Washington plane crash: Investigators release cockpit recordings

Investigators have released the final conversation between an American Airlines plane and air traffic control, shortly before a collision between the aircraft and a military chopper.
The transcript reveals the pilots received multiple automatic warnings that a helicopter was nearby.
Some 67 people died in the collision between the two craft on Wednesday above Washington.
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[@TheAncientOnes-j8l]

Turns out airline pilots have been complaining about this exact helicopter route for YEARS.

[@alisonwilson9749]

Yes, and posters are making this a male-vs-female issue, like none of the other near misses were piloted by men. And had other aircraft not taken avoiding action, some of them would have been crashes too.

[@KarlH1980]

@@alisonwilson9749 Well than men all avoided the airliners..... :-0 (too soon?)

[@papawheely4137]

​@@KarlH1980You really think that was the first time a woman flew that route?

[@robertburns7877]

The helo route goes straight into the approach path of rwy 33. They intersect at 200 ft in the same location.

[@joejones4172]

@@papawheely4137 Was she qualified is the only question that matters.

[@windyhillbomber]

Multiple close calls with military aircraft at this location suggests an accident was simply a matter of time. Disgraceful

[@dbrown4462]

Apparently the day before an aircraft had to do a go-around due to a heli being in the way during the planes final approach

DEI - 3000 white dudes refused jobs - near misses through the roof in last few years

[@petrit8520]

Absolutely agree

[@aaronphan6514]

Congested air space, distracting ambient lights, limited vision due to night vision goggles, trainee pilot, 3 soldiers instead of the recommended 4. This was a disaster waiting to happen. Outrageously stupid.

[@Swissspookie]

The American military can't do anything competently.

[@HellUnderMe05]

This was like crossing a freeway on a bicycle. It should not be allowed.

[@rdspam]

It’s like crossing a highway with a bicycle via a bridge over the top. Perfectly safe and very regularly done. Driving off the bridge and into traffic doesn’t make a bridge bad.

[@Islamisthecultofsin]

The 'bridge" would be invisible to make it an accurate description.

[@brianlopez8855]

somebody needs to go on leave.

[@AdnoidHister]

With a female at the controls 😂

[@deksea]

@@AdnoidHister Your point?

[@Trawler22]

This insane practice of crisscrossing blackhawks and commercial jets was a huge mistake

[@DİLEKAVAN-w2z]

Huge ignorance and neglect😢

[@AnonymousSourcesConfidential]

Brilliant observation.

[@r.o.1330]

@@AnonymousSourcesConfidential ....i understand your irony, but why does it take a youtube commenter to make the point? this has been an ongoing accident waiting to happen for years.

[@davidcoody9371]

Not really. The airspace can be controlled by the ATC for both military and civilian. It was an accident that could have been avoided. The NTSB will surely evaluate and make changes.

[@ctswag4204]

Whoever thought it was a good idea to have a helicopter training route anywhere near a busy aiport was not thinking straight. This tragedy was entirely preventable.

[@Jmons-v8p]

Someone else on this thread said that was the usual path for the helicopters and runway 33 was rarely used. Remember the air traffic controller switched the plane from runway 1 to runway 33 at the last minute.

[@Mr.Ekshin]

The helicopter route had a flight ceiling capped at 200 feet MAXIMUM. But the helicopter pilot... a female rainbow squad DEI hire... was flying at over 350 feet. She was at twice the altitude she was supposed be, and it cost a lot of lives.

[@mikewaters6980]

@@Mr.Ekshin it was a non male helicopter pilot?

[@heldinahtmlhell]

@@mikewaters6980 Yes, it was a female pilot doing her evaluation.

[@heldinahtmlhell]

There are thousands of planes in the sky everywhere.

[@dcxplant]

As an airline pilot operating out of DCA I've done countless go-arounds due to traffic conflicts many times due to helicopters. I personally have filed many NTSB ASRS/ASAP reports along with countless other pilots in DCA and no one listened. Safety was compromised in the interest of increasing airport capacity. Aircraft in and out of DCA, including airliners, are kept over the Potomac river for the sole purpose of reducing noise for the wealthy living along the Potomac river, which is a factor as well.

[@kojoefante]

So it wasn’t DEI?

[@RemmikRotus]

@@kojoefante of course not, it takes true common sense to know that. tRump stating he could say this early that it was caused by DEI, because he has common sense, is possible the stupidest answer to a serious question. Maybe even dumber than lame answer of admitting he only had a concept of a plan because he was not president yet. 🤦‍♂️

[@sandyrodriguez2803]

Lived and worked next to Crystal City, super close to the airport, and woud hear the planes all day long. Yes, know the air traffic iis heavily congested in and out of DCA. It is an all day affair. To anyone who has step foot at DCA, it is clearly evident the airport is too small and awkwardly laid out to handle the traffic that it does. I feel for the families, but hope this will address what was already known. Better airport management is needed. Helicopters cannot be eliminated from the area, but there has to be a better approach on how to handle them. The service they provide fto our top leaders is essential, but their has to be better coordination for all who share the air space. In this case, the helicopterwill be blamed for not having the right visuals, but anyone could have made the same mistake with the quick turnaround time and nightly conditions...was reported to be super widy that day. Not finger pointing here, just hoping mid-airs do not occur there again.

[@psychshell4644]

I'm so sorry that your concerns were not heard . This must be so frustrating.

[@Sucitsidewayz]

Being successful isn't allowed.. I guess. Same tears different situation

[@AlexAugustinex]

Release what was happening inside the BlackHawk. Thats what we want to know.

[@VeeSeven700]

That's not under NTSB control, unfortunately. Military aircraft, military decision. They will not be releasing it, I don't think.

[@findmeintime]

@@VeeSeven700 Trump will make them release it for full transparency. I dare say the decision making of ATC is also a major failure here.

[@SFO14]

@@findmeintimejust like he released his taxes? Don’t hold your breath.

[@shyam8398]

@@findmeintime Thats cute

[@gemma5039]

​@@SFO14completely different

[@tonycritcher3419]

This was totally avoidable. Tragic waste of lives! May their souls rest in peace!

[@ghost2112_fpv]

100% avoidable.

[@encinobalboa]

CRJ was in left turn for final. Not much he could have done. Helo turned right in an attempt to pass traffic on the port side which is customary on roads and sea lanes. Helo thought she was doing as she could do.

[@gregfaris6959]

Everything is avoidable after the fact. Getting ahead of the fact requires a lot more thought.

[@mea3665]

No there not. HUMEN ERRO,WILL CONTINUE BECAUSE HUMANS ARE FLAWED NOT PERFECT !

[@mea3665]

​@@ghost2112_fpvNope Humans will always make mistakes

[@ShaylaDra]

Last time, we discussed the concrete wall at the end of a runway in Korea. We now have a military helicopter on the landing path of a commercial aircraft.

[@BrjanBuckmaster]

The helicopter deviated from his assigned altitude.

