Lawmakers Voted For MORE Flights, IGNORED Air Traffic SAFETY Warnings Despite NEAR-MISSES: Interview

The Lever's editor in chief David Sirota elaborates on his reporting that bankrolled lawmakers have pushed for more flights out of DCA, the airport where the jet that collided with a military chopper was trying to land #dca #potomaccrash
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[@Johnfisher12345]

Imagine having the flagrant arrogance and entitlement to put EVERYONE’S safety at risk for a little convenience for yourself. I hate these people in government so much!

[@oops5015]

YEP, me, too....too inconvenient to fly/land at Dulles, god forbid

[@DANGJOS]

Apparently their convenience is more important than the lives of others. Imagine if I said I want to drive at double the speed limit when I'm late somewhere because it's more convenient. Sure, but I'd be endangering the lives of others!

[@proudbirther1998]

Yep! You nailed it. THE PHARISEES come first!. Ask NOT what your Congressman can do for you..Ask WHAT YOU CAN DO FOR YOUR CONGRESSMAN.

[@troy5140]

Classic case of the military/dod/gov mindset. The people who do the job can raise tons of concerns but those that make decisions won't change anything until there is a failure. Then they all stand around in "shock" wondering what happened

[@bluecoffee8414]

So very true and yes I speak from direct, relevant experience.

[@noelvoss6744]

I wish government could be held accountable like individuals are. That's disgusting, but not entirely surprising. Americans are sick of this, no matter what side it's on!

[@righteousisthelord180]

All those poor people on that plane died to finally make the point the professionals were arguing for and those selfish congressmen.

[@kevinc-727]

How about a high speed rail link between Dulles and DCA so people can land at Dulles and rent a car or taxi at DCA?

[@oops5015]

there's plenty of taxis, ubers at Dulles

[@daveg1766]

The air traffic is a problem but the bigger issue is the use of helicopters around the airport - there must be a no fly zone for helicopters in that vicinity- yes air traffic a problem at most big city airports but the issue here is the helicopters should not be allowed near those runways- what they were doing there on a training route is just silly - bad bad ideas

[@mr.forexrichgm7873]

ALL Dumbocrap ideas are bad bad bad ideas.

[@daircruz6888]

pentagon white house and military are more important than commercial capacity

[@yewo.m]

I think it should be the other way around, since it's at the capital where the helicopters could be needed some times to perform operations like evacuations, helping in defending the capital, or other military operations in certain situations. Plus, the civilian airplanes can be an attack vector for terrorists, so I think it would be good to lock that airport down a lot more And as the interviewee in the video explained, there are already multiple other airports just a bit further away, so the lawmakers should just accept needing to drive a little longer to go home

[@CatBuchanan]

The Blackhawk pilot was outside the corridor they are supposed to stay in AND above max altitude for helos near DCA. This is 100% on THE BLACKHAWK CREW.

[@DANGJOS]

​@@yewo.m I agree with you, but I would go even further. Get *rid* of the DC airport! Why should a civilian airport be so close to the central government buildings? If you want three airports in the area, then build one further away

[@heatherfree5916]

Whaaatttt??? Politicians put their priorities over others??

[@oops5015]

I'm shocked! just kidding

[@BetterTextLex]

Corrupt incompetent politicians in Congress put their own self interests before public safety? I am shocked! Maybe let aviators run the airport instead of the biggest idiots our country has to offer

[@paulgamez2713]

Now lawmakers know more about airspace flight and landings. Let them be included personally in lawsuit.

[@oops5015]

great idea

[@TheNewHope2010]

I guess if they personally voted for it then it would make them culpable, wouldn't it?

[@pauliseri935]

Sirota's description sounds similar to Calif fires. They were warned but ignored

[@CatBuchanan]

CA was doing ROUTINE MAINTENANCE ON A DAM and was nearly complete. Hurricane force winds fanned this on. Again, do NOT believe the MAGA bullspit.

