American Airlines flight mid-air collision with army helicopter, crashes into river

[Benjamin]

An American Airlines flight has collided in mid-air with a helicopter in Washington DC, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) says

The plane crashed in the Potomac River, which weaves through DC, according to the DC Fire and EMS Department

The jet was carrying 60 passengers and four crew members, and three US Army soldiers were on board the military helicopter

Police divers and boats are searching the water for survivors, while US authorities are investigating
The collision happened on approach to Runway 33 at Reagan Washington National Airport around 9pm local time, the FAA says in a statement to CBS News

US President Donald Trump says he has been briefed on the "terrible accident" and thanks emergency responders for their "incredible work"

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/cy7kxx74yxlt

[Swan]

Tragic. Just seen the video. Nobody survives that.

[Benjamin]

Tragic. Just seen the video. Nobody survives that.

Yeah I saw that too. What on Earth was the army helicopter doing?

[Benjamin]

There’s about to be a press conference so I imagine they’ll start announcing the death toll soon.

[Benjamin]

DC Mayor Bowser says rescuers working in 'very dark and cold conditions'
published at 05:59
05:59
DC Mayor Muriel Bowser starts the press conference, calling tonight's event "very tragic".
She says emergency services from across the Washington metropolitan region are "working diligently" in "very dark and cold conditions" to execute the rescue operation on the Potomac River after the plane crash.
Bowser says American Airlines officials are at the airport and are talking to families. The flight company's leadership is also on the way to DC.

[bots]

it's tragic, i wonder what the army helicopter was doing there and why it wasn't co-ordinating with air traffic control

[Benjamin]

it's tragic, i wonder what the army helicopter was doing there and why it wasn't co-ordinating with air traffic control

I can’t see many, if any, survived that. If they survived the crash and then didn’t drown, the icy waters will have got them. :(

[Ammi]

…’ Video from an observation camera at the nearby Kennedy Center shows two sets of lights consistent with separate aircraft appearing to conjoin in a fireball...’.

…can we imagine the horror of seeing that as it’s happening…devastating news to wake up to…

[Cherie]

This is awful

[Ammi]

…I’ll spoiler this X post that someone captured at the moment of impact…

1884825402528465097

[MTVN]

Hopefully it's not the case but the actions of the helicopter almost seem like they could only be deliberate?

[bots]

Hopefully it's not the case but the actions of the helicopter almost seem like they could only be deliberate?

it's like they weren't coordinating with the civilian ATC at all, which is crazy

[arista]

Stupid Army Pilot at Fault

[arista]

…I’ll spoiler this X post that someone captured at the moment of impact…

1884825402528465097


Tragic

[Cherie]

Stupid Army Pilot at Fault

Could be a terrorist attack?

[arista]

So Far
19 Dead, recovered.

[Ammi]

U.S. Figure Skating, the official body for figure skating in the United States, revealed that “several members of our skating community” were aboard the American Airlines regional flight that crashed into an Army Black Hawk helicopter above Reagan International Airport in D.C.
“These athletes, coaches, and family members were returning home from the National Development Camp held in conjunction with the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Wichita, Kansas,” the organization said in an official statement.
“We are devastated by this unspeakable tragedy and hold the victims’ families closely in our hearts,” it said. “We will continue to monitor the situation and will release more information as it becomes available.”

https://www.boredpanda.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/us-figure-skating.jpg

[arista]

Over 64 feared dead
in Freezing water.

Pilot in the Military Helicopter
missed this plane
tragic they got sloppy

[arista]

Could be a terrorist attack?


I do not think so
more like a Military Pilot's tragic error.

[arista]

Yeah I saw that too. What on Earth was the army helicopter doing?

Not being aware

[Ammi]

Over 64 feared dead
in Freezing water.

Pilot in the Military Helicopter
missed this plane
tragic they got sloppy

…ironically a training mission as well…

[arista]

…ironically a training mission as well…


Should not do that at night.

[GoldHeart]

So Far
19 Dead, recovered.

Horrific

Makes you wonder, what the hell is really going on.

[arista]

The 3 Military
in the Expensive Black Hawk Helicopter
also likely to be dead

[Cherie]

Horrific

Makes you wonder, what the hell is really going on.

This is very suspect imo

[Benjamin]

30 bodies found now.

[Ammi]

30 bodies found now.

…such a harrowing thing for all of those involved in the recovery…it really is just a ticking off the passenger and staff list process, isn’t it…plus those that were in the helicopter…

[user104658]

Not uncommon for there to be a lot of helicopters around Washington (for obvious reasons) and from what I've been reading, there have been people (in aviation) saying for years that it's a risk, specifically, passenger planes on take off or landing colliding with a helicopter (exactly what happened). The timing perhaps seems sus with all of the political goings-on, but I think it was perhaps "an accident waiting to happen". People were raising concerns for a while.

[GoldHeart]

This is very suspect imo

Yeah seems that way :suspect:

[arista]

28 Dead collected
now.


Press Conference is now taking questions
Live

[Cherie]

The equipment that would have allowed air traffic to see it and for the helicopter pilot to be alerted to planes in the vicinity was turned off..... that seems like a very basic thing to do if you are a pilot, like getting in a car and checking your mirrors before moving off.....I dunno, there have been two incidents already with members of the military, New Orleans and the car being blown up at Trump Towers, . if it was an error it really was a school boy one that is quite shocking when taking off at a busy airport

[arista]

The Military Helicopter
had another plane,
way above him - that may have confused him?

And,
also The Control Tower
appears to have failed


They have played some tapes
on News and Radio

[Crimson Dynamo]

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GihLxpfbMAAt5vT?format=jpg&name=small

[Nicky91]

oh Donald :notimpressed:


you do your job, and let the NTSB do theirs

okay

[Benjamin]

Duffy is also asked about communication between the helicopter, the commercial plane and flight control - he says there was no breakdown in communication between the military helicopter and the American Airline flight.

"The helicopter was aware that there was a plane in the area," he says.

:umm2:

[Vanessa]

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GihLxpfbMAAt5vT?format=jpg&name=small

Yes you have to wonder if it was deliberate.

[user104658]

I'm not sure people comprehend how difficult it would be to fly a helicopter into the side of a plane, moving perpendicularly, on purpose. The pilot might have been being reckless/incompetent but it being a deliberate attack is more or less impossible.

[Nicky91]

In the months leading up to the accident, several near-miss incidents were reported at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA). These included:[19]

An April 2024 incident involving a JetBlue aircraft and a Southwest Airlines flight.
A May 2024 incident where an American Airlines aircraft aborted takeoff to avoid a collision with a private jet.



what if there is a problem with the location of the airport instead :think:

however

after those incidents


In response, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) had planned to implement new air traffic control technology to enhance collision risk warnings, increase controller hiring, and address controller fatigue. Lawmakers had also scheduled hearings to expedite these measures


did the airport officials actually go through with these extra measures, that is now the question

[arista]

Yes
Wrong Instructions are Deadly.

