Crash Warning as Report into DC Disaster at Reagan Airport Is Released > 자유게시판

Federal investigators have actually raised concerns of a potential for another deadly airplane crash at Reagan National Airport, after a midair crash earlier this year eliminated 67.

The National Transportation Safety Board gave an upgrade on their investigation into the cause of the disaster which happened on January 29 in Washington.

An American Airlines jetliner and a Black Hawk military helicopter clashed in midair over the Potomac River, eliminating everyone on board both airplanes.

As part of a preliminary report launched on Tuesday, private investigators raised concerns of more crashes involving helicopters at the airport.

NTSB chair Jennifer Homendy said: 'We stay worried about the substantial potential for future mid-air collision at DCA.'

Her issues revolve around Transport Secretary Sean Duffy relocating to limit helicopter traffic around the area, however that is set to cease at the end of the month.

When cops, medical or presidential transportation helicopters should utilize the space civilian planes are stopped from being in the very same location.

Homendy stated the NTSB is now advising that the FAA discover a 'long-term solution' for detours for helicopters when 2 of the airport's runways remain in usage.

Emergency units react after a passenger airplane collided with a helicopter in the Potomac River near Ronald Reagan Washington Airport on January 30, 2025 in Arlington, Virginia

Chairman of the National Transportation Safety Bureau (NTSB) Jennifer Homendy speaks to reporters about the 29 January mid-air collision

It was also exposed on Tuesday that there was alerting check in the lead up to the deadly catastrophe.

Those penetrating the crash went through 944,179 operations between October 2021 and December 2024.

It was discovered that 15,214 'near-miss occasions' of airplanes getting informs about helicopters remaining in close distance between October 2021 and December 2024.

The NTSB likewise said that there were 85 cases where two airplane where laterally divided by less than 1,500 feet, and a vertical separation of less than 200 feet.

Homendy included: 'That data from October 2021 through December 2024, (the FAA) could have used that details any time to identify that we have a pattern here and a problem here, and took a look at that route; that didn't occur, which is why we're taking action today. But unfortunately, people lost lives, and enjoyed ones are grieving.'

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy knocked these findings at a later interview on Tuesday.

Duffy stated: 'I think the concern is when this data comes in how did the FAA not know. How did they not study the data to state "hello, this is a hot spot, we are having near misses and if we don't change our methods we are gon na lose lives".'

He added: 'That wasn't done, possibly there was a concentrate on something aside from security.'

Duffy would later on included when questioned by a reporter about the near misses out on that the data had 'p *** ed him off'.

Pictured: Parts of the wreckage seen sitting in the Potomac River after Flight 5342 collided with an Army Black Hawk helicopter on Wednesday night, killing 67 individuals

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Investigators believe that the helicopter associated with the crash may have had incorrect elevation readings in the minutes before the crash.

The collision most likely happened at an elevation simply under 300 feet, as the plane descended towards the chopper, which was above its 200-foot limitation for that place.

On Tuesday American Airlines welcomed the report by the NTSB, saying: 'We're grateful for the National Transportation Safety Board's urgent security suggestions to restrict helicopter traffic near DCA and for its thorough examination.

'We will continue to coordinate closely with PSA Airlines as it complies as an investigative party member.'

The helicopter pilots may have likewise missed out on part of another communication, when the tower stated the jet was turning towards a different runway, Homendy said last month.

The helicopter was on a 'check' flight that night where the pilot was going through an annual test and a test on utilizing night vision safety glasses, Homendy stated.

Investigators believe the crew was wearing night vision goggles throughout the flight.

The Army has said the Black Hawk team was highly experienced, and accustomed to the congested skies around the country ´ s capital.

At the time of the crash, a single air traffic controller was concurrently keeping an eye on both the helicopter and airplane traffic.

Those tasks are typically dealt with in between two individuals from 10am till 9:30 pm, according to an early FAA report seen by The New york city Times.

Those tasks are generally managed in between 2 individuals from 10am until 9:30 pm, according to the report.

Surveillance footage drawn from inside the airport caught the moment the 2 collided in midair

At the time of the crash, a single air traffic controller was simultaneously monitoring both the helicopter and aircraft traffic. Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport is seen here

After 9:30 pm the responsibilities are typically combined and delegated a single person as the airport sees less traffic later on in the night.

A manager reportedly chose to combine those responsibilities before the set up cutoff time however, and enabled one air traffic controller to leave work early.

The FAA report stated that staffing configuration 'was not normal for the time of day and volume of traffic'.

Reagan National has been understaffed for several years, with just 19 fully certified controllers since September 2023 - well below the target of 30 - according to the most current Air Traffic Controller Workforce Plan submitted to Congress.

The circumstance appeared to have actually improved ever since, as a source told CNN the Reagan National control tower was 85 percent staffed with 24 of 28 positions filled.

Chronic understaffing at air traffic control towers is nothing brand-new, with widely known causes consisting of high turnover and budget cuts.

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In order to fill the gaps, controllers are asked to work 10-hour days, six days a week.

After the release of the report, previous Inspector General of the US Department of Transportation Mary Schiavo considered the findings as 'uncommon'.

She stated: 'This NTSB action is highly uncommon. The release of an emergency situation recommendation asking for the FAA take immediate action, before the completion of the NTSB investigation is uncommon.'

The 2 airplane had collided in a huge fireball that showed up on dashcams of cars driving on highways that snake around the airport, before plunging into the river.

Less than a month later, on February 17, a Delta traveler plane crashed-landed upside down in disorderly scenes at Toronto Pearson International Airport in Canada.

Miraculously, everybody on board made it through after being suspended upside-down by their seat belts for a number of minutes until they tentatively began evacuating.

The plane had actually been heading to Toronto from Minneapolis - Saint Paul International Airport with 76 guests and four team members on board.

Some 21 individuals were required to the hospital for treatment to small injuries, and Delta has provided each individual a no-strings $30,000 payment in compensation.

And the airplane carnage is ongoing - on Sunday, yet another jet crash-landed, this time in a car park of a suburban Pennsylvania retirement community.

Dramatic footage showed the Beechcraft A36TC erupt in flames in the parking area of Brethren Village in Manheim Township. Five individuals were hurried to hospital.

Medics, ambulances, and emergency vehicles hurried to the scene in Lancaster County as flames swallowed up the airplane and nearby lorries.

The airplane took off as set up on Sunday afternoon, however rapidly requested to land back on the tarmac due to the fact that its door had opened.

American Airlines