Latest news with #Lobach
New York Times
30-07-2025
- General
- New York Times
Live Updates: Federal Investigators Begin Hearings On D.C. Plane Crash
The fuselage of the American Airlines plane involved in a collision with a Black Hawk helicopter was recovered from the Potomac River days after the crash. On Wednesday, the National Transportation Safety Board will convene for three days of hearings into the Jan. 29 midair collision near Ronald Reagan National Airport outside Washington, D.C., that killed 67 people. The N.T.S.B., an independent government agency that investigates transportation accidents, has already issued its initial findings on the facts and timeline of the episode, in which an Army Black Hawk helicopter crashed into an American Airlines commercial flight above the Potomac River. The board's final report, which will identify the cause of the accident, is not expected until next year. But this week's hearings, which will include sworn testimony from witnesses to the accident and parties to the crash, including the Army, will provide the clearest picture yet of what went wrong. Here are some of the key questions that have yet to be answered: Why was the Black Hawk flying too high? According to the N.T.S.B.'s preliminary report, the pilot flying the Black Hawk, Capt. Rebecca M. Lobach, was told to descend to 200 feet, which was the mandated altitude for helicopters on the route. Yet she evidently had difficulty maintaining that level, putting the Black Hawk in a position where it crashed into the plane at roughly 300 feet. Was Captain Lobach having trouble controlling the helicopter? Or were her altimeters — instruments that measure altitude — not working properly? What was the conversation aboard the Black Hawk? The N.T.S.B. has provided a concise and paraphrased version of what it deems to be key moments from the cockpit voice recordings aboard the Army helicopter, which was carrying a crew of three: Captain Lobach; Chief Warrant Officer 2 Andrew Loyd Eaves, her instructor on the training flight; and Staff Sgt. Ryan Austin O'Hara, the crew chief, or technical expert. What we don't know is whether the crew members had any idea how close they were to a catastrophic event, or how concerned they were about either their altitude or a potential problem with their altimeters, which were providing differing readings to Captain Lobach and Mr. Eaves. How concerned did they seem about these factors? Is there any evidence of a last-minute attempt to change altitude or course? What was going on in the air traffic control tower at National Airport? Investigators with the N.T.S.B. have found that five air traffic controllers were working various positions at the time of the crash. However, one of the positions had been combined with another to handle both helicopter and airplane traffic hours earlier. The Federal Aviation Administration, which runs the National Airport control tower, has described the staffing that night as 'not normal for the time of day and volume of traffic.' The helicopter position is not typically combined with another position until 9:30 in the evening, people briefed on the practice have told The New York Times, but a supervisor in the tower that night allowed a controller to leave early, prompting the early combination, those people have also said. When, precisely, did that person leave and why? And was the controller who was left performing both positions feeling fatigued or overtaxed by the double duty? How big of a problem was Runway 33? While the American Airlines flight was in its final stretch, the control tower asked its pilots to pivot their course from Runway 1, National Airport's most commonly used arrivals runway, to an alternative, Runway 33. The pilots agreed, putting the airplane on a landing trajectory that risked placing it dangerously close to approaching helicopter traffic. The N.T.S.B. has said that Runway 33 is used for flight arrivals only 4 percent of the time. Austin Roth, a retired Army Black Hawk instructor pilot who flew those routes many times, said in an interview with The Times that he doubted that the Army crew would have been prepared for a Runway 33 landing, given that runway's rare use. Considering all those factors, should the American Airlines crew have refused to land on Runway 33? Was the Black Hawk crew aware of the Runway 33 traffic path it should have been watching? More broadly, why did the F.A.A. allow helicopters to even operate on the route the Black Hawk was flying, when Runway 33 was in use for a landing? Would a real-time aircraft location broadcasting system have made a difference? Army officials sought, and received, permission to fly helicopters in the National Airport airspace without using a system known as Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast Out, or ADS-B Out. Concerned lawmakers, including Senator Ted Cruz, the Texas Republican who is the chairman of the Senate's transportation committee, have flagged the lack of ADS-B as a potentially key contributor to the crash, but the Army has insisted it would not have helped. Is there evidence suggesting that the system would, in fact, have played a preventive role? An affirmative answer could have broad implications for the Army unit that operates flights in the area in the future.
