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 ...
Aviation Ping!....................
The pilots are less responsible, imo, than those who were supposed to ensure safe airways.
Airborne collision avoidance radar hasn’t been invented yet
It’s impossible to believe that the approach/takeoff paths to/from Reagan airport are not major freeway on-ramps and off-ramps that are marked and known and tightly controlled, etc; etc;
To state the obvious.
I wonder what the helicopter pilot’s name was. Just asking for a friend of course.
I wonder if an AI ATC would work?....................
Might be a ‘trans’ Atlantic flight
I’ve never worn — or evn seen — a flight-quailified night vision rig, BUT I’ll speculate they aren’t a “wide angke” view.
Can any real-life MIL pilots comment on this?
Could tunnel vision be a contributing factor?
6 years experience for pilot, 2 for first officer.
In ordinary flight outside controlled airspace, when two aircraft are approaching each other the aircraft on the right-hand side has right of way.
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Likewise with watercraft, I believe the starboard craft has right of way.
This is why you can't believe anything writen in a newspaper these days. Class A goes from 18,000 ft through FL600.
People suspect its DEI and incompetence in the airlines - it could just as much be DEI and incompetence in the military.
Only if it is handicapped or LGBTQ+.
"The AI ATC system has encountered a serious problem and needs to restart. Please wait."
Notably, the helo’s altitude appeared to be over 100 feet higher than the permissable maximum altitude ceiling given by flight restrictions for helicopters along that Potomac corridor. This would be a pilot error.
All commercial aircraft have a system called TCAS which stands for traffic collision avoidance system which is supposed to warn the pilot of an aircraft that is to close. I don’t think that combat aircraft have it.
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.
I understand they don’t have to take evasive action but couldn’t in this case (presumably).
That would be pilot error, I submit to that point.
He may have had reason to do that, that I’m not aware of. I don’t know why he did that.
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