President Trump is delivering remarks from the White House Brady Press briefing room in the aftermath of a terrible aviation disaster.
The FAA said the midair crash occurred before 9 pm EST. American Airlines Flight 5342 was inbound to Reagan National at an altitude of about 400 feet (122 meters) and a speed of about 140 mph (225 kph) when it rapidly lost altitude over the Potomac River, according to data from its radio transponder. The Canadian-made Bombardier CRJ-701 twin-engine jet, manufactured in 2004, can be configured to carry up to 70 passengers.
A few minutes before landing, air traffic controllers asked the arriving commercial jet if it could land on the shorter Runway 33 at Reagan National and the pilots said they were able. Controllers then cleared the plane to land on Runway 33. Flight-tracking sites showed the plane adjust its approach to the new runway.
Less than 30 seconds before the crash, an air traffic controller asked the helicopter if it had the arriving plane in sight. The controller made another radio call to the helicopter moments later: “PAT 25 pass behind the CRJ.” Seconds after that, the two aircraft collided.
.
The libs are complaining that Trump, “without evidence” is blaming DEI. But… that’s silly, because the ATC is understaffed and there’s a huge class action lawsuit going after them for the many years they threw away applications from qualified white people for DEI reasons. They had people take a demographic quiz to fill out, then threw away people’s resumes who answered “wrong.” Unless you knew the magic answers, which they only gave out to their friends, you would get rejected. It was specifically designed so that 90% of people would fail… well maybe the unemployed guy who got low scores in science in school who picked some weird answers might pass but not likely since you were supposed to be answering honestly about your own life.
https://mslegal.org/press-releases/2500-aspiring-air-traffic-controllers-who-were-harmed-by-the-faas-racially-discriminatory-hiring-policies-%C2%AD%C2%AD/
Even crazy libs have long admitted this is a massive DEI failure:
https://wentworthreport.com/2024/01/31/massive-diversity-fail-for-us-air-traffic-controllers/
So, if the cause is found to be understaffing and yet there were scores or hundreds of qualified applicats available that were bypassed due to DEI … that makes President Trump’s cautionary warnings accurate.
If interested this is a video from a Pilot who regularly posts on YT. He goes over, what in his *professional opinion*, probably happened. He has the official audio and explains what the Pilots & ATC are saying and doing. Pretty interesting I thought.
https://thepostmillennial.com/breaking-faa-report-reveals-staffing-at-reagan-national-was-not-normal-at-time-of-crash
https://www.infowars.com/posts/weird-lockheed-martin-boasted-of-remote-blackhawk-helicopter-technology-three-months-before-tragic-aerial-disaster/
Mayor Pete, is dat you?
In all the videos I have seen, the helicopter was going directly into the airplane. The airplane had the landing lights on. How is it possible the helicopter didn’t see it?
85% doesn’t cut it with ATC, pilot, maintenance, and engineering/manufacturing, and the FAA. Let alone the military.
Juan Brown is among the best with aviation analysis:
Well, bless your heart….
He is the President of the United States of America who enjoys overwhelming support from the AMERICAN people. We deem him capable, smart and exactly what we needed to turn this Country around.
Go peddle your piffling ruminations elsewhere.
Oh, and have a nice day! 🙂
🤣🤣👍…good reply..👍👏👏
🇺🇸💪😀👍
AND….Get off my lawn.
Some have commented on how not like himself President looked today…is it any wonder??
His big heart was showing I think.
Contrast and compare with the morally repugnant Biden who would have yet failed to make any comment after this unspeakable tragedy.
So who would those criticizing President Trump for his comments prefer…
Memories are shorter than I would have given them credit for being.
A photograph of those whose beautiful lives have been cut short.
Loving Father, receive their souls unto Your eternal keeping 🙏🏻
Very sad. If someone didn’t mention it the whole US figure skating team died in a crash in Belgium (1961).
Just heartbreaking to see so many young, innocent lives taken. God bless everyone’s families and friends. It’s another very sad day for America.
Isiah 57 v 1/2
The righteous perisheth, and no man layeth it to heart: and merciful men are taken away, none considering that the righteous is taken away from the evil to come.
2He shall enter into peace: they shall rest in their beds, each one walking in his uprightness.
I love Isaiah, RJH…thank you.
