UPDATE Washington DC Midair Collision AA 5342 & Helicopter

[@CeruleanSky1111]

I lived in DC for 16 years. These types of military training missions in the Potomac river flight path occur all the time and are closely regulated by air traffic control out of DCA. The Potomac River itself is a cesspool. Filled with 200 years of trash, cars, junk, tires, mud, you name it. Zero visibility. I knew a professional search and rescue diver who had been in that water many many times. He told me he was literally in water that he had to "feel around" in and it wasn't until he was on top of the target that he could actually see it. This is a very difficult recovery mission. This is why they have dispatched so many emergency rescue personnel. The water is very cold. The currents are extremely swift especially during tide changes. Debris and bodies may have already been washed upstream or downstream for many miles. The river is very dangerous. Prayers up for all victims and emergency personnel.

[@moneymakingabab3604]

Well, the military need to change their training flight path. not so close to commercial airline, takeoff and landing big dummies smh

[@CeruleanSky1111]

@@moneymakingabab3604 it's not that easy. It may look like it is on the surface, but unless you've lived there you really don't understand. There is an Air Force Base right across the river from DCA, there is an army base down the river in Alexandria. They run training missions constantly and they need to. I think the problem is our Congress people believe they are entitled to have flights in and out of DCA constantly and their needs take precedent over the needs of everyone else. Before bush Junior took over there was more spacing between flights coming in and departing DCA now there is only a 60 second gap between each flight. Why? because bush and members of our Congress demanded it. I believe this is an atrocity which could have been avoided. It's not the fault of the military that these stupid rules were instituted. The air traffic controllers at DCA have a huge job to do. Is it is extremely stressful. There is such a small margin of error. Something like this was bound to happen.

[@spvillano]

@@moneymakingabab3604 OK, civilian structures and enterprises can defend themselves. The military will only defend overseas, just to keep you happy. Learn to say "I surrender" in seven languages.

[@Chevyman02]

​@@moneymakingabab3604that's not the issue, and probably won't help at all. There are multiple military bases all around the DC area, Andrew's AFB, two army bases nearby. Actually there's been talk of closing down Reagan DCA for years, because of heavy traffic around the river, but the problem is congress. The capital building is across the river from DCA, congress can literally get to the airport in 10 minutes. It's convenient for them, so they don't have to spend another 20 to 30 minutes getting to Dulles airport. No, it's not the military that needs to stop doing training flights, they need to close DCA & move it to a less congested area. The military training flights are important.

[@fight4blaque529]

First of all, YOU'RE LYING!!! Marion Barry CLEANED UP the Potomac River YEARS AGO in conjunction with the Federal Government making it a FEDERAL CRIME to pollute this beautiful river. The name of the initiative was the DC RIVERFEST CELEBRATION that marked the collective effort PROTECTING the Potomac River of years of abuse by the federal government and various companies OUTSIDE of the boundaries of the Nation's Capitol and surrounding areas. Secondly, the Potomac River is a DANGEROUS river to maneuver due to being incredibly DEEP and treacherous undercurrents that have yet to be studied and mapped due to the violent nature in movement of water. You'd need a submarine for that! Florida Flight 90 that crashed into the 14th Street Bridge in 1982 is a true lesson on conditions of the river especially in the winter months. Recovery of the living and debris was off of the charts in difficulty with frigid water temperatures and current. You spoke of "trash, cars, junk, tires, mud, you name it" but failed to mention HOW that debris and pollution enters the river. I can recall back in 1979 an automobile being extracted from the Potomac River with origins in Pennsylvania. After the automobile was processed, it was revealed that the initial entry was found to have taken place within the CHESEPEAK BAY between the Virginia and Maryland boundaries! Plant life and CRABS gave the location a name. How? By way of the dangerous and swift undercurrents that tossed this vehicle around like you throwing a football down field. Two things; shut up and STFU if you can't keep focus upon the issue here. People lost their lives and you HAD to say something disparaging about a city that I GREW UP IN, WAS EDUCATED IN AND LOVE TO THIS DAY. I take that as a jab to the people but we all know how the "entitled-DOMINANT race" finds the opportunity to interject with racist troupes in useless comments no matter what day and TRAJEDY.

[@Mark-i3p2e]

Thank you for this. What a tragedy, but you really did a great job of explaining to us what is known as of now. RIP to all lost and condolences to the people who've lost loved ones.

[@BeverlyMurphy-j5m]

TALK OR TURN THE DAM THING OFF WHILE YOU R TALKING HOW ANNOYING 🤨

[@Rhaman68]

@@BeverlyMurphy-j5mDear Beverly, two words “dam” and “damn” sound the same, as homonyms. Please check definitions as a “dam” refers to a structure that holds water. Thanks. Have a nice grammar day.

[@donalddepew9605]

After years of flying in high density airspace, it’s not hard to mistake other traffic for the aircraft that you say that you have in sight. I’ve made that mistake and was able to remedy this. I’m very sure that anyone who flys in this airspace for any period of time has also experienced this. Not hard to mess up! Most midair’s happen during day VFR conditions in blue skies. In these conditions, there’s a phenomenon called empty field myopia where your eyes are lured into an effective range of 30’. Very sad accident here, and another great video Dan!!

[@therealdeal26]

***This was a complete miscommunication method done on purpose!!**

[@fanbutton]

Never mind all that. The pilot need only to look at his radar and warning indicators.

[@mariejarreau7251]

@@therealdeal26 What are you saying? Can you explain your somewhat disturbing comment?

[@therealdeal26]

@@mariejarreau7251 ***it explains itself Genius***

[@therealdeal26]

@@mariejarreau7251 **since The Bastards keep deleting my comments EXPLAINS IT ALL lol** ***I rest My Case***

[@instantkarmalr]

The Russian figure skaters on the flight were coaches in the US. Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov were the 1994 World Champions in pairs skating. Their 23 year old son, Maxim, was not on the plane. He had just come in 4th in the men’s competition held this weekend at the US Figure Skating Championships in Wichita. Right now, it seems like 14 people affiliated with US Figure Skating, primarily children who train in the DC area and Boston, were on the flight. It’s heartbreaking.

[@foxtrotcharlie1619]

Let the conspiracy theorists repress their insecurities with their brilliant theories

[@theskyizblue2day431]

@@foxtrotcharlie1619 how many vaccines did you receive in the last three years?

[@dstarr8222]

@@theskyizblue2day431 For me? Flu vaccines, covid vaccines, MMR vaccine, and a few others because I traveled internationally. Also because I don't wear a tin foil hat

[@Naturalaimbot]

sh!t happens

[@DM-il1hf]

@@foxtrotcharlie1619trump already blamed Biden & DEI for the crash, then Musk followed up with nonsense about unqualified pilots & controls were black & only hired due to DEI. The conspiracy nuts now control our government.

