Reagan National Airport Mid-air Collision

[Shoot Summ]

 

[OKCHunter]

I keep seeing from different sources that the altitude for helicopters traveling in that established corridor is limited to 200 feet. The Blackhawk was at 300 feet when it collided with the jet. I’m guessing there were several contributing factors that caused the crash but the Blackhawk flying above the permitted altitude seems to be primary. I wonder if the altitude indicator on the Blackhawk was functioning properly or if this was simply pilot error.

 

[turkeyrun]

There are two types of radar, believe it or not. Primary radar is what you traditionally think of when you think of radar and involves a radio beam leaving the antenna, bouncing off an object, and returning to the radar dish. Secondary radar is what transponders are used for. An interrogator signal is sent out, received by the airplane, and the airplane's transponder responds to the interrogator signal with altitude, type of aircraft, and registration number/callsign. Whether something is picked up by primary radar is completely dependent on line of sight to the radar's beam. The further away the object is, the higher it has to be to be detected (think curvature of the earth). I would imagine in a busy area like DC, the radar site is somewhere very close by, so objects could be detected practically to the surface.

All that being said, radar was not the culprit in this accident. The CRJ was proceeding to the airport visually, the helicopter was flying its route visually, and the controllers were looking out the window. At a busy airport like DCA, airplanes will be lined up in a long trail stretching 20-30 miles away from the airport. If the tower asked the helicopter if he had the CRJ in sight, I can tell you right now there's no way to distinguish a CRJ from a 737 at night. The helicopter pilot could have seen any one of the half dozen airplanes that were lined up to land and not realized that he was looking at the wrong one.



It wouldn't have been using radar jamming, even if it did have it, in congested DC airspace.

ATC would have supervisors watching out the window, the radar screen would still be manned.

The pilots being more focused, due to circling, changing runways; puts them more dependent on ATC to communicate hazards.

A simple radio transmission to turn left or drop altitude could have prevented the collision, unless intentional.


IF it had jamming capability, it could have been in use, even if not intentionally. Wouldn't isn't part of the equation.

 

[Dale00]

Hypothetically speaking....... Were there some resentful FAA administrators who lost their job who arranged to put their third-string DEI controllers up to bat without adequate supervision?

 

[Rez Exelon]

Hypothetically speaking....... Were there some resentful FAA administrators who lost their job who arranged to put their third-string DEI controllers up to bat without adequate supervision?

Your theory is that people that were no longer employed were able to control the schedule of the people that were employed?

You know what, sure, why not. That's about as good as some other theories here.

 

[Duncandl]

Small plane crash in NE Philadelphia at this time (for record keeping purposes)

 

[OK Corgi Rancher]

I swear. Nothing. Nothing can ever happen without conspiracies. Freakin' amazing.

An asteroid hits the earth? DEI
Terrorists attack? False flag
Tornado? China f**kin' with our weather

 

[NorthFan]

ABC news just said the name of the female pilot wasn’t being released per the family’s request. Seems it’s already out.

 

[RugersGR8]

Allegedly the pilot recently wrote this tranifesto https://www.smerconish.com/exclusiv...lf-a-transgender-service-members-perspective/

Big if true
View attachment 551480

Ellis wasn’t the pilot:

Google Search

 

[OK Corgi Rancher]

ABC news just said the name of the female pilot wasn’t being released per the family’s request. Seems it’s already out.

What's her name?