It was the aircraft’s forward spot lights.

[@fallenarchangel6360]

That plane went down like a Missile

[@RisNandar-c9h]

It's not even been 3 days and there's already another horrible crash. Something isn't right about all of this.

[@ronaldking1054]

Crashes happen a lot in terms of landing and taking off and with mechanical failures, but collisions do not happen that frequently. Reagan International requested that Congress not use direct flights from the airport. Congress ignored them.

[@RisNandar-c9h]

@ronaldking1054 Thank you ♥️

[@cynthiag6243]

​@@ronaldking1054no this is too coincidental.

[@MaryLevin-t5t]

​@cynthiag6243 no no it's not

[@RisNandar-c9h]

@MaryLevin-t5t Thank you.

[@elleni-42]

10 mins from me.. body parts all over.. terrible thing to happen..

[@jackiedavison9898]

So tragic. 😢🙏

[@KM-yd8go]

Devastating. I hope you have support for trauma after what you have seen. ❤ This is extremely scary, and I’m so sorry for the loved ones. I hope they don’t have to see any such footage on the news.

[@elleni-42]

@KM-yd8go ..thank u..💙

[@irmqe]

Lies and more lies.

[@valeking5993]

@@irmqewhat lies? It’s commonly known that in plane crashes like this, people are literally ripped apart and so yeah, you would have body parts scattered about. The forces involved that are able to turn a constructed metal airplane into many pieces of a now deconstructed metal airplane are applied to the passengers as well. The plane that hit the cement structure in Korea recently.. the first footage of the wreckage they kept replaying on the news had body parts everywhere. That’s meat hanging off that fence, honey.

[@hilarymiseroy]

This crash is so similar to the Lear 25 that crashed in Mexico in 2012, killing Jenni Rivera.

[@susy590]

This Lear Jet was registered in Mexico, as well. And this one was also on it's way home to Mexico with a stop in Missouri. Perhaps the standards and regulations are not as strict in Mexico. Or the cargo was overweight.

[@magaareinbredhillbillies]

@@susy590 there leased to a company in fl so fl is home. yes it is registered in mexico.

[@maraluciaduclosduclos7496]

Agora é verificar a causa desta horrível tragédia. Falar muito não resolve o caso.

[@woodshed_moments]

Geez, If there was 0 communication, could it be quite conceivable that there was a health issue with the pilot spontaneously, it's happened many times before.

[@joso5554]

No. Were communicating up to takeoff. And there were 2 pilots.

[@woodshed_moments]

@joso5554 Interesting, so we are not gonna know anything until we get that black box. Yes,

[@hoklau1936]

Just because you can get away with only one traffic controller does not mean you will get away with it every time. Loss of communication seems to be the common thread across both accidents. Were there interference? What mechanisms are there to enforce zero interference in that zone?

[@adambirman2379]

Five minutes of click bait.

[@chadwindham2979]

MSNBC has officially blamed trump for this as well as 9/11, pearl harbor, the bay of pigs, the mount st. helen eruption and the cancellation of the acolyte

[@achekholbeckal889]

The Phili crash look like the pilot slam on the yoke, health problems will be part of the investigation

[@joso5554]

2 pilots.

[@LayneStaley-e1x]

Twumps Fault

[@joso5554]

👍👍👍👍👍 Absolutely excellent points made by this very experienced and wise former ATC. Let’s not jump to easy attractive conclusions and blaming. NTSB has the full trust of the whole aviation community. They will tell all without gloves.

[@kathyshellorne3436]

Drone?

[@letsgorandall9848]

Sad

[@Jeremy-dy5zv]

Looks like it lost lift and stalled. I'm a certified know it all.

[@rambler123]

What is happening in America

[@JudithHernandez-wx4do]

Looks to me like Trump forgot to taked aircrafts.

[@DrTuriLouis]

Black Hawk, Airliner, & Medevac jet accidents revelation! What you did not know! Watch and Read it for yourself be amazed!

[@queenofparis3507]

This is,Judgement Day on Earth & the American leaders are being warned to bow down! The solution to the problem is to move my son & I to safety. 3:19-CV-01717-AC

[@Bethlehem-su8qv]

World leaders

[@thjonez]

need more info is not informative thx anyway for nothin

[@LandSlideChris]

What a horrible two weeks it is for the world. something need to change that dont allow some higher up to destroy people's life but that's on us to talk to them and elect a person who care for everyone

[@charliewilliams2735]

Those ppor ppl that saw that

[@stacyrice392]

The conyroller tried to call them back wanted them to land! You can see another light up there!

[@ronaldluning4010]

Mexican copycat terrorism? If you slow the playback from the porch video of the folks that freaked out on the crash, it appears that one or both engines were flaming before impact, so maybe birdstrikes, stallingout the plane? Staying at 200 feet still wouldnt help if they still Cross the glidedlope. The helicopter should have been well past the position where his altitude would become an issue.