[Ninastar]

Jesus. I didn’t know about this and it’s right around the corner from me. I was told by a coworker this morning. She said there was only 6 deaths.

I didn’t realise it was that bad.

From what I remember, a black hawk is usually used for stealthy missions or whatever. I hope it wasn’t on purpose

[Cherie]

I'm not sure people comprehend how difficult it would be to fly a helicopter into the side of a plane, moving perpendicularly, on purpose. The pilot might have been being reckless/incompetent but it being a deliberate attack is more or less impossible.

If it can happen accidentally, I don't see why it would be impossible to do it deliberately for all we know the helicopter might have had a bomb detonated on board :shrug: Have I watched too many movies :think:

[arista]

Aviation Expert Geoffrey Thomas Stated


Covert Style Training they sometimes go black
without having electronics turned on.
But it would be a massive error
to do this close to an Airport.

[arista]

Press Now Ready
For President Trump
will go Live shortly

All Media

[Maru]

It's also not the first Helicopter accident involving the military. They do tend to go down more than they should. I am leaning towards incompetence. They may have technology on board they were relying on (we'll never hear about it) and thought that would be enough to keep out of the way.

[arista]

President Trump Now Live

[Cherie]

Aviation Expert Geoffrey Thomas Stated


Covert Style Training they sometimes go black
without having electronics turned on.
But it would be a massive error
to do this close to an Airport.
Arrogance or deliberate, will be hard to say which

[bots]

if it involves the forces, the truth will never come out.

[arista]

Trump handed over to his Two Government Ministers

And JD Vance.

[arista]

President Trump taking
Press questions now.

[arista]

if it involves the forces, the truth will never come out.


I think under President Trump
it will

[arista]

President Trump
Cut off the CNN HD
Cocky Young Lady

Moved fast to another reporter

[arista]

British Reporter
asked about the reports Pilots
wearing Night Vision Mask


President Trump agreed
and they are looking into it.

[arista]

President Trump
has said the Previous Administration
employed Diversity workers
that may have affected this.


So Reporters started Shouting
is it safe to Fly?

[Nicky91]

President Trump
has said the Previous Administration
employed Diversity workers
that may have affected this.


So Reporters started Shouting
is it safe to Fly?

and Oompa Loompa has to be racist even here :facepalm: absolutely embarrassing how he has to continue to keep making digs at Biden


you won, move on orange manchild :rolleyes:

[arista]

As this News Event was ending
the reporters Loads of them,
all stated Shouting.

All of them are dead from this Tragic error

[arista]

and Oompa Loompa has to be racist even here :facepalm: absolutely embarrassing how he has to continue to keep making digs at Biden


you won, move on orange manchild :rolleyes:


No Nicky
Diversity Workers are OK in some Jobs
Trump said that.

But Not this


He is referring to Disabled people workers
that are not good enough mentally
for this type of job.
Common Sense.

[user104658]

If it can happen accidentally, I don't see why it would be impossible to do it deliberately for all we know the helicopter might have had a bomb detonated on board :shrug: Have I watched too many movies :think:

Because for it to be an accident it just has to be a freak "wrong place wrong time" occurrence... for it to be deliberate, the helicopter pilot would have had to precisely gauge hitting the plane, at a 90 degree angle, when the plane is moving at 150mph+, and the helicopter's TOP speed is no more than 150mph.

If that helicopter pilot to have pulled that off on purpose - first time, one shot at it... it's just highly unlikely.

If it had been a head on collision maybe but it was at an angle from the side.

[Glenn.]

President Trump
has said the Previous Administration
employed Diversity workers
that may have affected this.


So Reporters started Shouting
is it safe to Fly?

He really is beyond a joke.

[arista]

It's also not the first Helicopter accident involving the military. They do tend to go down more than they should. I am leaning towards incompetence. They may have technology on board they were relying on (we'll never hear about it) and thought that would be enough to keep out of the way.


Yes
many are.

[bots]

Helicopters are inherently unsafe. They require huge amounts of maintenance to keep them flying. It's perfectly possible that it had an equipment failure and thats what led to the disaster

[Vanessa]

No survivors. This is heartbreaking :sad:

[Beso]

Trump is now saying.

https://youtu.be/j4hSnm84Hwc?si=BXsl2ZVQEijTg9RP

[Glenn.]

Of course he is.

[arista]

Another Press gathering. all media

For a Team Plane Crash Crew NTSB


They say they will check everything

[Beso]

Of course he is.

I'm gutted, I was going to post the same this afternoon, bit thought it would have just sounded trollish. Shame, I could have just had the last laugh after an afternoon of pure delight..:blush:

[Glenn.]

The bloke is unhinged

[Cherie]

Listening to the air traffic controller, he sounded very calm and assured...

It is completely inappropriate to say that it was anyones fault at this stage

[Maru]

I do one of my every once in a while logins to X and this is at the top of my feed:

https://i.postimg.cc/VsXWK7t3/250130-internet-literacy.jpg

https://i.postimg.cc/KjVk53b7/250130-internet-literacy-2.jpg

Sigh.

[UserSince2005]

A reporter asking trump if he is going to visit the site of the crash and his response being bemused “you want me to go swimming?”

He’s just the best :laugh:

[Glenn.]

They’re still dragging bodies from the water

[Alf]

and Oompa Loompa has to be racist even here :facepalm: absolutely embarrassing how he has to continue to keep making digs at Biden


you won, move on orange manchild :rolleyes:No. He's actually calling out the racism.

He's talking about people being hired not by their competence, but by their identity (which in many cases is the definition of racism)

[arista]

It is True
Obama did Hire DEI staff

[arista]

https://liveblog.digitalimages.sky/lc-images-sky/lcimg-1b50f36b-0910-4a5e-8984-92e98f1efd35.png

[Maru]

This is incompetence.

Night before DC crash, another airliner nearly collided with a helicopter: report
S: https://www.foxnews.com/live-news/military-helicopter-crash-dc-airport

Emergency response units search the crash site of the American Airlines plane on the Potomac River after the plane crashed last night on approach to Reagan National Airport on January 30, 2025 in Arlington, Virginia. The American Airlines flight from Wichita, Kansas collided in midair with a military helicopter while approaching the airport. According to reports there were no survivors amongst the 67 people on board both aircraft. (Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images)

The night before American Eagle Flight 5342 collided with an Army Black Hawk helicopter near Reagan National Airport on Wednesday night, a jet that tried to land at the same airport had to circle around and make another approach after a helicopter approached its flight path, according to reports.

The Washington Post reported that an audio recording from air traffic control captured the encounter, and ultimately, Republic Airways Flight 4514 landed safely, flight tracking software shows.

The Embraer E-175 was cleared to land at the airport’s Runway 19 and advised about a helicopter in its vicinity. It executed a go-around maneuver after its automated collision avoidance system ordered what's known as a ‘resolution advisory’ to avoid nearby traffic.

That put the aircraft out of proper alignment for landing, but was able to land safely several minutes later, The Associated Press reported.

