Latest news with #SikorskyH-60BlackHawk
BBC News
11-03-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
NTSB recommends banning some helicopter operations near DC airport
US air crash investigators have recommended restricting helicopter flights in certain areas near Washington DC's Reagan National Airport following January's deadly mid-air an "intolerable risk to aviation safety", the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) urged authorities to designate an alternative helicopter route when two runways -15 and 33 - are in 64 people aboard an American Airlines flight and three crew members on an army helicopter died after the mid-air collision on 29 Chair Jennifer Homendy stated that the separation between helicopters and jets in the area was insufficient, raising the "chances of a mid-air collision". Data used by the NTSB for their preliminary report shows that the proximity between helicopters and aircrafts have triggered at least one alert per month between 2011 and 2024, said Ms Homendy. This data could have been used by the Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) - the US government agency in charge of civil aviation - to determine if there was a problem. This is "stronger than an oversight", she said. "It shouldn't take tragedy to require immediate action."Ms Homendy also spoke to concerns around air traffic controllers, saying staffing and communications between them is still being investigated. President Donald Trump had earlier suggested without evidence that diversity programmes had played a role in the accident, claiming that the FAA had focused "on hiring people with severe intellectual and psychiatric disabilities". The crash happened when an American Airlines flight that had departed from Wichita, Kansas, was coming in for a landing at Reagan National Airport and collided with a Sikorsky H-60 Black Hawk helicopter. The army helicopter had taken off from Fort Belvoir, close by in Virginia, on a training aircraft crashed into the Potomac River, and rescue attempts proved unsuccessful. 'Woah that was close': Near-miss warning signs ahead of DC plane crashAre planes crashing more often?Teenage skaters, a young pilot and a professor - the victims of DC plane crashRecordings of air traffic control conversations suggest a controller warned the helicopter about the jet, just before the collision. The airport, located just outside Washington DC, is one of the busiest in the US, with nearly 400 daily flights to 98 destinations. Pilots interviewed by the BBC after the crash noted that flying in and out of the small airport, surrounded by restricted airspace, can be challenging."There are times when we watch planes land and find ourselves thinking, 'Whoa, that was close,'" said pilot Mo Khimji, noting that strong crosswinds can push a plane into restricted airspace "by a whisker" if the pilot is not the airspace is shared with various types of aircraft, including Air Force One, which carries the US president, and commercial flights.
Bloomberg
31-01-2025
- Bloomberg
Army Helicopter's Altitude Seen as Factor in Probe of DC Crash
The flight path of an Army helicopter before it collided with an American Airlines Group Inc. passenger jet this week above Washington is emerging as a key line of inquiry in the probe of the midair tragedy that killed 67 people. The Sikorsky H-60 Black Hawk helicopter carrying three military personnel was traveling between two dedicated flying zones, National Transportation Safety Board member J Todd Inman said at a briefing on Thursday evening.
Express Tribune
30-01-2025
- Politics
- Express Tribune
‘More will die': Phil Williams criticized for ‘disgusting' post on Potomac River midair collision
Phil Williams, chief investigative reporter for NewsChannel 5, faced criticism after posting on social media that President Donald Trump's federal buyouts may have contributed to the deadly midair collision between an American Airlines flight and a military helicopter near Washington, D.C. on January 29. The tragic crash, which occurred near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, has sparked debate about the potential safety risks linked to Trump's recent federal hiring freeze. The crash involved American Eagle Flight 5342, a Bombardier CRJ700 regional jet traveling from Wichita, Kansas, to Washington, D.C., and a Sikorsky H-60 Black Hawk military helicopter on a training flight. Both aircraft collided and fell into the Potomac River, resulting in multiple fatalities. Authorities are still working on recovery efforts, though challenging weather conditions have made the operation complex. In the immediate aftermath of the crash, Williams posted on X (formerly Twitter), suggesting that Trump's buyouts of federal employees had weakened air traffic control staffing, which could have contributed to the disaster. In his now-deleted post, Williams wrote: 'President Trump offered unprecedented buyouts to ALL federal employees at a time when studies show the FAA does NOT have enough air traffic controllers to keep us safe. More people will likely die.' The comment suggested a direct link between the federal buyouts and the tragic incident. Absolutely terrible. Prayers for everyone. Did you see this disgusting post by Phil Williams? — Chris Burger 🇺🇸 🇮🇱 (@ChrisBurgerTN) The post was met with swift backlash, as many social media users accused Williams of using the national tragedy to criticize Trump politically. Some even called for his dismissal from NewsChannel 5, arguing that such a statement was insensitive so soon after the crash. Fire Phil