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Listen to the terrible 'mistake' that caused DC plane crash, according to air traffic controller
Daily Mail UK ^ | January 31, 2025 | Rachel Bowman

Posted on 01/31/2025 12:29:30 AM PST by Morgana

An air traffic control veteran with 23 years of experience has revealed the mistake operators made in the moments leading up to the deadly collision in Washington, DC.

The American Airlines jet with 64 people onboard crashed with a US Army helicopter carrying three soldiers over the icy waters of the Potomac River Wednesday night, killing everyone.

The Black Hawk helicopter apparently flew in the jet's path as it landed at Ronald Reagan National Airport.

Investigators working through the wreckage in the Potomac uncovered two black box flight recorders on Thursday night as they attempt to determine what went wrong.

An experienced air traffic controller told DailyMail.com that the air traffic control (ATC) audio that emerged from the crash showed the operator's instructions to the helicopter were 'very ambiguous.'

In the nearly minute-and-a-half recording, ATC operators can be heard asking the helicopter if the commercial flight is in sight.

Through muffled audio, more commands and confirmations are made between ATC operators.

One air traffic controller said to the helicopter pilot: 'PAT 2-5, do you have the CRJ in sight?'

Seconds later, the controller spoke again, requesting: 'Pat 2-5 pass behind the CRJ.'

(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...


TOPICS: Travel
KEYWORDS: 5342; atc; dca
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To: MayflowerMadam

Recordings are already posted and all the ATC comms with the helo are calm male voices

Watch this analysis. By airline pilot. Full ATC dialogue
https://youtu.be/hfgllf1L9_4?si=a5xP6u5fkQljZ8tZ

The ATC never confirmed that the helo crew were focused on the actual closest aircraft, but instead they were focused on the aircraft next in line to land

ATC error I would say
Their screens showed what the helo, flying visual rules, could not see

Have you ever been driving and had a near-miss with a car in your blind spot while focusing on the car further behind him?


21 posted on 01/31/2025 3:56:26 AM PST by silverleaf (“Inside Every Progressive Is A Totalitarian Screaming To Get Out” —David Horowitz)
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To: sipow

ONLY ONE ATC on duty.

MINIMUM IS 2.


22 posted on 01/31/2025 3:56:26 AM PST by ridesthemiles (not giving up on TRUMP---EVER)
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To: silverleaf

“all the ATC comms with the helo are calm male voices”

Right. Because the “female” is a male and would have a male voice.

It does seem that the problem is with the ATC, doing the job of two people, and who may or may not be ESL. Sounds like this could be an example of a perfect storm.


23 posted on 01/31/2025 4:00:51 AM PST by MayflowerMadam (It's hard not to celebrate the fall of bad people. - Bongino and)
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To: Texas Fossil

“Whole string of very costly errors.”

I don’t think it was an error to turn into the aircraft’s flight path and climb double the helicopter’s ceiling to intercept the aircraft. Seems pretty D-d intentional to me.

Reminds me of the homosexual German passenger jet pilot who flew his flight into the ground in an act of spite.

When ppl put their choice of sexual gratification above their duties and obligations it’s quite obvious they intend to impart the consequences to others.

Seems pretty clear what the remedy is.


24 posted on 01/31/2025 4:05:03 AM PST by Justa (Our constitution was made only for a moral and religious people....)
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To: Jonty30

“That’s not a lot of reaction time if the air traffic controller hasn’t done due diligence and gives clear instructions.”

According to that graphic, the helicopter pilot had ample time to see the plane and take evasive action. It looks like he T-boned the jet. Just a flick of the stick and he could have dodged it.


25 posted on 01/31/2025 4:08:03 AM PST by odawg
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To: Gay State Conservative
So it was ATC’s fault?

Maybe. As soon as the bit flashing CA showed up on the screen, ATC's very first sentence should have been "Pat 2-5, turn hard to port and descend to 200 immediately.", not ask if the helo could see the CRJ.

26 posted on 01/31/2025 4:08:59 AM PST by Sirius Lee ("Never argue with a fool, onlookers may not be able to tell the difference.")
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To: Morgana

ATC requests HH heading and altitude.

HH reports heading and altitude.