The military helicopter was advised of the plane, which was flying around flew roughly 1,000 feet above the helicopter, according to flight tracking sites cited by the AP.

As to Wednesday’s crash, officials said they believe there are no survivors.

Responders continue to sort through the wreckage in search of remains. In total, there were 67 people on board the helicopter and airliner, combined.

[arista]

He really is beyond a joke.


Glen
on the Recent Bill Maher (SkyComedyHD)

Stephen A. Smith

Told us why the Democrats went Wrong.


100% he understands what is going down.

[arista]

This is incompetence.

Night before DC crash, another airliner nearly collided with a helicopter: report
S: https://www.foxnews.com/live-news/military-helicopter-crash-dc-airport



Yes it does not look good

[Ammi]

This is incompetence.

Night before DC crash, another airliner nearly collided with a helicopter: report
S: https://www.foxnews.com/live-news/military-helicopter-crash-dc-airport

…that more feels as though it’s a training exercise path that shouldn’t be used as it’s far to unsafe …hopefully the black box recoveries will tell them more…

[Benjamin]

Black boxes have been recovered.

[Crimson Dynamo]

https://x.com/BGatesIsaPyscho/status/1885025766578282539

Look how much time the helicopter has as it flies directly into the Commercial Airliner..

[Cherie]

The pilot of the Airline named but not the Black Hawk? Why on earth are these helicopters flying around at night at a busy airport, now they are looking at staff shortages at air traffic control, surely if there are not enough staff to safely cover you would ground aircraft? especially the Military ones.....?

[arista]

https://x.com/BGatesIsaPyscho/status/1885025766578282539

Look how much time the helicopter has as it flies directly into the Commercial Airliner..


Yes long time to move

[user104658]

This is incompetence.

Night before DC crash, another airliner nearly collided with a helicopter: report
S: https://www.foxnews.com/live-news/military-helicopter-crash-dc-airport

Yep "near misses" have seemingly been common for a significant period of time, that's why all of the conspiracy theories and (absolutely bizarre) blaming of DEI hires seem particularly out of place with this incident. People have been saying it's been "an accident waiting to happen" - there's been an ongoing issue with Washington specifically, with helicopters cutting across flight paths. Just look at the location of the airport on a map, and the obvious fact that there will be more helicopter activity in Washington DC than most places in the world. Unusually busy airspace in the take off and landing path of international airport - the two just do not mix. Consider how tightly the airspace around Heathrow is controlled for example. Then add in the fact that airspace congestion is getting worse year-on-year and (as we were discussing in the Heathrow thread) not many new airports or runways are being built. More and increasing air traffic, same number of runways, obvious problem.

The only thing that happened here IMO, is that this "next in the line of near-misses" was not a near miss.

When you have a situation like that where something has been a risk for a long time, a tragedy occurring stops being an "unlikely event" and starts becoming a statistical probability. It was bound to happen at some point.

The fact that it's being turned into a political football to be tossed around instead of simply having experts neutrally look into what are now obvious and urgent safety concerns, is absolutely shocking. Well not shocking. Typical. But awful.

All Trump had to say was "This was a tragedy, this shouldn't have happened, we will find out why this happened". But no he could not do that.

[Crimson Dynamo]

‘DEI cost me job at FAA, a crash was inevitable’

Aspiring air traffic controller speaks out following deadly collision between
American Airlines flight 5342 and helicopter in Washington

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/content/dam/en-us/news/2025/01/31/TELEMMGLPICT000410258744_17383114693730_trans_NvBQ zQNjv4Bq2zzRIAMsPXXIUmO3Nhs-z8feGEXMZst0UtpHKnLoFIw.jpeg?imwidth=600

An aspiring air traffic controller who claims he was denied a job because of
diversity targets said the aviation agency’s obsession with inclusion made an
accident likely to happen.

Andrew Brigida, 35, scored 100 per cent in his training exam but claims he
was denied a position in an air traffic control tower because the recruitment
process of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) favoured diverse
candidates.

Under the Obama administration, the regulator replaced a skills-based test
with a biographical questionnaire to attract "more diverse applicants".

Mr Trump said he candidates with “severe intellectual and psychiatric
disabilities” had been hired as air traffic controllers.

Quoting DEI policy, he said that the FAA was “actively recruiting workers who
suffer severe intellectual disabilities, psychiatric problems, and other mental
and physical conditions”.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/us/news/2025/01/31/diversity-hiring-cost-me-job-at-faa-a-crash-was-inevitable/

[bots]

Everyone complains about Trump's way of handling things, but I read there was a solitary ATC staff member on duty at the time, that doesn't strike me as a safe situation. When considering air traffic events, nothing should be off the table when it comes to the investigation. We know they take things way too far in America with equality, it's not the first time there have been genuine concerns raised. At the very least, it should be looked into rather than treated with scorn

[user104658]

Everyone complains about Trump's way of handling things, but I read there was a solitary ATC staff member on duty at the time, that doesn't strike me as a safe situation. When considering air traffic events, nothing should be off the table when it comes to the investigation. We know they take things way too far in America with equality, it's not the first time there have been genuine concerns raised. At the very least, it should be looked into rather than treated with scorn

The system is over-stretched and airspace is cluttered without sufficient infrastructure - yes that should be looked into, but it most likely has nothing to do with DEI hires, and there's no evidence thus far that it even has anything to do with human error in air traffic control. IF it does then the reasons for that can be looked into. IF it then transpired that the problem is staff incompetence due to DEI hiring policies then that conversation can begin. It's highly, highly unlikely.

What we have is Trump double-guessing. Guessing at what happened, and then guessing at the reasons for that happening. For political reasons. He knows exactly what he's doing. Ranting about an air collision incident being because they're hiring people with mental health problems or severe intellectual disabilities as air traffic controllers. It's such obvious utter bollocks.

People with disabilities are frequently one of the first targets of fascists. This rhetoric is terrifying.

[Crimson Dynamo]

The Pilot who landed the plane in the Hudson stated that if you looked at 1000 air accidents 999 would be human error.

Hire the best for the job

[bots]

The system is over-stretched and airspace is cluttered without sufficient infrastructure - yes that should be looked into, but it most likely has nothing to do with DEI hires, and there's no evidence thus far that it even has anything to do with human error in air traffic control. IF it does then the reasons for that can be looked into. IF it then transpired that the problem is staff incompetence due to DEI hiring policies then that conversation can begin. It's highly, highly unlikely.

What we have is Trump double-guessing. Guessing at what happened, and then guessing at the reasons for that happening. For political reasons. He knows exactly what he's doing. Ranting about an air collision incident being because they're hiring people with mental health problems or severe intellectual disabilities as air traffic controllers. It's such obvious utter bollocks.

People with disabilities are frequently one of the first targets of fascists. This rhetoric is terrifying.