[@guybeingaguy]

I have built airport concrete barriers so I was able to tell everyone they were wrong. I also land commercial aircraft in my free time so here again I had to inform everyone of the facts. Many other fields of expertise that I come on here and give facts to those less experienced and intelligent as myself. I’m awesome 👍

[@danw3665]

@@guybeingaguy And so humble :|

[@Mr.Ekshin]

@ - SHE was at twice HER assigned altitude. And she was told there was an airliner on approach and that she had to yield to that plane. With only a few hundred hours of stick time under her belt, she had no business flying anywhere near a major international hub like DC. Typically you'd find that level of pilot experience ferrying supplies between Army posts in rural Nebraska. This is what happens when certain recruits are "fast-tracked"... artificially promoted and pushed up the chain for "optics" (ie: reasons other than actual experience, accomplishments, and skill).

[@Brucev7]

@@guybeingaguy Did U Stay @ a Holiday Inn Last Night? 👨

[@harryrammer]

This was too stupid to be called an “accident”.

[@velvetfog4310]

I'm suspicious of the accident being not an accident.

[@Name-nz4kt]

Yep, it seems intentional. ​@@velvetfog4310

[@barbaradu75]

FLUGrevue schrieb am 31.1.25 UH-6o hatte einen Spezialauftrag bei einer Militärübung namens WELTUNTERGANG

[@SillyPuddy2012]

It was complacency. Starting with the helicopter route passing through the approach corridor. Then the chopper crew thinking they could maintain visual separation in the dark, and the tower thinking the same and granting it on request.

[@sinisterkitty8411]

And Congress nixing laws that would reduce traffic at that airport...

[@GranFinale]

Nevermind the plane's black box. We want to know what the black hawk's black box recorded. 😤

[@iliveinreality-kq1is]

The only thing they'll never give us

[@Nowhereman123]

Exactly that's where the answers will be and who was in the helicopter. Alas we will never know.

[@Tony-kq6py]

After much hesitation the Army finally announced that the pilot of the Black Hawk helicopter was Capt. Rebecca Lobach of Durham, N.C. We all have to realize that the role of women in the military should be limited. Certainly they should never be flying aircraft as their mental abilities are limited and they are not suitable as pilots. I state this with experience having been an airline captain with a major airline and have witnessed their poor flying abilities and lack of performance.

[@lespearson3801]

Combat aircraft don't have black boxes per se. Were the aircraft to be captured in theater during a conflict the enemy could then possess it, and know exactly where that aircraft has been and what it has done. We do have telemetry from the aircraft, however.

[@GranFinale]

@lespearson3801 Uh, no. They do.

[@howardlake6178]

Even if the helicopter was meant to be 200ft away, that is way to close for comfort. A night training mission should surely be after evening flights had finished or reduced

[@roblockhart8410]

Evening fights had finished? I don’t think the airline industry shuts down for the night does it?

[@SillyPuddy2012]

@@roblockhart8410certain airports do shut down operations after a certain hour however, and certainly have times of greatly reduced traffic. At any rate, when multiple planes are on final approach is not the best of times.

[@lighthouse_5299]

too close for comfort

[@isabellechartrand428]

Hauteurs

[@hb1338]

The helicopter pilot undertook responsibility to see and avoid all other aircraft. Any pilot who passes within 200 feet of any other aircraft under such circumstances would find themselves out of a job within minutes of landing.

[@moonmullins8227]

It appears that the helicopter was at 300+ feet when it should not exceed 200 feet at that location. Now would I want my family to be landing in a jet airliners 100 feet above a military helicopter at night? NO.

[@PeterLawton]

I agree. Taking that a step further, I see no reason to ever have either aircraft one above or below the other, in the area where jets are taking off or landing. Further out, sure. But near a landing where the jet is only 350 feet off the ground? Overlap should have been prohibited by pure common sense.

[@CodyCha]

100ft separation is not safe. Two aircraft should not have cross paths that close

[@kearyk1]

I agree that seems way too close. Even when lateral separation is considered it just seems way too close. Yet this seems to have been common practice. There was radar data someone posted from the day before this accident. It appears they almost had a similar accident the day before. I believe the altitude of the airplane was higher (above 1000’ agl) so the TCAS kept the airplane from colliding with the helicopter.

[@milehighkush]

and thats what Trump said

[@LK-bz9sk]

@@PeterLawtonYes. Agreed.

[@footyball66]

67 people lost because of total negligence.

[@hunsey]

But didn't Trump use his common sense and tell the press and Fox that it was Obama and Biden's fault

[@16-BITFPV]

​@@hunsey🤣🫵🤡

[@velvetfog4310]

@@hunsey Right but he needs a bigger excuse cause no planes crashed when Biden was president, but everything is still his fault.

[@jerzyszymanski819]

is the habit in America to always wake up after a horrible tragedy, they think they are invincible,,,, but wrong!!!

[@richnoggin7524]

Bidens negligence

[@michaelfoxbrass]

RIP to the victims of this horrible mishap. Peace and comfort to their families.

[@norwegianzound]

No mishap. Sheer incompetence from Trump's people.

[@Alex-xj2vs]

RIP TO THE VICTIMS OF THIS HORRIBLE MISHAP

[@Alex-xj2vs]

Peace and Comfort to their families

[@Alex-xj2vs]

Rip to all the victims

[@straightshooter4976]

@@norwegianzound Oh really now? Which Trump person flew the helicopter or plane? The pilot of the helicopter was actually a Biden person. Get your facts straight.

[@adohmnail6445]

This is so sad. It is devastating for everyone.

[@saintpreferred9223]

Dems love the word devastating.

[@freespeech7747]

The Blackhawk was at fault

[@Scott6794]

Yes, but why?

[@MichèleNoriega-k6d]

@@Scott6794 We need to hear their radio transmissions.

[@Scott6794]

@@MichèleNoriega-k6d hypothetically, even if the pilot wanted to cause this on purpose, is it possible? I know nothing about aviation. Also, is the remote control thing just bs?

[@boblynch2802]

@@Scott6794 news reports and ADSB seem to show the helo may have been higher than it was supposed to be and may have deviated to the right of the planned track. We shall see,

[@kiwi6444]

@@Scott6794 Because they believed they had passed behind the jet and would be safe to climb which they should NEVER have done and I reckon its not the first time these choppers have broken the 200ft max height limit when they believe they are clear of conflict. The fact is the chopper should have been at or below 200ft but he was not at the point of impact, he was twice that height. Just my 50 cents.

[@JJLalas]

As a current ATC I can tell many things contributed to this disaster: last minute change of approach procedure (from ILS to sidestep visual to a different runway), helicopter too close to commercial traffic flying VFR at night! not aware of its traffic in order to cross behind it. One ATC working on 2 different frequencies. Concerned traffics not on same frequency. Helicopter not maintaining altitude specific to its approved pattern. I could go on and on...

[@alan2914]

I partially concur. BUT, in this case it was tragic. Changing runways means he was still in the air. Original runway, straight in approach, the airliner was already on the ground.

[@bobbyhendley3084]

I heard another ATC this morning say that the helicopter pilot apparently called visual on the plane in line BEHIND this flight, which was following the same landing pattern. So the helo likely did not even see this plane.

