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‘Are You Kidding Me?’: NTSB Chair Blasts FAA over Washington DC Plane Crash
Breitbart ^ | August 04, 2025 | Olivia Rondeau

Posted on 08/05/2025 9:08:28 AM PDT by Red Badger

National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) hearings on the devastating Washington, DC, helicopter-plane crash that killed 67 people revealed devastating findings last week, with Chairwoman Jennifer Homendy scolding the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for ignoring safety concerns.

The NTSB interrogated FAA and U.S. Army officials on the series of events that led to a Black Hawk helicopter colliding with a passenger jet as it descended into Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport during what the Associated Press (AP) described as “three days of sometimes contentious hearings.”

The 64 passengers and crew killed on the American Airlines flight included a group of young figure skaters, coaches, and family members returning from Wichita, Kansas, Breitbart News reported.

The helicopter also had no survivors, losing all three crew members in the tragic accident.

Last week’s hearings not only revealed that the Black Hawk’s altimeter gauge was broken, but that air traffic controllers had warned the FAA years earlier about the growing risk of helicopters flying in close proximity to landing airplanes.

“Are you kidding me? Sixty-seven people are dead! How do you explain that? Our bureaucratic process?” Homendy said to FAA officials at one point. “Fix it. Do better.”

As the Associated Press reported:

The helicopter was flying at 278 feet (85 meters) — well above the 200-foot (61-meter) ceiling on that route — when it collided with the airliner. But investigators said the pilots might not have realized that because the barometric altimeter they were relying on was reading 80 to 100 feet (24 to 30 meters) lower than the altitude registered by the flight data recorder.

The NTSB subsequently found similar discrepancies in the altimeters of three other helicopters from the same unit.

(Excerpt) Read more at breitbart.com ...


TOPICS:
KEYWORDS: aviation; dei; faa; military; ntsb
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To: cpdiii

Agreed. The clearances were just too tight, especially given equipment variations. The number of prior “near collisions” (I’ve always wondered about that term “near misses”) should have been a big red flag, years ago... :-(


21 posted on 08/05/2025 9:59:02 AM PDT by Paul R. (Old Viking saying: "Never be more than 3 steps away from your weapon ... or a Uriah Heep song!" ;-))
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To: Red Badger

This is the same FAA that regularly tests the TSA on their ability to spot luggage bombs — they fail >90% of the time. But, the FAA does nothing to fix the situation.


22 posted on 08/05/2025 10:20:44 AM PDT by bobbo666
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To: Red Badger
the Black Hawk’s altimeter gauge was broken

Um, why did they allow it to take off?

23 posted on 08/05/2025 10:22:41 AM PDT by 1Old Pro
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To: Red Badger
The NTSB subsequently found similar discrepancies in the altimeters of three other helicopters from the same unit.

Sounds like an issue with PMEL ...

24 posted on 08/05/2025 10:25:44 AM PDT by Fish Speaker (Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?)
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To: Carry_Okie

Yeah, I recall most all airports have the local altitude displayed in a very noticeable place for altimeter verificaation?


25 posted on 08/05/2025 10:32:49 AM PDT by doorgunner69
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To: doorgunner69
Yeah, I recall most all airports have the local altitude displayed in a very noticeable place for altimeter verification?

There have been just too many excuses proffered for the helicopter pilot.

It stinks of DEI.

26 posted on 08/05/2025 10:35:11 AM PDT by Carry_Okie (The tree of liberty needs a rope.)
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To: Carry_Okie
She should have taken remedial action by making sure to fly well below that ceiling.

And to stay far away from any DCA approach path! She shouldn’t have been anywhere near one anyway, especially for training!

27 posted on 08/05/2025 10:38:06 AM PDT by mikey_hates_everything
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To: ClearCase_guy

Even if everyone in the chopper had been a white male, it still would have been a Warrant telling a Commissioned what to do.


28 posted on 08/05/2025 11:02:01 AM PDT by PAR35
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To: FamiliarFace
Reminds me of Reagan’s quote, “The nine most terrifying words in the English language are: I’m from the Government, and I’m here to help.”

That's one thing Reagan understood better than Trump. Trump thinks the gov't (and he) is there to help others. The Constitution, the Supreme Law of the Land, and the Declaration of Independence, the foundation of the Constitution, say otherwise.

No, once this particular benefactor (Trump) is gone, the gov't will go back to doing what is does best: take your money and find more "do-good" excuses to control more of your life.

29 posted on 08/05/2025 11:03:51 AM PDT by Jim W N (MAGA by restoring the Gospel of the Grace of Christ (Jude 3) and our Free Constitutional Republic!)
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To: 1Old Pro

It had two types, as one FReeper pointed out..............


30 posted on 08/05/2025 11:08:12 AM PDT by Red Badger (Homeless veterans camp in the streets while illegals are put up in 5 Star hotels....................)
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To: PAR35

I admit that I have no knowledge of aircraft or the relevant protocols. But the woman flying the helicopter was sitting next to a “flight instructor”. And the woman flying the helicopter (who had a history of vertigo) stated “I feel dizzy”. And the woman flying the helicopter was heading directly for another aircraft. I feel that the “flight instructor” should have felt free to act for the safety of all.


31 posted on 08/05/2025 11:09:27 AM PDT by ClearCase_guy (The list of things I no longer care about is long. And it's getting longer.)
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To: Fish Speaker

I’m a former PMEL Technician......................


32 posted on 08/05/2025 11:12:15 AM PDT by Red Badger (Homeless veterans camp in the streets while illegals are put up in 5 Star hotels....................)
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To: Red Badger

Why was it so important for this chick to practice her NVG flying across this aviation version of Frogger ?

If this Helo has 3 altimeters , why were they using the Fubar and not one of the other two ?

Does the Army have Blackhawk Simulators , this girl could crashed to her hearts content.


33 posted on 08/05/2025 11:24:06 AM PDT by OldHarbor
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To: Red Badger

We have self-driving cars which know how to not hit things. Guess someday that technology will be in aircraft.

The self-driving cars don’t require any instrumentation in objects they need to avoid.


34 posted on 08/05/2025 11:24:41 AM PDT by cymbeline
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To: cymbeline

They already have a Collision Avoidance System.........TCAS.......

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


35 posted on 08/05/2025 11:27:15 AM PDT by Red Badger (Homeless veterans camp in the streets while illegals are put up in 5 Star hotels....................)
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To: cymbeline

They already have a Collision Avoidance System.........TCAS.......

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


36 posted on 08/05/2025 11:27:15 AM PDT by Red Badger (Homeless veterans camp in the streets while illegals are put up in 5 Star hotels....................)
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To: ClearCase_guy
"But he knew his place"
Under the DEI shadow, 'you' are ordered to comply with girl power / "minorities" power / any "ethnicity" except white (genetically "systemic" <-- including inability to know "your racism!") . . . power.
37 posted on 08/05/2025 11:29:56 AM PDT by linMcHlp
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To: SakoL61R

bttt


38 posted on 08/05/2025 11:30:37 AM PDT by linMcHlp
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To: Red Badger

If the cockpit altimeter was off by 100 feet, then where did the flight data recorder get its altitude data from, and why wasn’t this source displayed in the cockpit?


39 posted on 08/05/2025 5:56:08 PM PDT by Yo-Yo (Is the /Sarc tag really necessary?)
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To: Red Badger

“They already have a Collision Avoidance System.........TCAS.......”

Does it rely on other planes also having TCAS? Does it require input from ground radar?


40 posted on 08/06/2025 4:48:13 AM PDT by cymbeline
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