You seem to imply what Trump is saying is unusual when nearly every person in the world speculates about causes in exactly the same way. You need to re-adjust to the current times when people can say whatever they like without any justification. Trump has been doing the same thing for at least 10 years, and the american people have voted him in twice as their president

[user104658]

You seem to imply what Trump is saying is unusual when nearly every person in the world speculates about causes in exactly the same way. You need to re-adjust to the current times when people can say whatever they like without any justification. Trump has been doing the same thing for at least 10 years, and the american people have voted him in twice as their president

Speculating by jumping straight to talking about them hiring people with intellectual disabilities and that being the cause is not something that a politician should be doing, and is extremely worrying. And is highly unlikely to be what happened. It is massively fascist-coded, and no, we do not need to "adjust" to accepting major world players saying whatever they like without justification. "Adjust to being blind as a bat, I'm sure they won't come for you next". He's not just some random person online. He's the president of the United States ffs. I couldn't give a sht about thick losers on X speculating - I do have a problem with it when it's the world's most powerful individuals doing it unchecked?

Mindless, lazy complacency. People with physical and intellectual disabilities are always near top of the list of "undesirables", it's clear as day what he's doing and when you're the parent of someone with disabilities, it's not something one has the luxury of sitting back and saying "oh well that's just the world" about.

[Liam-]

I don’t think it’s a coincidence that just last week Trump cleared out about 400 safety officers from these sorts of departments and now this has happened while only one person was at the helm.

Diversity in the workplace didn’t cause this incident and anybody saying it did is either plain stupid or wilfully ignorant

[Crimson Dynamo]

New Angle and footage

https://x.com/bennyjohnson/status/1885306661834785082

[bots]

Western governments have been oh so successful over the last 20 years by setting parameters and refusing to entertain any divergence from them. The populations of those western governments have really thrived haven't they, nobody has had it better. Don't people think it's about time that new approaches were tried after years of failure?

[user104658]

Western governments have been oh so successful over the last 20 years by setting parameters and refusing to entertain any divergence from them. The populations of those western governments have really thrived haven't they, nobody has had it better. Don't people think it's about time that new approaches were tried after years of failure?

Sure. If they're well thought out new approaches, and not propaganda-based garbage aimed at bigoted idiots. I don't think that's the "new stuff" we need to try.

"Ooh that chair you're sitting on has been giving you a bad back for years, have you considered something new? Perhaps sitting on a pile of nails and screws?"

[arista]

New Angle and footage

https://x.com/bennyjohnson/status/1885306661834785082


Tweet after that great
Angle footage.
by Anthony Galli:




[I'm not an aviation expert, but if the plane's
light is so bright to me from a low-res camera
then how was it not to the trained helicopter pilot(s)?

And the sky seems so big to me for the
heli to hit it at that precise spot when the plane
was already slowing down for descent.]

[Crimson Dynamo]

Has the name of the copter pilot been made public?

[Glenn.]

I don’t think it’s a coincidence that just last week Trump cleared out about 400 safety officers from these sorts of departments and now this has happened while only one person was at the helm.

Diversity in the workplace didn’t cause this incident and anybody saying it did is either plain stupid or wilfully ignorant

The Sexual Predator read the DEI conditions yesterday but lied to everyone and said it was the requirements to work in the control tower. He was reading the requirements for the wait for it….. offices in FAA.

You have to pass extensive checks to work in the towers.

The bloke is a buffoon.

Did you see what he said when asked if he was going to visit the crash site.?

“Do you want me to go swimming?”

As abhorrent as he is, I’m just sitting here laughing at his cult and anyone who supports this disturbing man.

[Gusto Brunt]

Apparently Trump was referring to trans traffic controllers they hired to be diverse, and rejected many highly intelligent people who were more qualified for the jobs.

[user104658]

“Do you want me to go swimming?”

As abhorrent as he is, I’m just sitting here laughing at his cult and anyone who supports this disturbing man.

They'll declare this incredibly witty and funny.

Of course, if this had happened in the UK and Starmer said it, they'd be outraged and saying "imagine the impact a joke like that has on the families of the people being pulled out of that river". Which would be accurate.

But Trump saying it will be justified. Not just justified; they'll have a good old giggle about it. The masks have slipped so far at this point.

[Nicky91]

Has the name of the copter pilot been made public?

Chief Warrant Officer-2 Andrew Eaves from Noxubee County, Mississippi

https://www.wtva.com/news/noxubee-county-man-among-those-killed-in-dc-air-disaster/article_78b33e58-df3f-11ef-a40e-dfd6ff7a9195.html

https://cdn.images.express.co.uk/img/dynamic/78/590x/secondary/Andrew-Eaves-5926458.jpg?r=1738328217695

[bots]

They'll declare this incredibly witty and funny.

Of course, if this had happened in the UK and Starmer said it, they'd be outraged and saying "imagine the impact a joke like that has on the families of the people being pulled out of that river". Which would be accurate.

But Trump saying it will be justified. Not just justified; they'll have a good old giggle about it. The masks have slipped so far at this point.

again, humour is how most people deal with tragedy, it's how we are wired. I'm not suggesting that Trump gives a flying **** about the crash, but he understands people, much more than Biden ever did

[user104658]

again, humour is how most people deal with tragedy, it's how we are wired. I'm not suggesting that Trump gives a flying **** about the crash, but he understands people, much more than Biden ever did

Yes but all that's really pointing out is that he's good at propaganda - which isn't a positive for anyone but himself.

I would also reiterate that it's not about that at all, because if this had been a month ago and Biden had said it, the exact same people who will declare Trump a hilarious king would have been lambasting Joe Biden if he had made exactly the same comment. It would have been branded "disgusting".

[bots]

Yes but all that's really pointing out is that he's good at propaganda - which isn't a positive for anyone but himself.

I would also reiterate that it's not about that at all, because if this had been a month ago and Biden had said it, the exact same people who will declare Trump a hilarious king would have been lambasting Joe Biden if he had made exactly the same comment. It would have been branded "disgusting".

because Trump is not a standard politician. After all this time, people really still don't understand it, or why he is so popular with american people. The establishment have been taking the piss out of americans for decades. They are done with it and Biden represented that establishment

[Glenn.]

Apparently Trump was referring to trans traffic controllers they hired to be diverse, and rejected many highly intelligent people who were more qualified for the jobs.

If they passed the extensive health screenings before then they are qualified for the job.

[user104658]

because Trump is not a standard politician. After all this time, people really still don't understand it, or why he is so popular with american people.

What gives you the impression that people don't understand why Trump is popular - or that understanding why Trump is popular equates to anything other than a deep-rooted existential dread and loss of hope in humanity?

I'm well aware of the reasons for Trump's popularity. It doesn't make him any less of a vile, smirking demogogue.

And people either find something funny or they don't, if they'll happily titter at one person saying something but would cry outrage at another person saying the same thing ... then they are full of sht either way. "It's funny because Trump said it" is underfoot cult-of-personality nonsense and anyone genuinely living with that mindset is a blatant idiot.