[@franknice2308]

Swiss Cheese Model

[@trainman1209]

Great input!

[@trainman1209]

​@alan2914 what?

[@carlpierce2486]

Ridiculous flying helicopters anywhere near aircraft landing....which clown thought this was ok ?

[@GLEX234]

Your government

[@GLEX234]

@ No, but don’t let TDS show. These routes and the ridiculous security theater in DC were brought to us by 9/11.

[@stuartlee6622]

Miss Buttiget was in charge. ❤

[@jm4ever-1010]

​@@bababooey5195 this one has no clue whatsoever.

[@janecreek681]

George W Bush's administration most likely.

[@CapnCaptainPpPp]

Rest in peace, may we learn humbly and vow to be safer in the future. My heart breaks for the families. So many worlds changed.

[@thetourk]

There is no excuse for this to happen, to many aircraft trying to using the same airspace is not an accident its bad management. My thoughts go out to all those involved in this.

[@jsacodes916]

I see a lot of lawsuits coming.

[@David-ho1yi]

Yeah too bad for government immunity. The victims families will likely never see justice be served.

[@robertthomas5906]

They should sue Joe Biden and the democrats.

[@EdNew-i5g]

Because a lawsuit will bring them back ...

[@gregfaris6959]

I see a civilian airport closure coming.

[@christophergraves6725]

@ There is justice plus creating an incentive for the government to stop endangering the public.

[@aliali-ce3yf]

Helicopter's fault - 100%

[@CodyCha]

Yes and no. ATC has a huge part in it. Also Heli did not have the co-pilot which cause a blind spot for the lone pilot. The military is at fault for allowing such flight

[@58biggles]

​@@CodyChawhere is the information about there being no copilot?

[@quick906]

​@@CodyChahelicopter went above their maximum allowable altitude. Atc has nothing to do with it

[@nono-yd8ij]

@@CodyCha ? Heli did have a co pilot. and a third in the back to check for blind spots.

[@Ch4rlz_ThA_Princ3]

​so ATC has very little part in it, because the ones who physically tipped the dominos was the woman who insisted on flying without a copilot/helicopter chief and the person who signed off on her clearance to do so. Lets not do that illogical emotion thing people like to do. An ATC has but a voice from a radio & auxiliary support function.

[@Tr3xShad]

The US Army or military is to blame. No training should be done around busy public airports.

[@brookingsbeachcomber]

when someone from the biden regime flies their helicopter into a jet liner full of people it looks much more intentional than accidental

[@Dedwood_1]

Why would someone who "EXCELLED" at "EVERYTHING" she did need training at night to fly ? It's as simple as KNOW YOUR ROLL and life would be much simpler. She had 0 business in the pilot seat of that air craft. She was at 300 ft and should have been at 200ft. What were "They" doing in that cockpit that had them in position to make that basic of a mistake ?

[@papawheely4137]

​@@Dedwood_1 Why wouldn't she need training at night? How does that make any sense? She's excels at some things so therefore she obviously doesn't need any hands on experience? What kind of logic is that?

[@Dedwood_1]

@ Multiple news reports say she was training with night vision. I didn't make it up, I'm just repeating it.

[@annaamouyal904]

Training near the. Airport should be forbidden. 😮

[@anon9415]

Poor plane pilots tried to evade at the last second.😭

[@kullanma]

That's what it sounds like. Wow

[@BelindaLMoreno]

💔😢

[@tommywilkinson33]

It sounds more like the helicopter hit them and they reacted to the impact. The plane then lost control and pitched down towards the ground.

[@artwatch-y9j]

@@kullanma How do we know the plane tried to evade?

[@SWAFanPilot]

@@tommywilkinson33 Impact was 1 second after their reaction

[@mtnbikr107]

Damn, that means the crew saw the helo at the last second and attempted a futile climb, but physics already determined their fate.

[@williammcintosh6267]

Right. But what the helo crew really needed was more time. The passive ATC controller should have intervened immediately with vectors when the CA started flashing, but I doubt that he even caught the CA bc of the distraction of having to work 2 positions. I would not want to be that supervisor who shorted that controller. He knows what he did

[@mike747436]

An increase in pitch, but he doesn't say whether up or down.

[@CrowDawg11]

@@mike747436 at 300 feet the assumption is that the commercial pilots had a reflexive yank back on the stick moment. Probably not going to be pitching down to try and avoid the helo at 300 feet and lawn darting into the ground instead.

[@mike747436]

@@CrowDawg11 Yes, a reflex pull rather than a push is more likely.

[@Nysvarth]

@@mike747436 "pitch up" only means one thing.

[@barryf5479]

There's a pilot and a copilot in the Helo and neither one of them knew they were flying above the 200 Ft. limit? Were they blatantly ignoring the FAA regulations?

[@denisewalsh6586]

As Trump said , Not to hard to understand...basic altitude max limit

[@grayrabbit2211]

They're military. they're too cool to follow civvy rules.

[@ACuteAura]

@@grayrabbit2211 given they had ads-b off without a good reason, that's the answer

[@NicoleCinnaroll]

​@ACuteAura may I ask what ads-b stands for?

[@ACuteAura]

@ it's the transponder that reports GPS position and altitude. without it ATC is reliant on primary radar which is a lot less accurate.

[@Truth_Yeah]

Wow, the flight crew noticed the helicopter one second before impact. They tried to adjust their pitch but it was too late.

[@kgan4733]

Black hawk speed 699 feet per second!

[@JescaML]

They were told to go behind the plane but ignored it

[@valeriemckinney4658]

@@JescaML There were 2 planes so probably mixed them up.

[@dustup2249]

Meanwhile, The helo crew was warned the plane was coming, what direction the helo crew should look for the approaching plane so they could keep visual separation. The plane had the right of way and the helo had the duty to yield.

[@Biosafetylevel4]

@@dustup2249 The helo crew were never informed about the *location* of the CRJ. This was one of the main problems.

[@viewandchew]

Yuck. So the airplane pilots knew😪 and tried to pull up... those poor people

[@skychotic]

It's unfortunate that it took something like this to make these dumbasses realize they shouldn't have helicopters flying there. Reminds me of that plane that crashed into that pile of concrete in South Korea. Maybe don't put a mound of concrete at the end of a runway?

[@viewandchew]

@skychotic airplanes, speed and massive stone walls don't really go together, do they.

[@1stamendmentsupporter]

Helicopter was directed to pass behind the plane; it passed in front of the plane.

[@maryanne7161]

​@@skychotic What would u say about the ajrport/runway at the edge of a cliff in Mangalore, India where a plane fell off from?

[@proudbirther1998]

And the controllers radar told him that the HELO did not see the CRJ. When the CONFLICT ALERT went off on the radar He should have called for helo to change course and the CRJ to climb and go around. But he trusted the army man and not his radar.

[@fanlyk3288]

Last time we talked about concrete wall at the end of a runway in Korea. Now we have a military helicopter on the landing path of a commercial aircraft.

[@gregfaris6959]

See the pattern? Uninformed people making a lot of hay about things they know nothing about.

