Aviation expert shares insights after deadly collision between passenger jet, Army helicopter

News4JAX aviation expert Ed Booth joined us on The Morning Show to address the unanswered questions and video that appears to show the midair collision.

[@jeffreyking279]

This expert nails it with his first question. Why a training mission in this space?

[@PostalWorker14]

Exactly

[@Suspicious_Elmo]

Excuses that sound crazy are usually lies..

[@nfnf7109]

Praying 🙏 May thier Souls Rest in Peace

[@tavo_gus10]

30 years experience air traffic controller here. It's helicopter's fault 100%.

[@debjordan6810]

Totally agree

[@imranulhaq880]

I have zero experience but still can tell that it was a helicopter fault.

[@WISHBONEL7]

What changes do you think will be made ? , and is there simply too much traffic at that airport ?.

[@monalisanail5431]

Your not kidding I did not see anyone trying to avoid anyone. From what I saw in the footage it looked to me that the chopper was headed straight for it....if you study that video,that's exactly what the hell it looks like

[@PostalWorker14]

I wouldn’t want to be a controller too much responsibility

[@Chet73]

It was the chopper’s fault.

[@michaelmunro8147]

My prayers go out to everyone involved 🙏

[@sylviathompson5311]

Last night, immediately after, I heard an audio where the helicopter asked for visual separation. I looked up the term because i didn't know what it meant. I'm not seeing that audio anywhere today.

[@PostalWorker14]

This happened in the Hudson River NYC about ten years ago small plane helicopter collided

[@RA-oi4ml]

Yes thank you😢😢😢😢

[@HeyMJ.]

Helicopter flew into the jet. ATC audio & video provide the data points.

[@richardgarnos6715]

Well reported with logical analysis

[@christinefruin8389]

Sad prayers for victims

[@janetprice85]

The helicopter's have a regular route they fly. The plane was coming into a special landing site for smaller jets. The copter pilot evidently thought the plane was using another runway. It was a tragedy for many families regardless. Prayers.

[@mloca39886]

yeah this "expert" might should have done a little investigating before getting on here. They have already said several times that this was routine in this area.

[@janetprice85]

@michellehloucha1951 It was a quote from the experts on seen.

[@skylarsky3173]

Here we go, another virtual aviation genius. Let’s state the facts and hope that you guys can follow. 1) While runway 33 is a smaller runway, it’s not uncommon for regional jets to be sent there during serious congestion. Guess what? The CRJ was a regional jet. 2) ATC notified the helicopter 2 separate times about the CRJ. The helicopter acknowledges that he is aware and on 2 separate times he request, visual separation. Visual separation means hey, I am taking full responsibility of the incoming traffic and will keep a safe distance. 3) Black hawk was at least 100 feet higher than allowed amount. This is not rocket science. I hope that this helps.

[@johnbanning8156]

Bingo, this guy hit the nail right on the head. What the hell was that helicopter doing there?Where it shouldn't have been.⁉️🤬

[@mademsoisellerhapsody]

🎯

[@mloca39886]

He didn't hit the nail on the head. They have already said numerous times. Those helicopters are there all the time. This was nothing out of the ordinary. Maybe do some research.

[@joshbrown5938]

It's obvious the helicopter flew into the plane

[@billball8955]

A military training flight is just a flight that isn't a combat operation. It doesn't mean new pilots.

[@jamesstanley2700]

That is an aviation expert? Look at a map and you will see that there is a military base directly across the river. The jet was rerouted just minutes prior.

[@userfriendly9535]

Yeah...and that's where the helicopter should have stayed. It had no business being anywhere near a plane or jets final approach that had already been cleared to land.

[@Kevin_747]

The passenger jet was exactly where he was supposed to be. The military has specific rules for crossing thr Potomac. It appears the helicopter deviated from their standard crossing procedure

[@skylarsky3173]

Buddy, this guy is absolutely an expert! He is not the only aviation expert that has alluded to what he came out and directly said. I mean, one does not have to be an expert to come to the same logical conclusion.

[@skylarsky3173]

Let’s state the facts and hope you guys can follow. 1) While runway 33 is a smaller runway, it’s not uncommon for regional jets to be sent there during serious congestion. Guess what? The CRJ was a regional jet. 2) ATC notified the helicopter 2 separate times about CRJ. The helicopter acknowledges that he is aware and on 2 separate times he request, visual separation. Visual separation means hey, I am taking full responsibility of the incoming traffic and will keep a safe distance. 3) Black hawk was at least 100 feet higher than allowed amount. This is not rocket science. I hope that this helps.

[@deusdat]

Was this really an accident?

[@Darin970]

I believe it was the helicopters fault.

[@chrissmith6028]

LiveATC has released an updated audio PAT25 (the black hawk) says TWICE that they have traffic in sight and will maintain visual separation.

[@rr7firefly]

You can never assume that when your safety (and possibly life) is in the hands of total strangers that you will be fine. We assume that everyone is doing their job as they should and usually they are. But maybe this is a wake up call for us all. Every single day is a gift. Live your life with meaning.

[@melodymacken9788]

Love your last sentence.