[Crimson Dynamo]

Chief Warrant Officer-2 Andrew Eaves from Noxubee County, Mississippi

https://www.wtva.com/news/noxubee-county-man-among-those-killed-in-dc-air-disaster/article_78b33e58-df3f-11ef-a40e-dfd6ff7a9195.html

https://cdn.images.express.co.uk/img/dynamic/78/590x/secondary/Andrew-Eaves-5926458.jpg?r=1738328217695

plus The crew chief on the helicopter was identified as Ryan O'Hara.


Who was the 3rd person aboard as there were 3?

[user104658]

plus The crew chief on the helicopter was identified as Ryan O'Hara.


Who was the 3rd person aboard as there were 3?

The most important thing surely is to discover if any of them were brown, trans, intellectually disabled or a dwarf. If none of the above, then we can start a list of passengers on the plane to discover which one of them was to blame.

[Crimson Dynamo]

The most important thing surely is to discover if any of them were brown, trans, intellectually disabled or a dwarf. If none of the above, then we can start a list of passengers on the plane to discover which one of them was to blame.

People have died and you constantly want to make sick jokes?

please stop

[user104658]

People have died and you constantly want to make sick jokes?

please stop

"Do you want me to go swimming?"

Where's your criticism of Trump, Trumpette? Absent. Clown.

They'll declare this incredibly witty and funny.

Of course, if this had happened in the UK and Starmer said it, they'd be outraged and saying "imagine the impact a joke like that has on the families of the people being pulled out of that river". Which would be accurate.

But Trump saying it will be justified. Not just justified; they'll have a good old giggle about it. The masks have slipped so far at this point.

humour is how most people deal with tragedy, it's how we are wired.

[edit] Better get in quick on that report button buddy, the mods will delete your hypocrisy for you :).

[arista]

https://video.dailymail.co.uk/preview/mol/2025/01/31/7028755236132375536/964x580_JPG-SINGLE_7028755236132375536.jpg


[Horrifying new video of DC air crash shows
doomed plane barrel roll into Potomac River]


https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-14346779/video-Washington-DC-air-crash-Potomac-River-plane-flips.html

[Glenn.]

"Do you want me to go swimming?"

Where's your criticism of Trump, Trumpette? Absent. Clown.





[edit] Better get in quick on that report button buddy, the mods will delete your hypocrisy for you :).

Oop

I love it when he gets clowned

[Crimson Dynamo]

Pilot union urges against speculation over crash

A union representing US and Canadian pilots has urged people not to speculate
on the causes of Wednesday night’s deadly crash until the investigation is
complete.

Jason Ambrosi, president of the Air Line Pilots Association, said: “A lot of details
and speculation will come out in response to this tragedy, but we must
remember to let the investigation run its course.”

“Extra pressure will be on each of us as our passengers — and our fellow
crewmembers — have this accident on their minds.”

-----------

Its ok if the MSM speculate and use it for content 24/7 but anyone else please don't, especially "members of the public" ew

[Maru]

Pilot union urges against speculation over crash

A union representing US and Canadian pilots has urged people not to speculate
on the causes of Wednesday night’s deadly crash until the investigation is
complete.

Jason Ambrosi, president of the Air Line Pilots Association, said: “A lot of details
and speculation will come out in response to this tragedy, but we must
remember to let the investigation run its course.”

“Extra pressure will be on each of us as our passengers — and our fellow
crewmembers — have this accident on their minds.”

-----------

Its ok if the MSM speculate and use it for content 24/7 but anyone else please don't, especially "members of the public" ew

Right?

Though I think at this point I'll wait and let time sort it out when the facts are all out. When it's just speculation, it's not really productive is it.

[user104658]

Its ok if the MSM speculate and use it for content 24/7 but anyone else please don't, especially "members of the public" ew

At least the woke MSM aren't making sick jokes about it like me and Donald Trump eh LT.

[user104658]

Right?

Though I think at this point I'll wait and let time sort it out when the facts are all out. When it's just speculation, it's not really productive is it.

It's not "just" speculation from some sources though, it's propaganda. The "speculation" that the accident was caused by DEI hires and disabled janitors is clearly deliberate and very intentional.

[bots]

What gives you the impression that people don't understand why Trump is popular - or that understanding why Trump is popular equates to anything other than a deep-rooted existential dread and loss of hope in humanity?

I'm well aware of the reasons for Trump's popularity. It doesn't make him any less of a vile, smirking demogogue.

And people either find something funny or they don't, if they'll happily titter at one person saying something but would cry outrage at another person saying the same thing ... then they are full of sht either way. "It's funny because Trump said it" is underfoot cult-of-personality nonsense and anyone genuinely living with that mindset is a blatant idiot.

You are simply arguing for your own amusement how ironic is that.

You are following in Clinton's footsteps by throwing insults at Trump supporters, and it wasn't a good look when she did it 12 years ago. Like i said earlier, you obviously don't understand why Trump is popular

[Glenn.]

The fact is he’s popular because Americans ARE stupid. That is fact. A dangerous one that he’s managed to capitalise on for his own gain.

[Crimson Dynamo]

The fact is he’s popular because Americans ARE stupid. That is fact. A dangerous one that he’s managed to capitalise on for his own gain.

"Americans ARE stupid. That is fact."

what a disgusting xenophobic remark to make on a public form

Jesus

:shocked:

[arista]

Only One person in the tower
spoke to the 2 Planes and Helicopter

Ch4HDnews

[Glenn.]

"Americans ARE stupid. That is fact."

what a disgusting xenophobic remark to make on a public form

Jesus

:shocked:

It’s true. Have you seen the intelligence at a Trump rally? There is none.

[Cherie]

The fact is he’s popular because Americans ARE stupid. That is fact. A dangerous one that he’s managed to capitalise on for his own gain.

so by that analogy Brits are stupid for voting for Brexit....you agree?

From memory you were a big fan of Brexit

[Glenn.]

so by that analogy Brits are stupid for voting for Brexit....you agree?

Yes

[Cherie]

Yes

You backed Brexit...though

[arista]

[Shock as Army takes 'extraordinary step' over
female Black Hawk pilot
in DC plane crash]

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-14346439/dc-plane-crash-victims-helicopter-pilot-latest-updates.html?ito=native_share_article-nativemenubutton

[Glenn.]

You backed Brexit...though

No I didn’t

[arista]

https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2025/01/31/21/94740683-0-image-a-2_1738359347723.jpg

[The US Army has refused to identify the co-pilot
of the helicopter in the DC air disaster
at the request of the family.
Pilot in charge Chief Warrant Office 2 Andrew Eaves
and crew chief Staff Sergeant Ryan O'Hara were
named on Friday as those on board.
The Black Hawk helicopter appeared to fly straight
into American Airlines Flight 5342 as in came in
to land at Reagan National Airport just before
9pm on Wednesday]

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-14346439/dc-plane-crash-victims-helicopter-pilot-latest-updates.html

[Benjamin]

A devastating plane crash in Washington, D.C., has claimed the lives of seven friends returning home from a duck hunting trip in Kansas. The group had spent nearly a week hunting with Fowl Plains, an outfitter in Great Bend, enjoying a successful trip filled with duck, goose, and pheasant hunting.