[@chrisd_man2156]

THE MORE AIRCRAFT YOU CRAM INTO ONE SPOT,...THE MORE DANGEROUS THAT SPOT BECOMES. FACT FACT. FACT.

[@ajwinslow1]

They should have shut it down to civilian traffic after the "big one" in the 80s or after 911, only allowing military, diplomatic and government planes. But when its 1:00 on a Thursday afternoon and a Congressman needs to go home for the weekend...

[@junicohen7918]

Turns out the pilot of the helicopter might have been nuts too

[@oops5015]

I fly UNITED BECAUSE THEY DONT go to Reagan when I head to the area...its been a cluster F*ck for years

[@JoeyJoJoJrShabbado]

I’m not working at the airport any more.

[@craigthompson3739]

So both Parties are guilty and they are blaming each other. What's new?

[@WooShin-s2b]

very true

[@ldc5603]

Seriously? You going to try and name the guy who has been on the job less than a week? This is a long standing problem and belongs 100% on Buttigieg and Biden.

[@michaelrieman593]

They're trying to claim he voted for this 22/23 but failed to aknowledge he left Congress in 2019 so even if at some point he voted to increase flights that was 20 years ago

[@sofly7634]

The miltary flight though not the commercial flight needs reporting, or is that taboo?

[@brianbenjamin653]

But blame DEI instead smh government is a joke

[@noelvoss6744]

There's a current lawsuit, by ATC's that were turned away, despite qualifying, because they wanted to fill more racial quotas. So, it's not the only issue, but it is one when there are safety concerns, airports are understaffed and qualified people are being turned away.

[@chrisd_man2156]

WHEN YOUR PRIORITY IS HIRING PEOPLE WITH PSYCH ISSUES INSTEAD OF SAFETY,....... WHAT DID YOU EXPECT.

[@fabriziomencarelli204]

Uber for lawmakers

[@kimwiser445]

Sadly we always seem to learn the hard way with the loss of human life. We have to figure out how to keep money from influencing politicians decisions.

[@fabriziomencarelli204]

Move vip flights to Mexico City Brokerage by Sinaloa cartel

[@RyanK-100]

If air traffic control did their jobs, you could DOUBLE the number of flights, not just add a few. This should not have been a close call, let alone a collision, if people just did their jobs. I guess air traffic controllers don't do anything at most airports - so long as flights are staggered, they just don't come near each other? Safety is normally just a reflection of statistics?

[@DANGJOS]

Do you have any idea how hard air traffic controllers work? Saying the number of flights could be doubled and things would still be fine sounds asinine to me

[@Odetojoyous]

Hope this report moves to the forefront. Shows the goals of our Congress, and its not the American people.

[@brentwells8963]

Unbelievable 🤦‍♂️

[@chrisd_man2156]

WHEN YOUR PRIORITY IS HIRING PEOPLE WITH PSYCH ISSUES INSTEAD OF SAFETY,....... WHAT DID YOU EXPECT.

[@YungFudd1776]

Well well well, the government holds the blame!

[@breedent4812]

I love how these despots try to peg Sean Duffy as the villain but the first words of this segment openly admit that there have been congestion problems months before Duffy was even nominated for Sec of Trans. That would have laid the lack of competency on Pete Buttgig and the bydung admin for not handling this situation before this happened.

[@goonigal7758]

Yeah, I'm thinking I might quit the Hill.

[@CatBuchanan]

There were no added flights for over 20 YEARS. This was a helo outside their regulated airspace and above regulated altitude. On night vision goggles which distort depth perception. This is 100% on the helo crew. Period. This is NOT FREAKING POLITICAL but if y'all want to get political ... look up Ronald Reagan and the ATC. THAT is when they started having difficulty attracting and retaining ATCs

[@akaxboxoddboiock9792]

Who said it saids it all, He is a activist not a presenter

[@chrisd_man2156]

WHEN YOUR PRIORITY IS HIRING PEOPLE WITH PSYCH ISSUES INSTEAD OF SAFETY,....... WHAT DID YOU EXPECT.

