Plane crash in DC plane and chopper in Potomac River (Sadly there were NO survivors)

well I wasn't referring to you because that would be saying that chatgpt is wrong

 

I always fly out of BWI...being a southwest hub makes flying convenient. All bite the bullet and go out of Dulles for international but have to give myself so much extra time because of the beltway traffic. Never considered flying out of National for anything

 

Last February my middle was Blessed with the Honor to lay the Wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown.

I could not miss it. So flew up Monday into Reagan. Got to be with her class for the morning and lunch. Flew back out of Reagan at 4pm the next day (hour delay for mechanical issues). Reagan is so easy imo!

 

I will never forget February 13, 2024…

 

Appreciate that. A truly special day. She wrote an essay that I have never seen that led to her being picked with three others at her school.

Memories for a Lifetime!

 

Truly awesome and such an honor. I also remember that there were actually people on here that had issues with the trip

 

A retired Colonel who was an experienced Blackhawk pilot and crew chief said that the biggest mistake in the planning of the flight was not reducing risk by having a 4th crew member:

Colonel "Joe":
"The single-greatest error in this accident was the decision to fly without a second Crew Chief on the left-hand side of the Blackhawk, who could have provided an extra set of eyes to “look out-and-up” to see the approaching American Airlines Passenger plane.

*Night Vision Goggle (NVG) flights result in a sort-of “tunnel vision” for all who wear the NVGs and normal policy in many Army flight units is to force a full crew of 2 pilots and 2 crew chiefs for all NVG flights, so that you always have “eyes out” to both sides of the aircraft, when flying in those conditions. While not mandatory, it is the proper safety call, especially when flying in the vicinity of a busy, major airport such as Reagan Airport (DCA). No matter how competent the pilots and Crew Chiefs may be, this flight needed a second Crew Chief on the left side of the chopper.

*The front-left pilot, even if not wearing Night Vision Goggles, would still have limited visibility out the left door, and if that pilot is busy with radio calls, or referencing the map/GPS, that pilot could get consumed by work inside the cockpit, instead of looking out and around.

*Flight Unit Leadership failed to recognize the need for a second Crew Chief in the Mission Planning and Risk Assessment Process. This is where either incompetence, or DEI (or both), may have come into play. This was certainly poor leadership."
WAYNE ROOT: Here is the Best Explanation I’ve Heard for the Crash at Reagan Airport From An Experienced Blackhawk Pilot and Crew Chief | The Gateway Pundit | by Assistant Editor

 

DC plane crash updates: Helicopter had advanced safety system turned off, lawmaker says

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Army helicopter that collided with an American Airlines plane and killed 67 people last week had turned off an advanced safety system that tracks aircraft location, Sen. Ted Cruz said on Thursday.

Cruz, who was among a group of lawmakers briefed on the collision by federal investigators, said the Black Hawk helicopter had switched off its automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast prior to the collision on Jan 29.

The system improves visibility by broadcasting information to air traffic control, including an aircraft's GPS location, altitude and ground speed, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.

"This was a training mission, so there was no compelling national security reason for ADS-B to be turned off," Cruz said after a briefing from the National Transportation Safety Board and FAA.