[@Kyauk-r2y]

Exactly, in korea we don't see this as a pure accident. We are n a political power game, the 2nd korean war. The airport chief when the concrete wall was built is found dead a few days ago before an investigation starts.

[@Voodoo_Robot]

Next thing we will have landing strips near malls

[@jujutrini8412]

I guess the saying that “common sense is not so common anymore” really is true.

[@Kyauk-r2y]

@@jujutrini8412 my comments got deleted. In korea, we don't see that as an accident, we are in the 2 korean war right now.

[@mynamesjeff347]

Why is the Blackhawk traveling ANYWHERE NEAR the runways

[@michaelmurray6197]

Cause it's a route down the Potomac river. I'd guess it's been in use for decades. Probably first for civilian helicopters that wanted a scenic route, and then copied by the military as an easy training route that already had some proof that it was safe since there weren't any collisions. TCAS probably would have given a warning if it was a civilian helicopter, doesn't sound like that happened though. So I'm guessing that the blackhawk was stealthy enough to not show up on TCAS. I wouldn't be surprised if this route was approved and has been in use prior to 1981 when TCAS started being required by the FAA. In fact multiple times planes have had to abort landings due to helicopters in similar situations to this at Reagan. Clearly they got the warning and this flight did not unfortunately. In hindsight it's obvious. But I'd bet there are thousands of more dangerous aircraft routes that are used across the US every day. We just don't normally see civilian and military aircraft intersect on those routes. Most recent report by the FAA apparently had 313 close calls in the last year. I think there are also something like a thousand small plane accidents every year, although a number of those probably didn't result in deaths. To put some perspective on this something like 100 people a day die in traffic accidents in the US, more than in this plane crash, it's over 10 million accidents a year. So unfortunately an intersecting route like this is pretty far down the list of things to investigate and fix until something terrible like this happens.

[@danjo1967]

jeff, go back to watching law and order

[@Chris-kq9lb]

It was an exercise on an emergency evacuation route assuming something went wrong in the Capital area and they had to take important people VIPs out of the area ASAP that was the training mission that is why they were going down the river verses to the East Overland

[@roadtripsam]

That is terrifying. The crew saw it coming with only a second to react.

[@Jmons-v8p]

It did look like plane tried to pull up at the last second and that black hawk was going real fast.

[@roadtripsam]

@Jmons-v8p yep. Too little too late. Closing speed is too fast at that distance.

[@GwladYrHaf]

It doesn’t look like the crew of the airliner had any chance to avoid the collision. I also think it was being flown from the left seat. I can’t see any scenario where the airliner could have avoided this. Also it’s too early to even speculate blame elsewhere. Tragic for all involved.

[@truthmarshal6627]

Passengers saw it coming before pilots guaranteed

[@TWINFLAMEDIVINEUNION]

@@truthmarshal6627😭

[@karenmiceli6819]

If the airplane pilots saw the chopper coming, some of the passengers probably did too. So horrifying.

[@xmarksthespot4021]

Black hawks are designed to be difficult to see at night. So chances are, the crewe, let alone the passengers, wouldn't have had chance to register what was ahead.

[@josephberrie9550]

the pilots would be looking forward at the runway.....as they should..the passengers probably saw the helicopter coming at them..when looking out the right side of the plane

[@williamopalewski651]

Capt and the 1st officer did not know what hit them..... sad case

[@georginamcallum1324]

Why dint the copter move it away. Those copter are able to maneuver in all direction.

[@alisontopalian8592]

I was thinking that. The passengers on that side of the plane, looking out the windows and seeing something coming towards them. Horrifying. God Bless

[@useridgaf-p6b]

So why the transcript? Why not let us all hear the actual recording.

[@willcox4561]

That helicopter flew directly into the plane.

[@barbaradu75]

FLUGrevue schrieb am 31.1.25 UH-6o hatte einen Spezialauftrag bei einer Militärübung namens WELTUNTERGANG

[@DanaDark]

The military helicopter was at fault. They need to financially compensate everyone involved.

[@None-zc5vg]

....but what good would '' financial compensation" do ?

[@maydizzle1]

seems ATC was at fault from the info given out but good to throw out an opinion that means nothing

[@joso5554]

@@maydizzle1your unexplained opinion is worth nothing.

[@ItsMotoMatt]

@@maydizzle1 that is incorrect. The CRJ was cleared for landing. The helicopter was instructed to remain at 200ft max and pass behind the CRJ. They failed to do so.

[@maydizzle1]

@@ItsMotoMatt sounds like a failure of ATC

[@maxmmpower]

how could a top of line blackhawk not have traffic avoidance alerts going crazy as they got closer?

[@dyonstadd7852]

Generally aircraft wouldn't have that on at such low altitudes because it would ping constantly because of proximity to the ground. For a blackhawk that is designed to fly in tactical environments, I doubt TCAS would even be a thing because they are designed to fly in those types of environments...

[@Cogglesz]

Third pilot has been revealed as a female with only 800 hours total flight time. That's about 3 weeks of airflight for her. I don't think any person male or female should be piloting blackhawks in the evening, she should have been trained for at least 1000 strictly on simulators before going out to DC!!!! Poor decision making by the miltary.

[@rd4908]

@@Cogglesz ​ The male trainer pilot in BH can take over control anytime. Both pilots missed the wrong altitude. ATC was understaffed, with Trump telling hundreds of ATCs to seek non-government jobs several days ago

[@christschool]

@@Cogglesz Her being female has absolutely nothing to do with it. Some of our best pilots are female, including Blue Angels. 800 hours is actually a lot in the military, but nothing in the civilian world.

[@Kellyericah0pe]

⁠@@Cogglesz"revealed as a female" now wtf does that have do with anything? where's the "revealed as a male" for the rest of the flight crew?

[@demonsofrazg]

Having a helicopter route there in the 1st place is a normalization of danger. And a disaster waiting to happen. Shouldn’t have ever come to this, AT ALL!

[@Mr.Ekshin]

The helicopter route had a flight ceiling capped at 200 feet MAXIMUM. But the helicopter pilot... a female rainbow squad DEI hire... was flying at over 350 feet. She was at twice the altitude she was supposed be, and it cost a lot of lives.

[@snahg2356]

We can thank our lazy Congress for that one. One of the Kentucky or Oklahoma senators even said they asked for more flights out of Reagan because it was just more convenient than going five more miles down the road to the other airport.

[@Deontjie]

The difference in height between 200 and 350 feet is only 50 meters. Half a rugby pitch.

[@bfa-xi1py]

@@Deontjie So what? They had to stay below 200 feet. Half a rugby pitch is enough for a heli.

[@MichèleNoriega-k6d]

@@Mr.Ekshin Was she alone in the cockpit? Were flight instructors also on board? Were they male or female? Were they also “rainbow DEI hires”?

[@LivingroomTV-me9oz]

I mean, what are we novices missing? Why is it a GOOD idea to have a helicopter flapping about at the end of a runway in the dark while planes are landing? There must be a reason? Millions of square miles of open countryside…why does the helicopter NEED to be at the end of a runway?

