Posted on 02/01/2025 5:24:43 PM PST by McGruff
American Airlines Flight 5342, a regional jet en route from Wichita, Kan., was zooming down and about to land at Ronald Reagan National Airport in Washington on Wednesday night, when its pitch made a last-minute turn upward.
Investigators with the National Transportation Safety Board appeared unsure if that meant that the pilots were alerted to something wrong in the plane’s final descent. But the sudden change in trajectory was not enough to avoid colliding with a military helicopter that was flying higher than it was supposed to be.
“I can tell you at one point very close to the impact, there was a slight change in pitch, an increase in pitch,” said Todd Inman, a member of the safety board
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
Is this trying to say the jet tried to avoid the helicopter?
Sounds like it.
I think so.
**...when its pitch made a last-minute turn upward.**
More like ‘last second’. Just 5 seconds after pitch change and these people would have lived.
I have no confidence in Todd Inman.
Writes like an amateur. Clumsy, vague constructions and use of passive verbs. Must’ve got his journalism degree at Dollar General.
“Is this trying to say the jet tried to avoid the helicopter?”
That could be. Airline people discussing this today said it looked like the helicopter didn’t actually t-bone the plane, but swiped it underneath. That would make sense if the plane knew the danger and tried to correct. Sadly, not soon enough.
That’s my thought as well.
Sounds like the start of trying to miss the BH
Their TCAS was probably blaring... CLIMB! CLIMB! CLIMB!
or “Go Around”
Others have said the Black Hawk is highly maneuverable, much more than the plane.
There is a LOT of BS going around the media about TCAS.
Don’t bet on it.
In all likelihood the FO spied the BH nav lights...too late.
My understanding is TCAS is deactivated below something like 1000’. Anyone with experience able to speak to this?
If I saw that chopper out the right window I’d push the throttles to max and climb!
Jet increased altitude from 375 feet to 400 feet.
TCAS aural RA’s are inhibited below 1000’ AGL. No aural warnings, but the Blackhawk would have been a yellow blip on their TCAS visual screen:
https://aerosavvy.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Display_key3.jpg
Was this plane crash one of those targeted kills?
The cause of both aircraft ending up in the Potomac River was that they were trying to occupy the same location at the same time. If it is known that the Jet was at 325 feet then the copter must have been at 325 feet as well.
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