[@SashaBuzko]

Are they considering a bombing in the Philly crash? Who is the Mexican child that got a flight on essentially a private jet to Mexico? Doesn't sound like a typical treatment for an average Mexican citizen. It does seem to me like someone very well connected and with equally powerful enemies.

[@karensams8429]

It’s early to speculate, but Shriner’s Hospital does treat children from around the world and they aren’t all from well to do families. I don’t know how it all works with transportation arrangements, but in the day and age of GoFundMe, I wouldn’t be surprised to hear that this little girl was not connected to a wealthy family.

[@sandranettles4833]

Ya fakes still here? Does anyone believe you? Highly doubtful

[@EduardoOliveira-e8c]

Trumps America

[@Cmunic8]

@@dominickmilano4858truth hurts 👍🇺🇸

[@chab1rd155]

​@@dominickmilano4858exactly 💯!

[@dominickmilano4858]

@@EduardoOliveira-e8c President Trump is dismantling the whole democratic party but they are just too stupid to realize it 😂

[@azpowerphxaz1237]

This is what happens when you gut the FAA.

[@tracievendetta1908]

This is not about Trump. This is about experience!

[@MSNBCult]

there was 139 domestic commercial plane crashes in 2024 alone, no major carriers since 2009. this isn't extraordinary. happens all the time. that's an average of a plane every 2-3 days but no one seemed to make a big deal til trump was in office.

[@edwardrichardson7076]

These were FATAL crashes!

[@SolaKnitez53]

The same can be said for when Biden was POTUS..they blamed him for things not 8. His control...facts first...otherwise it's just trolling.

[@ShellyBellyBeans]

The DC mid-air collision and the Philadelphia plane crash in a populated area are exceptional events. The DC crash was the first major commercial crash since 2009. Both sides are trying to politicize something that should not be. Neither DEI nor Trump's actions since being in office had anything to do with these tragedies.

[@hazelflatts7403]

Which countries did the crashes take place? Also the other accidents probably had a professional person in charge that had empathy and didn't blame people

[@LibFrothingAtTheMouth]

​@@edwardrichardson7076And the previous 4 had quite a few of them too, CopeHarderTDS.😆

[@MSNBCult]

It’s going to take Trump years to clean up the DEl after effects of Brandons administration.

[@RJM56]

"... this isn't extraordinary ..." but "... DEI ...". Well which one is it?

[@locopollo2042]

This all trumps fault

[@hazelflatts7403]

If he want to clean up DEI, he had the chance first time around. Don't be a coward just say you only want white men in employment

[@echomack6290]

If you blame literally everything on diversity, you're a brainwashed bigot. Go get deprogrammed because YOU ARE IN A CULT

[@bajbah242]

Oh stop with the stupid DEI b.s!

[@AUSTRALIANAMADE]

The helicopter looks empty......... who was remote controlling it?

[@danjo1967]

please uninstall the internet fool!

[@lindapereboom]

Then how did 3 human bodies end up in the wreckage???

[@meh8982]

How would this country survive without conspiracy "theorists" to jump to ridiculous conclusions based on zero information and spread them like a grassfire to other fools? Thanks for making the US even dumber.

[@AUSTRALIANAMADE]

@@danjo1967 Tell that to the guy who is documenting the facets of the helicopter. I will uninstall the internet, just for you, and for me, as I am on holidays everyday, and need not remain interested. at least you didn't tell me to unalive myself, I appreciate that.

[@AUSTRALIANAMADE]

@ many air vehicles have a remote assistant. 3 very unlucky people.

[@locopollo2042]

Trump faults

[@tracievendetta1908]

Stop

[@suzannekimmey877]

Ice maybe

[@josephsonora3787]

U DNT $A¥??? A MATT£R 0F $£C0ND$??? ₩0W!!! IMAGIN£ THAT??? I'M GLAD U CLARIFI£D THT 4 U$.

[@melissaford717]

Yep. It wasn't in the air long at all.

[@jeepninja1]

Dont worry. Once Trump gets his cabinet and gets things going, these things will stop happening. 🇺🇸MAGA🇺🇸

[@lindapereboom]

Correct because when all the. ATC are fired commercial, civil, and medical flights will be grounded indefinitely

[@Pdf258]

Trump is the president and these tragedies occurred under his watch. Placing blame on another administration may feed his ego but it provides no support to the nation in a tragedy.

[@meh8982]

"Stop happening?" They started happening once he came in and fired everybody competent he could lay his hands on. Just like his last administration. Four years of nonstop, accelerating chaos. Wait till the trade wars he starts get going and prices skyrocket. Enjoy!

[@cynthiag6243]

Are you drinking. Magas equal crime and lies.

[@kazibungo5364]

Not accident god punishment

[@meh8982]

God really had it in for that little girl. She must have been so naughty!