[@gregfaris6959]

Could it be because that's exactly the environment they're going to be flying in when they transport the President to the White house lawn? Just a wild guess.....

[@JH-hw4yh]

The why is that it was a continuity of government army training exercise. They set things up like they would be in an emergency situation. Not saying I agree with it but just trying to answer your question with what I have heard.

[@davidkeeton6716]

​@gregfaris6959 From the WH. This was a practice run for an escape during a crisis.

[@LivingroomTV-me9oz]

Wouldn’t trump escape in Marine One, not a black hawk?

[@janinsweden8559]

There are restricted areas in the air because of the White House, Noise regulations, etc. Traffic corridors for helicopters are mainly the same route as for airliners above the river.

[@TheAxe4Ever]

“The crew had a verbal reaction”. I can only imagine what they said. I have a pretty good idea though. Absolutely a preventable tragedy. There was some major negligence here. Squarely on the Helo.

[@markfosseth8047]

I’ve never seen the US army been blamed even when clearly guilty

[@suesullivan5631]

Then let’s hope that this will be the first, as it is becoming increasingly clear that it was to blame 😢.

[@ItsMotoMatt]

Because the investigation is not complete. No blame is placed until the NTSB issues the final report.

[@PumpkinTuna]

Accidents like this shouldn't just be boiled down to individual blame. It's about systems failure. In this case, the rules routinely allowed landing planes and helicopters to be on crossing tracks within 100 feet vertical clearance. That's insanity.

[@ronsmith5573]

EVER!

[@FlyTour69]

I blame the U.S. Army

[@Foxyfreedom]

Well that told us absolutely nothing besides the fact the aircraft took evasive action

[@Summitspeedfly]

Crap. They saw it coming for all of 1 second.

[@Aminah6623]

Is that what 'increased its pitch' means?

[@wscrivner]

​@@Aminah6623It means the pilot of the CRJ tried to increase altitude but it was too late.

[@Jmons-v8p]

@@Summitspeedfly That means the passengers saw it coming right at them too. Probably before the pilot.

[@JasonKing-m6m]

@@Jmons-v8p These pilot eyesight checks need to become more stringent, especially if untrained passengers on a plane can see things the "trained" pilots cannot.......

[@MatthewBeachy-e2u]

@@JasonKing-m6m at that altitude and on that approach, the pilots are laser focused on the runway in front of them and the PFD with the altitude and airspeed.

[@jdjackson7317]

If commercial airlines are not allowed in military “No fly zones” then why in the hell are we allowing military aircraft to come anywhere near our airports?

[@NicoleCinnaroll]

all those poor people 😓 they must've seen the helicopter coming right at them. We still need an explanation as to why the helicopter was at the same altitude and why they didn't listen to ATC. We need to know what went on in the helicopter. It makes me so sad that the plane did see the helicopter coming right at them, and they tried to avoid it, but it was too late. rip to them all, but we still need more answers.

[@robertburns7877]

100% agree. They need to either change the helo route, or make a rule that it does not get used during a landing operation on that runway. Seems so simple, eh?

[@Chris-jk8yo]

They likely did listen to ATC, but called the wrong airplane in sight. That's just my educated guess. There are a lot of aircraft around DCA. Too many, in fact. That's also part of the problem.

[@jamesburdett2644]

Remember accidents, particularly complex ones such as aviation, rarely have one single cause. I say that as an airline pilot of 35 years

[@raymort3]

Well, it sounds like we had a complacent helo crew with a low hour pilot that didn't maintain SA and drifted off course and busted the ceiling causing the crash...

[@justabill5780]

Swiss Cheese model.

[@BigFred-s3b]

“Accidents rarely have a single cause” Please cite the document which makes this declaration.

[@oldreliable60]

@@jamesburdett2644 American Airlines flight 191 had a single cause back in 1979 at busy Chicago's O'hare airport, when the mechanics replaced an engine with the use of a friggin forklift! 🤦

[@raymort3]

@@jamesburdett2644 - gear up landings, ground loops, vertigo, hypoxia, CFIT, seem to have a single cause.

[@keith8609]

Why the hell have a army helicopter training near a runway approach to an airport seems like an accident waiting to happen 🤔

[@rdspam]

I’m driving 70mph just feet away from a car running in the opposite direction, an accident waiting to happen. Also known as a highway.

[@hayl3yam]

@@rdspamno one is asking 2 cars to drive simultaneously through an intersection at 70 mph though.

[@hayl3yam]

So is clearing a departing aircraft onto the runway whilst an arrival is cleared to land. Too many Go-Around near miss reports, the system broke after the pandemic and nobody wants to spend money to fix it. Appallingly money is above people’s lives.

[@barbaradu75]

FLUGrevue schrieb am 31.1.25 UH-6o hatte einen Spezialauftrag bei einer Militärübung namens WELTUNTERGANG

[@striker44]

What's important is the black hawk black box recording. People need to know for their own safety. Many fly into and out of DC.

[@pataleno]

Sounds like they need to move military Helicopters taking off anywhere near planes. Seems a very mixed up mess.

[@goingbonzo5923]

This is all on the helicopter. We need to know more of what was going on in that Blackhawk!

[@kugelblitz5812]

Just release the recordings and let us listen to them ourselves.

[@PompeyMatt17]

because it could be part of a criminal investigation, they can't

[@Kellyericah0pe]

yes give the ignorant general public unfettered access to evidence in an on going investigation!! such a good idea bud!!

[@jjhervey4153]

@@Kellyericah0petrue. FAR better to just take the government at their word. Good idea bud!!!

[@alangb2086]

Surely a helicopter would have to give way to a plane whatever the circumstances are with their 'instant' maneuverability?

[@foolsgold9993]

There's no such thing as "instant" maneuverability on planet Earth. The helicopter also has to obey the laws of physicks concerning gravity, aerodynamics and the power of combustion engines. Yes, a halo could change altitude and direction much faster than a plane, especially at the speed and altitude the accident happened. But they couldn't just stop dead in the air or drop 100+ feet in a moment's notice. It's also very likely they were wearing night vision googles that makes depth perception very difficult. If it's true they probably had even less time to react than the airplane pilots.

[@rdspam]

Helicopters can’t defy physics. There’s nothing instant about changing the direction of a 7 ton vehicle purely through blade pitch.

[@rdspam]

And yes, they were responsible for avoiding. It’s not like they hit the plane on purpose.

[@alangb2086]

@ I highlighted the word 'instant', I didn't say they can stop dead in the air which they can, but they can manoeuvre much more quickly that a plane, rather than the plane having to give way, bit like a large sea vessel/tanker doing a quick turn or full stop to avoid a sailing boat.

[@douglasreid699]

From another report i saw with a retired RAF pilot in as an expert, he mentioned military air vehicles are to give way to commercial air vehicles because a military aircraft can manoeuvre better and the pilots are trained for this. He also said eyes cant be trusted at night as night vision goggles work well in the dark, but in a city environent there is a lot of background light that can making trusting your judgment not accurate and the instruments are vital to flying at night. From what i have seen and heard, looks like the pilot was on test or training, they were somehow above their 200ft or 300ft restriction, but neither the trainer or pilot did anything to change their course. So it could be a faulty instrument plus the non trustworthy judgment of distance that led to the helicopter being in the flight path even though everything else said they were not in it. The news mentioned friday that one of the air traffic controllers left work early leaving only one air traffic controller but apparently that is ok in the US because they have a staffing problem. Could be nothing to do with the incident either and news is just jumping on the information.