ATC to HH: Do you see airliner at your 10 o’clock and . . . ?

ATC to HH: Hover and hold your present position.


27 posted on 01/31/2025 4:09:03 AM PST by linMcHlp
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To: ridesthemiles

Maybe the root cause of this is the supervisor who sent the second ATC home, leaving only one to handle the shift.


28 posted on 01/31/2025 4:09:33 AM PST by MayflowerMadam (It's hard not to celebrate the fall of bad people. - Bongino and)
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To: silverleaf

I assume that Reagan National Airport is rather busy that time of night? Whose idea was it to conduct a training exercise there rather than somewhere less busy?


29 posted on 01/31/2025 4:12:54 AM PST by scrabblehack
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To: Sirius Lee

In this controlled air space the ATC is in control. Not the pilots. It shouldn’t matter what the Blackhawk could see or not see. The ATC controller had the radar and the flight path projection and never should have had those aircraft going through the same airspace at the same altitude.

But, as always, the FAA will try to blame the pilots.


30 posted on 01/31/2025 4:15:22 AM PST by anton
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To: MayflowerMadam
You know... one of the (many) problems about people transitioning is that they are being flooded with hormones that they were not raised to deal with. We normally get that flood in our early teens, which is why the teenage years are so fraught. Transitioners are getting as second flood in the opposite direction. They most certainly are going through a sort of second psychological adolescence that... well, there's a reason we don't want 13 year olds flying helicopters, isn't there?
31 posted on 01/31/2025 4:15:50 AM PST by A_perfect_lady (The greatest wealth is to live content with little. -Plato)
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To: anton
In this controlled air space the ATC is in control. Not the pilots.

Agreed.

32 posted on 01/31/2025 4:19:27 AM PST by Sirius Lee ("Never argue with a fool, onlookers may not be able to tell the difference.")
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To: A_perfect_lady

I think that drug issue was one of the main problems Hegseth had with trans in the military. There’s the hormone thing on its face, which is unthinkable for a warrior. But that comes with dealing with lifelong medical care like getting the drugs in the first place, and needing to be near healthcare facilities for maintaining the freak state.

And no, I definitely don’t want a 13-year-old flying anything. (I remember when my niece turned 13. She’s always been my favorite, but for a while I didn’t recognize her - LOL!)


33 posted on 01/31/2025 4:32:48 AM PST by MayflowerMadam (It's hard not to celebrate the fall of bad people. - Bongino and)
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To: Morgana

My past included Air Traffic Control for the USMC. It caught my eye the controllers have been sending out a number of - we were understaffed, we were short handed, the controller was doing the job of 2 controllers, type stories for the press.

Air traffic control will take a good bit of the hit on this one. I wonder if the helicopter pilot was told simply to just stop/hover in place.


34 posted on 01/31/2025 4:56:28 AM PST by Jolla
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To: Morgana

This is even worse than we thought. A 2 min video on DEI in the FAA...

https://x.com/JohnStrandUSA/status/1885173868916052041


35 posted on 01/31/2025 4:58:00 AM PST by mewzilla (Swing away, Mr. President, swing away!)
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To: Lonesome in Massachussets

Another reason not to accept Canada into the US.


36 posted on 01/31/2025 4:58:54 AM PST by Jacquerie (ArticleVBlog.com)
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To: Jolla

Do we know yet why the helicopter pilot was flying above 200 feet?


37 posted on 01/31/2025 4:59:03 AM PST by mewzilla (Swing away, Mr. President, swing away!)
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To: Jacquerie

If Canadians are so leftist, why does their Deep State have to steal their elections?

Just some food for thought. :-)


38 posted on 01/31/2025 5:00:19 AM PST by mewzilla (Swing away, Mr. President, swing away!)
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To: odawg

39 posted on 01/31/2025 5:01:55 AM PST by linMcHlp
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To: scrabblehack

Info is out that just 24 hours prior to this, another DCA AA flight was forced to abort landing and do a go round when a helo crossed his path


40 posted on 01/31/2025 5:22:18 AM PST by silverleaf (“Inside Every Progressive Is A Totalitarian Screaming To Get Out” —David Horowitz)
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