[@RamblingsofJT]

One thing I wonder about, was the Blackhawk crew flying under night vision. Night vision takes away some of your depth perception, especially with lights.

[@okiegrandboater]

Also makes it harder to discern lights, everything is green, in a metro area it’s a sea of green lights

[@Semipr0]

Probably not there too much ambient light from the city

[@spvillano]

Buildings don't typically have blinking beacons like aircraft do. But, odd angles create impossible blind spots. There was a daylight, clear sky collision between a helicopter and small airplane near NYC some years back that was captured on video. Both aircraft had one another perfectly in each other's blind spot until a couple of seconds before collision, when it was impossible to avoid.

[@henrypham6965]

I thought about it too... Nightvision... optical illusion 🧠💡 !!

[@belgianquill]

Can it be that PAT25 mistook the aircraft (AAL3130) on final for 01 as his visual target and never actually saw JIA5342?

[@five7driver]

Exactly what I was thinking

[@AKStovall]

it's possible that the UH-60 pilots were confused as to which aircraft they had. it's very possible.

[@LaurieAddoms]

I think you're right

[@elmerdomingo640]

Very possible.... Imagine lots of lights all around,,,

[@elmerdomingo640]

Helicopter routes should not cross the final approach in such a very busy airport with multiple runways....😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢

[@mcass777]

Look at the Flightradar24 replay around 1:45 UTC. You see the AA5342 vectored for a side step arrival on runway 33 from runway 01 for spacing. This means AA 5342 adjusts course slightly to the northeast before intercepting runway 33. Close behind AA5342 is another aircraft, AA3130, lining up to land on runway 01. It is very plausible that the copter pilot mistakenly reported visual contact with AA3130 (perhaps at his 12 o'clock) and not AA5342 (perhaps at his 10 o'clock). The copter pilot may have situationally misinterpreted the environment.

[@edwardrichardson5567]

It's called a Side Step Approach

[@mcass777]

@@edwardrichardson5567 yes, thanks and corrected.

[@DM-il1hf]

That’s likely exactly what happened.

[@chairy73]

What we have here is a case of the the US Military just doing what it wanted, and not giving a damn about looking out for others. Clearly not the Airline's error.

[@whereisthedollar]

Helicopter route 4 crosses directly at and almost 90% angel to runway 33.

[@Liberty4Ever]

10:40 - My point exactly, that I hadn't heard anyone else making. Why is the US Army doing night helicopter training within 100 miles of class B airspace? It boggles the mind that helicopter training is happening on DCA short final... during the day, much less at night. I understand that military training can be inherently dangerous, but it shouldn't be dangerous for the passengers and crew of commercial aircraft.

[@patrickcampbell7409]

This! Gambling with the public’s lives

[@Gcmjet737]

I've flown this circle to land 33 probably 100 times. Helicopters are in the area ALWAYS. A terrible tragedy. What surprises me is that it hasn't happened sooner 😢.

[@The-Moores-r4real]

Resolution Advisories (RA) that alert the aircraft to climb or descend to avoid a collision do not activate/alert pilots when the aircraft is below 1000 feet.

[@dr.shaun.g]

Good point, but you should clarify that this is for takeoff and landing only or what if the plane is below 1000 and heading to mountain in the vicinity of runway- in which case will any RA apart from GPWS get activated?

[@madduxxx2636]

it alerts but doesn't take action.

[@foxtrotcharlie1619]

@@dr.shaun.g Well GPWS usually takes precedence over TA/RA but some aircraft have their TAs inhibited as well below certain altitudes

[@tentacle218]

Thank you. YT is now full of wild speculation about aircraft collision avoidance technology.

[@todd-617]

I'm a former Army Pilot. Our aircraft had both VHF and UHF radios so PAT-21 could have been up with Reagan tower on the UHF channel. The tower would be broadcasting on both frequencies. EDIT: The UH-60 would have, or should have been using a route published in their local SOP. That route would have deconflicted the approach path for Reagan RWY 33. DC is complicated and crowed airspace. All of it is controlled and heavily monitored. If you watch the radar playback you'll see the Blackhawk is initially at 200 feet and the AA jet is at 400, then they both met at 300.

[@johnobrien2620]

Would the Blackhawk have ADS-B in?

[@tovelokiwifeodindottir9936]

Wasn't the Potomac originally a Military ONLY path? Someone said it was controversial that Passenger planes were recently allowed to use that air space.

[@justfactstruth8711]

Why did the helicopter climb? It was safe at 200 feet. I would assume that jets landing would be at a certain altitude, or range of altitudes, and the same for jets taking off. So all the military helicopters had to do, when they apparently often crossed that path, was to stay below those altitudes.

[@rampallion8694]

It means this was deliberately done.

[@BigBlueJake]

@@tovelokiwifeodindottir9936 Airport's main runway is parallel to the river. Flying up the Potomac is literally the only way to line up with the airport given the restrictions in the surrounding area.

[@MikeM275]

"Under the watchful eyes of the tower" .... Those "watchful eyes" have been so degraded in the last few years that we have come within seconds of major disasters multiple times.

[@njb7209]

100%❤

[@Feedback4Utoday]

ATC is there to assist.... Pilots need to take responsibility... & know what they are doing. Is a big issue w what the military was doing ... flying perpendicular thru Bravo short final

[@MikeM275]

@@Feedback4Utoday NO! ATC is most certainly not there to "assist." ATC is GOD when you are in their TCA area and you do as told. You fly the heading you are told, you fly the altitude you are told. Period. Only in an extreme imminent emergency would a plane (or helo) deviate from what they were told to do. Remember in IFR conditions no pilot can see anything, they 100% depend on instruments AND controllers. The same in a TCA. The controllers here very late in the approach of the commuter changed the intended runway. I think this is going to be a huge factor in the investigation. ATC knows the altitude, heading, and altitude of every aircraft in it's area. The Blackhawk was squawking AND in communication with the tower. Acting like they "don't know what they're doing" is ridiculous. Tower knew exactly where each aircraft was and what altitude....and had NO business letting these two aircraft get that close to each other.

[@billmanning-m5l]

Initial guess is that the Blackhawk pilots thought the "maintain visual separation" was for the RJ taking off and passing in front and over them. The inbound RJ may have been broadside to the Blackhawk at that point and hard to see. If the controller had given a "RJ at your _o'clock" instruction then that might have been enough to get the Blackhawk crew looking at the approaching RJ. I agree though, by running helicopters right through the approach path(even if they were supposed to be a couple of hundred feet lower than they were) then that is a veritable recipe for conflict. Tragic and sad.

[@pinksnoopydancer]

Exactly. I suspect improper traffic information given. If he had issued prior, ok. But if this is the only call…..too little too late.