It is a truly heartbreaking tragedy. Lord please be with the families and loved ones of all of these precious souls. Please be with the world-wide skating community who are suffering unimaginable grief right now over the loss of these young, talented best and brightest skaters, along with their coaches and families. In Jesus’s name. Amen.
Amen 🙏🏻
Thank you, Jim! 😀
AMEN…Well, bless your heart. This was a national disaster we all need to be made aware of – this should have never happened. We The People deserve and need answers. I think we are getting them.
Apparently not on the approval: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/jan/30/trump-low-approval-rating
https://www.newsweek.com/donald-trump-approval-rating-2023602
“According to the latest polling from Emerson College, conducted between January 27 and 28 among 1,000 registered voters, Trump’s approval rating currently stands at 49 percent, while 41 percent disapprove. The poll had a margin of error of +/- 3 percentage points.
That marks an increase for Trump from his first term, when Emerson College polling showed that his approval rating peaked at 48 percent in August 2020. Trump left office in January 2021 with the lowest rating of his presidency, 34 percent, after the January 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol.
The poll also shows that most voters (52 percent) think the United States is headed in the right direction, while 48 percent believe it is on the wrong track. This is a significant shift from earlier this month when 67 percent said the country was on the wrong track and 33 percent in the right direction.
It comes as polls have also shown that Trump scores high approval ratings among groups that traditionally lean toward the Democrats. The latest poll from AtlasIntel, conducted between January 21 and 23, showed that more Black voters approve of Donald Trump’s job performance as president than white voters.
According to the poll, 69 percent of Black voters approve of Trump’s job performance, compared to 50 percent of white voters. Meanwhile, 31 percent of Black voters disapprove of Trump’s job performance, compared to 49 percent of white voters.
Emerson’s latest poll also showed that Trump has net approval ratings in all age groups except the over-70s. Among 18-29-year-olds, his approval rating is 46 percent, indicating that Gen Z voters support Trump’s agenda despite young voters historically leaning toward the Democrats.”
Still garbage.
The Guardian is a UK left wing rag…. they don’t like President Trump so skew their writings to the negative.
If he had not had a press conference on this matter then “richard childers” would be here complaining about “Trump is hiding because he is scared. Shouldn’t the commander in chief get in front of a microphone and talk to the American public?”
Exactly!
We have been blessed on this site so far for not having the nasty TDS trolls who regularly patrol other media platforms. Not sure why that is changing and we are getting more strays who gravitate here now just to piss people off. Keyword= “The Zionists.” One would have thought the liberal echo chamber, Blue Sky would be their preferred haunting ground.
He’s got confusion issues. He probably needs to take some time off.
This incident has echoes in PSA 102:
“The PSA pilots reported that they saw the Cessna after being notified of its position by ATC, although cockpit voice recordings revealed that shortly thereafter, the PSA pilots no longer had the Cessna in sight and they were speculating about its position. Due to radio static, Lindbergh tower (as per the tower voice recording) received the 09.00:50 transmission as “He’s passing off to our right” and assumed the PSA jet had the Cessna in sight, thus maintaining visual separation.”
The fact the BH was in a training exercise raises the possibility the pilot was inexperienced, particularly in night operations and in operations around civilian aircraft, as well as in communicating with civilian ATC (and vice versa).
Based on my experience it is likely the accident occurred because of a communication problem between the BH pilot and ATC, although at this time it is too early to say who made the error.
The pilot in command was not inexperienced. The other front seater might have been.
Training flights are essentially of them that aren’t in combat zones.
We flew out in daylight into large airports and back to our airfield at night, including NOE in our training areas on a weekly basis for training. Typically had a meal in between and refueled.
The pilot in command reportedly had 500 hours. The instructor pilot reportedly had 1, 000 hours. Maybe I’m not an expert, but that doesn’t sound like an experienced crew to me. Not totally green but not really “experienced” either.
1000 hr guy was apparent a SP, so was the PC. 1,000 hrs is quite a bit, particularly to be 160 feet above a hard ceiling.
I’m loving the Army aviator lingo
Is it PCL’s or throttles?
APU or engine #3?
Bottom line … If the military guys were murdered because Evil needed “minimum skilled” as scapegoats for Satan … then that is their story.
Evil knows it’s about to be Purged by President Donald Trump and is desperate to survive.