[@breedent4812]

@chrisd_man2156 Exactly

[@jamesappling1212]

That's why They built Dulles! To relieve the strain on National (Renamed for Ronnie Raygun)

[@jludo]

What does a crowded airport have to do with the fact that a helicopter flew into the path of an incoming plane? It doesn't matter if the airport gets 1 flight a week if you let a helicopter fly in front of it.

[@Dee47881]

They had a target on that plane

[@Johnfisher12345]

Derp! 🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️

[@Dee47881]

@ I’ve been called worse by better

[@CatBuchanan]

Bullspit

[@rawrrrz]

I have a hard time understanding how a helicopter and plane can crash mid-air. I'm certainly not a pilot, but.. I'm thinking if I'm flying either, and I see another coming right at me, I'm gonna move. The sky is a big place with lots of room. Go up, go down, .. just move. Avoiding a collision just seems like it should be at the absolute top of a pilot's list of priorities.. The only thing that makes any sense to me is if the pilots didn't have control, completely weren't paying attention, or if one intentionally crashed into the other. 🤷‍♂

[@nevisstkitts8264]

Most pilots in most aircraft can't see a major portion of the sky. That's why NTSB tries to reconstruct the details of a collision. In some collisions, the pilots never see each other because their sight lines are blocked so they can't see each other. Flying at night, plane lights can be masked by city lights. The Army pilots were flying wearing NODs which can be like looking through taped-over toiletpaper tubes ...

[@crocholiday]

One of the theories is that the helo pilot was concentrating on the wrong plane. Tower warned about the plane and the helo pilot confirmed they were tracking it. Twice even. There was a plane taking off at the same time and some believe the helo pilot was focused on that plane instead of the one preparing to land. I think it will come out in the investigation.

[@briant7265]

The pilots of the CRJ would have been focused on the runway and their approach (instruments and landing checklist). They, reasonably, expect a clear path. It seems very likely that the helo pilots were looking at a plane that was behind the CRJ, and never saw it.

[@chrisd_man2156]

The pilot never saw the airliner. Fact 4 helo crashes into lit towers in the last 3 years,.... "Not" seeing things is a very, very real issue!

[@undefined7141]

4:49 No Airline, has ever been ambivalent about flight routes, ever.

[@bumphillips2568]

R.I.P. Nomiki. Your time with us was too short.

[@JohnSpears-tk2uq]

Wow!!

[@timothydoyle6859]

They should have built Dulles where Tyson's is. Dulles is crazy far out.

[@Hellowakeup]

You can always count on ‘holier than thou’ David to pop up when low hanging fruit is around.

[@causewaykayak]

It makes one wonder about safety at London City Airport. Is it an accident waiting to happen?

[@chrisd_man2156]

WHEN YOUR PRIORITY IS HIRING PEOPLE WITH PSYCH ISSUES INSTEAD OF SAFETY,....... WHAT DID YOU EXPECT.

[@chrisd_man2156]

OVERLOADED SINCE REGAN!!!!! FINALLY SOMEONE GETS IT.

[@margaretstutts4362]

I like your style. You don’t get too political and just tell me what is happening. That’s what new used to be. Cronkite chose what to tell but he did just tell. Not much editorializing. Reagan is right in the middle of DC. Traffic is a mess. I’ve flown into Reagan every time I’ve flown to DC. Only regional jets can fly there. Copters are all over. The FAA has been understaffed for years in towers. Adding flights is not a good idea. Flights should be limited. And no copter training right around the airport. I flew Delta from Atlanta on regional airplanes. Huge airplanes should go to Dulles. It’s 30 minutes outside of DC with no traffic. The people in Congress pushed this for short commutes to DC. They blew off safety in spite of congestion at Reagan. I want to know why the copter was off course and too high. The ATC tower was understaffed. One guy was doing planes and the helo traffic. One went home early. Why? I think the helo and planes should be on the same frequency. It would help.

