US EditionNTSB questions controller's failure to alert jet before January crash in Washington, DC
WASHINGTON, D.C., JUL 31 – The controller failed to warn American Airlines Flight 5342 of an approaching Army Black Hawk helicopter, contributing to a fatal midair collision that killed 67 people, officials said.
- In Washington, D.C., an air traffic controller failed to notify an American Airlines regional jet of an approaching Army Black Hawk helicopter on Thursday, leading to a crash,
- In recent years, the FAA operated at nearly 80 departures and arrivals per hour, exceeding the 30-arrivals-per-hour limit at Reagan National Airport, despite safety concerns.
- The controller managed communications with 21 aircraft in the 10 minutes before the crash, and staffing shortages left only 19 of 26 controllers available, according to officials.
- After the January 29 collision, the FAA reduced the airport’s arrival rate and launched a review, later imposing limits on visual separation and shutting down helicopter Route 4 to improve safety.
- A final report won’t arrive until next year, NTSB investigators said, as they noted senior FAA managers disregarded safety efforts and flight-spacing efforts had limited success.
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Night vision goggles may have hampered helicopter pilots before crash with jet, experts tell NTSB
The pilots of a U.S. Army helicopter that collided with a passenger jet over Washington in January would’ve had difficulty spotting the plane while wearing night vision goggles, experts told the National Transportation Safety Board on Friday. The Army goggles would have made it difficult to see the plane’s colored lights, which might have helped the Black Hawk determine the plane’s direction. The goggles also limited the pilots’ peripheral visio…
Investigators to wrap up public hearings into fatal midair crash between Army chopper and airplane
The National Transportation Safety Board on Friday enters its third and final day of public testimony over the fatal midair crash between an Army helicopter and commercial jet in January. Two previous days of testimony underscored a number of factors that likely contributed to the collision that left all 67 people aboard both aircrafts dead, sparking Board Chairwoman Jennifer Homendy to urge the Federal Aviation Administration to “do better” as …
Air Traffic Controllers Urged Safety Changes Years Before D.C. Crash
The Federal Aviation Administration failed to heed numerous appeals in recent years to mitigate risks at Ronald Reagan National Airport, forcing pilots and air traffic controllers to make the best of hazardous options, according to testimony at a hearing Thursday on the January midair collision over the Potomac River. Officials assigned to air traffic control facilities in the area around Washington, D.C., said that senior F.A.A. managers squelc…
Black Hawk Helicopter Probably Didn't Realize How High It Was Before Fatal Collision with Passenger Plane: Officials
Six months after an Army helicopter crashed into an American Airlines passenger plane near Washington, D.C., killing 67 people, officials now say the crew in the chopper likely believed they were flying lower than they really were
NTSB questions controller's failure to alert jet before January crash in Washington, DC
The National Transportation Safety Board on Thursday questioned the failure of an air traffic controller to issue a warning about a potential collision in the moments before a crash between an Army helicopter and an American Airlines regional jet that killed 67 people.
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