American Eagle flight on approach collided with an Army Helicopter according to reports. The plane went down in the Potomac. I've seen video, if there are any survivors I'll be surprised . It looked like the plane blew up on impact with the chopper.
Plane crash in DC
- Thread starter L4Dawg
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I've read some stuff where we have had a LOT of near misses lately and this was only a matter of time.
That’s reckless negligence. That should never happen. What’s an army helicopter doing in the landing path of a commercial flight?
It did have the look. That being said, I know a guy who was an airline pilot based in DC. He said that approach is hairy. Also, there is a heck of a lot of helicopter traffic all over DC.
I have flown into DCA at least a dozen times. The flight path to the airport to land is extremely tight. They have to follow the Potomac and cannot deviate from that path.
Don’t be that guy. Of course it wasn’t intentional.
It sounds like the helicopter didn't have its ADS-B system running (and it sounds like most of the military craft in the DC area never run it). Pretty stupid to fly the helicopter in what is known to be an approach into DCA while not even broadcasting your position.
That’s not what caused this. Just stop. Airlines fly this approach every day, every week, every year.
He didn’t say that was the reason. He’s just talking about how tight the flight paths are into DCA which they are. It leaves no room for error.
He’s absolutely implying that. He even agreed with the other guy that it was possibly intentional. It’s L4 we’re talking about here. A grade A idiot.
So you are an expert on air traffic, and air crashes now too. So you already know what caused this! And you wonder why I laugh at you so much.
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No I didn’t, on either count. Laughing at you again!
You are also ruining another thread, for personal reasons.
What doesn’t make since to me is air traffic control talking to the helicopter and giving its pilot approval to cross the flight path based on visual confirmation of the plane’s position. Is that really something that’s allowed? Helicopters with transponders off crossing through a commercial flight traffic lane based on visuals??? How could that possibly be allowed in 2025?
Ask Goat, he already knows what caused it.
I realize you're a moron, but hopefully you at least understand the difference between "looks" and "possible." The earth looks flat, but there's no possibility it is flat. Assuming you've seen the video, it "looks" like the Blackhawk flew into the airliner. Could have been many things, malfunction, pilot error, miscommunication, pilot medical issue, etc.
I have a pilot's license, flying at night is much more difficult, but you can see a huge airliner in close proximity.
Did ATC really talk to the helicopter and give clearance? Is there a source for this?
If this is true, the ATCs are going to be in deep
and you'll have a lot of focus on bringing back highly qualified individuals to the profession.
Just flipping through the news channels. According to I guess a source the ATC told them to come across following the CRJ and that there were two CRJs back to back and that they may have been looking at the wrong plane. IdkDid ATC really talk to the helicopter and give clearance? Is there a source for this?
If this is true, the ATCs are going to be in deep
That seems like a really bad error that I don’t know if I believe
Transcript of ATC:
From the mega thread (not my work)
Update 3: My original audio was from DCA freq. Now added additional dialogue from DCA/KJPN
Update 2: adding dialogue from the UHF tapes.
UPDATE: I'm being informed PAT25 responds on UHF. The tape transcribed is VHF recording
Blue Streak 5342 is the CRJ. Pat 25 is the helo
4 mins prior to crash: "Tower, Blue Streak 5342 on Mount Vernon Visual Runway 1"
"Blue Streak 5342, Washington Tower, winds are 320/17G25 can you take Runway 33?"
30 sec pause
"Yeah we can do Runway 33 for Bluestreak 5342"
"Bluestreak 5342 (unclear) bridge make the turn for 33, cleared to land 33"
"Change to Runway 33, cleared to land 33 bluestreak 5342"
Other traffic being handled to Runway 1.
Approx 2.5 mins to crash:
Pat25: "PAT25 memorial."
Tower: Pat25 rodger.
Approx 1:20 till crash:
Tower: "PAT25 traffic just south of (unclear) bridge is a CRJ at 1,200ft turning for Runway 33"
PAT25: PAT25 has the Traffic in sight, request visual separation
Tower: Visual separation approved.
Tower: "American 1631 winds are (unclear) no delay, traffic on 3 mile final for Runway 33 cleared for immediate takeoff"
"Cleared for takeoff, AA1631"
Approximately 10 seconds prior to collision
Tower: "PAT25 do you have the CRJ in sight?"
Tower: "PAT25 (unclear maybe pass behind) CRJ"
Pat25: Affirm. Pat 25 has traffic in sight request visual separation.
Tower: Separation.
15 seconds later
"Tower, AA472 (unclear)"
"American 472 washington tower" alarms going off "Oooh!" "Oh my god!" *click
15 seconds later
"Tower, did you see that?"
Tower frantically begins commanding go arounds and deconfliction.
From the mega thread (not my work)
Update 3: My original audio was from DCA freq. Now added additional dialogue from DCA/KJPN
Update 2: adding dialogue from the UHF tapes.
UPDATE: I'm being informed PAT25 responds on UHF. The tape transcribed is VHF recording
Blue Streak 5342 is the CRJ. Pat 25 is the helo
4 mins prior to crash: "Tower, Blue Streak 5342 on Mount Vernon Visual Runway 1"
"Blue Streak 5342, Washington Tower, winds are 320/17G25 can you take Runway 33?"
30 sec pause
"Yeah we can do Runway 33 for Bluestreak 5342"
"Bluestreak 5342 (unclear) bridge make the turn for 33, cleared to land 33"
"Change to Runway 33, cleared to land 33 bluestreak 5342"
Other traffic being handled to Runway 1.
Approx 2.5 mins to crash:
Pat25: "PAT25 memorial."
Tower: Pat25 rodger.
Approx 1:20 till crash:
Tower: "PAT25 traffic just south of (unclear) bridge is a CRJ at 1,200ft turning for Runway 33"
PAT25: PAT25 has the Traffic in sight, request visual separation
Tower: Visual separation approved.
Tower: "American 1631 winds are (unclear) no delay, traffic on 3 mile final for Runway 33 cleared for immediate takeoff"
"Cleared for takeoff, AA1631"
Approximately 10 seconds prior to collision
Tower: "PAT25 do you have the CRJ in sight?"
Tower: "PAT25 (unclear maybe pass behind) CRJ"
Pat25: Affirm. Pat 25 has traffic in sight request visual separation.
Tower: Separation.
15 seconds later
"Tower, AA472 (unclear)"
"American 472 washington tower" alarms going off "Oooh!" "Oh my god!" *click
15 seconds later
"Tower, did you see that?"
Tower frantically begins commanding go arounds and deconfliction.
No way the transponder was intentionally off, unless it was a VIP helicopter and the SOP is for it to be off. I've flown on a Blackhawk, I don't think any VIPs would travel that way.
Sorry the front of those helicopters are mostly see through glass. ATC may have 17'd up but even in the dark that plane was visible. There are taillights and wing lights on the plane. There were several heads up *** to let this happen. That cold water turns this from a rescue mission to a recovery mission. So much military and commercial traffic in the area. Then 911
narrowed the flight channels into one of the busiest air traffic areas in the world. Can only pray for survivors and the families affected by this.
narrowed the flight channels into one of the busiest air traffic areas in the world. Can only pray for survivors and the families affected by this.
A report from law enforcement in the last few minutes that there are confirmed fatalities and no rescued survivors so far.
This is a different message than NBC posted earlier. They were saying 4 rescued, but who knows what’s right/wrong. This is tragic.
No one wants to see that. All we can do is pray for the families that are affected.
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