Plane crash at DCA

[red viking]

The blame needs to go all the way up the chain of command. 

[1032004]

5 hours ago, Tripnsweep said:

*January 20: Trump FIRES the FAA director
*January 21: Trump FREEZES all Air Traffic Controller hiring
*January 22: Trump DISBANDS the Aviation Safety Advisory Committee
*January 28: Trump sends a buyout/retirement ransom letter to existing FAA employees
*January 29: First American mid-air collision in 16 years, 67 fatalities.

Based on the audio, the air traffic controller did nothing wrong.  Seems like the blame is on the helicopter.

[headshuck]

[headshuck]

Many of the followup questions of the senator are related to not knowing who was piloting the helicopter?

[ionel]

Generally in aviation accidents their are minimum of chain of three mistakes/issues.  If eliminate one of the three can save the event.  The current ones I see from info available:

1) tower was understaffed, one controller was dealing with both the helicopter and the AA flight, it was still busy time of the day/night

2) American Airlines CJ (AA) was shooting the ILS to runway 01 after obtaining visual the tower had them circle to land on 33.  Not necessarily a mistake, happens all the time, but with Blackhawk (BH) traffic coming down the river east side route then why send AA up the river over the route head on with the BH.

3) BH was asked if had visual and confirmed had visual.  Again happens all the time its then his job to maintain visual separation.  However with ~300 mph closer rate and other traffic, lights etc down there at 200' how do we (the tower) know he has visual on the correct traffic target.

4) Appears BH may have been too high, should've been 200' might've been 400' 

 

Break the chain of errors.

(1) If two are working the problem instead of one maybe they see the conflict earlier, stop the BH or clear the AA straight in on 01 and hold ground departure and no accident.

(2) If AA is given clear to land 01 or says "unable 33" then there is no circle toward the BH route on east side an no accident.

(3) If BH is given immediate hold (instead of visual) and or instructed immediate decent to 200' then maybe not accident but AA is still circle to 33 and descend and might be going over top of BH at 400 so only 200' clearance - not good.

(4) If BH at proper altitude maybe no accident but still a near miss given the circle to land visual 33.

 

Given the closer rate numbers 1 and 2 above seem most critical to me at this point but the black boxes will give us much better info.  

[billyhoyle]

I'm excited to see all the immunology experts who became AI experts now become aviation experts. 

[Tripnsweep]

3 hours ago, billyhoyle said:

I'm excited to see all the immunology experts who became AI experts now become aviation experts. 

Also military experts who believe Trump has a plan to deal with cartels. 

[1032004]

Army releases name of third helicopter pilot.  A female, but based on her accomplishments not unqualified.  Of course many on social media jumping on the fact that she might have been a lesbian, as if that matters

https://www.army.mil/article/282772