Moment Of Impact - Hudson River Mid-Air Footage from NBC News

NBC News / YouTube ^ | August 13, 2009

[paul51]

almost looks like the plane was trying to impact the chopper

[library user]

They're blaming the crash on the air-traffic controller, who may have been on the phone with his girlfriend at the time of the crash.

PAPER: Air traffic controller on phone with girlfriend during mid-air collision over Hudson... Developing...

[ninergold3]

It is strange. I’m afraid to fly so I don’t know what the visibility would be like - did the helicopter blend in with the background?

[Reeses]

It looked like the airplane was on the helicopter’s right so had right of way. Legally it was the helicopter pilot’s fault.

[Shanty Shaker]

Except the plane and heli were low enough they had to be flying VFR. The buildings are too tall for accurate ATC.

[bill1952]

whats ATC have to do with a VFR flight and no flight plan?

[Albion Wilde]

"...the controller handling the Piper flight was involved in apparently inappropriate conversations on the telephone at the time of the accident," FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt said.

"So, what are you wearing right now?"

"Yeah? The red one?"

"Oh, you know I like it!"

"Baby, you know I... whoa!"

"S***!"

[Reeses]

When two airplanes or boats are on a collision course like this, they will appear at a fixed angle to both pilot’s eyes, so there is no left-right motion to set them apart from the background. This effect also happens vertically. For a landing aircraft, the spot on the runway that is neither rising or falling in angle is the point the airplane will touch down.

[WhoisAlanGreenspan?]

I tend to agree. The helicopter also appears to be faster moving and strikes at a rear quarter, perhaps 30 - 45 degrees difference in heading. The airplane is climbing right into his flight path. Both pilots had a chance to avoid a collision I would imagine. Very unfortunately neither did.

[pandemoniumreigns]

I appears to to me that neither pilot was following the first rule in "Visual Flight Rules"...

Look out the damn window...

[LonePalm]

Constant bearing, decreasing range.

Garde la Foi, mes amis! Nous nous sommes les sauveurs de la République! Maintenant et Toujours!
(Keep the Faith, my friends! We are the saviors of the Republic! Now and Forever!)
LonePalm, le Républicain du verre cassé (The Broken Glass Republican)

[BenLurkin]

Saw a wreck once in a weave where drivers were merging from two freeways onto a single freeway.

They looked right at each and collided anyway.

[theFIRMbss]

>almost looks like the plane was trying to impact the chopper

Amazing footage.
I thought the same thing about
the plane's odd bullseye.

I'm guessing this was
an accident but sometimes
people choose strange ways

if they decide to
commit suicide. This crash
sure was a strange crash.

[paul51]

I’m looking at that footage and speculating it’s intentional

[buccaneer81]

I’m looking at that footage and speculating it’s intentional

If that's the case, the pilot had no problem taking his brother and his 16 year old nephew with him. I don't buy it. Medical emergency, perhaps.

[paul51]

it appears as though the plane was accelerating a rate of climb to result in impact. Perhaps a panic reaction

[buccaneer81]

it appears as though the plane was accelerating a rate of climb to result in impact. Perhaps a panic reaction

A climb when it should have been a dive. Quite possible.

[paul51]

I've been thinking more about this. If it were a medical situation, even in an apparently crowded corridor, what are the chances of a collision like that? Your comment about the brother and nephew give me pause but the more I look at this and think about it, the more I think the worse.

[buccaneer81]

but the more I look at this and think about it, the more I think the worse.

I'll admit; stranger things have happened.

After 9/11, I don't think anything has truly shocked me to the core.