Wales Online
01-05-2025
- General
- Wales Online
Pilot made two fatal errors in seconds before army helicopter crashed into passenger jet
Pilot made two fatal errors in seconds before army helicopter crashed into passenger jet The bombshell report into the January 29 incident at Washington DC's Ronald Reagan International Airport, which also killed the three Army personnel aboard the helicopter, claims that Captain Rebecca Lobach did not follow an order to change course. Salvage crews pull up a part of a Black Hawk helicopter near the site in the Potomac River (Image: AP ) Seconds before the catastrophic collision of a US Army Black Hawk helicopter with a domestic flight carrying 64 passengers, the pilot committed two critical errors, according to a new investigation. The explosive investigation into the accident at Washington DC's Ronald Reagan International Airport on January 29, which also resulted in the deaths of the three army personnel aboard the helicopter, indicates that Captain Rebecca Lobach failed to heed an instruction to alter her flight path. As American Airlines Flight 5342 was descending for landing just before 8:48pm, only 15 seconds later, the night sky was suddenly illuminated by a fireball above the Potomac River. The calamitous event resulted in 67 fatalities, including a group of young figure skaters. The New York Times has unearthed what is says were two chances for the disaster to be averted. Prior to the crash, the Black Hawk had been warned by air traffic control that the regional passenger jet was near. This wa acknowledged by the crew who then asked for authorisation to perform what is often considered a standard aviation procedure, reports the Mirror. (Image: Getty Images ) One of the US Army pilots requested to initiate "visual separation," which involves the crew relying on their own vision to navigate and maintain safe clearance from other aircraft instead of depending on instructions from tower controllers. This request was met with affirmation as the controller replied, "visual separation approved," a statement captured in audio recordings from the tragic event . These requests occur daily worldwide without incident; however, Capt. Lobach failed to visually separate from the incoming passenger jet. According to The New York Times, this was either because she didn't spot the plane or was unable to navigate the helicopter to a safer position. Article continues below Lobach, with 500 hours of flying experience, was over Ronald Reagan Airport for her annual Black Hawk flight evaluation when she reportedly made her first mistake while the American Airlines flight was circling to land. Her evaluator and co-pilot, Chief Warrant Officer Andrew Eaves, relayed a tower order to turn left "toward the east river bank." This would have increased the distance between the two aircraft, but Lobach allegedly failed to follow this order, and 15 seconds later, everyone on both aircraft was dead. It remains unclear why this routine move wasn't executed or why the order to move left wasn't followed, according to flight data. "There is no indication that (Capt. Rebecca Lobach) was suffering from health issues at the time or that a medical event affected her during those final moments aboard the Black Hawk, according to friends and people familiar with the crash investigation, which included autopsies and performance log reviews," the report states. Investigators now suspect that a microphone malfunction may have prevented crucial information from reaching the cockpit of the US Army helicopter. It's possible that both the pilot and co-pilot pressed the talk button simultaneously, which would have cut off incoming audio, causing them to miss the word "circling." Jennifer Homendy, chair of the US National Transportation Safety Board, suggested this error could have resulted in an incomplete message leaving Lobach and Eaves unsure of how to move their helicopter to avoid the jet. "At 8:47:42 - or 17 seconds before impact - a radio transmission from the tower was audible on both CVRs directing the Black Hawk to pass behind the CRJ," Homendy informed reporters. Article continues below "CVR data from the Black Hawk indicated that the portion of the transmission that stated 'pass behind the' may not have been received by the Black Hawk crew." Homendy also disclosed that the pilot was being assessed on her use of night vision goggles during her annual evaluation, which investigators believe the crew had been wearing for the entire flight up until the moment of collision. The Black Hawk, which was flying higher than it should have been, also had its Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast system switched off in the minutes leading up to the collision, according to statements made by Senator Ted Cruz. This technology provides altitude and tracking data, as well as the location of other aircraft in the sky or on the runway.
