Latest news with #JimBrauchle
Yahoo
29-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
New York Times report reveals critical mistakes made ahead of deadly DCA midair collision; aviation litigator weighs in
WASHINGTON () — A revealed that numerous missteps were made ahead of the Jan. 29 midair collision that killed 67 people near the Reagan National Airport (DCA). An Army Black Hawk helicopter, manned by three soldiers conducting a training mission, collided with American Airlines flight 5342, which was en route from Wichita, Kan. DCA crash victim families demand change after senate subcommittee hearing A New York Times investigation found that the Black Hawk crew, communicating with the DCA tower, requested to fly by visual separation, allowing the pilots to fly by sight. The investigation also found that prior to the collision, the instructor aboard the Black Hawk told the pilot to steer to the left, but the pilot did not, crashing into the airliner seconds later. It is unclear why the pilot did not adhere to the instruction. Aviation litigator Jim Brauchle said the flight instructor could have taken over the controls. 'At any time, he could have taken over the aircraft and maneuvered it out of the way,' he said. At the time of the crash, the air traffic control tower wasn't properly staffed. The investigation reveals that a staffer was allowed to leave early, prior to the crash, leaving multiple people to handle multiple roles. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Associated Press
21-02-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
Toronto Crash Landing Prompts Lawsuit Against Delta, Endeavor
Motley Rice LLC, one of the nation's largest plaintiffs' litigation firms, filed a federal lawsuit today against Delta Air Lines, Inc., and its subsidiary Endeavor Air, following the crash of Delta Flight 4819 at Toronto Pearson International Airport on Feb. 17, 2025. The flight, en route from Minneapolis to Toronto, overturned upon landing, resulting in injuries to several passengers, including the plaintiff, Minneapolis resident Hannah Krebs. The lawsuit alleges Delta and Endeavor Air were negligent, the flight crew failed to adhere to standard landing procedures and inadequate training and supervision contributed to the crash. Filed in U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota, Minneapolis Division, the lawsuit seeks compensation in accordance with international aviation law (the Montreal Convention), including damages for physical and emotional injuries sustained during the crash. 'As a former U.S. Air Force navigator, I understand the challenges that flight crews often face in the moment, but adhering to established protocols is critically important to ensure passenger safety,' said Motley Rice aviation attorney Jim Brauchle, who represents Ms. Krebs. 'This suit seeks to hold Delta and Endeavor Air accountable for actions we believe led to a preventable catastrophic event.' 'It is important that survivors fully understand that they have passenger rights and a variety of legal options. They should not feel pressured to accept swift payment from any party regardless of why they say it is offered. I am very proud of our client for connecting with us to better understand the complex process,' shared Motley Rice litigator and former U.S. DOT Inspector General, Mary Schiavo. The Transportation Safety Board of Canada is conducting an investigation into the cause of the crash. With a tradition of representing those whose rights have been violated, Motley Rice attorneys gained recognition for their pioneering asbestos lawsuits, their work with the State Attorneys General in the landmark litigation against Big Tobacco, and their representation of 9/11 families both in their cases against the airlines and the ongoing lawsuit against terrorist financiers. Today our attorneys represent thousands of clients in multidistrict litigations, class actions and individual lawsuits in state and federal courts. This includes investigating and litigating in U.S. courts aviation disasters involving commercial planes, helicopters, military crashes and private planes occurring in the U.S. and abroad. Motley Rice is headquartered in Mt. Pleasant, S.C., and has additional offices in Connecticut; Washington, D.C.; New Jersey; New York; Pennsylvania; Rhode Island; and West Virginia. Contact Motley Rice attorney James R. Brauchle (SC) at 1.800.768.4026 or visit Motley Rice LLC, a S.C. Limited Liability Company at 28 Bridgeside Blvd. Mt. Pleasant, S.C., is engaged in the N.J. practice of law through Motley Rice New Jersey LLC. Esther Berezofsky is the attorney responsible for NJ practice. Other: Jim Brauchle 843.513.7626 SOURCE: Motley Rice LLC Copyright Business Wire 2025. PUB: 02/21/2025 02:29 PM/DISC: 02/21/2025 02:29 PM
