Posted on 08/02/2025 10:52:51 AM PDT by E. Pluribus Unum
The goggles were discussed Friday at the NTSB's third and final day of public testimony over the fatal midair crash, which killed 67 people.
The pilots of a U.S. Army helicopter that collided with a passenger jet over Washington in January would've had difficulty spotting the plane while wearing night vision goggles, experts told the National Transportation Safety Board on Friday.
The Army goggles would have made it difficult to see the plane's colored lights, which might have helped the Black Hawk determine the plane's direction. The goggles also limited the pilots' peripheral vision as they flew near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.
The challenges posed by night-vision goggles were among the topics discussed at the NTSB's third and final day of public testimony over the fatal midair crash, which killed all 67 people aboard both aircrafts.
Experts said another challenge that evening was distinguishing the plane from lights on the ground while the two aircraft were on a collision course. Plus, the helicopter pilots may not have known where to look for a plane that was landing on a secondary runway that most planes didn't use.
"Knowing where to look. That's key," said Stephen Casner, an expert in human factors who used to work at NASA.
Two previous days of testimony underscored a number of factors that likely contributed to the collision, sparking Board Chairwoman Jennifer Homendy to urge the Federal Aviation Administration to "do better" as she pointed to warnings the agency had ignored years earlier.
Some of the major issues that have emerged so far include the Black Hawk helicopter flying above prescribed levels near the airport as well as the warnings to FAA officials for years about the hazards related to the heavy chopper traffic there.
It's too early for the board to identify what exactly caused...
(Excerpt) Read more at scrippsnews.com ...
Anyone know why only a transcript of the CVR was released?
Perhaps the chick pilot had something to do with the crash?
The only players in this disaster who were not to be blamed are the two commuter jet pilots who did all that could be expected of them
Anything and everything except the pilot.
Yeah. OK.
The chick pilot who had spent an inordinate amount of time hanging out at the White House?
Historical revisionism at its finest...
In other news: The oceans are mainly comprised of water and water is wet.
For whatever problems there were in the tower I can’t really look past the flightdeck in the chopper. Fly your machine and never never never treat it like it’s just another day in the office, because, up there, it ain’t.
Not as big of a LIE as TWA-800. Center fuel tank My A$$ !!!
Nope.
It was simple situational awareness. Pilot had NO idea where she was relative to the bridge ATC referenced by way of letting her know a plane was inbound. Had she KNOWN, she would have SEEN landing lights barreling down from her LEFT side as the bridge was SOUTH of her position.
She was also too far out over the Potomac for the original flight plan, again, a failure to familiarize one’s self with the terrain although admittedly, night flight in and around DCA or BWI can get weird (I’m a low-hour pilot, SEL, Glider, Rotary wing, having given up flying there many years ago).
Nothing to do with why they were over 200 ft.
Lesbian chick Biden-crony DEI pilot.
I have a curious technical question for any experienced chopper pilots with hundreds of hours of flight time in different crafts.
Suppose you were given an order to immediately come to a stop and hover in place would this cause the craft and flight characteristics to naturally bring you up in elevation a bit to execute this maneuver?
You would have to pitch the craft nose up to stop quickly wouldn’t you? Would there be any residual climb because of the drastic pitch required to do this fast stop?
“When told there was an incoming flight while hovering over the landing approach”
Are you sure about that? I could be mistaken but when I watched the video and it did not appear she was hovering, she was on the move and flew right into the starboard side of the plane from the angle I saw?
It appears that, as of early 2025, some airline customers are avoiding Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA)—especially frequent flyers—but not universally.
🛫 Passenger Traffic Trends at DCA
In 2024, DCA handled 26.29 million passengers, a 3.3% increase over 2023, setting a record for the airport .
However, in early 2025, passenger traffic was reported to be down 8.5% compared to the same period in 2024 .
🚧 Safety Incident & Operational Changes
A fatal mid-air collision on January 29, 2025 involving an American Airlines regional jet and a military Black Hawk helicopter raised major safety concerns surrounding DCA .
In response, the FAA implemented arrival caps (from 28 to 26 per hour), helicopter restrictions, and grounded flights during helicopter presence—leading to a sharp rise in delays (34% vs. 11% year-over-year) and cancellations (7% vs. 0.5%) .
🧍♂️ Traveler Behavior & Sentiment
Some frequent local flyers have switched to driving or using alternative airports like Dulles (IAD), citing discomfort with DCA post-crash .
Yet, others continue to fly DCA without hesitation and expect to return as safety updates are implemented .
From anecdotal reports on Reddit:
> “I’ve flown out of there 10 times since the accident. Totally fine.”
“Every single return flight … involves some level of plane circling, a gate delay, a reroute or a ground stop.”
✈️ Why Some are Choosing Alternatives
Washington Dulles (IAD) is experiencing robust growth: 27.25 million passengers in 2024 (+8.4%) and projected to be the busiest year ever in 2025 with major airline expansions. Meanwhile, DCA traffic is declining .
Dulles is increasingly attractive due to more international routes, lower per‑passenger costs, and less operational disruption .
✅ Summary: Are Customers Avoiding DCA?
Factor Trend at DCA Comparison with Dulles (IAD)
Traffic 26.29M in 2024 (+3.3%), but early 2025 down –8.5% IAD at 27.25M (+8.4%), growing faster
Safety Fatal crash January 29, FAA restrictions in place No comparable incidents or restrictions
Traveler Behavior Some frequent flyers avoiding it; many still use it Increasing preference for Dulles
Delays Higher delays & cancellations since crash Fewer disruptions reported
So yes, a portion of frequent flyers have opted to avoid DCA, mostly due to safety concerns and operational disruptions. But it’s not wholesale avoidance—many people continue using it out of convenience or habit. The impact seems to be regional and gradual, and public confidence may rebound if the airport addresses concerns and restores reliability.
From AI.
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