[@spiritcreek9813]

This was already a done deal before the tragedy.

[@chrisd_man2156]

WHEN YOUR PRIORITY IS HIRING PEOPLE WITH PSYCH ISSUES INSTEAD OF SAFETY,....... WHAT DID YOU EXPECT.

[@paulmelcher9215]

Not lawmakers: the previous Administration and the Transportation Director.

[@WH0oo...]

Wrong, again.

[@paulmelcher9215]

@WH0oo... How so?

[@Gadfly2025]

One now reports controller left early for day

[@ljthirtyfiver]

United airlines warned them . They ignored

[@originalfiremancancelled7303]

The destruction is far from over folks the evil of this world will never stop as soon as I saw that happen. I knew that was deliberate and I didn’t even know who what or why just the fact and how it happened. I could tell you unless you want to go to the bottomless pit and burn for eternity with them Ask Jesus for forgiveness and he will save you and he is the only one not your works not how much you give not where you go not what you do but HIM alone!!!!

[@Johnfisher12345]

🤣🤣🤣

[@DANADALEY-d8n]

Amen❤

[@chrisd_man2156]

WHEN YOUR PRIORITY IS HIRING PEOPLE WITH PSYCH ISSUES INSTEAD OF SAFETY,....... WHAT DID YOU EXPECT.

[@kathybrady4033]

I am very very sorry about this accident. I had already decided never to fly American again tho after a recent flight DC to SFO from this airport where I had the most rude and obnoxious flight attendants.

[@johnflynn110]

Move WA DC to des moines

[@wekurtz72]

Wasn't the CO of the blackhawk a woman? Flying 300 feet over the over the 200 foot ceiling cap? DEI is not working out, just sayin'.

[@causewaykayak]

Saudi doesn't let women drive cars even. Maybe you should live there

[@Trunorth420]

@@causewaykayakthat was only until 2017…. The Saudi’s are super progressive 😂

[@bumphillips2568]

Female voter turnout in the Saudi Kingdom is near zero.

[@crocholiday]

Ceiling was 200', pilot was at 300' not 500'. Not sure if it was a female pilot or not.

[@wekurtz72]

@ Forgot to add, haven't women been allowed to drive in Saudi since 2018?

[@christianwestling2019]

Its called Reagan National Airport.

[@Guy-d2e]

Who is the tall hobo holding the flag?

[@drgeatman]

Not near misses( those are hits) , near hits are when there are not contact

[@kelseahoff1908]

It is a miss that is near, not far. “Near miss” is a perfectly fine phrase.

[@Leawoody]

I fly in and out of Reagan a lot and enjoy the convenience but I believe they should move all flights to Dulles and use Reagan as a local transportation hub for commuter flights from/to Dulles and BWI. I am surprised it had taken this long for someone to mention the irresponsibility of our congressional leaders and their accountability - at least indirectly - for this week’s tragic crash. I will add that the Southwest terminal at Reagan is a dismal experience.

[@causewaykayak]

Who is this jesus you mention?

[@darnellg-14v]

A civilian airport should have never been built near the city center. The Pentagon is less than 2 miles away and the military traffic should be the priority. I’m not saying that the helicopter had the right of way in this tragedy but members of Congress are able to fly out of Dulles.

[@jludo]

Why is military the priority? They exist solely to serve the people, their needs are tertiary behind government and civilians.

[@chrisd_man2156]

WHEN YOUR PRIORITY IS HIRING PEOPLE WITH PSYCH ISSUES INSTEAD OF SAFETY,....... WHAT DID YOU EXPECT.

[@jeremeyharvey5548]

Plankton is to blame you can find him at the chum bucket.

[@kabal757]

😂🙌