USA Today
07-02-2025
- General
- USA Today
How does an airplane go missing? Crews searching for Alaska plane
Officials in Alaska are searching the land and sea Friday for a small airplane that went missing, while the nation awaits news of the 10 people on board and wonders what caused the plane to drop off the radar. The plane was over the Norton Sound, off the coast of its destination in Nome, Alaska, when it stopped sending its location signal on Thursday afternoon, according to the Alaska Department of Public Safety and the U.S. Coast Guard. Just before it vanished, the plane's data showed it experienced a rapid loss of altitude and speed, officials said Friday. Since then, search crews have been looking for a sign of the turboprop Cessna Caravan operated by Bering Air. Though aerial incidents involving fatalities are rare, smaller accidents happen frequently throughout the country, and sometimes aircraft stop sending signals about where they are, said aviation attorney and former Air Force navigator Jim Brauchle. In Alaska, many people get around on small planes, and the state has a disproportionately high number of accidents compared to the rest of the country, according to the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health. "When the communication is gone and they can't identify where the aircraft is or talk to somebody on the radio, then that's how they'll classify the aircraft as missing," Brauchle said. That's a less frequent problem today thanks to technology called Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast, or ADS-B, which is required on all aircraft and broadcasts location data to air traffic controllers. Still, "it happens," Brauchle said. Here's what to know about how a plane can go missing: How officials can lose a plane's location Airplanes fly with a transponder, which sends continuous data on its current altitude, airspeed, latitude and longitude to receivers on the ground. If the the transponder stops sending signals, it could be because of an electrical failure or a problem with the transmitter itself, Brauchle said. Loss of location data wouldn't necessarily indicate a disaster on its own, he said, but the fact that the plane never made it to its destination even after many hours is not a good sign. If there was a catastrophic mechanical failure on the plane, a control issue or if the pilot became spatially disoriented due to visibility and weather conditions, the plane likely crashed over land or sea, he said. Where did the Alaska plane disappear? Officials said the plane's last known position was over the water. It's likely that the plane went down near where the transponder stopped sharing location data, Brauchle said, but if there was a loss of power to the plane, it may have glided farther away as it descended. Authorities will probably look at the last altitude readout to estimate how far it could have drifted from the last position, he said. Snow and freezing fog were reported in the plane's flight path on Thursday, with visibility between 1 and 7 miles where it departed and half a mile to 8 miles where it was supposed to land, according to AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Tom Kines. 'Weather conditions likely varied greatly along the scheduled flight path over Norton Sound. Water temperatures have been near freezing in Norton Sound. Hypothermia and cold-water shock are a major concern for first responders and officials working on search and rescue operations near or on the water," Kines said in a statement. Missing plane:What we know about the Bering Air flight, search Several state and federal agencies are searching by air and land, scouring sea ice and coastline, according to the Nome Volunteer Fire Department in an update Friday. The public may not know exactly what happened for quite some time as aviation authorities conduct a full investigation, Brauchle said. It's not likely anyone on the plane survived, another tragedy in a string of aviation disasters since the year began, Brauchle said. On Jan. 29, an American Airlines passenger plane and an Army helicopter collided near Washington, D.C., killing 67 people in the deadliest air disaster in more than two decades. Just days later, a Medevac jet crashed into a busy neighborhood in Philadelphia, killing seven people and injuring over 20 others. Brauchle said the recent high-profile accidents are putting the nation on high alert to plane incidents, but it's coincidence that they happened back-to-back. "My initial thought is with the families," Brauchle said. He's represented family members who have lost loved ones in aviation accidents. "People aren't supposed to die in plane crashes." Contributing: Eve Chen, Thao Nguyen and Christopher Cann, USA TODAY; Reuters