[@spvillano]

Add in that the RJ was descending, it might've been partially obstructed from view by the rotor plane. Looks like initial collision alert was at around a mile, mutual closure rate would've been around 300 knots, giving maybe 10 seconds of warning of potential conflict or spurious congestion generated alerts. Not a whale of a lot of time to decide and take evasive action - neither is a fighter jet after all. But, it's encouraging to know that the highest levels of our government have already blamed a political cause... :( Can someone kindly glue our politicians mouths closed for a day?

[@Tomm9y]

Thank your for this clear and well set out information in tragic circumstances. I'm not an aviation person, but this was coherent to me.

[@saphirus1able]

Thank you so much. I listened to the press briefings and then I listened to your video. You are so much more informative. I just subscribed to your channel.

[@NathanBallardSaferFlying]

Thanks for keeping us all posted. Such an awful tragedy.

[@Badgersj]

A very interesting analysis which shows the general background to this horrible event rather than jumping to conclusions and assigning blame.

[@chrisd_man2156]

NO TCAS HELO IGNORED ATC,...ATC FAILURE, FACT. HELO WENT NO COMM ATC FAILED TO PROVIDE SEPARATION ON PUBLISHED HELO ROUTE HELO FAILED TO CHECK / REPORT HELO ROUTE LANDMARKS FAA FUBAR FAA KNOWS TRAFFIC DENSITY TOO HIGH,...THEY HAVE KNOWN FOR YEARS.

[@TheCaffeinatedOrganist]

I am grateful you got to work on this fast

[@eyefly001]

I wonder if PAT21 saw the departing aircraft and thought it was 3542. I know from experience that locating other aircraft at night can be very hard, ground terrain and lights can also make things difficult to see.

[@Feedback4Utoday]

can't really make excuses for the military & their pilot on this one... a very hi level of responsibility has to be accepted in a metro area like this, so close to runways... so much security etc etc...

[@eyefly001]

@ way too early with very little information to throw any blame around just yet. How long was atc watching them converge before realizing their paths may collide? Why does a military exercise take a flight path across the path of landing aircraft? May not be the pilots error if poor policy put them in that place.

[@KevinSmithAviation]

Thank you for the update Dan. I agree with you that it is crazy for the military to have a training route crossing short final of a major airport. This is a horrific tragedy, that should not have happened. Prayers for the families of those lost in this awful crash. Military Blackhawks are frequently practicing at the airport I fly out of. At night they are nearly impossible to see among the lights on the ground. I would imagine the CRJ pilots never saw the Blackhawk. Thanks again Dan, for doing such an excellent job getting the news out to everyone. Keep up the excellent work. Safe skies my friend 🇺🇸🛩️

[@dancruz1427]

@@KevinSmithAviation that unit's entire purpose in life is to transport people in and around that airspace and surrounding airspace. They might have been conducting a local area orientation for a new pilot. They might have been positioning to pick up their VIP. It is highly unlikely, IMO, that they were on a "training route" across short final for multiple runways at DCA. However, transitions for low level aircraft in that area using the Potomac River are extremely common.

[@alicefairchild2551]

Pretty sure at that approach angle the cj would have not been physically able to see the helo ill bet those training exercises get rerouted

[@KevinSmithAviation]

@ according to the information that Blancolirio put out, the Blackhawk was on a training mission. Even if it’s standard practice for them to transition over the river, being at low level crossing in the short final area of a busy airport is just stupid. There are better ways, like overflying midfield of the airport. Just because that’s how they have always done it, doesn’t make it the best practice. With the loss of all these people, I’m sure authorities will be making changes to that.

[@MitchKingTrades]

I agree that night flying is challenging in a city because the lights cause a lot of problems for pilots. Many media reporters are asking if military pilots had night vision and this isn't a good application for night vision. Night vision is appropriate for missions into areas that have little or no lights where most military missions at night would take place. When I look at the Flight replay you can see the helo is flying in a converging path with the AAL 5342 and both aircraft maintained about the same relative direction to each other. This gives both aircraft pilots the appearance that the other moving aircraft is a stationary one. Example, it appears that flight AAL5342 was at the Army helicopter's 10 0'clock relative position. The helicopter was at the AAL 5342's 2 o'clock relative position. As the two aircraft converged, both aircraft maintained about the same relative position to each other all the way to collision point and that visually makes it difficult to see. For non-pilots, this sounds confusing but it makes total sense this situation "tricks" the eyes. The most important question I have is why is the helo flying on the approach path of one of the busiest airports in the USA? I did read and hear on another video that the Tower controller advise the helo that there is traffic but this video I saw did not show if the helo pilot confirmed he saw the AAL 5342 aircraft. Without trying to be distasteful about my next comments, I would think the helo should not be crossing a busy approach lane at the same altitude commercial aircraft of a busy airport would be using. Also, this is a condition that a good controller who is well rested would stay on top of this situation and repeat the warning that traffic is approaching but the controllers are really busy at that airport. If you ever want to see how busy it is, go to the end of a busy airport and look at a clear sky at night and look at all the incoming aircraft with their landing lights. It is a line of aircraft following the same exact glide path every 4-5 minutes of separation and that's why it is danger danger to be crossing that approach flight path. As usual, aircraft accidents usually occur when there is a combination of events that line up with each other at the same moment. Deep condolences to all the families involved.

[@patriciageorge2916]

Maybe they shouldn't be able to have landings within such a short period of time? Stacking the way they do is a recipe for disasters just like this!

[@LaurieAddoms]

32 year ATCer. Your commentary is spot on!

[@sky_warrior_372]

Thank you for your great coverage and information. Dan, you explain things very well. My condolences to the victims and family. Keep up the great work, Dan.

[@Memememe-is1yn]

The Black Hawk pilot was a trainee. He was flying too high. Both were turning in the direction of the runway when the collision happened. The Helo pilot didn't see the plane over his left shoulder and thought another plane ahead of him was the one that the tower was telling him about. The sad part is that you can hear on the tower recording the others in the helicopter yelling out something to the pilot in the last second before it cuts off.

[@nolanr1400]

Exactly

[@miltmichailidis9776]

Being on a training mission does not mean the pilot was a 'trainee'. Military pilots, no matter experience level, constantly train in order to hone and maintain proficiency.

[@AKStovall]

pilots of the "gold-top" UH-60s are in no way trainees. they're skilled aviators. spatial awareness loss can happen to literally anyone, regardless of skill level. the gold tops are VIP transports. they're not brand new pilots.

[@georgeconway4360]

Civil uses VHF radios, Military UHF radios, ATC talks and receives on both, nothing new.

[@garrettbounds9412]

I believe that on another site it is reported that the pilots of the Black Hawk were one officer and one CW3. Both had years of experience, so this isn't a "trainee" mistake.

[@peterzimmermann4841]

there was another CRJ just ahead of AA3542. Maybe that was the one the Chopper crew saw ??

[@truckpilotnate2972]

That’s exactly what I thought, too

[@whereisthedollar]

Didn't even look like the helicopter saw it. Just hit like an 90 degree angle.