[@granttaskerud5367]

Just compiling info from this interview and few videos of landing corridor. And some early opinions at the end. CRJ700 On approach to runway 33 [FINAL APPROACH CORRIDOR] 138 to 161 mph or 120knots to 140knots PAT25 FLYING TOO HIGH PAT25 150feet max off the water if clearance was even given to the PAT25. PAT25 was flying 300 to 400 feet high.. PAT25 "Do you have a (crj700) Canadian Regional Jet in sight? PAT25 Pass behind the CRJ700." 8:47pm How long between these transmissions? Why no response from PAT25? 3 crew members? Video footage from across the Potomac look like the PAT25 headed directly for the CRJ700, AND NEVER RESPONDED TO AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL COMMANDS. reminds me of the first info of 911, "a small air craft has hit one of the towers" Everything was downplayed until the second Jet hit. There is plenty of footage already on you tube showing the PAT25 flying straight towards the CRJ700. In restricted area and apparently flying above the flight table limit. Where was the PAT25 coming from? Why was it above 150ft limit? Why didn't they respond to ATC? Russian US figureskaters? Headed to what performance or event? Who else was on the passenger log? I'm just speculating based on the info given up to this point. The spin can go wherever it needs to as the media is told what to say. But these first comments and videos are very important. I know the perspective of the videos can be important... but the 150ft flight ceiling limit being ignored, clearance to be in that landing corridor at all?..... for this collision to have happened is suspect. Every week, every day is something new. Gonna be a tough 12 years.

[@susanwill6351]

Thank you for making some sense of what otherwise tragically makes NO sense. Dark evil times we are living in😢

[@irisgibson2842]

Yes. What was the helicopter doing way up there?As far as I, uneducated about these matters as I am, I always believe they do not fly as high as airplanes. Lord. God. Cover these families with your spirit and peace.

[@collettebrynes1075]

The plane was about only 500 feet to landing no helicopters should not be in the path of incoming landing jets

[@LuckaSt-is1nn]

Well obviously it was the helicopter fault but why? we have to wait for that !

[@PostalWorker14]

Where these Diversity pilots?

[@paulschaller3644]

🎯🎯🎯

[@time4peace726]

No reason this mission flight at 10:30 pm for the helicopter should have approached until all airport flights are down for the night. Definitely could have been avoided! I’ve never seen where the runway and heli pads are inline with each other. Ridiculous

[@marcostovar7968]

It seems not to be responsability of the plane's crew members. Let's have a pray 🙏

[@GWAYGWAY1]

I listened to the ATC and her voice was indistinct and garbled the helicopter pilot may not of heard the instruction from ATC. The airliner was stabilised and exactly on track and height.

[@1798iscomingback]

My bet is that the Helicopter confused other plane for the 5342 and didn't see the jetliner it crashed into. The 5342 was also diverted from rwy 1 to rwy 33 so it got "out of line" of the other airplanes that where heading to rwy1...

[@billyhorton5779]

Military is clearly at fault here, but they have to formulate their excuse first and appear to be the innocent party.

[@lynnhauenstein4136]

What are small aircraft... i heard another reporter refer to CRJ, 64 on board as small aircraft. I think of a 4 seater Cessna as small aircraft.

[@AK-qo6tx]

were terrorist piloting the black hawk? If not, it was insanity to have a training mission in the middle of the night in that area.

[@eastwindfarms3671]

This guest just said Reagan national Airport has one runway. This is obviously not the case, and any information you get from this guest has be taken with a grain of salt.

[@jamesclark7248]

Please, find a better expert. His comments show a total lack of understanding of military flight operations around DCA.

[@cpgoef6]

This guy is a joke. Maybe before you go on live TV you take a look at the corridors and what the required altitudes are. Yes, helicopters do training missions in busy airspace so they can fly the same corridors when they fly pax in the area. It’s the fact that a circling approach at night was approved and that the controller missed his CA (Collision Alerts) on his screen. Why is anyone doing circling approaches at night over a city where you can’t see the lights of the lower aircraft.

[@requinremembers]

Someone was texting.....

[@debjordan6810]

They were no concentrating

[@carlhopkinson]

What the HELL is a military heli doing near a commercial airport ???

[@jamesstanley2700]

Look at a map and you may/may not understand.

[@PostalWorker14]

Don’t know how helicopter could be lost? All those landmarks in DC city lights incredible

[@edwardebel1847]

This is the “private” airport of Congress. It should have been shut down years ago, but Congress keeps it open. It should be closed to commercial aircraft.

[@BlackandBlessed100]

What was that trump military helicopter being there???

[@BlackandBlessed100]

2025 trump administrators recklessness Did any hear about lays potato chips recall because of unidentified substance Trump admin Recklessness

[@joannakarlsson3423]

The Army chopper shouldnt be there period.

[@paulschaller3644]

Why read the account of the exchange between ATC and Blackhawk crew? Was that crew women or other DEI Military personnel?

[@BlackandBlessed100]

2025 trump administrators recklessness Did any hear about lays potato chips recall because of unidentified substance Trump admin Recklessness

[@guinealove3744]

He doesn't care! And he continues to confirm appointments.