Chicago Tribune
30-01-2025
- Politics
- Chicago Tribune
Pilots have long worried about DC's complex airspace contributing to a catastrophe
WASHINGTON — The airspace around Washington, D.C., is congested and complex — a combination aviation experts have long worried could lead to catastrophe. Those fears materialized Wednesday night when an American Airlines plane collided with a military helicopter, taking the lives of 67 people, including three soldiers and more than a dozen figure skaters. Even in peak flying conditions, experts said, the airspace around Reagan Washington National Airport can challenge the most experienced pilots, who must navigate hundreds of other commercial planes, military aircraft and restricted areas around sensitive sites. 'This was a disaster waiting to happen,' said Ross Aimer, a retired United Airlines captain and chief executive officer of Aero Consulting Experts. 'Those of us who have been around a long time have been yelling into a vacuum that something like this would happen because our systems are stretched to extremes.' There was no immediate word on the cause of the collision, but officials said flight conditions were clear as the jet arrived from Wichita, Kansas. Investigators have already begun examining every aspect of the crash, including questions about why the Army Black Hawk helicopter was 100 feet above its permitted altitude and whether the air traffic control tower was properly staffed. A Federal Aviation Administration report obtained by The Associated Press described staffing levels as 'not normal for the time of day and volume of traffic.' As authorities piece together the nation's deadliest U.S. airline crash since 2001, the tragedy has raised new concerns about the specific dangers at Reagan National, which has seen a series of near-misses in recent years. Experts and some lawmakers said they are concerned that the airspace is about to get more congested in the wake of Congress' decision last year to ease restrictions that had limited the airport to nonstop flights within 1,250 miles of Washington, with few exceptions. Lawmakers enabled airlines to launch new routes to destinations like Seattle and San Francisco. The plan fueled intense debate about congestion versus convenience, with some legislators heralding new flights to their home states while others warned of potential tragedy. The flight that crashed Wednesday was not part of the expansion. It was added by American Airlines in January of last year amid a push by Kansas lawmakers for more service between Reagan National and Wichita. Airliners and helicopters in close proximity Commercial aircraft flying in and out of Reagan National have long had to contend with military helicopters traversing the same airspace within at-times startling proximity. 'Even if everybody is doing what they're supposed to be doing, you've only got a few hundred feet separation between aircraft coming in to land and the many helicopters along that route,' said Jim Brauchle, a former U.S. Air Force navigator and aviation attorney. 'It doesn't leave a whole lot margin of error.' Pilots have long warned of a 'nightmare scenario' near the airport with commercial jetliners and military helicopters crossing paths, especially at night when the bright lights of the city can make seeing oncoming aircraft more difficult. Retired U.S. Army National Guard pilot Darrell Feller said the deadly collision reminded him of a near-miss he experienced a decade ago when he was flying a military helicopter south along the Potomac River near Reagan National. An air traffic controller advised him to be on the lookout for a jetliner landing on Runway 3-3, an approach that requires planes to fly directly over the route used by military and law enforcement helicopters transiting the nation's capital. Not always easy to spot airliners Feller was unable to pick out the oncoming jetliner against the lights of the city and cars on a nearby bridge. He immediately descended, skimming just 50 feet over the water to ensure the descending jetliner would pass over him. 'I could not see him. I lost him in the city lights,' Feller, who retired from the Army in 2014, recounted Thursday. 