[@dianna1979]

Kind of scary that could happen. Aren’t those high tech helicopters equipped with some kind of a warning system??

[@creid7537]

Maybe, but that other CRJ was flying away from the chopper. Less lights from behind.

[@peterzimmermann4841]

@@creid7537 ... yeah, that on had passed. So he could safely pass behind it. Just an assumption

[@caiolinnertel8777]

Visual Separation, and the whole concept of "See and Avoid" in VFR weather is and has been tenuous. I have over 14K hours and night flying is challenging and the lights at low altitude can make it very difficult. You can't tell type of aircraft, only that ther is one in a sight line, so the CRJ and another on final to RWY1 make me wonder if the plane landing RWY1 was what the UH60 pilot had in sight. Tragic.

[@kkalani97]

Bet you’re right

[@darkstar9008]

This makes a lot of sense. A busy airspace shouldn’t have VFR allowed at night

[@Mark-i3p2e]

I agree with you. I've heard others surmise the same thing, based on the copter's pilot or crew saying they had the plane in sight.

[@Brother_Pugz]

Really.... Question? How does a military helicopter that has another aircraft approximately RIGHT OUTSIDE the cockpit with beacon and landing lights on, not see it?

[@mickg7299]

UK and EU ATC regulations are more stringent.

[@ShipperChick]

Always appreciate your clear explanations. I worked for AA back in 1989 and 1990 (in reservations) and even though it was such a short time, every plane incident hits me so hard. 😢

[@TakingOff]

And it’s been since 2009 for the last one.

[@iowafarmboy]

Thank you for the update this morning!

[@teresak1177]

Thanks for your take on this! Prayers for the families and responders

[@RickyJr46]

As was the case with Pacific Southwest Airlines Flight 182 in September 1978, ATC assumed visual separation was being maintained between the two aircraft and did not issue a collision alert. ATC did not know that in fact 182’s crew had lost visual contact with the small plane.

[@katkathym8041]

Did the controller previouly call traffic to Pat25, ie traffic 11/12oclock 2/3 miles regional jet landing rwy33 do you have him insight? All I heard was do you have the rj in sight.

[@richardwest9054]

Thank you for your calm, rational approach to this incident.

[@edwardwong654]

This is the 2nd time that the US has lost its national figure skating team. February 15, 1961 AD, the plane carrying the US National Figure skating team crashed on approach to Brussels airport. They are calling that the Day Figure Skating Died. How sad.

[@dw13645]

We didn’t lose our national figure skating team in this crash, but have likely lost many young development skaters as well as coaches and family members. It’s utterly tragic for the figure skating community. I just wanted to clarify to anyone reading that at the moment it doesn’t appear senior skaters were onboard so we haven’t lost our national team, but that is still fluid. 😢

[@mikvance]

Thanks for the AD 😂

[@psps6623]

Thanks for clarifying, I accidentally started checking the flight logs for 1961 BC

[@samalam98]

Why can't the controller relay the collision alert to both pilots, as a matter of emergency, rather than just ask the Helo pilot about VFR? This would've likely reduced confusion over which aircraft the Helo supposedly had visual on, no?

[@whereisthedollar]

I live 15 miles south from DCA MD side across from Fort Belvior. Noticed helicopter flyovers late evening last several days. They cross DCA fight paths all the time.

[@1bizjets]

They cross landing path all the time?

[@whereisthedollar]

@@1bizjets yes

[@deuce9star]

@@1bizjetsmost planes land on the main runway. Runway 33 is sometimes used by regional jets only and other smaller aircraft. Due to majority of flights using the main runway, it might have been assumed by the helicopter that they were not crossing the path of an arriving airliner. I live near DCA as well. Helicopters fly around the airport frequently. This is the first time something like this has ever happened.

[@w3vjp568]

I live near DC but don’t go there much, but when I was there a few months back I was thinking to myself “how the f*** has there not been a midair with all these choppers buzzing around so close to DCA?” Normalization of deviance is when dangerous situations are ignored or excused because “it has worked so far” - until luck runs out. And that is, I think, what has happened here.

[@joolz5747]

From what I heard…sounds like the helicopters need to fly on a different path. This is so awful. Pray🙏

[@ScrillaTMU]

As someone that works in aviation, I’ll say that there are helicopters all around DCA everyday, usually military. As for the ATC, I would have told them they are too close and seem to be on collision and to move away. But they asked if they had the “CRJ” in sight. If you know anything about air traffic, plans usually come in one after the other. My guess is that they may have been looking at the wrong plane and didn’t expect the plane that ATC was referencing to actually be that close. I don’t think they saw it till maybe he last min, if they saw them at all. This probably could have been avoided if the tower was more cautious when speaking to the black hawk. When two aircraft are on the same course, you have to always be cautious. Sadly, over recent years, there has been more than double of close calls of mid air collision, and multiple at DCA and LGA airports. That could have been a reason why ATC was so laxed although they had indications that the aircrafts were on course. It’s something they see all the time, but it’s usually just a close call. We didn’t have the amount of close calls that we do now years ago. Things have to get better

[@seandalton2580]

Military training at night in busy air space?! WTF?!

[@geoffwhiles8223]

Thats what training is all about. Training.

[@dancruz1427]

Yes... frequently.

[@creid7537]

Yes, especially if they're training to fly at night in busy airspace as part of their job.

[@dancruz1427]

@@creid7537 100%. PAT25 callsign = Priority Air Transport, which are Army VIP helicopters that have to operate in dense civil airspace all the time. kzbin.info/www/bejne/paancqGFbcqAnJofeature=shared

[@markzsurka1643]

And on a different frequency. TBD if transponder was on. Also, crossing the approach path of a jet on an instrument flight plan, on short final, that has been cleared to land, at night, with multiple visual targets possible based solely on 'Do you see "him"?' seems to occupy the space betwixt unintelligent and negligent. So yeah, wat the phuque. Edit: Not saying it doesn't happen all the time, just saying it is a terrible idea.

[@gottagowork]

According to Blancolirio, there will be no TCAS commands given to provide vertical separation, below 1000 feet. Should we rely on visual separation at night in such congested airspace and overly busy ATC? I'm no pilot, but it sounds easy to "visually confirm" the wrong aircraft in front of you, moving in the windshield, at night. So you get focused on that, failing to see that other aircraft that is not moving in the windshield, only getting bigger. Things moving is far easier to see than things just getting slightly bigger. That's according to a pilot friend.

[@edwardrichardson5567]

Just Traffic Advisory for obvious reasons

[@edwardrichardson5567]

Only Traffic Advisory. The Resolution Advisory is disabled for obvious reasons..

[@five7driver]

RAs are inhibited below 900 feet AGL, TAs are inhibited below 400 feet AGL in a descent. They would have received neither below 400 feet. That is how it is on Boeing aircraft and I would assume it is the same on a CRJ but I am not certain of this.