Yahoo
30-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Seconds Before D.C. Plane Crash Killed 67, Army Pilot Was Told to Turn Away from Passenger Jet
Questions are again being raised about the conduct of an Army helicopter pilot whose Black Hawk collided with a passenger jet over Washington, D.C., in January — killing 67 people in the worst aviation incident in the country in decades. Months into the investigation, it remains unclear why the helicopter and its crew were acting strangely, though outside experts have suggested it was some kind of mistake. The Black Hawk was flying too high and appears to have slammed directly into the larger craft despite repeated warnings and despite the crew saying they could see the jet — American Airlines Flight 5342, which carried 64 passengers and crew on board — and were going to go around it. A New York Times article published on Sunday, April 27, reported that the helicopter pilot, Army Capt. Rebecca Lobach, did not seem to be 'suffering from health issues' or have a medical emergency at the time of the crash, on the evening of Jan. 29, just outside Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. Lobach, 28, was in the pilot's seat as part of a yearly assessment, according to the Times. Related: D.C Plane Crash Investigation Explained: All the Answers to Your Key Questions The Black Hawk had a three-person crew, including Chief Warrant Officer 2 Andrew Eaves and 28-year-old Staff. Sgt. Ryan O'Hara. Eaves, 39, was the instructor, the Times reported. Sunday's story included another odd detail: About 15 seconds before impact, Lobach was told by her instructor that air traffic controllers wanted them to turn left toward the river bank, which would have conceivably moved them even further out of the way of the incoming plane. But Lobach did not do that, according to the Times. The National Transportation Safety Board has been investigating what went wrong since January, and Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has said he thinks the tragedy was preventable. Asked for comment about the Times' article, an NTSB spokesman tells PEOPLE that the piece was based on documents released so far in the investigation, including a preliminary report. 'This was 100% crew error. No one thinks it was deliberate. It was a bad situation on a route that was a recipe for disaster,' a current Black Hawk pilot tells PEOPLE. 'If you have to pin this on someone, it's the instructor. He should have grabbed the stick. He has the authority to do that.' 'But,' the pilot adds, 'we don't know those final moments. He might have been reaching for the stick. He might have been taking over when the crash happened. It was crew error, no doubt. But it wasn't deliberate. I'm sure of that.' Another experienced pilot, who also requested not to be quoted by name, echoes that assessment. Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. 'Yes, the pilot who was flying the aircraft made the mistake, but the buck stops with the instructor. He should have taken control,' they say. 'I've done it myself.' Citing other factors like potential issues with air traffic control and congestion around the airport, the second pilot adds: 'A lot of things went wrong. … That's why we have all these safeguards in place. It's like a Swiss cheese. Related: Big Sister Wants to Give D.C. Plane Crash Victim 'One Last Hug': 'She Was the World to My Family' (Exclusive) "You get all these slices of Swiss cheese, with the holes, and those are the places where things can go wrong. You do the safeguards so the holes don't line up," the pilot says. "This is a case where all the holes lined up. It's so rare. When it happens, it can be deadly.' Read the original article on People
American Military News
29-04-2025
- General
- American Military News
Video: Black Hawk pilot ignored instructions before fatal collision: Report
A new report claims that the pilot of the Black Hawk helicopter that collided with an American Airlines airplane in January near the Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Washington, D.C., ignored instructions from air traffic controllers to change course just prior to the fatal collision. The New York Times reported that Capt. Rebecca Lobach, the pilot of the Black Hawk involved in January's fatal collision that killed 67 individuals, was undergoing her yearly flight evaluation at the time of the collision. The outlet noted that Chief Warrant Officer 2 Andrew Loyd Eaves was operating as Lobach's flight instructor at the time of the incident. According to The New York Times, the Black Hawk helicopter was warned by air traffic controllers that a passenger airplane was nearby. The New York Times reported that while Lobach and Eaves acknowledged air traffic control's message, the Black Hawk helicopter requested authorization to fly by 'visual separation,' which allows aircraft to fly based on independent observations instead of following air traffic control's instructions. 'The Black Hawk was 15 seconds away from crossing paths with the jet. Warrant Officer Eaves then turned his attention to Captain Lobach. He told her he believed that air traffic control wanted them to turn left, toward the east river bank,' the report stated. 