Spot on is his definition of the 500 hour inadequacy. Bizarre assignment for a Reagan landing with the infamous reputation for near misses.
Just heartbreaking.
You want to reach in there and just reverse that helo’s fateful course of actions.
If the helo uncertainties were real, and forcing errors, it’s so hard not to want that helo to get earlier permission to drop into hover, to regroup, possibly recover from its deadly course.
Just devastating to contemplate. RIP
PS: I’m wondering out loud about the American Eagle.. if it had no instrument detection of that helo? I think I don’t understand the use of instruments not being used at night. A pilot instinctively uses visual as well.
Rita. 500 hours is when I made HAC, flew in SoCal that has myriad class airspace and tons of traffic. This mission flying single-ship along the Potomac River below 200' even through the ATA night VFR WITH NVGs is a simple mission. The copilot reports so far indicate someone who wasn't a Pilot but a dabbler since all she got were her mins. But the Aircraft Commander had ample experience. They weren't landing @ Reagan just transiting. Near misses are pilot problems and usually not the commercial guys, although you do see some @ joint use facilities.