Crash Warning as Report into DC Disaster at Reagan Airport Is Released > 자유게시판

Federal private investigators have actually raised issues of a capacity for another deadly aircraft crash at Reagan National Airport, after a midair collision previously this year eliminated 67.

The National Transportation Safety Board offered an upgrade on their investigation into the reason for the disaster which took place on January 29 in Washington.

An American Airlines jetliner and a Black Hawk military helicopter clashed in midair over the Potomac River, killing everybody on board both airplanes.

As part of a preliminary report launched on Tuesday, private investigators raised concerns of more collisions involving helicopters at the airport.

NTSB chair Jennifer Homendy stated: 'We remain worried about the substantial potential for future mid-air crash at DCA.'

Her concerns revolve around Transport Secretary Sean Duffy transferring to limit helicopter traffic around the location, however that is set to stop at the end of the month.

When cops, medical or governmental transportation helicopters should use the area civilian airplanes are stopped from remaining in the very same area.

Homendy stated the NTSB is now advising that the FAA find a 'long-term service' for routes for helicopters when two of the airport's runways remain in use.

Emergency units respond after a guest aircraft hit a helicopter in the Potomac River near Ronald Reagan Washington Airport on January 30, 2025 in Arlington, Virginia

Chairman of the National Transportation Safety Bureau (NTSB) Jennifer Homendy talks to press reporters about the 29 January mid-air crash

It was also revealed on Tuesday that there was cautioning check in the lead up to the deadly disaster.

Those probing the crash went through 944,179 operations in between October 2021 and December 2024.

It was discovered that 15,214 'near-miss events' of airplanes getting alerts about helicopters remaining in close proximity between October 2021 and December 2024.

The NTSB likewise stated that there were 85 cases where 2 aircraft where laterally divided by less than 1,500 feet, and a vertical separation of less than 200 feet.

Homendy added: 'That information from October 2021 through December 2024, (the FAA) could have used that details at any time to figure out that we have a trend here and a problem here, and looked at that route; that didn't occur, which is why we're taking action today. But regrettably, people lost lives, and enjoyed ones are grieving.'

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy slammed these findings at a later interview on Tuesday.

Duffy stated: 'I think the question is when this data can be found in how did the FAA not understand. How did they not study the data to say "hi, this is a hot spot, we are having near misses and if we don't change our methods we are gon na lose lives".'

He included: 'That wasn't done, perhaps there was a concentrate on something besides safety.'

Duffy would later on added when questioned by a reporter about the near misses out on that the data had 'p *** ed him off'.

Pictured: Parts of the wreckage seen sitting in the Potomac River after Flight 5342 collided with an Army Black Hawk helicopter on Wednesday night, killing 67 people

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Investigators think that the helicopter associated with the crash may have had unreliable altitude readings in the minutes before the crash.

The crash likely occurred at an altitude simply under 300 feet, as the aircraft descended towards the chopper, which was above its 200-foot limit for that area.

On Tuesday American Airlines invited the report by the NTSB, stating: 'We're grateful for the National Transportation Safety Board's immediate safety recommendations to restrict helicopter traffic near DCA and for its thorough investigation.

'We will continue to collaborate carefully with PSA Airlines as it complies as an investigative party member.'

The helicopter pilots may have also missed part of another interaction, when the tower said the jet was turning towards a different runway, Homendy said last month.

The helicopter was on a 'check' flight that night where the pilot was undergoing an annual test and a test on using night vision safety glasses, Homendy stated.

Investigators believe the crew was using night vision goggles throughout the flight.

The Army has stated the Black Hawk team was highly experienced, and accustomed to the congested skies around the country ´ s capital.

At the time of the collision, a single air traffic controller was simultaneously keeping an eye on both the helicopter and aircraft traffic.

Those tasks are generally dealt with between 2 individuals from 10am till 9:30 pm, according to an early FAA report seen by The New York Times.

Those jobs are usually handled in between two people from 10am till 9:30 pm, according to the report.

Surveillance video footage drawn from inside the airport caught the moment the two clashed in midair

At the time of the accident, a single air traffic controller was simultaneously monitoring both the helicopter and aircraft traffic. Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport is seen here

After 9:30 pm the responsibilities are usually combined and left to one individual as the airport sees less traffic later on in the night.

A manager apparently decided to integrate those responsibilities before the arranged cutoff time nevertheless, and allowed one air traffic controller to leave work early.

The FAA report said that staffing setup 'was not typical for the time of day and volume of traffic'.

Reagan National has been understaffed for many years, with just 19 totally licensed controllers since September 2023 - well below the target of 30 - according to the most current Air Traffic Controller Workforce Plan submitted to Congress.

The circumstance appeared to have actually improved ever since, as a source told CNN the Reagan National control tower was 85 percent staffed with 24 of 28 positions filled.

Chronic understaffing at air traffic control service towers is absolutely nothing brand-new, with well-known causes including high turnover and budget plan cuts.

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In order to fill the gaps, controllers are often asked to work 10-hour days, 6 days a week.

After the release of the report, previous Inspector General of the US Department of Transportation Mary Schiavo considered the findings as 'unusual'.

She stated: 'This NTSB action is extremely uncommon. The release of an emergency situation recommendation requesting the FAA take instant action, before the conclusion of the NTSB examination is unusual.'

The two airplane had collided in a substantial fireball that showed up on dashcams of cars driving on highways that snake around the airport, before plunging into the river.

Less than a month later on, on February 17, a Delta traveler airplane crashed-landed upside down in disorderly scenes at Toronto Pearson International Airport in Canada.

Miraculously, everyone on board survived after being suspended upside-down by their seat belts for numerous minutes till they tentatively began evacuating.

The airplane had actually been heading to Toronto from Minneapolis - Saint Paul International Airport with 76 guests and four team members on board.

Some 21 people were required to the hospital for treatment to minor injuries, and Delta has used everyone a no-strings $30,000 payment in payment.

And the aircraft carnage is ongoing - on Sunday, yet another jet crash-landed, this time in a parking lot of a rural Pennsylvania retirement home.

Dramatic video footage revealed the Beechcraft A36TC emerge in flames in the car park of Brethren Village in Manheim Township. Five individuals were hurried to health center.

Medics, ambulances, and emergency situation lorries rushed to the scene in Lancaster County as flames engulfed the plane and nearby lorries.

The plane took off as scheduled on Sunday afternoon, but quickly requested to land back on the tarmac since its door had actually opened.

American Airlines