[@AlienGamer38]

Why you listen to a wanna be investigator

[@HojaUno]

This incident is truly heartbreaking and a stark reminder of the risks inherent in air travel. It's been quite some time since we've witnessed such a devastating event in aviation. My thoughts and condolences go out to all those affected by this tragedy. I hope thorough investigations they understand the causes and prevent similar incidents in the future.

[@amydavis4945]

Of course we don't have the complete picture yet, but it seems like this was an "accident" waiting to happen. With military helicopter flights going across arrival/departure space of a major civilian airport. Thank you so much for this upload so incredibly quick after this horrible tragedy. I had seen the video that has been released, but the radar is what really showed the more accurate convergence of aircraft.

[@krissyk9767]

Yeah seems insane to me to allow helicopters to fly accross where planes are landing and taking off !

[@rhainaweissehexe3899]

Thank you Dan, you have more commentary and information than any other channel. This is so disturbing and tragic. How could this accidentally happen?

[@will7its]

Dei.....

[@JDoe-ip2hx]

💯👍​@@will7its

[@spvillano]

Saw video of a daylight, clear sky collision, both aircraft literally were in each other's blind spot until the last second, when it was too late. Aircraft aren't slow, so closure rate can be literally a blink of an eye at times. That's why in class B airspace like that, ATC is supposed to have extremely tight control and mandatory separation. Of course, a lot of flight safety and other protective programs just were defunded and decapitated, leading to chaos. Don't know if that factored in, but assuming they're not defunded, the NTSB investigation should determine what happened and make recommendations to prevent it from happening in the future.

[@will7its]

@@spvillano So its Trumps fault....got it

[@patriciageorge2916]

​@@spvillanoSo, within literally nine days everything changed? How do you explain that? It's not about the funds. It's much more than that.

[@CHIPSSALTY]

"We have visual of the plane." Probably the most haunting last words. WTH happened!? They looked at the wrong plane? How many years have they been doing these kind of things. Like the helicopters and planes are less than 500 feet apart, and the tower tell the pilot's to just "watch out for each other"!?

[@jamestheredd]

It seems like two major vulnerabilities here are the SOP of converging flight paths, and the use of different frequencies between commercial traffic and military traffic while operating close to the airport.

[@rogerpayne5336]

Looking at the video the fact there are 3 aircraft in a small frame ( airspace ) is criminal. You've got a plane taking off , a plane coming in to land , and yet a helicopter is allowed to cross a plane high and a plane low in this congested space. It's almost like a pedestrian running across a motorway , which , is prohibited by the way , but they allow helicopters to cross airline traffic. Criminal.....RIP.

[@mikvance]

This is so bizarre.

[@MarkTurner-vs7uc]

Not at all. Looks intensional. Our military is made up of traitors and psychopaths.

[@beltalowda131]

'... Behind the CRJ; Aircraft in sight, request visual separation; Approved.' was on 134.350 (DCA Twr Helicopters) at 01:47 and 35-40 sec Z, crash at 50 sec. Assuming that's the black hawk, is it common for ATC to work out this type of thing with so little time?

[@jasonchipkin]

They were advised of the traffic well before the incident.

[@beltalowda131]

@jasonchipkin Ah, hear the 'Request visual separation' from PAT25 as well at 01:46 too. 'Behind the CRJ' should have clarified which aircraft since 3542 was the first aircraft on short when the first visual separation was approved.

[@stephengoetsch349]

Looks to me like the chopper pilot turned right, the appropriate thing to do when approaching another aircraft head on. The jet probably never saw the chopper, he was looking at RWY 33, to line up for final. He turned left, the chopper turned right, directly into the jet. My take: 1) the chopper had no business being near DCA at that altitude. 2) ATC should not have requested the jet to circle from RWY 01 to RWY 33. 3) the jet should have refused the circle to land requests so late in the approach. All the deaths were due to ATC trying to get another flight off a couple minutes earlier.

[@roshi98]

The helo increased altitude from 200' to 300', and nothing in the ATC audio indicates that they were instructed to. As Hoover often says, the Swiss cheese holes lined up to cause this tragedy, but at this early stage it's far too early to assign blame to ATC or the helo pilot. The only ones who appear entirely blameless are the crew of AA 3542.

[@stephengoetsch349]

@ I agree.

[@peterwilson7532]

In regard of point 2), runway 01 has an ILS approach system used at night for guidance to the airport. It is common and expected that planes will then be given clearance to land on 01(a flight was ready to take off on this 01 runway as we saw) or 33. Hence the tower cleared the plane to land on 33. So there is nothing exceptional about this planes actions or the controllers orders here. This was entirely the helicopters fault in difficult lighting conditions. He never even saw it.

[@bigscores7237]

@@roshi98 I doubt the CRJ crew could have effectively reacted to it, but wouldn't their TCAS have been screaming at them?

[@MainSequence1]

​@@bigscores7237gotta watch the video bro.

[@glorybound7599]

The ATC transmissions are very fast, like most people speak today. This may have been a contributing factor in poor communication. This was controlled airspace where all the aircraft were in radar control. A course and or speed correction should have been given to the helicopter since the RJ was on final approach to land. Three people were ultimately responsible for this accident, the two pilots flying the aircraft and the ATC handling the aircraft separation in that sector. It appears the helicopter acknowledged the visual of the departing 🛫 aircraft not the approaching to land aircraft. If you listen to the audio, the controller was also handling a medical emergency aircraft as well which may have been a distraction. The winds reported were also a distraction, gusting 15-25 knots.

[@barbarabrock1947]

So terrible. Praying for everyone and families.

[@JordanHourGlassDJ]

DCA will be closed till 11:00, Friday morning. This was just stated at the press conference that just concluded. Prayers to the families of AA/PSA/military involved.

[@SydneyMadueke]

11:00 today. It’ll open in 3 hours

[@PetesGuide]

Dan-TCAS dos not use ADS-B at all. It instead uses the mode S transponder. It does require that all aircraft in a conflict be squawking their ICAO ID via mode S, and then all aircraft with TCAS in the conflict will get the appropriate messages.

[@markzsurka1643]

But no conflict resolution below 1000 ft.

[@PetesGuide]

@ yes; below 1000 ft you don’t get Resolution Advisories, but should still get the Traffic Advisories.

[@five7driver]

@@markzsurka1643 900 feet AGL

[@five7driver]

@@markzsurka1643 900 feet AGL

[@five7driver]

@@PetesGuide No TAs below 400 feet AGL

[@AndrewJarvis-hn7cc]

Why is aviation audio always of such appalling quality?

