Posted on 01/30/2025 11:20:14 AM PST by Red Badger
In order to enable safe flight, airspace is split into categories ranging from very tightly controlled areas around airports to other zones – mostly rural – where rules are much more relaxed.
The most stringently controlled zones are Class A airspace, such as the area around the Ronald Reagan National Airport in Washington.
Pilots must obtain clearance from Air Traffic Control (ATC) to enter and, except in an emergency situation, must follow ATC instructions – such as on heading, height or clearance to land – to the letter.
If reconstructions of the situation in Washington on Wednesday night and ATC instructions are correct, a passenger aircraft seems to have been given clearance to line up and land on runway 33 (the runway is laid out on heading 330 degrees, with the opposite direction being 150 degrees.)
Donald Trump took to his Truth Social network overnight and wrote: “The airplane was on a perfect and routine line of approach to the airport.
“The helicopter was going straight at the airplane for an extended period of time. It is a clear night, the lights on the plane were blazing, why didn’t the helicopter go up or down, or turn.”
In ordinary flight outside controlled airspace, when two aircraft are approaching each other the aircraft on the right-hand side has right of way.
This is why one wing has a red light and the other green – approaching aircraft have a visual cue to take avoiding action or not, depending on which colour of light they see.
Once given clearance to land by ATC, however, an aircraft does not have to alter course even if, as seems to be the case in this incident, another aircraft (the military Black Hawk helicopter) is closing in on its right-hand side.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...
330 - 180 = 150.............
Sec. Hegseth apparently said it was Continuity of Government (COG) training, which might explain why they flying where they wrre.
All I know his he had dandruff... they found his head and shoulders in the Potomic
I doubt it.
>>Names of the helicopter victims?
The crew chief of the Black Hawk helicopter involved in the deadly mid-air collision with an American Airlines flight has been identified as a father-of-one.
Ryan O’Hara from Georgia was on board the doomed UH-60 helicopter that hit the regional jet and then plunged into the Potomac River on Wednesday night.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-14343039/black-hawk-helicopter-call-sign-dc-plane-crash.html
Doomed Black Hawk helicopter’s call sign sparks fresh mystery following DC plane crash
Full list of DC plane crash victims: All the people confirmed dead in Washington’s Reagan Airport tragedy
Hiring is easier when merit is not your number one requirement.
What has occurred to you has occurred to others.
Simulators are no substitute for the real thing. All military aircraft transit from home base to training areas. Helos are no different and fly in, around and through terminal control areas on a routine basis without incident. Prior to entering, crews get permission and generally follow directions to safely enter and exit the area. This flight was obviously fouled up and ended tragically.
That was never drillled into me during my career. What is drilled into all pilots regardless of airframe is to be responsible for the safe and orderly conduct of the flight. If on an IFR flight plan, fly the plan, check in with ATC, follow instructions and practice good see and avoid techniques. If on a VFR plan, fly the plan, check in with ATC, follow instructions and practice good see and avoid techniques. ATC will prioritize IFR flights over VFR flights, but will treat each flight with the same precautions.
All military helos have radar altimeters. Unfortunately at night over water, there is no such thing as good depth perception until it’s too late. More than one helo has bounced off the water due to inattentive pilots.
Back in 1975, while posted to the USMC Orienteering Team based at Quantico, I flew a bit with HMX-1, the Presidential helicopter squadron which also provided helo support for operations at Quantico.
One flight was as co-pilot for a Presidential pilot to take spare parts to the “White Top” (Presidential) VH-3 helos at the Anacostia Air Station. We were flying a Sikorsky CH-53D.
The aircraft commander asked me if I’d like to see the “Special VFR” route around DC.
“Sure!”
The “Special VFR” route around DC went up the Potomac River to the Beltway then around the Beltway to Anacostia. We contacted ATC and were cleared, but restricted to no higher than 200 feet AGL when transiting past DCA (Washington National Airport).
So we buzzed up the Potomac at 200ft AGL, past the Lincoln and Jefferson Memorials (looking in at Abe at eye level), hopping bridges. Legally!
Yeeeehaaaa!
Why the Army UH-60 was at 400 feet AGL is a mystery.
So yes, it was training for extraction of pentagon brass.
“I wonder what the helicopter pilot’s name was. “
Fox showed him and gave his name. Ryan somebody. A good looking non-DEI young man.
This piolet was there. Every accident is different.... another opinion
I noted a new video today taken from a side angle which appears to show the helo approaching the jet from behind and crashing into it. I realize the video is two dimentional but it sure looks like the helo should have seen the jet and changed course.
And NOD is...?
—
A NOD is as good as wink to a blind bat.
“IT happened at 9 PM.”
That was my point. If they waited to conduct the helicopter training flights until 11 p.m., there would have been no activity at the airport (at least nothing scheduled).
That's an easy one to answer. Doing the military training at night would cause undue noise for your ruling elite. At 9 PM when this happened, they were just getting a start on their drinking and partying.
It is and probably the most controlled airspace in the USA. I fear this one is mostly on the airtraffic controller and partially on the chopper pilots.
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