'Turning left would have opened up more space between the helicopter and Flight 5342, which was heading for Runway 33 at an altitude of roughly 300 feet. She did not turn left.' READ MORE: No survivors after American Airlines plane collides with Black Hawk helicopter in mid-air According to a U.S. Army press release, Lobach served as an aviation officer in the Army from July of 2019 to January of 2025 and had over 450 hours of flight time prior to January's fatal collision. The Army also confirmed that Lobach served as a White House military social aide under former President Joe Biden's administration. The New York Post reported that in addition to the Black Hawk pilot reportedly ignoring the instructions of air traffic controllers, technology on the helicopter that would have allowed air traffic controllers to better track the Black Hawk's movements was turned off at the time of the military training mission. Brig. Gen. Matthew Braman, director of aviation for the Army, indicated that multiple factors led to the fatal collision between the Black Hawk helicopter and the passenger aircraft, according to The New York Post. In a statement obtained by The New York Post, Braman said, 'I think what we'll find in the end is there were multiple things that, had any one of them changed, it could have well changed the outcome of that evening.' REPORT: The female pilot flying the Black Hawk helicopter that collided with an American Airlines flight, made multiple mistakes and ignored a warning from her co-pilot, according to the New York Times. Tragic. The New York Times reports that there were multiple mistakes made… — Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) April 27, 2025
The Independent
28-04-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Report into Black Hawk helicopter and American Airlines crash reveals fatal mistakes before collision
The pilot of the U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter that crashed into an American Airlines plane in DC made a fatal mistake in the moments before the collision, according to a new report. All 64 people on board the plane and three crew members on the Hawk were killed during the mid-air collision in Washington DC on January 29. Previous reports found that the chopper was flying too high when it collided with the passenger jet in America's worst aviation disaster since 2001. Now an investigation by The New York Times has looked at the other errors that led up to the crash. Capt. Rebecca M. Lobach failed to follow instructions from her co-pilot and flight instructor, Chief Warrant Officer 2 Andrew Loyd Eaves, who reportedly asked her to change course, according to The Time s. The Black Hawk crew was said to have been first alerted to a regional passenger jet in its vicinity by Ronald Reagan National Airport air traffic control. Eaves and Lobach acknowledged the message, and asked to fly by 'visual separation', a common procedure that allows the pilot to avoid collisions by sight rather than relying on air traffic control instructions. A controller approved the request but it appears not to have been followed. The Hawk was 15 seconds away from crossing paths with the jet when Eaves told Lobach to take a sharp left toward the east river bank, the Times reports. But this turn failed to happen, and the two aircraft struck one another. The report goes on to say that radio communication between air traffic controllers and the pilots became disrupted, with some of the air instructions being 'stepped on'. This meant that communication dropped as soon as a member of the Hawk crew pressed down on the microphone to speak, and subsequently, key information may have gone unheard. There were other issues that contributed to the tragedy, the investigation found. Technology that tracked the aircraft's movements over the Potomac was switched off at the time of the crash, Senator Ted Cruz, Republican of Texas, told The Times. It was reportedly done to comply with U.S. Army protocol, which allows for pilots to practice secretly while airlifting a senior government official in an emergency. Air traffic control errors may also have played a part, the report adds. After giving the Hawk crew permission for visual separation, air control staff continued to monitor its movements but failed to deliver vital emergency instructions to the members as they closed in on the AA jet, aviation experts said. Captain Lobach and Warrant Officer Eaves were believed to be wearing night-vision goggles at the time of the military exercise, according to investigators. Such equipment was necessary for her evaluation as they can enhance visibility at night in complex surroundings, yet this can be skewered by bright urban lights, military pilots added. 'Multiple layers of safety precautions failed that night,' said the Federal Aviation Administration's deputy administrator under President Joe Biden, Katie Thomson. Brig. Gen. Matthew Braman, the Army's director of aviation, added: 'I think what we'll find in the end is there were multiple things that, had any one of them changed, it could have well changed the outcome of that evening.' In statement to The Times the FAA said it could not discuss any aspect of its ongoing investigation into the deadly crash. The Army has since made changes to how its helicopters use a safety system that broadcasts aircraft location and has reduced the number of flights over Washington following the DC crash, the head of Army aviation said earlier this month. The FAA has also permanently closed a route along the Potomac River that directly intersected the flight path for the runway where January's collision took place.