Dear God In Heaven:
May Perpetual Light Shine upon America’s Murdered Innocents. Amen.
Heard an Army H60 pilot tonight say ” The ATC Controller should have given the H60 crew the general location of the CRJ while asking if they had it in sight”. Do you have the CRJ to your 9 o’clock in sight?
The bottom line to me is why were they even in that location?
Who sent them on that training mission?
See my comments elsewhere. Like it or not, they were in that location because that is their job–to transport people in that location.
Also, because that is their job, that is where the pilots and helicopters are located. If pilots don’t TRAIN, they will not be able to do their mission when called upon.
Back in the bad old days of the Cold War, we built the Russians up to be 10 feet tall. They had lots of fighter pilots and planes with some amazing technical features. What we didn’t know is that the pilots were getting less than 50 hours a year of flying time and could barely take off and land, let alone fight.
If your mission is fighting wildfires, you can’t prepare for that mission by snuffing out candles in the safety of your home.
You are right. After that incident they made vfr corridors for private aircraft to transit thru the airport at a specific block of altitude. Other aircraft departing and arriving were controlled by ATC and were set to avoid those vfr corridors. A little more safe however there are always someone who accidentally violates those altitude blocks. Not often but it has happened.
Not a fan of Infowars…
Nevertheless I find this interesting….and concerning.
https://www.infowars.com/posts/weird-lockheed-martin-boasted-of-remote-blackhawk-helicopter-technology-three-months-before-tragic-aerial-disaster/
Alex Jones is pretty often way ahead of the curve.
And … why he’s attacked.
George Webb too
And this…
I mean ??????????!!
One day after the terrible tragedy.
Second verse, same as the first.
https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2025/01/revealed-passenger-flight-forced-abort-landing-dca-due/
blah blah blah
Was the helicopter instructed to return to base and soon told to go to Dulles? I listened to a recording of that but it unsure if related to this specific incident. Was on Stinchfield.
I think the Dulles comment was related to telling everyone to go to Dulles. I heard them also say, can you make it to Baltimore. I think clearing the area.
That makes sense. Thank you.
I can watch the Dulles traffic from my house. I watched a huge increase in aircraft lights from my bathroom window.
ef off. Dont you something better to do troll?
No?
12 months ago or so…there was someone trolling in a similar fashion…
Far more often and recently than that.
Noticers faithfully patrol the perimeter.
You show your ignorance in your first paragraph. Panhandle your wares to those who’d actually believe anything that you write. I suggest using the latest roll of toilet paper should do then deposit it into the nearest trash bin.
Called it… you could hear a woman’s voice in recording background just before impact saying, “oh, oh, oh my!” (or something similar)
| Co-Pilot of Black Hawk Helicopter Involved in Midair Collision Was a Woman: Report |
“Fox News obtained exclusive information regarding the crew members aboard the Army helicopter at the time of the accident. The instructor pilot commanding the Black Hawk boasted 1,000 flying hours.
Meanwhile, his co-pilot was a woman with 500 flying hours, considered to be a standard level of experience in aviation circles.”
https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2025/01/co-pilot-blackhawk-helicopter-involved-midair-collision-was/
Yeah, I read that too. I also read that there is an article out there from the Santa Monica Observer that said the actual pilot of that chopper at that time was the co-pilot Jo Ellis who is in fact a Transgender pilot by the born name of Joe Ellis….So, WHO knows what the truth here is?
That’s finally been debunked. I literally did not sleep last night trying to vet that hoax. Smh
https://www.newsweek.com/washington-dc-plane-crash-jo-ellis-trans-helicopter-pilot-wrongly-named-2024149
I wonder what the increased search history for this is? I remember this.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air_Florida_Flight_90
Me, too; very well, sadly.
It’s about the damages DEI programs have caused.
The entire government stopped hiring white people for the past few years. The biggest civil rights abuse in the past 60 years.
https://x.com/stillgray/status/1884858597462442427?s=19
Not only the government, but Corporate America as well.
In the 1970’s I applied for a job I had zero experience for … I was hired … with the ringing endorsement: “we were hoping to hire a black female, but you’re the only female who applied”.
I had no idea what that really meant then.
Due to government mandated “Affirmative Action and Quotas” ALL businesses were scrambling to comply.