'It did scare me.' Feller's experience was eerily similar to what experts said may have happed with the crew of the Army helicopter Wednesday shortly before 9 p.m. as they flew south along the Potomac and collided with an American Airlines Flight 5342 landing at Runway 3-3. As the American Airlines jet approached the airport, air traffic controllers asked its pilots if they could land on Runway 3-3 rather than the longer — and busier — north-south runway. The jet's pilots altered their approach, heading over the east bank of the Potomac before heading back over the river to land on 3-3. Less than 30 seconds before the crash, an air traffic controller asked the Army helicopter if it had the American Airlines plane in sight, and the military pilot responded that he did. The controller then instructed the Black Hawk to pass behind the jet. Seconds after that last transmission, the two aircraft collided in a fireball. Feller, who served as an instructor pilot for the D.C. National Guard, said he had several rules for new pilots to avoid such collisions. He warned them to stay below the mandated 200-foot ceiling for helicopters. And he urged them to be on guard for planes landing on 3-3 because they could be difficult to spot. Those planes' 'landing lights are not pointed directly at you,' Feller said, adding that those lights also get 'mixed up with ground lights, with cars.' Not the first such deadly crash Wednesday's crash was reminiscent of a deadly collision in 1949, when Washington's airspace was considerably less crowded. A passenger plane on final approach to what is now Reagan Airport collided with a military plane, plunging both aircraft to the Potomac River and killing 55 people. At the time, it was the deadliest air crash in the U.S. Jack Schonely, a retired Los Angeles Police Department helicopter pilot, said he's been a passenger on helicopter rides through D.C. and was always struck by how complicated it seems for the pilots. 'You've got two large airports. You've got multiple restricted areas. You've got altitude restrictions. Routine restrictions, and a lot of air traffic,' he said. 'There's a lot going on in a tight area.' Robert Clifford, an aviation attorney, said the U.S. government should temporarily halt military helicopter flights in the airspace used by commercial airlines near Reagan National. 'I can't get over how stunningly clear it is that this was a preventable crash and this should never, ever have occurred,' Clifford said. 'There have been discussions for some time about the congestion associated with that and the potential for disaster. And we saw it come home last night.' Foley reported from Iowa City, Iowa. Associated Press journalists Michael R. Sisak and Joseph Frederick in New York, Alan Suderman in Richmond, Virginia, Heather Hollingsworth in Mission, Kansas, and Adriana Gomez Licon in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, contributed to this report. Originally Published:
The Independent
30-01-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Pilots have long worried about DC's complex airspace contributing to a catastrophe
The airspace around Washington, D.C., is congested and complex — a combination aviation experts have long worried could lead to catastrophe. Those fears materialized Wednesday night when an American Airlines plane collided with a military helicopter, taking the lives of 67 people, including three soldiers and more than a dozen figure skaters. Even in peak flying conditions, experts said, the airspace around Reagan Washington National Airport can challenge the most experienced pilots, who must navigate hundreds of other commercial planes, military aircraft and restricted areas around sensitive sites. 'This was a disaster waiting to happen,' said Ross Aimer, a retired United Airlines captain and chief executive officer of Aero Consulting Experts. 'Those of us who have been around a long time have been yelling into a vacuum that something like this would happen because our systems are stretched to extremes." There was no immediate word on the cause of the collision, but officials said flight conditions were clear as the jet arrived from Wichita, Kansas. Investigators have already begun examining every aspect of the crash, including questions about why the Army Black Hawk helicopter was 100 feet above its permitted altitude and whether the air traffic control tower was properly staffed. A Federal Aviation Administration report obtained by The Associated Press described staffing levels as 'not normal for the time of day and volume of traffic.' As authorities piece together the nation's deadliest U.S. airline crash since 2001, the tragedy has raised new concerns about the specific dangers at Reagan National, which has seen a series of near-misses in recent years. Experts and some lawmakers said they are concerned that the airspace is about to get more congested in the wake of Congress' decision last year to ease restrictions that had limited the airport to nonstop flights within 1,250 miles (2,012 kilometers) of Washington, with few exceptions. Lawmakers enabled airlines to launch new routes to destinations like Seattle and San Francisco. The plan fueled intense debate about congestion versus convenience, with some legislators heralding new flights to their home states while others warned of potential tragedy. The flight that crashed Wednesday was not part of the expansion. It was added by American Airlines in January of last year amid a push by Kansas lawmakers for more service between Reagan National and Wichita. Airliners and helicopters in close proximity Commercial aircraft flying in and out of Reagan National have long had to contend with military helicopters traversing the same airspace within at-times startling proximity. 