[@southernairman5628]

I am a pilot and I totally agree with you, horrible audio! AM sounds like that. We don’t use FM because of interference (2 radios keying up at the same time) it has a capture effect and totally wipes out communication, AM gets through but it makes a squealing sound. But I agree with you it’s awful to listen to

[@Dyson_Cyberdynesystems]

The audio being distributed is recorded by individuals who have listening receivers stationed around the country. Exactly the same way ADS-B data is collected by FR24, Flight Aware ect. So the audio quality is dependent on that person's setup, antenna size ect. Since they are not usually on the airport property so there are also LOS issues ect ect. The quality of the tower console and AC CVR comms would substantially better.

[@richardgilson3512]

Channel separation has been greatly reduced over the years. so you get basically the audio quality of a bad telephone connection of the 1970s. As long as it is intelligible to the pilots and ATC the industry groups aren't concerned about it sounding rich (8.33Khz per channel)

[@TheWTZ1983]

@AndrewJarvis-hn7cc aviation geeks recording the trafic, that you can hear in those videos, have only the radio receivers they can afford for, that's why the quality often isn't that great ✌️😅

[@davidwithrow7854]

It's also the system they speak to the sasquatch with

[@barrydavis7468]

Thank you, this video was very informative and helpful in understanding what happened.

[@martinljubic84]

The Airplane dropped altitude in order to land, in that last minute, thus IT dropped out of the sky infront of the Blackhawk. The experienced pilot in the Blackhawk had no time to react with an airplane suddenly right in front of him. The Blackhawk was in fact flying level at 400 feet, at the time. Meaning, the Airplane was crossing the Blackhawk's path. BUT WHY A BLACKHAWK WAS FLYING SO CLOSE TO RUNWAYS OF ONE OF THE BUSIEST AIRPORTS IN AMERICA, ESSENTIALLY IN STEALTH MODE, IT BEGGARS BELIEF. Who ever thought this was a good idea: not too bright. More deadly than bright.

[@VictoryAviation]

Excellent reporting as always Dan.

[@someonerandom256]

I think the last minute runway switch was probably a major factor.

[@patriciageorge2916]

So do I. That just added another factor when they were short on time.

[@beyondstratosphere]

DCA is an unsafe airport. Too close to the White House and the airspace is very congested with civilian and military aircrafts. ATC working on multiple frequencies here is bad for the situational awareness for the pilots.

[@shadetreader]

The US military is a cancer.

[@mercywilliams2698]

This seems to be most relevant..one wonders how long there was accepting the dense traffic and mixed aviation as a norm and as long as nothing untoward has happened..everything continues status quo..even tho common sense says it shouldn’t be accepted as such.

[@AlienGamer38]

Really unsafe how only 2 crashes In it's life time Air Florida Which was the crews fault and this one

[@AlienGamer38]

Which clearly Black Hawk fault

[@BradsFishroom]

One thing I don't understand is why tower didn't advise the American Airlines that a Blackhawk was approaching and crossing to the rear. It would have put the pilots head on a swivel and possibly made both air crews even more aware of the traffic situation. I am impressed with how calm the tower controller stayed after the crash while rerouting everyone. I am sure once he got a minute he had at least a minor breakdown. And finally my heart goes out to all the effected people from this tragedy not only the families but the first responders as well.

[@RobertLara-lj3jo]

Is nice to hear your knowledge on this accident I’m a wood carving propeller that’s my job and hearing your knowledge is something else.. 🙏🏼 for all does family who lost a love one in the accident

[@victoriagreen2992]

Heartfelt condolonces for the family who lost their loved ones. I pray every one are believers to

[@mestengo22]

Seems like it was the helicopters fault

[@dka618]

right, and because of this, because they can make these mistakes, they should not be there. It's obviously unsafe.

[@sherijourneay9235]

Thank you for the great coverage of this tragic event .

[@Alex-Isayev]

I wouldn’t call it a volatile situation in terms of news. I would say it’s a very dynamic situation.

[@geoffwhiles8223]

Or fluid?

[@AdvantureZach]

Developing 🤷‍♂️

[@blake_edwards]

I've found at least one source that plays the ATC audio and you can hear static covered responses from the aircraft. But they were clear enough to make out what the crew was saying.

[@NiklasVWWV]

Please clarify, do you mean radio transmissions before the accident sequence? Or transmissions during the crash?

[@LucBerthelot-y5b]

My biggest concern is how we are going to survive all these financial and political crises, especially the power struggle in the US. The government has really made things difficult for its citizens and we cannot just sit by and suffer the consequences of bad governance🙏...

[@SandraBeatriz-mx1cc]

I am new to the crypto world and don't understand how it really works. A friend told me trading with a professional trader is the best strategy for beginners and busy investors, but for months now I've been making so research and haven't found any.please any recommendations

[@okaropius]

Thanks to Mrs. Latricia Hammonds

[@okaropius]

She's a licensed broker and successful entrepreneur from the state.

[@okaropius]

I first met her last year at a conference in Washington DC, invested $2,000 and within a week of trade I make over $15,000.

[@gloverwebster1102]

I am amazed that you mentioned and recommended Latricia Hammonds. I came across one of her client's testimonial on CNBC news last week.

[@Matagot90]

Was the plane supposed to land on the longer runway? Why would they change the runway at the last moment?

[@five7driver]

In order to allow an aircraft to depart runway 01 before the next arrival on runway 01. ATC does these runway changes routinely in order to increase traffic flow. In this case it looks like it bit them.

[@ronmortimer252]

Putting military aircraft and then training pilots to fly at night right right at the same altitude and flight paths of commercial planes landing and taking off seems insane. It suggests this was an accident waiting to happen. Those poor people were sitting ducks.

[@edwardrichardson5567]

Military Training Exercise , not Military Flight Training with a Flight Instructor..

[@sporilight]

No personal experience flying or directing aircraft, but from the radar, I could believe it's possible that the helicopter had eyes on the further aircraft that looked like it was on a direct course to land at the original runway that AA 5342 was going to land at.

[@TexDrinkwater]

In your video last night, you mentioned something about the seating chart for that flight. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think that American's cheapest seats aren't assigned unless the passenger pays to upgrade, and if a number of passengers decline to upgrade, wouldn't those seats show up as available?

[@ShermThursby]

Hi, I fly AA a lot. Even the cheap seats are assigned.

[@TexDrinkwater]

@@ShermThursby Thanks. I haven't flown with them since the '90s, but I've bought tix for other family members.

[@justflylow]

Visual separation is a unique creature sometimes. When you are on a collision course, the object to which you would collide does not move in your screen. That is how you know you’re on a collision course. When looking for traffic that you may be in conflict with I would advise gentle S turns while looking to avoid the collision course non-movement visual cues. I don’t know if this is something that they teach but maybe they should. I always keep in the back of my mind that just because I don’t see something does not mean I’m not going to be in conflict with it. Diligence is ultimately necessary in all visual collision avoidance. Whether collision was eminent or not wake turbulence should also have been considered in this scenario. It would be very dangerous for a helicopter to fly underneath a landing jet in full landing configuration. This was a very bad situation in all regards. This is ultimately a very unfortunate crash. Prayers to everyone involved.