Like all newbies I was trained and assigned “simple” files … as time went on there was a dramatic re-set in the industry and assignments plunged … I knew I’d be the “last hired, first fired” – I wasn’t … the experienced white guy was terminated – cause – I was the “quota hire”.
As the 1970’s “joke” clarified: “why is the white, heterosexual, male “worthless”? … because he counts for nothing and pays for everything”.
No noticing who was pushing that abomination
Seeing how the MSM and other sordid folks are constantly lurking in the weeds looking for any reason to criticize President Trump, what better way for him to bring attention to the DEI problem than to report on it himself and float the idea that DEI might ultimately be responsible? If an air traffic controller (ATC) DEI hire screwed up or the tower was woefully understaffed do to DEI BS requirements and multitudes of over qualified ATC candidates were ignored due to race, that still makes DUI responsible.
This way, President Trump puts himself out there as a target and draws fire from the MSM and people like you helping to make it a major issue that it would not have been otherwise.
Fired Jim Acosta who hates Trump equally could not have ranted any better than this troll,…. Oh, Wait!
I bet he was doing more than floating the idea. I bet he knows exactly why the crash happened and who messed up.
I would bet on that as well.
PDJT is stepping on one of their Sacred Cows: DEI. They have to send their trolls out to insult him.
I think we will find out in the end that as always, Trump was right. From hearing aviation experts weighing in on this, it sounds like the communications between air traffic control and the pilots of these planes was tragically inadequate. Plus the staffing at the control tower was grossly mismanaged. There is an argument floating that there were not enough qualified air traffic controllers to fill the positions needed by a LONGSHOT.
If this is the issue, why are there not enough air traffic controllers? FOX reported tonight that qualified people were turned away because they didn’t meet the DEI criteria required for the positions. These qualified candidates later sued. Also, nationwide, how many experienced air traffic controllers LOST THEIR JOBS because they refused to get the potentially deadly covid-19 experimental vaccine? Some may remember the Jacksonville FL air traffic controllers doing a protest walk-out over the vaccine mandate issue in 2021? This is a major hub and was very disruptive of air traffic in the country but got little media attention.
In my experience when you can’t hire an adequate number of people AND you are given the adequate funding to do so, (which we don’t know is the case yet), it usually boils down to REALLY BAD MANAGEMENT. Competent people avoid bad managers like the plague. NO ONE wants to be that air traffic controller right now, who realizes they caused this tragic crash that resulted in the deaths of so many gifted young artist/athletes, in the bloom of their life, their coaches, and their families, and who were snuffed out because of incompetence. We may come to find out they were DEI hires who had inadequate job skills, but it also sounds like these poor schmucks were struggling to keep up with a workload that should have been managed by MANY more people.
This is likely a systemic problem that exists across our entire nation, people, not just at Reagan. If the powers that be allowed this to happen at Reagan, one of the busiest, most high profile airports in the country, you can bet your boots we will find this everywhere once this is looked into. We already know many of the airlines who are operating on DEI initiatives, are not hiring the best and brightest pilots. Travel at your own risk. Air travel is not what it once was in the US. Thank FJB and the Democrat Imbeciles for that.
I took a big step back:
Why in the heck is the Army conducting training flights right next to a very busy commercial airport? That’s ludicrous!
FOUR military bases are nearby. 500 hour pilots can receive evaluation out there.
Pete needs to ends this nonsense immediately. Permanently.
Sure ANG bases are located at many commercial airports. However ANG F16s don’t low level dogfight 1 mile from the runway.
It’s almost as crazy as the Navy conducting live-fire missile drills in JFK International’s flight corridors. Not that the US military would ever do something that insane or have the CIA cover it up.
… hmmmm … TWA ??
“The helicopter was on a routine annual night training flight along a designated corridor for Continuity of Government missions, which ensure essential government functions persist during crises, according to WUSA9.”
Co-Pilot of Black Hawk Helicopter Involved in Midair Collision Was a Woman: Report | The Gateway Pundit | by Jim Hᴏft
What is a continuity of government mission? | wusa9.com
And what is a “designated corridor”???? Seems like someone violated the parameters of this corridor??
“Designated corridor” is a pre-arranged corridor defined by specific lateral and vertical limits intended to separate aircraft in busy airspace like this.