Their return flight, American Airlines 5342, was just minutes from landing at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport when tragedy struck late Wednesday night. A mid-air collision between their Bombardier CRJ-700 and a Black Hawk military helicopter caused both aircraft to crash into the icy Potomac River. All 64 people onboard the two aircraft perished, including the seven hunters: Jesse Pitcher, Michael Stovall, Steve Johnson, Alexander Huffman, Charles McDaniel, Jonathan Boyd, and Tommy Clagget.

Three other members of the hunting group survived only because they opted to drive home with their bird dogs and hunting gear. In a heartbreaking statement, Fowl Plains expressed their grief, calling the victims “family” and remembering the final days spent together in laughter and camaraderie.

Investigators are still determining the cause of the collision, with early speculation suggesting possible miscommunication between air traffic control and the helicopter crew. The official findings could take years, but for now, families and friends are left mourning an unfathomable loss.

Reports on some more of the victims coming out now.

[Crimson Dynamo]

"The official findings could take years"

surely in 2025 that is unacceptable

[bots]

"The official findings could take years"

surely in 2025 that is unacceptable

given they have the black boxes and with the tech available, they will know the cause within a week

[Cherie]

https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2025/01/31/21/94740683-0-image-a-2_1738359347723.jpg

[The US Army has refused to identify the co-pilot
of the helicopter in the DC air disaster
at the request of the family.
Pilot in charge Chief Warrant Office 2 Andrew Eaves
and crew chief Staff Sergeant Ryan O'Hara were
named on Friday as those on board.
The Black Hawk helicopter appeared to fly straight
into American Airlines Flight 5342 as in came in
to land at Reagan National Airport just before
9pm on Wednesday]

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-14346439/dc-plane-crash-victims-helicopter-pilot-latest-updates.html


Strange, why would they want to keep it hidden especially as ATC has already been thrown under the bus

[Crimson Dynamo]

Strange, why would they want to keep it hidden especially as ATC has already been thrown under the bus

and we all know a lack of transparency just leads to an increase in speculation

[Maru]

Strange, why would they want to keep it hidden especially as ATC has already been thrown under the bus

The family requested it for now, I had read. I can understand it's probably horrible right now with how people are overreacting. Right now they are all victims.

[arista]

The family requested it for now, I had read. I can understand it's probably horrible right now with how people are overreacting. Right now they are all victims.

Yes as the Female Pilot
will get the blame

[Glenn.]

1885014653304004851?s=46&t=jGjsPOhSduCbgISdXHWlrQ

[Crimson Dynamo]

Donald loves to brainstorm in public

Its very refreshing

[bots]

don't people find it interesting that Trump hasn't yet blamed the real culprits ..... aliens from outerspace

[Glenn.]

1885426505976594918?s=46&t=jGjsPOhSduCbgISdXHWlrQ

[Crimson Dynamo]

don't people find it interesting that Trump hasn't yet blamed the real culprits ..... aliens from outerspace

Elon already has :laugh:

[Crimson Dynamo]

Washington DC plane crash latest: 41 bodies recovered from river

[Crimson Dynamo]

Air traffic controller was allowed to leave early on night of crash
A supervisor allowed an air traffic controller to leave their shift early on the night of the crash at Reagan National Airport, our US partner network NBC News has confirmed.

The New York Times first reported this detail earlier today

This meant a single controller was handling traffic for planes and helicopters in the area.

A controller is typically dedicated to each - and while it is allowed for one to do both jobs, it isn't ideal.

The National Transportation Safety Board is also looking into whether the helicopter was flying too high.

The precise altitude won't be known until the aircraft's black box is retrieved.

[arista]

Just heard on the Radio,
another Airport in the EU
had the same problem
an accident.

And when they named the Main worker
in the tower
He was murdered on his doorstep.

So in a way, I can see why the Female worker
is not named

[arista]

They are going to Bring the Plane
out of the water
to help get the rest of the dead bodies

All media

[arista]

Female Pilot Named by
the Army

Capt
Rebbeca Lobach

[Ammi]

The female pilot killed in the Army helicopter collision with a passenger jet in Washington DC has been named as a former aide to President Joe Biden.

Captain Rebecca Lobach, 28, whose identity was kept secret, had served as an officer for almost six years and worked as a White House aide in the Biden administration.

She had been awarded the Army Commendation Medal, Army Achievement Medal, National Defense Service Medal and Army Service Ribbon.

The decision to release her name came “at the request of and in coordination with the family”, according to a statement issued by the US Army.

“We are devastated by the loss of our beloved Rebecca. She was a bright star in all our lives,” her family said in a statement released by the Army.

“Rebecca was a warrior and would not hesitate to defend her country in battle.”

https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2025/02/02/00/94763107-14350659-Captain_Rebecca_M_Lobach_28_from_Durham_North_Caro lina_was_one_o-a-25_1738455584766.jpg

[user104658]

Awaiting predictable response.

[Glenn.]

Awaiting predictable response.

.

[arista]

[“We are devastated by the loss of our beloved Rebecca. She was a bright star in all our lives,” her family said in a statement released by the Army.]


Yes Ammi
she was a top pilot

[Cherie]

Hopefully the black boxes will give resolution as to the cause of this tragic event

[arista]

The plane is being brought up
in the River

55 Victims Identified.

[Crimson Dynamo]

Awaiting predictable response.

.

..

[Glenn.]

Quiet huh

[Crimson Dynamo]

Quiet huh

"predictable"

nope

[Glenn.]

*tumbleweed*

[Cherie]

The American Airlines flight involved in the deadly collision with a Black Hawk helicopter over Washington, DC, seemed to increase its pitch just before the impact, preliminary data from a data recorder recovered from the plane shows.

“At one point very close to the impact, there was a slight change in pitch, an increase in pitch,” National Transportation Safety Board member Todd Inman said at a Saturday evening news conference. “That is something that we will get you more detail on.”

The finding is one of the first pieces of information that have emerged as the NTSB works to investigate the disaster in which 67 people are thought to have been killed. The Black Hawk helicopter was training to evacuate government officials in the event of a catastrophe when the collision with the passenger jet occurred.

Preliminary findings announced at the news conference indicate the helicopter may have been flying above the altitude allowed in the corridor. Initial data shows the American Airlines regional plane was flying at around 325 feet, plus or minus 25 feet, at the time of the impact, according to Inman.

But the data available to the air traffic controllers showed the helicopter was at 200 feet near the time of the accident, Inman said, an unexplained discrepancy that will need further investigation.

If the impact did take place at 325 feet, it would have been well above the 200-feet limit to which helicopters are restricted in the corridor. The helicopter was using specialized corridors for law enforcement, medevac, military and government helicopters in the Washington area. Federal Aviation Administration charts show – and the NTSB confirmed – helicopters in the corridor must be at or below 200 feet above sea level.