'Even if everybody is doing what they're supposed to be doing, you've only got a few hundred feet separation between aircraft coming in to land and the many helicopters along that route,' said Jim Brauchle, a former U.S. Air Force navigator and aviation attorney. "It doesn't leave a whole lot margin of error.' Pilots have long warned of a 'nightmare scenario' near the airport with commercial jetliners and military helicopters crossing paths, especially at night when the bright lights of the city can make seeing oncoming aircraft more difficult. Retired U.S. Army National Guard pilot Darrell Feller said the deadly collision reminded him of a near-miss he experienced a decade ago when he was flying a military helicopter south along the Potomac River near Reagan National. An air traffic controller advised him to be on the lookout for a jetliner landing on Runway 3-3, an approach that requires planes to fly directly over the route used by military and law enforcement helicopters transiting the nation's capital. Not always easy to spot airliners Feller was unable to pick out the oncoming jetliner against the lights of the city and cars on a nearby bridge. He immediately descended, skimming just 50 feet over the water to ensure the descending jetliner would pass over him. 'I could not see him. I lost him in the city lights,' Feller, who retired from the Army in 2014, recounted Thursday. 'It did scare me.' Feller's experience was eerily similar to what experts said may have happed with the crew of the Army helicopter Wednesday shortly before 9 p.m. as they flew south along the Potomac and collided with an American Airlines Flight 5342 landing at Runway 3-3. As the American Airlines jet approached the airport, air traffic controllers asked its pilots if they could land on Runway 3-3 rather than the longer — and busier — north-south runway. The jet's pilots altered their approach, heading over the east bank of the Potomac before heading back over the river to land on 3-3. Less than 30 seconds before the crash, an air traffic controller asked the Army helicopter if it had the American Airlines plane in sight, and the military pilot responded that he did. The controller then instructed the Black Hawk to pass behind the jet. Seconds after that last transmission, the two aircraft collided in a fireball. Feller, who served as an instructor pilot for the D.C. National Guard, said he had several rules for new pilots to avoid such collisions. He warned them to stay below the mandated 200-foot ceiling for helicopters. And he urged them to be on guard for planes landing on 3-3 because they could be difficult to spot. Those planes' "landing lights are not pointed directly at you,' Feller said, adding that those lights also get 'mixed up with ground lights, with cars.' Not the first such deadly crash Wednesday's crash was reminiscent of a deadly collision in 1949, when Washington's airspace was considerably less crowded. A passenger plane on final approach to what is now Reagan Airport collided with a military plane, plunging both aircraft to the Potomac River and killing 55 people. At the time, it was the deadliest air crash in the U.S. Jack Schonely, a retired Los Angeles Police Department helicopter pilot, said he's been a passenger on helicopter rides through D.C. and was always struck by how complicated it seems for the pilots. 'You've got two large airports. You've got multiple restricted areas. You've got altitude restrictions. Routine restrictions, and a lot of air traffic,' he said. 'There's a lot going on in a tight area.' Robert Clifford, an aviation attorney, said the U.S. government should temporarily halt military helicopter flights in the airspace used by commercial airlines near Reagan National. 'I can't get over how stunningly clear it is that this was a preventable crash and this should never, ever have occurred,' Clifford said. 'There have been discussions for some time about the congestion associated with that and the potential for disaster. And we saw it come home last night.' __ Foley reported from Iowa City, Iowa. Associated Press journalists Michael R. Sisak and Joseph Frederick in New York, Alan Suderman in Richmond, Virginia, Heather Hollingsworth in Mission, Kansas, and Adriana Gomez Licon in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, contributed to this report.
