U.S. Politics

[Royell Storing]

I haven't heard that one but nothing surprises me.  I was reading that there were those on social media blaming a transgender Blackhawk pilot for the crash.  It turns out the transgender person that they were referencing wasn't even on the helicopter and is very much still alive, but some on social media can't be deterred.  A great example of adopting a narrative and then not allowing any facts to change it.

    I heard 1 of those Press Briefings where that Fat Guy in between his sobbing about having to deal with the relatives of the dead, quickly referenced a roughly "3-4 second refresh rate" there inside the Control Tower. It wouldn't surprise me if they were using old technology inside that control tower. Maybe, whatever the Air Traffic Controller is eyeballing on his screen is actually a few seconds Behind the current position of the plane(s)/copter(s) in the sky? I am still trying to figure out how as commanded, the copter could fly" behind" the jet airplane. The copter was heading roughly S and the Jet Airplane was heading roughly N. How does one get Behind the other when they are moving almost directly toward each other? As yet, I have Not heard a name attached to that Air Traffic Controller, yrs of experience, Nothing. And, they have also dropped mention of why they were understaffed inside the control tower by 30%, or why someone left "early". Once again, the Fake Newser's have danced over to other "stuff" like battering Trump for Tariffs that were Never imposed. 

[Charles Collins]

    I heard 1 of those Press Briefings where that Fat Guy in between his sobbing about having to deal with the relatives of the dead, quickly referenced a roughly "3-4 second refresh rate" there inside the Control Tower. It wouldn't surprise me if they were using old technology inside that control tower. Maybe, whatever the Air Traffic Controller is eyeballing on his screen is actually a few seconds Behind the current position of the plane(s)/copter(s) in the sky? I am still trying to figure out how as commanded, the copter could fly" behind" the jet airplane. The copter was heading roughly S and the Jet Airplane was heading roughly N. How does one get Behind the other when they are moving almost directly toward each other? As yet, I have Not heard a name attached to that Air Traffic Controller, yrs of experience, Nothing. And, they have also dropped mention of why they were understaffed inside the control tower by 30%, or why someone left "early". Once again, the Fake Newser's have danced over to other "stuff" like battering Trump for Tariffs that were Never imposed.

It seems to me that the controller was probably anticipating the left turn of the airliner to line up with the runway. And the controller probably thought that all the helicopter would have had to do was slow down enough to let the plane turn left in front of him. Then the helicopter could have passed behind the plane. (Much the same as you should do if, upon approaching an intersection of two roads in an automobile, someone turns left in front of you and you need to slow down a little in order to give the other automobile a little time to get out of your way.)

It appears to me that the controller was told by the helicopter pilot that the he had the plane in sight (although, sadly, it appears he was looking at the wrong plane approaching another runway). Therefore most people, who are knowledgeable about these things, believe the controller did all that was required. Otherwise, if the helicopter pilot had not indicated he had the plane in sight, I think the controller should have (and would have) given the helicopter pilot explicit instructions to help him avoid a collision.

It appears to me that the helicopter was climbing at the time of the collision. It appears to me that it had been at the 200-feet altitude and inexplicably began to climb shortly before the collision. If that’s the case, and the pilot was in the right-hand seat, the plane would have been approaching the helicopter’s position from high and to the left of the helicopter (especially after the helicopter began it’s apparent right-hand turn). That might have been a blind spot for the helicopter pilot. Otherwise, it seems to me that the helicopter pilot should have seen the plane and avoided the collision.

The investigation should shed some light on all the aspects. Hopefully a preliminary finding will be forthcoming before long.

[Royell Storing]

It seems to me that the controller was probably anticipating the left turn of the airliner to line up with the runway. And the controller probably thought that all the helicopter would have had to do was slow down enough to let the plane turn left in front of him. Then the helicopter could have passed behind the plane. (Much the same as you should do if, upon approaching an intersection of two roads in an automobile, someone turns left in front of you and you need to slow down a little in order to give the other automobile a little time to get out of your way.)

It appears to me that the controller was told by the helicopter pilot that the he had the plane in sight (although, sadly, it appears he was looking at the wrong plane approaching another runway). Therefore most people, who are knowledgeable about these things, believe the controller did all that was required. Otherwise, if the helicopter pilot had not indicated he had the plane in sight, I think the controller should have (and would have) given the helicopter pilot explicit instructions to help him avoid a collision.

