Latest news with #Lobach
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.
Daily Mail
28-04-2025
- General
- Daily Mail
Countdown to disaster: How a series of fatal mistakes in tragic final seconds caused a Black Hawk chopper to collide with jet killing 67 in Washington DC
A new report has unveiled the failings that led to a collision between a US Army Black Hawk helicopter and an American Airlines passenger jet over Washington DC that ended with all 67 passengers dead at the bottom of the Potomac River. The tragic incident unfolded on the night of January 29 when Army Black Hawk pilot Capt. Rebecca Lobach was undergoing an annual flight evaluation overseen by her co-pilot, Chief Warrant Officer Andrew Lloyd Eaves. Her training sortie was conducted in one of the world's most tightly packed airspaces above the US capital, a stone's throw away from Ronald Reagan National Airport. Unsurprisingly, air traffic control (ATC) informed Lobach and the Black Hawk crew that a passenger jet was nearby. That jet was American Airlines flight 5342, a CRJ700 Bombardier flying from Wichita, Kansas, that was carrying 60 passengers and four crew. Both Lobach and Eaves acknowledged the message before requesting permission to fly by 'visual separation' - a practice that allows aircraft to avoid collisions based on their own observations instead of following instructions from the ATC tower. This suggests Lobach had spotted the plane herself, and her request was granted - but the Black Hawk helicopter continued to stray dangerously close to the flight path of the American Airlines jet which was descending from a higher altitude. Just 15 seconds before colliding with the commercial aeroplane, ATC instructed Lobach to make a left turn after issuing a command to 'pass behind' the oncoming aircraft. The Black Hawk did not change course. Then, just a few seconds before impact, co-pilot Eaves turned to Lobach in the cockpit and reiterated the instruction from air traffic control. His order fell on deaf ears, and at 8:47.59 pm ET, the night sky above Washington DC was briefly illuminated by the fireball that erupted as the two aircraft collided. Though it remains unclear why Lobach defied orders, Aviation experts predict she might have been 'blindsided' that the American Airlines flight was 'circling' Runway 33 that night Investigators may never know exactly why Lobach did not move to avoid the passenger jet. There is no indication that Lobach suffered a medical emergency at the time of the crash and it is clear that the procedures for flying under 'visual separation' were not properly observed. But an investigation by the New York Times revealed that communication failings likely contributed to the horrific crash. 'Multiple layers of safety precautions failed that night,' Katie Thomson, the Federal Aviation Administration's deputy administrator under the Biden administration, told the NYT. Some of the radio instructions issued by ATC were reportedly 'stepped on' - meaning that they cut out when the helicopter crew pressed a microphone to speak and meant that the pilots may not have received important information. 'If the key is depressed, the pilot can speak but not hear incoming communications,' the report said. The American Airlines flight was 'circling' its runway before coming into land that night. It was also instructed to land on the shorter Runway 33 at Reagan National, while previous flights had landed on another runway. Investigators now believe the Black Hawk crew did not hear the word 'circling' because they might have been pressing the microphone key to talk at the same time the crucial term came through. They may also not have expected the American Airlines flight to adjust its course to land on a different runway. National Transportation Safety Board chairperson Jennifer Homendy also confirmed to the NYT that another key instruction issued by ATC that told the Black Hawk to 'pass behind' the oncoming aircraft was stepped on. 'At 8:47:42 - or 17 seconds before impact - a radio transmission from the tower was audible on both CVRs (cockpit voice recorders) directing the Black Hawk to pass behind the CRJ,' Homendy told reporters. '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.' Meanwhile, technology on the Black Hawk that would have allowed controllers to better track the helicopter was turned off. Although the additional safeguard went unused as part of army protocol, experts who spoke to the NYT said this could have helped ATC prevent the crash. Notable US commercial aircraft crashes February 12, 2009: a Colgan Air Bombardier aircraft flying from New York to the small town of Buffalo crashes, killing the 49 passengers onboard. January 15, 2009: a US Airways Airbus A320 carrying more than 150 people collides with a flock of birds before making a spectacular landing on the Hudson River in New York, thanks to the pilot's exemplary actions. August 27, 2006: a regional transport plane uses a wrong, unlit runway, rather than the designated one and crashes shortly after taking off from Lexington airport, Kentucky, killing around 50 people onboard. December 19, 2005: a Grumman G-73T Mallard hydroplane operated by Ocean Airways, connecting Miami and an island in the Bahamas, crashes into the sea shortly after takeoff, killing both crew members and 18 passengers. October 19, 2004: a BAE Jetstream 32 operated by AmericanConnection crashes near Kirksville, Missouri due to poor visibility. Both pilots and 11 out of the 13 passengers are killed. January 8, 2003: a US Airways Beechcraft 1900, flying between Charlotte, North Carolina and Greenville, South Carolina, crashes into a hangar shortly after takeoff. Both pilots and the 19 passengers onboard are killed. November 12, 2001: two months after the September 11 attacks, an American Airlines Airbus A-300, flying from New York to Saint-Domingue, crashes shortly after taking off from JFK airport. The 251 passengers and nine crew members are killed. On the ground, several houses are destroyed or damaged, and five residents killed. January 13, 1982: an Air Florida Boeing 737-222 hits a bridge over the Potomac before crashing into the river just after takeoff during a snowstorm. The crash kills 78 people including four motorists who were on the bridge. Lobach, Eaves and another crewmember aboard the Black Hawk were killed along with all 64 passengers and crew aboard the American Airlines flight when the aircraft collided plunged into the murky waters of the Potomac. The passenger plane, which recorded its altitude at 313 feet two seconds before the collision, was piloted by 34-year-old Jonathan Campos, whose relatives said had dreamed of flying since he was three. The jet's passengers ranged from a group of hunters to students and parents from northern Virginia schools to members of the Skating Club of Boston. They were returning from a development camp for elite junior skaters that followed the 2025 US Figure Skating Championships in Wichita. The collision constituted the first fatal crash involving a US commercial airline since 2009, when 50 people died in Buffalo, New York, following a crash of a Bombardier DHC-C propeller aircraft. A recording of air traffic control communications revealed the shocked reactions of controllers as they witnessed the crash unfold in real time. 'Oh, oh my god! Tower, did you see that?' one worker is heard exclaiming. 'Crash, crash, crash, this is an alert three,' one of the air traffic controllers can be heard saying in the audio from around the time of the crash. 'I don't know if you caught earlier what happened, but there was a collision on the approach into 33. We're going to be shutting down operations for the indefinite future,' another controller remarked. 'Both the helicopter and the plane crashed in the river,' a third air traffic controller can be heard saying. 'It was probably out in the middle of the river,' the controller said. 'I just saw a fireball and then it was just gone. I haven't seen anything since they hit the river. But it was a CRJ and a helicopter that hit.' DC mobilised a huge rescue effort in the hours following the crash. Some 300 first responders were on scene within minutes, deploying in a fleet of inflatable rescue boats launched into the Potomac River from a point along the George Washington Parkway, just north of the airport. Other first responders set up light towers from the shore to illuminate the area near the collision site. At least a half-dozen boats were scanning the water using searchlights overnight as images showed vessels grouped around a partly submerged wing and what appeared to be the mangled wreckage of the plane's fuselage.
