The air traffic control tower at Reagan National Airport was understaffed when a passenger plane and a military helicopter collided in midair, according to a government report about the circumstances surrounding the disaster that killed 67 people.
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We are talking about a highly maneuverable helicopter. If that copter had seen that plane it could have moved rapidly. It did not see that plane for whatever reason.
➡️ January 20: FAA director fired
➡️ January 21: Air Traffic Controller hiring frozen
➡️ January 22: Aviation Safety Advisory Committee disbanded
➡️ January 28: Buyout/retirement demand sent to existing employees
➡️ January 29: First American mid-air collision in 16 years
They blamed ethnic minorities because the disaster exposes the risks of their agenda to gut public agencies. It would be sickening, if the racist playbook wasn't as old as time.
We’ve all heard the recordings. The Blackhawk pilot acknowledged that he saw the plane, and ATC gave further instruction to pass behind it and maintain visual separation. Why are you pushing that this is ATC’s fault?
Had he seen the plane he could have moved. Copters are easily manipulated. The theory is he THOUGHT he saw the plane when he actually saw another plane taking off.
A second body could've solely been directing just planes and pointed out the risk sooner giving the helicopter pilot more time to maneuver. It's highly likely the heli pilot club acknowledged the wrong plane at that last minute encounter, due to the high number of overcrowded routes
Not taking away from anything you said, I’m sure even one extra body in a control tower is always justifiable, but the “short-staffed controller tower” seems to be the only narrative anyone is focused on. A high tech military aircraft doesn’t just fly into something without warning.
High tech military craft do indeed fly into things without warning. Collision avoidance systems are off under 1,000 feet. At that point all craft are dependent on the ATC's instructions, so an overtaxed ATC can very much be a problem in congested airspace.
Right, the responsibility rests on the Blackhawk id say almost entirely from what we know so far. Although I don't know how that ATC tower handles/guides commercial and/or military flights in that area but with one personal handling both helis and planes seems concerning.
It doesn’t because the tower was perfectly aware of the close plane and copter. The pilot was clearly not seeing the right plane. Sadly, this rests on the blackhawk pilots.
The blackhawk is equipped with night vision. I find it extremely hard to believe they didn’t see themselves flying right into the side of a passenger jet.
You could have night vision with 20/20 all you want, overcrowded skies and routes will lead to visual overload. Id argue the night vision would actually cause further overload. All lights blinking/ solid. Planes left and right all while piloting a Blackhawk through a training exercise
Misinformation WaPo. Correctly reported by experts that it is a typical practice at that time in the evening to consolidate the work from two people to one. Nothing more salacious here.
I just want to know, after trump fires 1/2 the federal workforce and install his unqualified people in position of leadership, WHO IS GOING TO ACTUALLY DO THE WORK? does he really think everything magically get done???are we living in a TV show?
Slow down everybody. I hate Trump as much as the next guy (actually more), and his post-crash comments are despicable BUT!
We are the side of reason, not the MAGA zealots.
Let us at least acknowledge that his actions over 10 days in office, terrible though they are, did not cause this accident
According to the report, two people were handling the jobs of four among other colleagues inside National’s control tower at the time of the collision.
The control tower staffing levels, the report concludes, were “not normal” for the time of day or the amount of air traffic over D.C.
Understaffing has been a terrible issue for years ! This isn’t new news ! All of the families who lost loved ones , will sue and maybe change this wicked fate!! In my humble opinion, it’s murder
“two people were handling the jobs of four” Yeah that’s called efficiency. Can’t make an omelet right? Or let’s see eggs were made to be broken or how about fuck you assholes—Trump is here to destroy everything you care about—like it or die. Yeah that’s the one.
Hillary was subjected to hours of Congressional hearings when four killed in Benghazi. When is Trump being held accountable???
Trump is destroying our country from within. Selling our country to its highest bidder. Selling controls, safeguards, secrets. He’s a chaos agent and traitor . #impeach
The helicopter didn't see the plane, obviously. The plane they said they had visual on had to be the American airlines flight coming in on runway 1. Also, every flight mission from the 12th is labeled as a PAT because that's all the 12th does. That doesn't mean there was a VIP on the flight.
Right! Because you can’t “see” a 240+/- foot plane descending into an airport with the technology on a Blackhawk & having night goggles!
The helicopter pilot said: “PAT-25, has the traffic in sight, request visual separation” THEY SAW THE PLANE! He was given clearance to fly BEHIND the plane!
Expert pilots interviewed have said the helo pilot was clearly were referring to visually seeing the flight that was coming into runway 1 not the plane they hit which was diverted last minute to runway 33, which isn't used often, and was approaching from the left.
Also, NV goggle restrict peripheral vision and all anti-collision radar is turned off below 1,000 feet so neither the plane nor the helo would've gotten a TCAS warning. On top of that not all military craft have commercial TCAS to begin with.
Musk is gonna install them beds in the Tower , as he did in his companies, so they can do double and triple shifts without going home. The South African Nazi wants slaves in the federal government.
So they were understaffed on Wednesday night.
My question is how many times in the month of January have they been understaffed?
How many airport towers across this country operate understaffed?
There are warning labels on foods we each and products we use, yet no warning of a grave safety danger before taking a flight that would provide the opportunity to reschedule when control towers are not properly staffed. May those lives not be lost in vain. Demand protection & change #UScongress
Comments
Wait for it.....
Why were they understaffed?
Hmmmmmm
➡️ January 20: FAA director fired
➡️ January 21: Air Traffic Controller hiring frozen
➡️ January 22: Aviation Safety Advisory Committee disbanded
➡️ January 28: Buyout/retirement demand sent to existing employees
➡️ January 29: First American mid-air collision in 16 years
https://youtu.be/hfgllf1L9_4?si=eE3ujfCjBiXwA-UB
We are the side of reason, not the MAGA zealots.
Let us at least acknowledge that his actions over 10 days in office, terrible though they are, did not cause this accident
This is criminal!
The control tower staffing levels, the report concludes, were “not normal” for the time of day or the amount of air traffic over D.C.
THIS ACCIDENT. !
DONOLD TRUMP HAVE BLOOD FROM THE DEATHS VICTIMS
ON HIS HANDS. !
Trump is destroying our country from within. Selling our country to its highest bidder. Selling controls, safeguards, secrets. He’s a chaos agent and traitor . #impeach
I want to know why a Military Blackhawk Helicopter continues on a flight path SEEING a plane descend.
A helicopter has time to shift trajectory quicker than a plane. Why didn’t they?
Also, the helicopter was a PAT25=VIP Mission. Who’s the VIP? No VIP listed.
The helicopter pilot said: “PAT-25, has the traffic in sight, request visual separation” THEY SAW THE PLANE! He was given clearance to fly BEHIND the plane!
You bowed down to him too
DONOLD TRUMP HAS THE VICTIMS BLOOD ON HIS HANDS. !
My question is how many times in the month of January have they been understaffed?
How many airport towers across this country operate understaffed?