[@Calebs_Aviation]

Very tragic news Dan! 😢Hope that the FAA finds the cause and publishes the official findings very soon!

[@shadetreader]

The FAA will probably cover for the Pentagon instead....

[@JimmieBrown-sg8fq]

NTSB HQ only 2 miles from crash site no excuses for not having a quick turnaround on the preliminary report.

[@erikpeterffy7552]

1969: Man on the moon 2025: Visually searching each other in pitch-black airspace

[@actonman7291]

Blancolirio channel and this one are THE source to understand these accidents.

[@JoeLinux2000]

Blancoliro is a war monger.

[@AlienGamer38]

​@JoeLinux2000 lol and a wanna be investigator

[@kimymarie596]

The news interviewed a couple of pilots who have said they have been running helicopters through that corridor for years. And they knew it was an accident waiting to happen. One pilot had his own near miss in the same area 🤷🏼‍♀️

[@nonrevhogan8938]

Have been watching your channel for some time now and appreciate the time you put in to correctly and with facts report on these incidents. I do work at the airport on the ground and know exactly how dangerous it gets out there. Have worked over 40 years at DCA and was even there at the Air Florida crash outside in that whiteout condition. Wow have things changed for the deicing events now. You did such a good job on the Montgomery Al incident with respect but with facts. That is when i started to watch channel. We just had another horrific accident in CLT which again involves situational awareness. I was expecting and know you are probably working on that when this happened last night as I was leaving airport. I watch those helicopters fly across the Base side all day. You would think and maybe this does it more restrictions in place when Runway 33 is in use. Just tower asking if you see approaching aircraft as we see is not good enough. Really nothing the RJ could have done , they were focused on runway at that point and Blackhawk was coming in from their right side. Letting him that close to an approach path should NOT happen as you said. Keep up the great reporting you unfortunately have to do to cover these incidents.

[@gotmudd]

CRJ was busy setting up for the new approach and probably not looking for traffic. My guess is PAT 21 had the other aircraft ahead on short final. Still, they should have been flying on high alert through this corridor. Tragic loss.

[@tomandtinadixon]

Two aircraft working on separate ATC frequencies, a confirmation bias of 'commercial flights always land runway X, so we'll be fine', and one of the crews never gets the runway change because of that. Add in some bad light pollution in the area. As my old flight instructor used to say, Most aircraft accidents are carefully planned.

[@virgilsplabodavic1765]

Just found your channel. VERY good report! Thanks for the inside knowledge shared and balanced approach. It helps me understand what is going on. Keep up the good work, please.

[@bwolv]

It’s not “a training route” ,, it was a trining mission, may very well have night time proficiency… he was in communication with ATC. I’ll bet he had the “wrong” flight in sight to maintain “visual”. I’m a commercial pilot, center, and tower controller.

[@RobbinFlowers]

😮

[@five7driver]

So what is your perspective on the VHF/UHF/ multiple frequency issue? From a pilot perspective it is always helpful to our situational awareness to be able to hear ATC communications with other aircraft especially in a terminal area.

[@bwolv]

I agree it would have been helpful to hear each other’s comms. But unrealistic due to frequency congestion. I don’t think it was a VHF/UHF issue, it’s a sectorization of the airspace issue. If all the aircraft in the vicinity of DCA were all on the same frequency it would be totally blocked by people “stepping on” someone else’s transmitting. For that reason, the airspace is divided into sectors, (something like a pie) with each sector owning its own frequency. Of course they all must coordinate with each other. DCA has a frequency specifically for helicopters.

[@amydavis4945]

Is it customary at this time for the tower to have advised AA 5342 that there would be traffic (the Blackhawk) to their right/behind them when they first had them change to runway 33?

[@JS-ti8ny]

“ None of this explains how 3 crew members did not see an airplane RIGHT IN FRONT OF THEM “ My sentiments exactly! The helo flew DIRECTLY into this airplane! It practically looks like a Surface to Air missile. The KNOWS this Route and they know what traffic to expect and from what direction…HOW are they flying DIRECTLY into the airplane and claim they “didn’t see it”….??? Can someone help me make sense of this..???

[@stephengoetsch349]

I think they saw it and took standard evasive maneuvers (pass on the right). Unfortunately, the jet was turning left to line up with RWY 33 and couldn’t have been looking for the chopper. By the time it registered to the chopper that the faster jet had turned right into them, it was already too late to turn back the other way.

[@nomnomNACHO]

They were both turning at the same time. The heli pilot was probably looking where they were turning and didnt realise the plane was decending on their left. CRJ pilot had no chance seeing then either since the direction and angle of their turn prevented seeing the heli. In someway it is kind of a similar accident that what happened to the b-17and a p-63 mid air collision. The pilot of the p-63 was turning in such way that he was unable to see the b-17 Very unfortunate accident :( RIP to all who perished there

[@edd.8261]

it is not that both flying straight and both did not see each other. Helicopter is turning to evade CRJ, but CRJ is turning the same way as planned. It is like two persons walking to each other in a hall way, both trying to avoid the other and still 2 or even 3 times both moving to the same direction. The helicopters should not go that area, and if they are allowed they must be at lower altitude.

[@gatolibero8329]

I agree. The jet was in front of them the entire time. The helicopter pilot even acknowledged that much. Just a strange turn of events. I've done some plane spotting at night at SNA, CLT, and LAX. The lights on these planes are extremely bright, even in dense fog, bad weather, and an urban environment. I mean you can REALLY see these things lit up. So it's really odd to me they didn't see this coming or they just made a really bad judgement call at the last minute. They "should" have seen that jet even before it made the circle approach. AT SNA and LAX I can see planes coming over the mountains they're that bright. You see pretty much every part of the approach. Even in the city.

[@mr3745]

The bright lights you see in the video are from a sight line the pilots would not have had. The helicopter pilots would not have seen the landing light at the angle of approach at the time of the accident. If both aircraft were turning, the helicopter crew most likely lost the wingtip nav light / beacon / strobe of the airplane against the background of other lights on the ground or other aircraft. This is a game you can play yourself next time you're on an airplane at night landing in a big city. As the airplane is a few seconds from touchdown, look out the window and see how many potentially distracting things you see around you. It's not as easy spotting other aircraft in a busy visual scene as you think.

[@plreckson]

Thank you for pointing out the unbelievable military use of that corridor where planes are on low final approach at Avery busy airport in the nations capitol.

[@plreckson]

It’s unconscionable!

[@peterv1806]

Great report. Let's all ask God for his loving support at this time, and may He comfort the families of the lost souls.