It appears to me that the helicopter was climbing at the time of the collision. It appears to me that it had been at the 200-feet altitude and inexplicably began to climb shortly before the collision. If that’s the case, and the pilot was in the right-hand seat, the plane would have been approaching the helicopter’s position from high and to the left of the helicopter (especially after the helicopter began it’s apparent right-hand turn). That might have been a blind spot for the helicopter pilot. Otherwise, it seems to me that the helicopter pilot should have seen the plane and avoided the collision.

The investigation should shed some light on all the aspects. Hopefully a preliminary finding will be forthcoming before long.

         The "pass behind" command is confusing and not specific. With respect to your left hand turn reference, to me, my permitting someone to turn in front of me is, "Yielding the right of way". I have Not heard what experience that Air Traffic Controller had, but their communicative skills are very poor. Someone in that position has to be short on words and long on specificity.

[Richard Smith]

         The "pass behind" command is confusing and not specific. With respect to your left hand turn reference, to me, my permitting someone to turn in front of me is, "Yielding the right of way". I have Not heard what experience that Air Traffic Controller had, but their communicative skills are very poor. Someone in that position has to be short on words and long on specificity.

All that just further highlights exactly why it is so dangerous to allow these helicopters to cross the flight path of a major airport.  It's asking for trouble.  I wonder if any other airport in the US allowed this same situation?  I still can't believe it.  It's as mystifying as the secret service not securing that most prominent building at the Butler rally and allowing someone to access the roof.   Some levels of incompetence are mind blowing.  Any child could have predicted this disaster if you explained it to them.  The fact that the FAA and military continued to allow this even after near misses is criminal.   

[Royell Storing]

All that just further highlights exactly why it is so dangerous to allow these helicopters to cross the flight path of a major airport.  It's asking for trouble.  I wonder if any other airport in the US allowed this same situation?  I still can't believe it.  It's as mystifying as the secret service not securing that most prominent building at the Butler rally and allowing someone to access the roof.   Some levels of incompetence are mind blowing.  Any child could have predicted this disaster if you explained it to them.  The fact that the FAA and military continued to allow this even after near misses is criminal.

   The copters have a "corridor" they are mandated follow as they travel over the Potomac River. Copter pilots know when they approach the Reagan Airport/Runways, their copter corridor will intersect/cross incoming and outgoing Reagan Airport air flight paths. This intersection of the copter corridor and the planes as they approach and depart from the airport runways is Not Unexpected. That copter pilot should have been aware of this intersection area and proceeded with due caution. The copter flying well over the max 200 ft high limitation shows something was wrong regarding the piloting of that copter. The control tower likewise should have known the copter pilot was clueless for whatever reason. The tower should have been all over that Black Hawk Copter pilot.

[Richard Smith]

   The copters have a "corridor" they are mandated follow as they travel over the Potomac River. Copter pilots know when they approach the Reagan Airport/Runways, their copter corridor will intersect/cross incoming and outgoing Reagan Airport air flight paths. This intersection of the copter corridor and the planes as they approach and depart from the airport runways is Not Unexpected. That copter pilot should have been aware of this intersection area and proceeded with due caution. The copter flying well over the max 200 ft high limitation shows something was wrong regarding the piloting of that copter. The control tower likewise should have known the copter pilot was clueless for whatever reason. The tower should have been all over that Black Hawk Copter pilot.

The margins are too small to make that safe.  The initial reports indicate that the air traffic controller was seeing the helicopter at 200 ft.  If there are no fly zones over DC that force the helicopters into the airports air space, they should be routed a safe distance around the airport on the VA side.  It might add a few minutes to their destination, but that is peanuts in comparison to a major plane crash.

[Royell Storing]

The margins are too small to make that safe.  The initial reports indicate that the air traffic controller was seeing the helicopter at 200 ft.  If there are no fly zones over DC that force the helicopters into the airports air space, they should be routed a safe distance around the airport on the VA side.  It might add a few minutes to their destination, but that is peanuts in comparison to a major plane crash.

   I am wary of the wording, "...controller was SEEING the helicopter at 200 ft". I mentioned earlier that the Fat Guy quickly mentioned a 3-4 second Refresh Rate. This would mean that what the Controller was SEEING was roughly 3-4 seconds old. The NTSB is tap dancing. 

[Richard Smith]

Trump should get the Nobel Peace Prize if he manages to broker an end to the Russia-Ukraine war.  Too many dead and maimed under Biden's endless war policy.  Hundreds of billions spent by the US.  Even "Europe" sent a small amount of money.  Biden made an all-out effort to broker a cease fire in Gaza.  He made zero effort to do so in Ukraine.  Thankfully his days of corruption and weakness are forever over.  They will curse his name in Ukraine for centuries.