[@raymort3]

Now let's hear the data from the helo

[@farataka04]

Pat25 is the Helo

[@BigFred-s3b]

Irrelevant

[@RickWayne-mn5mu]

It was a government chopper , we will never hear that audio I'm sure

[@raymort3]

@@kfor47 - ? Yet they recovered it.

[@fonkenful]

@@BigFred-s3bWhy?

[@paultruesdale7680]

Even 200 ft of separation is only a fraction of a second at landing speed. Whoever thought this sort of approach could have been a good idea, even in the best of circumstances?

[@NancyPenaBrink]

Sending more prayers for all the families impacted by this horrendous accident 😢.

[@BarnabusCollins]

Prayers are totally worthless. If they were worth anything, the 67 people would not have all died in the first place.

[@dmytriidolhov90]

Helicopter pilot error without a doubt!

[@rdspam]

Hey NTSB, no need for an investigation. Just contact this guy, he has it all figured out.

[@RiemsAI]

I have a strong feeling the helicopter was remotely piloted or fully autonomous piloting. That is why they will never release the voice recording from the helicopter.

[@ccrider77]

Why was the Blackhawk at 325 feet instead of the recommended 200 feet? Why was the helicopter being piloted at night in a busy corridor by a young pilot with only 500 flying hours?

[@John-c3u9o]

I love how the NTSB bureaucrat reported that the CRJ was at 325 feet at the moment of impact but said he couldn't confirm the altitude of the helicopter at the moment of the crash, because that data wasn't available yet.

[@jacksoncordes805]

Yes, they can assume with a good certainty but until data is corroborated why would they confirm anything? It’s called being professional

[@WOWWOW-hk1tb]

Lol

[@dougkreutz7701]

Obviously the helo was at the same altitude or it would not have hit the plane.

[@jacksoncordes805]

@@dougkreutz7701 yes but it’s an investigation. Let them work and get all the FACTS. With no evidence, it’s hearsay. This is normal and a part of the job

[@JohnathanFireeater]

@@dougkreutz7701 I believe OP was making a joke here...

[@garyjones9023]

The NTSB avoids jumping to conclusions, and has no value for playing the blame game. Their focus is on determining what factors (and there are almost always multiple factors) led to the accident. After careful study of all the data, the NTSB will report the probable causes (note the plural) of the accident, and then recommend changes to the FAA. It is then up to the FAA to accept, modify, or ignore the NTSB's advice. Some of the contributing factors that MAY have contributed to the accident: 1. was the helo above 200'? Helo black box will confirm yes or no 2. was the aircraft at 200' at the time of the accident? Aircraft black box will confirm yes or no 3. what impact, if any, did the short-staff ATC have on the accident, with 1 controller directing both the aircraft AND helo, rather than having 2 controllers, one for the aircraft and another for the helo? 4. what impact, if any, did the late change in runway have? Note that instead of final approach over the Potomac, which makes the aircraft relatively easy to see, the runway change caused the aircraft to deviate wide to the right over the city and busy interstate, making it much more difficult for the helo pilot to spot the aircraft and maintain visual separation. 5. what impact, if any, did another aircraft approaching down the Potomac have? It is possible the helo pilot saw and maintained visual separation from the 2nd jet ahead of him over the river, mistaking it for the aircraft the helo collided with. Note how the runway change would have the aircraft turning sharply in with the city & interstate in the background, approaching the helo from the left rather than from ahead where it otherwise would've been 6. Many other factors that are not immediately obvious from early analysis by aviation experts could also be contributing factors.

[@juliosantana1646]

We don’t need a black box to determine the altitude, it is ON VIDEO.

[@user-cj7dv2kc6d]

That's why atc told pat25 location and altitude of crj and that it would be circling to land on runway 33. And atc told them to pass behind crj. If they mistook the other jet futher south they'd be passing in front of it. Lots of chopper errors and too much trust in visual separation protocol.

[@Brandespada]

Why develop such arcane hypotheses instead of concentrating on the person who was piloting the helicopter, a female officer with just 450 hours experience, who specialized in reporting sexual harassment in the army.

[@ghost_martini]

@@Brandespada There was an instructor pilot, a male, who is ultimately responsible for maintaining control of the aircraft on an evaluation flight. Also, evidence for her alleging sexual harassment? Source?

[@bernie406]

​@Brandespada what does her having been a female have anything to do with her ability to fly the helicopter and where does it say she frequently filed sexual harassment?

[@fitzerelli1]

What genius came up with flying helicopters underneath commercial airlines

[@GrayEatsGoldfishYumYum]

That’s right. The title does lie. A transcript is not a recording. A transcript removes the nuance of speech and misrepresents interpretation. At least it’s more than nothing.

[@rdspam]

90% of what was discussed has been available from VAS Aviation for quite a while, replayed and dissected on blancolirio, Pilot Debrief, and several others channel run by actual pilots, not keyboard warriors.

[@beingsshepherd]

It's also 2nd hand and therefore to be taken on faith.

[@Chris-jk8yo]

The actual audio might not ever be released out of respect for the crew. We typically don't hear the last moments in the cockpit.

[@John-pk8lr]

​@@Chris-jk8yoYes. 'Typically' the last moments might not be broadcast on national news. But I've heard cockpit recordings of just about every commercial crash since ever. Tons of civilian crashes also. Last words, screams, impact etc. They're right here on YT.

[@georgeforall]

They tried to pull up . But it was too late.😢

[@JH-hw4yh]

Who?

[@beingsshepherd]

Reminds me of the Kobe Bryant crash.

[@randyscrafts8575]

"The crew had a verbal reaction." Meaning, they saw the helicopter coming at them. Then the pilot changed pitch to avoid the helicopter. Then 1 second after the pitch change, the impact was heard. Spooky to listen to this. The crew knew the impact was going to happen.

[@patrickgarrison7640]

There has been no explanation why PAT25, the Blackhawk, climbed from its sustained altitude of 200 ft. to 350 ft. right before it made impact with AA5342. From all of the different angles we've seen so far, there's just no logical reason why the pilots of the Blackhawk did not see the CRJ. Whoever was piloting the helo did not know WTF they were doing or where TF they were in regards to runway 33 approach path. This incident is completely inexcusable

[@BaobobMiller]

Yes there is... There is a specific intercept maneuver that explains it, several actually, but secretly using civilian aircraft as training dummies is beyond criminal endangerment.

[@YaYa-ke1zr]

Might be why they won’t release the trainee pilots name. I get the feeling that they might have taken on additional risk for the purposes of training. Either that or the helicopters altitude indication had malfunctioned.

[@BaobobMiller]

@ YaYa All of them? There are an absolute minimum of two analog ones plus the GPS systems.