Only works if the participants are actually IN the corridor. Sounds like the helicopter may have exceeded the vertical limits.
Evac of government people during an emergency?
Yes, of key officials to ensure the government continues.
There is the possibility that the BH was being flown remotely as a test for COG in the event no pilots would be available. Like the Tesla – Autopilot would not work unless there were live bodies in the cockpit.
Don’t they have voices on ATC recordings?
Why is her sex an issue? Was she in control of the helicopter?
Apparently the woman was in control and she was being evaluated per Fox News.
But why no picture or name of the woman? Fox publishes a picture and name for the two men.
Normally, when there is no name published, the name is Mohammed or something similar.
The identity of the woman is important in light of The President’s DEI comments with respect to this accident. Was she put in this position based on the color of her skin rather than her competence?
In the Daily Mail article that pubished the names of all the victims, they stated the third BlackHawk crew member’s name was being witheld by the family.
She was in control of the helicopter per Fox News.
Did she get there on merit or was she pushed into that position because of DEI concerns? Clearly she was not able and she killed 64 people.
It wouldn’t be an issue if only competent people were involved for both the military and air traffic control.
These pilots fly VIP’s into and out of The Swamp. That is why they train there because training elsewhere will not prepare them to fly where they operate.
Exactly.
Obviously … the DEI definition of “training/trained” needs serious review.
You are absolutely right, Sparty. This was VERY poor judgement and whoever made the decision to conduct the training program in this manner has no common sense. Because of this, we know that a woke Liberal was likely in charge. IMHO it seems likely Liberals really do have some sort of brain malfunction as the lack of common sense is a common theme in the way they operate.
This is a major fallacy.
It may seem like common sense, but it is not.
In order to prepare to do difficult things, you have to train under difficult conditions.
For some operations, simulation is just not good enough.
Because they are training to conduct operational flights in the very same corridor, and that’s where the base is located.
This is their job. This is what they do.
If Pete “ends this nonsense” the actual training won’t take place until the crew has real VIPs onboard.
… oh … you mean like “actual training” and crashing into a plane full of innocent civilians??
Lovely. I see this wonderful site is having a major effect – the left is now sending their minions here to peddle nonsense. Sorry dick, but your foolishness will fall on deaf ears here.
We are, generally, only deaf to foolishness and stupidity. Seems to me that ears are wide open here to common sense, rule of law, patriotism, and support of liberty.
You are wrong.
poppycock
A Brave Search for Col. Potterisms reveals…:
never insult seven men when all you have is a six shooter
Buffalo bagels:
It is going to be something if it turns out a DEI or mentally capacitated person was in the control tower.
If it gets out…if they cannot cover it up…they can hide behind “HIPPA” uses and abuses, plus fines etc as related to health care.
I heard there was short staffing…one person doing the job of two.
It doesn’t work in health care, why do they think ATC is any different?
Does the staffing manager get a bonus for saving $$$ on salaries and overtime usage ie cutting corners?
What does the union position say? Are they still unionized?
Time for another government audit on staffing and salary expenditures….!
Look at all the jobs that could be created/s.
We don’t know the reasons behind the short staffing. I doubt it was a conscious policy decision.
“conscious” as in competent ??
It appears the ATC was operating correctly. They confirmed visual contact and vertical separation. None of us know how common practice it is to route large helicopters under approaching traffic off that runaway.
“Do you see the other aircraft?” is not sufficient data. They should have given a reading (eg: “At your 2:00”) so the helicopter knew where to look, especially since there were so many other aircraft, lights in the area.
No, the pilot said he had them in sight, would pass behind the CRJ. It appears there was sufficient vertical separation at that instance to avoid collision. I am not saying this scenario is a good idea.
The factors that go beyond that exchange are, as noted above, are helicopters routinely allowed to pass under traffic on short final there? I’ll just say, most pilots would be aghast to see traffic beneath them just off the runway.
One thing that might be of some help, it has been my experience that when crossing bodies of water on final, there is often a change in air currents. I used to frequent in light singles some general aviation airports on rivers in urban settings where the plane would shift or turn the nose quickly due to an unexpected and unpredictable shift in the air currents. It can be rather surprising if your not expecting that, but easily corrected. Being low and slow increases vulnerability. None of these pilots should have crashed over that.