Williams. — Juan Hundred (@100juanhundred) In response to the criticism, Williams deleted the original post and followed up with a clarifying message. Deleted an earlier post because it unfortunately was interpreted as blaming tonight's tragedy on policies in Washington. That was certainly not my intent. As someone who has covered aviation safety for many, many years, I know that you cannot suddenly pull people out of an ATC… — Phil Williams (@PhilNvestigates) Phil Williams, who has worked for over three decades at NewsChannel 5, is widely respected for his investigative work. He has won numerous awards, including the prestigious John Chancellor Award for Excellence in Journalism in 2023. His long career has been marked by a reputation for integrity and courage in reporting. However, his recent post has sparked a broader debate about the role of journalists in addressing political issues and national tragedies in real-time. As the investigation into the crash continues, President Trump's January 20 executive order freezing the hiring of federal civilian employees, including air traffic controllers, has come under scrutiny. Critics argue that the freeze could compromise aviation safety by further straining an already stretched air traffic control system. However, it remains unclear whether air traffic controllers are exempt from the freeze, which applies to most vacant federal positions but excludes certain roles related to national security, public safety, and immigration enforcement. Williams' controversial post and the resulting backlash reflect the delicate nature of reporting on sensitive issues, especially when they intersect with politics. As the investigation into the crash progresses, both the specific causes of the tragedy and the broader implications of Trump's policies on public safety will likely remain topics of significant discussion.
Bloomberg
30-01-2025
- General
- Bloomberg
Where the FAA Turns After Catastrophic Midair Plane Crash
A regional jet flown for American Airlines Group collided in a deadly midair crash with a military helicopter around Washington, DC, halting operations at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. The plane, operated by subsidiary PSA Airlines, collided with a Sikorsky H-60 Black Hawk helicopter while on approach to Reagan airport at around 9 p.m. local time, the Federal Aviation Administration said in a statement Wednesday night. The flight departed from Wichita, Kansas, with 60 passengers and four crew on board, American Airlines said. There were reportedly three airmen aboard the military helicopter out of Fort Belvoir, Virginia. George Ferguson, senior aerospace analyst for Bloomberg Intelligence, examines the possible causes of the deadly midair collision over the Potomac River and state of the air traffic control system within the United States. George speaks with Tom Keene and Paul Sweeney on Bloomberg Radio. (Source: Bloomberg)
The Guardian
30-01-2025
- General
- The Guardian
How did Washington DC plane crash unfold? A visual guide
An American Airlines jet with 60 passengers and four crew members onboard collided with an army helicopter carrying three soldiers while landing at Reagan National airport in Washington DC on Wednesday evening. Footage from a security camera at the airport shows the moment of the collision. Both aircraft fell into the Potomac River. Emergency responders said they did not believe there were any survivors. American Eagle Flight 5342 was operated by PSA Airlines, an Ohio-based regional subsidiary of American Airlines. The plane was a CRJ700, the airline said, from a line of regional jets made by Canada's Bombardier, later sold to Mitsubishi. It was flying from Wichita, Kansas, and its passengers included ice skaters, family and coaches returning from events in the city. The helicopter was a Sikorsky H-60 Black Hawk. It had been on a military training flight and was operating out of Davison Army Airfield in Fort Belvoir, Virginia, south of Washington DC. A few minutes before the jet was due to land, air traffic controllers asked the pilots if they could land on a shorter runway than the north-south runway it was originally heading for, and the pilots agreed. Controllers cleared the jet to land and the plane adjusted its approach to the new runway, as seen in this view: Less than 30 seconds before the crash, an air traffic controller asked the helicopter if it had the arriving plane in sight. The controller made another radio call to the helicopter moments later, calling on its pilot to 'pass behind' the jet. There was no reply. Seconds after that, the two aircraft collided. The Washington region has three major airports, but Reagan National, which lies on the Potomac, is by far the closest to the capital. The crash occurred in some of the most tightly controlled and monitored airspace in the US. The airspace is extremely busy, with military and commercial craft ferrying thousands of passengers, including top government and military officials. This satellite image highlight's the airport's proximity to the centre of DC. Because of the short length of the runways at Reagan National, more than 90% of flights use its main north-south runway, making it the busiest runway in the US, with more than 800 daily takeoffs and landings. There have been several near-miss incidents at Reagan National that have sparked alarm, including a near-collision in May 2024 between an American Airlines jet and a small aeroplane, and one in April 2024 between Southwest and JetBlue planes. Reuters and Associated Press contributed to this report
