AA jet and Military helicopter collide over Potomac

Reagan National Airport crash: Military Black Hawk helicopter collides midair with American Airlines jet

An Army Black Hawk helicopter collided midair with an American Airlines flight from Wichita, Kansas, at Reagan National Airport on Wednesday.

www.foxnews.com

 

[RedSnake]

Is it even possible that the helicopter pilot did not see the plane heading straight to it, when you can see the lights from the plane and the helicopter at that distance in the video?

 

[TugboatEng]

Aircraft, and boat, navigation lights are extremely difficult to distinguish from urban backgrounds. They are not a reliable means of collision avoidance in these situations.

 

[LittleInch]

Was the helicopter visible to the tower? I e. Squawking ?

Not sure what the protocol is for military aircraft.

 

[LittleInch]

These are from pprune.

Looks like the helicopter was high and maybe got confused with which aircraft was which.

Also a late change of runway for the CJ. PAT25 is the helicopter.

 

[MintJulep]

Do military aircraft have TCAS transponders?

 

[LittleInch]

Even if they did, they are apparently disabled below 1500 or maybe 900 ft. The jet was on finals at about 350ft.

This does look like a failure both of ATC protocols in that area plus ATC failure.

There is a distinct possibility the helicopter pilots didn't know which aircraft was which as one was taking off just before the other landed on the cross runway.

Really only the ATC / tower controller can see all the aircraft at the same time.

 

[LittleInch]

Looks like the heloicopter was following "Route 4", which amazingly crosses the final approach path into runway 33.

Helicopter route chart, Washington, D.C.

Aeronautical chart showing numbered helicopter routes in the Washington D.C. metropolitan area. Relief shown by spot heights. "Includes airspace amendments effective January 14, 1988." Includes text, directory of helicopter routes, ancillary map of Pentagon vicinity, and statistical tables...

www.loc.gov

There's also a video floating around of what looks like ATC radar with CA (Collision Alert?) flashing away for several seconds.

No idea if this is true or not, but you can then also see the second plane landing on runway 01 on finals.

 

[XR250]

Its amazing that this has not happened sooner. This airspace seems like a recipe for disaster.

 

[Alistair_Heaton]

Military they have the mode C transponders which the TCAS can use the data from.

The CRJ will have had them on the displays but it won't trigger a traffic advisory below 900ft, with a resolution.

The runway switch is common in some airports but not were I operate. To be honest I would refuse it day time never mind night.

I suspect the helicopter was above its cleared altitude.

In europe this situation would need to be controlled under instrument flight rules or special visual flight rules which involves radar separation alarms sounding in the tower if things get too close.

I am not allowed to visually separate at night.

USA you can do VFR at night which is the rules I suspect the mil helicopter had declared.

I suspect the helicopter couldn't see the CRJ and was aiming to pass behind the traffic going into the main runway and going high over the top of the threshold hence the climb to 400ft.

Human error of the pilots and we shall see what they say about the ATC.

 

[LittleInch]

It does look like the helicopter was high, but only 100ft.

The video from whatever radar seems to be flashing CA, but don't know what other audio alarms were set in the ATC / tower.

Visual separation at night looks like an accident waiting to happen.

 

[Alistair_Heaton]

It is, in my opinion. And not what people should be paying to be exposed to under the care of professionals as risk.

I don't have a clue either about tower alarms realistically.

 

[Alistair_Heaton]

If you look at the chart with the route

There are several not above 200ft symbols and then zone 5 and not above 700ft in a different colour.

That's 1000ft not above or below on the left bank I have no clue.

These are US FAA vfr charts which I haven't used for 20 years. The crj wouldn't have been carrying them either. So would be unaware of the helicopter route

 

[hacksaw]

Don't recall military training flights of choppers being allowed in commercial airfields

 

[Alistair_Heaton]

Happens all the time.

The pilots have to train to deal with a civilian ATC environment and civilian pilots and hardware.

 

[dik]

It's possible the helicopter transponder wasn't turned on.

 

[Alistair_Heaton]

It's possible the helicopter transponder wasn't turned on.

It has secondary radar mode C Information on the radar display so yes it's on.

I think it's what's call Bravo controlled airspace around Regan which requires one to be fitted and turned on. Military and Police are not exempt.

 

[LittleInch]

Also how come the.main runway 01 actually.more like 35 to me. Do they use a different North arrow?
Aye ofs not to confuse it with runway 33, but I've never seen one so far out before.

 

[Alistair_Heaton]

Diclination is 15deg east in Washington.