[@YaYa-ke1zr]

@@BaobobMiller Maybe they only knew how to use one, incompetency wouldn’t surprise me at this point. For all we know, this all could have been part of the training test plan. None of it makes sense.

[@jhull5870]

Ok President Trump.

[@USA-qu2nw]

How about the recording from the helicopter?

[@LeeKav]

IDK if anybody else has this problem, but I have trouble really understanding the timeline without seeing it in writing, so I transcribed the key parts: 8:46:01 - audible radio transmission from the tower informing PAT25 of traffic. 8:46:29 - crew receives a 1,000ft automated call out. 8:47:29 - crew receives a 500ft automated call out 8:47:39 - audible transmission from the tower asking PAT25 if the CRJ was in sight 8:47:40 - crew receives automated traffic advisory; "TRAFFIC, TRAFFIC" 8:47:42 - audible transmission from the tower telling PAT25 to pass behind the CRJ 8:47:58 - CRJ crew audibly reacts (within cockpit) to sighting the Blackhawk and begin to increase pitch. 8:47:59 - impact; recording ends.

[@NancyPenaBrink]

Is this the point where the AA pilots were notified that there was traffic in their landing path? At 8:47:40 crew receives automated traffic advisory; "TRAFFIC TRAFFIC". Tragic and preventable!😢

[@alan2914]

As a pilot, the initial runway was a straight in. Due to one controller working 2 channels, he asked AA to change. Results, AA still in the air when they would have already landed.

[@Gnomemansgarage]

they did not release the recordings just somebody reading them , misleading video

[@cfield1468]

For now maybe they are thinking of the families of those killed and not wanting them to hear it. I would think at some point they will release the actual audio.

[@mk-1579]

​@cfield1468I agree with this statement

[@anaclaracardoso1504]

Nowadays - out of privacy and respect - it is common practice not to release audio data from CVR to the general public, only the transcriptions.

[@possumverde]

​@@anaclaracardoso1504It's actually a rule instead of just common practice.

[@terrybrown4400]

It’s called click bait

[@sugs1258]

Cockpit recordings from the plane only.

[@jefferyhubbard3532]

older model UH-60 wasn't equipped with any black box.

[@allangibson8494]

@jefferyhubbard3532This wasn’t a UH-60 - it was a VH-60N (which still isn’t required to have a flight recorder).

[@y6cd3sdzHs1g]

@@allangibson8494 NTSB said they recovered a blackbox from the helicopter at prior briefing

[@Orly90]

@jefferyhubbard3532 Yes they are. All military helicopters have a flight recorder

[@rhiannon7163]

The military never admits their f ups

[@marcghiggeri4965]

So bad and misleading - this is not the cockpit voice recordings

[@nickf2170]

Seems like a lot of people have been dying due to someone elses incompetence lately. These two aircfarft should have never been allowed anywhere near this close. And spare me the excuses....there is no excuse for this.

[@shaunwheeler3484]

Its called the difference between 'qualified but meets DEI requirements' and "best qualified - does not meet any DEI objectives'.

[@ashleyalleva6446]

Anyone know if we can listen to the actual final recording and where? It says released but he’s letting us know. I would like to listen myself

[@stargazer7644]

The NTSB never releases CVR recordings. They release transcripts.

[@lymeregis4354]

curb your morbid curiosity

[@ili1942]

Military helicopters should NOT be flying in civilian airport airspace. A truly preventable tragedy😞

[@lindapereboom]

And what about civilian aircraft in military airspce??

[@dougkreutz7701]

Oh civilian aircrafts have been shot down for that. There is no winning with the military

[@MalContent73]

There is no difference to he controller if it is military or not. I think people don't understand the same air traffic controller controls both civilian and military aircraft?

[@h2s-i9o]

@@MalContent73 atc doesnt control aircraft or airspace they are in an advisory role, the term control is a misnomer . Faa atc has no authority over state aircraft either.

[@JustMe-fo4ev]

@@lindapereboom How exactly is that relevant here?

[@roseravaux4551]

Why don't they let us hear the original message ? They can edit it.

[@Olderwiser77]

We need to hear the voices of what was going on in the Black hawk helicopter just to make sure that nobody went rogue!!!!

[@toddjobe5843]

can we stop focusing on the plane. the plane could do nothing and was doing exactly what it should have been doing. let's hear the pilot's of the blackhawk and why one pilot's social media was scrubbed before release of her name. this is all bullshit!!!!!!!!

[@randyscrafts8575]

It was a female piloting the Blackhawk. This is why we're not hearing much on it.

[@goldwingrocks3859]

So so sad. My hearts go out to the family impacted ❤

[@terryshull4477]

NO WAY WAS IT AN ACCIDENT

[@barbaradu75]

FLUGrevue schrieb am 31.1.25 UH-6o hatte einen Spezialauftrag bei einer Militärübung namens WELTUNTERGANG

[@violet9082]

Everything surrounding the helicopter mission and details needs to be disclosed!

[@cynthiaholland13]

Right!! Why aren't they talking about the fact that the FAA jobs were cut last week and there was only one air traffic controller in there? Also the FAA administrator was asked to resign by Musk and step down a couple of weeks before the crash. So we fired everybody thinking we were ruining Dei and now planes are falling out the sky

[@RSJ-fr1mk]

​@cynthiaholland13 Fact Normally staffed with 2 ATCs personnel at that tower, 1 was allowed to leave work early...that position was left unfilled while the remaining ATC "handled" both positions/responsibilities. The helicopter was understaffed with 3 service members on board...it was approved to fly missing 1 crew chief.

[@1991Green]

@@cynthiaholland13 stop spreading lies. The FAA is exempt from the cuts.

[@gregfaris6959]

This is the military - nothing will be disclosed - EVER! They would rather be unjustly accused of something than disclose any information about anything, ever. In a way, they've got a point.

[@denisewalsh6586]

​@@gregfaris6959 Yep, the plane was destroyed by Friendly Fire..

[@BarnyDaddy]

The army chopper screwed up! The controllers make the advisory. They cannot fly the plane!

[@theamateurconversationalis71]

When I clicked on this I was expecting to hear recordings. But, apparently, my lying eyes misinterpreted the title. 🙄

[@michaela6147]

Waiting for this guy to tell us something we don’t know

[@jaimemontesdeoca7989]

have they played the actual recordings instead of just telling us...?

[@user-emilyyyy]

Release the actual recording.

[@Linda_AUS]

Yep. Flight radar 24 showed the chopper towards the rear of the plane as if it was going to pass behind but imo it looked far too close considering the plane would be slowing to land. Tragic accident for all involved. Condolences to the families. 🙏😔

[@barbaradu75]

FLUGrevue schrieb am 31.1.25 UH-6o hatte einen Spezialauftrag bei einer Militärübung namens WELTUNTERGANG

[@jeezopeez]

Why was the social media scrubbed for the blackhawk pilot? Why was her name withheld for days but not the rest of the crew? Where is the blackbox info from the blackhawk? Why was the Blackhawk out of route and above max altitude? How did the pilot on the blackhawk not see the lights on the passenger plane? Much yet to be answered.

