this post was submitted on 30 Jan 2025
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Scores feared dead in Washington after jet collides with helicopter, crashes into river (www.reuters.com)
submitted 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) by [email protected] to c/[email protected]
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WASHINGTON, Jan 29 (Reuters) - Scores of people were feared dead after an American Airlines regional passenger jet with 64 people on board and a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter collided and crashed into the frigid Potomac River near Reagan Washington National Airport.

Officials provided no death toll from Wednesday night's collision but U.S. Senator Roger Marshall of Kansas, from where the flight was traveling, suggested most if not all those on board had been killed.

"It's really hard when you lose probably over 60 Kansans simultaneously," he told a press conference at Reagan airport in the U.S. capital early on Thursday.

"When one person dies, it's a tragedy, but when many, many, many people die, it's an unbearable sorrow. It's a heartbreak beyond measure."

American Airlines confirmed 60 passengers and four crew members were aboard the jet. The helicopter, on a training flight, was carrying three soldiers, a U.S. official said.

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[–] [email protected] 21 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) (3 children)

Ex-VFR pilot here. I know enough to sit in judgement over this situation because it's crystal clear.

As is standard practice in this very congested airspace, the helicopter pilot asked for clearance to cross the regional jet's approach for landing using visual seperation. The ATC controller confirmed that the helicopter pilot had visual contact with the regional jet, then granted clearance.

The regional jet cannot maneuver for visual seperation while on approach for landing. It was entirely the helicopter pilot's responsibility to maintain seperation with the regional jet. The collision is entirely the helicopter pilot's fault.

Basically, the military just killed a bunch of civilians because they failed to do something that any pilot with an IFR license is regularly expected to do.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Thx for that explanation, I hope to god people get fried over this. The military just killed >60 civilians out of negligence. The potomac is an extremely common runway area for the reagan airport, and military planes and helicopters criss-cross it constantly.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 2 days ago (1 children)

The pilot has been punished.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Not enough. And who is getting punished in the military for scheduling all these flights across civilian traffic lanes and wrecklesslyekilling 60 people?

[–] [email protected] 4 points 2 days ago

I suppose we need to punish President Roosevelt for selecting such a terrible place for a civilian airport given the need for so much military air traffic in the general area.

But seriously, people are complaining about 'why were they practicing at night' and 'why were they flying across known traffic lanes', and the truth is, they do this ALL THE TIME. Why was it different this time? Who knows. I doubt we'll ever find out the real truth because the current administration isn't going to actually investigate itself and will just put out a story of what they want the truth to be. But this isn't the fault of the air traffic controller (from the audio I've heard they were in contact with both pilots and were aware of the potential for impact), and it isn't the fault of some military leader on the ground for sending a helicopter on this route, since it is a very common occurrence. The fault lies with the pilot of the helicopter, but it could be anything from a medical emergency to inattention to suicide.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 2 days ago

Thanks for this explanation!

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago)

My question is: why the hell was there a military training flight in the approach path of a major airport to begin with? Were the myriad of military airports and restricted military-only airspace all around DC not good enough for them?

[–] timetraveller 9 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Sorry for those involved.

Is anyone else tired of “training” soldiers killing and crashing flying vehicles.

Training at night through a flight path.

I smell something.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 2 days ago

They caught this one on video. It is extra weird because both the aircrafts had bright lights showcasing their position.

[–] IncogCyberspaceUser 5 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago)

From the top of the article. Emphasis mine on the fourth bullet point:

Summary

  • 64 people were aboard passenger jet, three on U.S. Army helicopter
  • Likely to be deadliest U.S. air crash since 2001
  • Officials say no survivors
  • Trump faults government diversity efforts
  • Passengers included U.S. and Russian figure skaters

I want to say, unbelievable, but who are we kidding. That's par for the course.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 days ago

And now here comes clump trying to politicize it as the fault of the disabled. And his base is probably eating it up.

[–] ChonkyOwlbear 6 points 2 days ago (1 children)

And the FAA head resigned on Jan 20th. I'm sure this will go well.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Trump also fired the heads of the TSA and all members of the Aviation Security Advisory Committee the day after taking office. This is exactly what we can expect under Trump's claim that he would "restore excellence and safety" in the FAA, and everything else he touches. He claims to be cutting out DEI but all he really cares about is getting rid of the best people for their jobs and replacing them with loyal lapdogs.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 days ago

Exactly why conservatives harp on DEI and why corporations ditch it the moment its no longer politically valuable. It makes it difficult to conduct nepotism.