Inman noted that investigators “currently don’t have the readout from the Black Hawk” so they cannot provide information about what altitude the helicopter was flying at. But “obviously an impact occurred, and I would say when an impact occurs, that is typically where the altitude of both aircraft were at the moment,” he said.

Flight tracking data from the moments before the fatal midair collision appear to show the helicopter flying 100 feet above its allowed altitude, and veering off the prescribed route along the Potomac River’s east side.

Both President Donald Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth have raised the issue of altitude.

“The Blackhawk helicopter was flying too high, by a lot. It was far above the 200 foot limit,” Trump said in a Truth Social post Friday.

“Someone was at the wrong altitude,” Hegseth told Fox News on Friday morning. “Was the Black Hawk too high? Was it on course? Right now, we don’t quite know.”

The helicopter’s black box voice recorder has also been recovered with no signs of exterior damage, according to Inman.

The NTSB has begun interviewing air traffic control personnel, which will continue for a few days, Inman said.

The slight increase in pitch could show the pilots trying to pull the plane up after suddenly noticing the helicopter, Mary Schiavo, former inspector general at the Department of Transportation, told CNN Saturday.

“That tells us that they did not see the helicopter until just, you know, a second at impact,” Schiavo said. “But they had that one second to try to pull up.”

The discrepancy between the plane’s altitude and the helicopter altitude as reported by the air traffic controllers “is going to be the source of a lot of investigation,” Schiavo added.

Helicopter on training flight for emergencies
At the time of the collision, the Black Hawk military helicopter was training to evacuate government officials in the case of a catastrophic event.

The pilots were training for a scenario when “something really bad happens in this area, and we need to move our senior leaders,” Jonathan Koziol, chief of staff for the Army’s aviation directorate, told reporters on Thursday.

That evacuation would be part of what Hegseth described as “a continuity of government mission.”

o carry out such an evacuation, Koziol added, pilots “do need to be able to understand the environment, the air traffic, the routes, to ensure the safe travel of our senior leaders throughout our government.”


Those who were killed included three Army aviators in the Black Hawk: Capt. Rebecca Lobach, 28, who was identified Saturday; Staff Sgt. Ryan Austin O’Hara, 28; and Chief Warrant Officer 2 Andrew Lloyd Eaves, 39. While the Army released the names of the other two soldiers on board the Black Hawk on Friday, Lobach’s name had been withheld at her family’s request.

Pilots who fly with the 12th Aviation Battalion, based out of Fort Belvoir, Virginia, frequently fly along the Potomac River and past DC’s Reagan National Airport for various missions – often carrying general officers or Army leaders to and from the Pentagon, or other VIPs elsewhere in the Northeast.

Brad Bowman, a former Black Hawk pilot and member of the 12th Aviation Battalion who served on September 11, 2001, told CNN that on the route past Reagan, the helicopters drop down to their lowest altitude of the entire flight, with the intention of getting low to “deconflict with aircraft at Reagan.”

“(T)he low level helicopter routes have been in operation for decades – that area is one of the busiest aviation operation centers in the country, if not the world,” said Bowman, who is also a senior director of the Center on Military and Political Power at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies. “It is a concert or orchestra of activity that requires careful communication and cooperation between pilots and Reagan tower.”

“Everyone has to be on their game and follow instruction exactly,” Bowman added.

Meanwhile, reports have emerged that may show the tragedy is part of a larger problem. In the three years before the disaster, at least two other pilots near misses collisions with helicopters while landing at Reagan National Airport.

For years, Sen. Tim Kaine has been a vocal critic of congestion at the airport, warning it was only a matter of time before there was a deadly collision.

“We got to get to the bottom of this crash and then take necessary steps to keep people safe,” the Virginia Democrat told CNN’s Jake Tapper on “State of the Union.”

The inadequate staffing at the Reagan airport tower was also hardly an anomaly. Airports around the country have struggled with controller staffing levels for years, according to a CNN review of government data and interviews with aviation experts.

The Trump administration is working with the Federal Aviation Administration to increase staffing levels of air traffic controllers, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said Sunday.

“We’re going to surge air traffic controllers. We’re going to bring in the best and the brightest,” Duffy told Tapper on Sunday.

But the yearslong training process for certified air traffic controllers means the increase in staffing won’t happen overnight, Duffy said.

[arista]

The plane is being brought up
in the River

55 Victims Identified.

Now they have all the bodies

[Crimson Dynamo]

NEW: Two airport employees arrested for leaking the video footage of the D.C.
collision last week to CNN.

67 people are deceased because people didn't do their jobs right and they're
arresting people who shared a video?

Two Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority employees are now facing
charges of "computer trespass" after allegedly making an "unauthorized copy"
of the video.


https://x.com/CollinRugg/status/1886572416257650904

[user104658]

NEW: Two airport employees arrested for leaking the video footage of the D.C.
collision last week to CNN.

67 people are deceased because people didn't do their jobs right and they're
arresting people who shared a video?

Two Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority employees are now facing
charges of "computer trespass" after allegedly making an "unauthorized copy"
of the video.


https://x.com/CollinRugg/status/1886572416257650904

The people who shared it will have been well aware that what they were doing was illegal.

[Ammi]

Black Hawk helicopter had safety system turned off during Washington plane crash…


A key safety system was turned off in a US army helicopter when it crashed into an American Airlines flight last week, killing 67 people.

Ted Cruz, the chairman of the Senate commerce committee, told reporters that the Black Hawk helicopter had switched off an advanced surveillance technology known as automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast (ADS-B).

“This was a training mission, so there was no compelling national security reason for ADS-B to be turned off,” Mr Cruz said on Thursday, following a briefing from federal transport bodies.

Mr Cruz said the helicopter would still have appeared on radar because it had a transponder on it, but said ADS-B would have been significantly more accurate.

Investigators are still working to establish what precisely caused the collision between the helicopter and American Airlines Flight 5342 close to Washington DC’s Ronald Reagan National Airport.

All 64 people onboard the jet, which included a number of teenage figure skaters, and the three service members in the helicopter were killed in the US’ deadliest air disaster since 2001.

Mr Cruz, the Texas senator, said he had asked the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to conduct a review of helicopter routes near other congested airports.

[Cherie]

The equipment that would have allowed air traffic to see it and for the helicopter pilot to be alerted to planes in the vicinity was turned off..... that seems like a very basic thing to do if you are a pilot, like getting in a car and checking your mirrors before moving off.....I dunno, there have been two incidents already with members of the military, New Orleans and the car being blown up at Trump Towers, . if it was an error it really was a school boy one that is quite shocking when taking off at a busy airport

Black Hawk helicopter had safety system turned off during Washington plane crash…


A key safety system was turned off in a US army helicopter when it crashed into an American Airlines flight last week, killing 67 people.

Ted Cruz, the chairman of the Senate commerce committee, told reporters that the Black Hawk helicopter had switched off an advanced surveillance technology known as automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast (ADS-B).

“This was a training mission, so there was no compelling national security reason for ADS-B to be turned off,” Mr Cruz said on Thursday, following a briefing from federal transport bodies.