[@65TossTrap]

This is so tragic. My thoughts and prayers are with the victims and families

[@Frankaa-yg4wc]

Also, understanding that Tower was communicating the helicopter on one radio band and to plane on a different radio band

[@joddemason9499]

Why would ATC ask for visual contact when they were both flying ifr? Not a pilot just an aviation enthusiast but if anyone could explain I'd appreciate it

[@publicmail2]

Ironically it was a PSA flight in the late 70's that prompted the TCAS system.

[@stephengoetsch349]

Different PSA…

[@jbman413]

Was that PSA 182? I witnessed that posting uo to the fan tail of USS Neversail my last day of boot camp. Flew out the next day.

[@Flussig1]

Coincidentally.

[@Nitrous-ej5zy]

If your talking the one that flipped and crashed in San diego because it hit some guy in a cessna, I was there that day!!!! I was 3 yrs old at the time. Whole building shook. Crashed a few blocks later......

[@publicmail2]

@@Nitrous-ej5zy Pilot of PSA flight last words, "I love you Mom"

[@The_Reckoning617]

My thoughts are with all the victims, their families and friends. It’s so hard to watch the video knowing 67 angels gained their wings 🪽

[@BigBadBork]

What’s so sad is the pilot of the plane must of thought at the last moment they did something wrong, they had no opportunity to save that plane or the crew

[@jbman413]

I could be wrong, but I believe when we are dead we either know the truth or it is available to us. The cloud of witnesses. I don't worry for the dead they are all in GOD'S hands.

[@randyjones6915]

Why was AA 5342 not given traffic info on PAT25?

[@RiversRider]

when the ATC asked the Helo if he had the CRJ in sight he should have asked with the location of the CRJ as well considering the amount of traffic.

[@patriciageorge2916]

They should have been told as well. Many people made bad decisions period.

[@pinksnoopydancer]

Was that call to Pat the first transmission that included a traffic call? Seems like the controller may have already issued traffic but if not, that was too little too late. I would need to hear more of the recording prior to this point. The first call made, with the exception if the clearance for take off to the AA on RWY 1, should have been to Pat because his traffic to watch was now moving his approach to another RWY.

[@johnk2347]

Maybe planes and military need to download flight radar 24 to use to monitor local aircraft. Like it’s insane someone on their phone could have more understanding of aircraft in the sky than people flying them.

[@bigscores7237]

This whole thing reeks of shocking incompetence. I'm calling Diversity, Inclusion and Equity as a possible root cause, if not for directly who the participants were but the general lowering of standards for all involved positions.

[@johnk2347]

@ I went through ATC hiring there are no bonus point for DEI, being a veteran is a different case. All aptitude and performance based with years of supervision, many don’t make it. And DEI would never be a reason to keep an incompetent ATC controller. We have lost the plot if we are not going to use critical thinking skills, search for facts and the truth and just blanket all our issues with DEI as the cause.

[@bigscores7237]

@@johnk2347 Thanks. That's great to know. But DEI practices are widespread, and if you're casually dismissing it as a broad cause of preventable problems you apparently aren't familiar with the serious provable damage those practices have already caused in firefighting, policing, and indeed, apparently at some airlines, Atlas 3591 being a prime example. It's also been a huge problem in some areas of the US Armed Forces.

[@dennymontgomery9716]

Your comment regarding the difficulty of seeing potential traffic or terrain obstructions against a complicated cultural background while flying low altitude in a helicopter at night reminds me of the Houston tour helicopter that flew into a lit radio tower at night. A spot-on and very relevant point.

[@siggmundfloyd1858]

Let's not make excuses for the helicopter pilot. The video shows that the two don't just collide. The Blackhawk blindsided the DCA. Negligence and liability against the Blackhawk pilot is abundantly clear.

[@stephengoetsch349]

No excuses, but it looks to me he was deviating to the right which is standard procedure in a head on situation. That the jet was focused on lining up for RWY 33 and turning LEFT (much faster than the chopper) while the chopper was trying to evade (as he is supposed to) to the right made the crash unavoidable. Also, near an airport, one does not expect jets to make the kind of turns necessary on a circle to land so close to the ground.

[@sagapoetic8990]

@@stephengoetsch349 The plane was asked last minute to change runways and the pilot radioed compliance -- would that last minute change have been a factor?

[@breakinghues2751]

@@sagapoetic8990 probably not because that’s standard procedure for the circle to land at Reagan.

[@rickypoindexter9505]

@@stephengoetsch349 This plane was asked to change runways which is not uncommon. They had the short runway on a challenging approach. They were focused on the landing. The UH-60 pilot was told to maintain separation and he agreed to. Then ran right into the regional. RIP to all the lives lost. Hopefully they change their policy of allowing rotary wings being flown by young men to just go willy nilly across a commercial airports final. The policy that sets this SOP needs to be changed end of story.

[@stephengoetsch349]

@sagapoetic8990 absolutely. “Circle to land” is a standard instrument approach maneuver which was initiated by ATC’s request, very late in the Jet’s approach to 01. As an instrument pilot, I personally detest them because they involve low altitude (much lower than pattern altitude) maneuvers at low speeds, making stalls much more likely. I only fly light planes, but I have determined I won’t attempt “circle to land” approaches voluntarily. While the jet pilot does not appear at fault, I would have told ATC “unable”, and made the aircraft trying to takeoff from 01 wait three minutes.

[@b2thez305]

Again I ask, Would it hurt the training or ATC to tell the helicopter to hold/hover position until the approaching CRJ passes?! Why was it still moving forward is where I'm stuck.

[@thebonkser]

It's the Black Hawk's fault, end of.

[@geoffwhiles8223]

Well you would know I guess. Thank you.

[@creid7537]

You are correct sir.

[@kimclarke5018]

@@geoffwhiles8223he’s right. The copter never responded to instruction.

[@edwardrichardson5567]

It's common sense. The CRJ was at the correct spot on short funal. The UH-60 creed members erred....

[@MarkD-pl4fu]

No, it is the controller's fault. ATC is supposed to control the aircraft, and not give vague instructions in crowded airspace. If ATC told the helicopter to turn left to whatever heading, then everything would have been fine.

[@mickg7299]

US needs to tighten up its ATC regulations, in the UK and EU there’s no way a military helicopter would be allowed that close to short finals.

[@AmericaFirstFLL]

It seems the Military Helicopter should not have been allowed anywhere near short final approach. The Chopper should have been given vectors to avoid the immediate area needed for landing aircraft. Seems like the Collision Alerts were essentially too late.

[@TheARCheese]

I would assume that the plane making the final approach would take priority?

[@edwardrichardson5567]

It does

[@five7driver]

@@TheARCheese ALWAYS

[@DavidSL64]

Excellent video, including the ATC radar. Agree with some of the comments that the copter guys may have had the other aircraft on r/w 1 in sight. Also, just wondering, when ATC got the CA, why didn’t they order an immediate turn (for example south) to the copter? Or maybe to the jet to execute a missed? Either way, may have been too late. So sad.