[@paulsalter-nm1pk]

Should never have been there......

[@Summitspeedfly]

DCA also shouldn't be located there.

[@ArktinenJenkki]

@@SummitspeedflyHmm, airport servicing the nation’s capital or stop night training exercises in the 1-mile final of a civilian airport?

[@y6cd3sdzHs1g]

@@ArktinenJenkki There are two large international airports in the suburbs of the DC area-DCA should have been shutdown years ago. National Airport is nicknamed Congress's Airport because the political class finds it convenient to use, fought efforts to shut it down, and they keep approving more and more traffic into it.

[@YouTuber-r5c8x]

Thanks for the information.

[@stoneyj1a1]

It looks like the helicopter deliberately went into the plane. We need answers

[@haseenahaniff8894]

Yes, it did

[@Chris-jk8yo]

No. There are a few physiological and psychological factors of aviation that could lead exactly to this outcome. I bet they helicopter never even saw the airplane.

[@barbaradu75]

FLUGrevue schrieb am 31.1.25 UH-6o hatte einen Spezialauftrag bei einer Militärübung namens WELTUNTERGANG

[@lyonix82]

First the involvement in the 737MAX scandal and now this. Starting to seriously question the competence of the FAA. As regulator for safety this should have been an obvious hazard and could have been easily prevented eapecially if there have been complaints and incidents.

[@barbaradu75]

FLUGrevue schrieb am 31.1.25 UH-6o hatte einen Spezialauftrag bei einer Militärübung namens WELTUNTERGANG

[@pascaldelussac2517]

was it a mistake or intentional on the part of the BH pilot?

[@stargazer7644]

I think we can safely assume it was a mistake.

[@barbaradu75]

FLUGrevue schrieb am 31.1.25 UH-6o hatte einen Spezialauftrag bei einer Militärübung namens WELTUNTERGANG

[@Aminah6623]

What does "increased its pitch" mean? Why wasn't the CRJ made aware of the helicopter but the helicopter was made aware the CRJ?

[@GwladYrHaf]

Increased pitch means that an aircraft pilot pulled back on the yoke in a effort to raise the nose upwards.

[@mvwoon]

CRJ has one job, line up and land. Helicopter has one job, stay out of the way. ATC has one job, coordinate right of way.

[@speedlever]

@@mvwoon And in this case ATC confirmed with the helo crew they had the traffic in sight. So it seems to me ATC did their job. Unfortunately, if the helo crew misidentified their traffic, there’s no backup for that in the time available here.

[@big_beak]

The CRJ would have been able to hear ATC's notice to the Blackhawk of the CRJ's position, as well as ATC's instruction for the Blackhawk to pass behind the CRJ. (ATC transmits simultaneously on both the Blackhawk's military frequency and on the tower's civilian frequency.)

[@speedlever]

@@Aminah6623 in addition, the CRJ crew would have their attention focused forward of the airplane making sure they were in the correct position for landing as they were very close to the ground and in the final phase of the flight. They would not be looking for conflicting traffic either side of the airplane, believing they were in protected airspace.

[@imskar4990]

We all know by this time what happened in the jet, and that they should be cleared of all wrong doing, what i like to know what was going on in the chopper and who was flying at that time.

[@VedaSay]

CRJ on #33 was also on visual. Why did tower not inform CRJ of the Heli like they advised the Heli about the CRJ?

[@DavidWilliams-ic1nn]

right? guessing most traffic was scheduled to land at runway 01 that night and the requested switch messed (very basic) things up. guess we will eventually find out. i do understand that pilots request different runways all of the time for several different normal reasons though. flight sim nerd haha

[@mvwoon]

Because CRJ is focused on runway landing and ATC confirmed with Helo they see and will pass behind CRJ, plus they were supposed to be at a 200' altitude, not close to 400' when they impacted. Clearly something screwy with military helicopter. Remote operator training? They're doing it.

[@user-bj4lp3fr1o]

@@DavidWilliams-ic1nn atc asked for the runway change.

[@DavidWilliams-ic1nn]

@ oh interesting thought the pilots of the crj did. either way that happens all of the time

[@dyonstadd7852]

Because the responsibility was on the heli after they requested and got approved for visual separation. That is what visual separation means. This is just how it works. Could the ATC have done better? For sure.

[@LewieLeway]

What cockpit recordings? Someone reading a script means nothing.

[@kickedinthecalfbyacow7549]

It’s not “someone” its the NTSB reading from a transcript of the CVR

[@theamateurconversationalis71]

Came here to ask the same thing, what recordings? Not paying attention to detail is how we got here. SMH.

[@TheNoticer83]

So the pilots of the plane *did* see the helicopter at the last second (literally) and tried to pull up. Sad.

[@possumverde]

I'm surprised the ntsb hasn't mentioned in any of it's briefings that the blackhawk should have had four crew members on board to maintain proper visual at all times since they don't have TCAS and are usually flying without transponders that let other craft know they're there. They're not meant to rely on the tower alone.

[@ph4se2]

They do have TCAS.

[@rdspam]

Ik’m not at all surprised that two days after an incident NTSB hasn’t investigated, analyzed, and reported every nuance of this incident. Their job isn’t to create isolated sound bites for the masses.

[@possumverde]

@@ph4se2 It doesn't come standard though some are upgraded with it. Even those often run without it being operational though. It's not exactly useful in war as it gives away your presence (and thus not necessarily used for training). if this one had it, it clearly wasn't on or it would have alerted the jet long before the collision, and there's no TCAS warnings on either cockpit recording.

[@dyonstadd7852]

@@ph4se2 There is 0 chance this would be active around DCA. It would be pinging constantly from other aircraft (even the one taking off)

[@stargazer7644]

The helo did have TCAS, that's why the CRJ got a TCAS traffic advisory. The two TCAS units talk to each other. But TCAS isn't going to issue a resolution advisory under 1000 feet altitude. The NTSB hasn't talked about the Blackhawk at all yet. They don't have any data from it. It's only been five days FFS.

[@chrishassett1004]

I live in Yuma Arizona, the Marine base shares the same runway with civilian aircraft, they have said it's safest airport in the nation, this accident is human error, I been told that accidents don't just happen that they are caused .

[@denisewalsh6586]

This was completely preventable. The helicopter was clearly in the wrong as it was flying way higher than the 200 feet maximum altitude for helicopters..how hard was it for that pilot to fly under 200 feet..pretty simple and these helicopter pilots had no business being in that helicopter if they couldn't follow the basic height rule..were they on drugs or cannabis?

[@yves3560]

What an unbelievable stupid accident, how did they not expect this to happen sooner or later ?? Baffles me to say the least..

[@forzaazzurri1471]

Not hearing any recordings, misleading title.

[@michaelm7299]

So NTSB leaves out mention of the helicopter crew refusing the ATC safety order, at least a mile and several seconds before impact. Way to go NTSB

[@-Fritz-]

Because that never happened. The actual audio itself was available within a couple of hours of the crash. Feel free to go and listen to it yourself, your BS story never happened.