Mr Cruz said the helicopter would still have appeared on radar because it had a transponder on it, but said ADS-B would have been significantly more accurate.

Investigators are still working to establish what precisely caused the collision between the helicopter and American Airlines Flight 5342 close to Washington DC’s Ronald Reagan National Airport.

All 64 people onboard the jet, which included a number of teenage figure skaters, and the three service members in the helicopter were killed in the US’ deadliest air disaster since 2001.

Mr Cruz, the Texas senator, said he had asked the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to conduct a review of helicopter routes near other congested airports.

This was known on the day of the crash, they seem to be regurgitating news now

[Ammi]

This was known on the day of the crash, they seem to be regurgitating news now

…I think maybe some media sources just take a little longer to feed through so we think it’s an update in information and it’s not, you know…

[Cherie]

…I think maybe some media sources just take a little longer to feed through so we think it’s an update in information and it’s not, you know…

Its quiet a key thing in the investigation, whose idea was it for instance if this was a training exercise....surprised more has not been made of it

[Nicky91]

an increase in pitch, maybe the pilots saw the black hawk helicopter? :think:



no Cherie, the question more is, how could these two collide, when this training exercise had been thoroughly been planned


i'd more wanna know, if the American Eagle flight had any delays or something, something what messed up the schedule


this is a theory what i have (as someone who watches a lot of air crash investigation, i got some knowledge here and there)



it's ok if that was the black hawk's flight path for its training exercises, and i think commercial aircraft should normally perfectly fine avoid them



so what was different about this specific accident?

[Nicky91]

an airplane needs to follow a series of waypoints on its flight path, depending on how fast you are flying, exactly planned on which time you'll be at which waypoint


there have been similar mid-air collisions

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1956_Grand_Canyon_mid-air_collision



and this one is a similar incident involving a commercial airline and a military aircraft

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_European_Airways_Flight_142


it was noted that the Viscount had strayed out of its airway and into a military-prohibited area


were these american eagle pilots aware they had the training space for the black hawk in their flight path? (or is this a similar incident not being aware of descending in military airspace)


and a similar incident in 2019

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2019_Alaska_mid-air_collision

[Ammi]

Its quiet a key thing in the investigation, whose idea was it for instance if this was a training exercise....surprised more has not been made of it

…it’s really difficult to filter through articles and news reports, isn’t it…and to know what is actually any type of update or what is just speculation …I read on one article, I think that it was an abc news article…that it wasn’t known for sure atm whether a tracking system had been installed at all on the helicopter and that an evaluation of that was being waited for…I’m not sure if any truth in that at all and maybe nothing is being ‘made of’ as you say because nothing yet is confirmed and it’s just speculation ….

[Beso]

My algorithm says it was a lesbian driver of the helicopter committing suicide.

[arista]

My algorithm says it was a lesbian driver of the helicopter committing suicide.


That is terrible to say.

[Nicky91]

oh my god


someone in the ATC accidentally pressed on the mic, the crew of the Black Hawk didn't hear enough information about where the American Eagle plane was


instead they got a heterodyne, which is a beeping sound, if more communicate at the same time on the same frequency, so the Black Hawk crew i think were trying to ask this, however this didn't get through due to the ATC pressing on the mic at the same time also saying something



this ''heterodyne'' problem has been fatal before, at Tenerife, with the collision between a Pan Am and a KLM plane

[Maru]

Army Blackhawk pilot in DC crash failed to heed flight instructor’s command 15 seconds before deadly collision: report
https://nypost.com/2025/04/27/us-news/army-blackhawk-pilot-in-dc-crash-failed-to-heed-flight-instructors-command-15-seconds-before-deadly-collision-report/

The Army Blackhawk pilot involved in the Washington, DC, plane crash failed to heed her flight instructor’s warning just 15 seconds before the deadly crash that killed 67 people, according to a new report.

Moments before the deadly Jan. 29 crash near Reagan International Airport, Capt. Rebecca Lobach missed an order from co-pilot Andrew Eaves, who was overseeing her training mission, to change course and avoid the descending American Airlines jet, the New York Times reported.

Along with the error, officials found that the pilots “stepped on” some of the air traffic controller’s instructions, meaning they accidentally cut him off when pressing the button to talk over the radio and likely missed important information.

Officials found that Capt. Rebecca Lobach failed to heed her instructor’s orders to change course just seconds before the collision.

A key moment occurred around 8:46 p.m., when Eaves requested and received approval for the helicopter’s pilots to use their own visuals instead of air-traffic control to avoid other air traffic. The move is common practice to speed things up, but of course comes with the risk of more human error.

During that moment, investigators believe Eaves and Lobach failed to hear that the American Airlines plane was “circling” because one of them was pressing the microphone key to speak to air traffic control when the word came through.

Just 20 seconds before the crash occurred, the air-traffic controller asked the helicopter if it spotted American Airlines Flt. 5342, which was coming up on Runway 33 where the chopper was approaching.

“PAT two-five, do you have the CRJ in sight?” he asked, using the abbreviation for the model of Flt. 5342’s aircraft.

Chief Warrant Officer 2 Andrew Loyd Eaves and Lobach had pressed on their microphones when getting orders from air traffic control, cutting off the message and missing key information. via REUTERS

That was the last communication between the plane and the air-traffic controller.

Technology on the Black Hawk that would have allowed air traffic control to better track the helicopter was also found to be turned off that day, common protocol if the training mission had been for real.

But it was a practice mission involving an annual flying assessment for Robach, who was training as if top congressional officials needed to be flown from a Capitol under siege.

Salvage teams search the Potomac River for the plane and the bodies of its passengers. Getty Images

Brig. Gen. Matthew Braman, the Army’s director of aviation, said it was clear that multiple factors contributed to the deadly crash.

“I think what we’ll find in the end is there were multiple things that, had any one of them changed, it could have well changed the outcome of that evening,” he said.

Aviation experts have long bemoaned the practice of allowing pilots to navigate on their own, as human error can often lead to tragedy, especially in the exceedingly busy conditions around Reagan airport.

Air traffic control sent a message seconds before the crash asking if the helicopter had visuals on the approaching jet. REUTERS

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has since openly criticized the long-standing practice and vowed to get rid of it as he likened it to “threading a needle.”

There was also an apparent discrepancy between two of the three Army pilots aboard the doomed chopper about what altitude they were flying at, according to investigators — and they were well above the 200-foot limit for that location.

At one point before the collision, the helicopter’s pilot announced that they were at 300 feet, but the instructor pilot was also heard saying the helicopter was at 400 feet, according to recordings.

At the time of the fiery crash, the Black Hawk was flying at 278 feet, National Transportation Safety Board head Jennifer Homedy said, adding, “That doesn’t mean that’s what the Black Hawk crew was seeing on the barometric altimeters in the cockpit.”

The Black Hawk collided with Flt. 5342, which was en route to Reagan National Airport from Wichita, Kan., just at 8:47:59 p.m., officials said.

[Cherie]

Outrageously dangerous on a training flight...