I’ve never had night vision on, but I can imagine that if the CRJ turned before impact, the helicopter pilots could have lost the ability to locate the jet after their relative orientation blocked out the landing lights, particularly if they became illuminated by the next plane out.
Clearly, I’ve said more than I should have, and also more than I know. I hope it helps, just watch Juan Browne. He’ll have it right.
No you can’t always hide behind Hippa. You would be surprised.
You have to be certified for HIPPA in order to be bound by HIPPA. I am certified.
Agreed, most people have no idea.
Maybe the slaughter of 64 innocent civilians will overrule the DEI INSANITY that resulted in 64 DEAD civilians !!!
Not if the Blackhawk was at 300’.
The other pilot was Trans.
It was DEI in the helicopter.
New around these parts?
I don’t believe the word of any government agency that’s still entrenched and has yet to be purged on anything . I’m with Trump all the way on this one and I have no doubts the media will lie and say everybody involved was super experienced and DEI had nothing to do with it . We have a ton of people in our current military that have no business being in the military .
I agree…we are not “sending” our best..but the best of us are steady and making certain that embeciles are checked along the way.
I just did that last week…on Monday.. Spotted two ‘morons’ who were clearly not up to task. I had to make deal about it because even in this new condition of MAGA, we have people in leadership positions whom still have have not changed their views and management decisions to do the right stuff/
noting: to ANYONE who is facing obstacles that are clearly unsafe and unruly, I adamantly recommend the first order of business: never back down when you KNOW you are right! Lives are at stake. It might not be apparent, but what you do when it matters the most has such a impact far more than you might imagine in the moment.
safety…life….security…these a precious and must be protected.
God Bless America
I knew a girl that got accepted into the ATC school in the mid 90’s after completing college and law school. She was a full blown alcoholic, had been through serious rehab many times. She lasted three weeks.
I was so amused and of course saddened at the same time. Loved, eyebrow lady Kaitlin Collins get snagged though.
She of the Never Resting Bitch Face.
After less than three decades of diversity, equity and inclusion, Africa’s richest city has turned into a “crumbling hellscape”https://socialjustice.news/2023-06-29-dei-johannesburg-south-africa-collapse-crumbling-hellscape.html
There are numerous Democrat destroyed cities that are like this and many almost there. I’ve seen these Democrat warzones up close and personal.
“Not too long ago, Johannesburg, the capital city of South Africa, was a wealthy, vibrant and beautiful place – an economic gem and the pride of the vast African landscape. Today, however, the city has descended into a “crumbling hellscape” due to the imposition of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) politics.
DEI, by the way, is code for anti-white racism. Wherever it rears its ugly head, white people end up being mistreated – or in the case of Johannesburg, driven out of the city entirely because it is no longer safe to be white while living there.
According to reports, Johannesburg saw a mass exodus of white people beginning in the 1990s and running through the early 2000s. Escalating violence, rampant anti-white racism, and limited employment opportunities for white people resulted in the once-successful city becoming a toxic, crime-ridden cesspool.
“This once vibrant city, built on a foundation of wealth, has transformed into a bleak wasteland reminiscent of the novel ‘Lord of the Flies,’ overrun by chaos, violence, and despair,” reports Revolver – check out the below video to see for yourself what has happened to Johannesburg:”
It is called Communism too. DEI is just how you get to Total Communism.
Social Justice.
Community Organizer.
DEI, etc, etc, etc.
BUT … one obvious and GLARING difference … “race equity” demands in the USA is a non-existent issue in Russia, China, Africa, N. Korea, South America, etc, etc, etc.
… hmmmm … why ??
Sounds like New York City.
I agree…..the usage of that language is necessary, warranted. What is the opposite of BF?
to be intelligent and to tell the truth..or at least make an attempt to find it.
God Bless America
If it doesn’t come from Trump’s mouth then, who are we to believe?
UPDATED analysis by Juan Browne on YT blancolirio channel with more information and further finetuning of issues.
According to this video, the Blackhawk was at 200 ft until it came close to the plane and then rose to 300 feet just before the collusion. Meanwhile, the plane was descending to land on Runway 33 from 400 ft to 300 ft. Start at 8:25 on the video above. The collusion seems to have been around 300 ft altitude. (collision at 8:50)
The plane descending for landing is understandable, but the helicopter ascending 100 ft after asking for visual separation is confusing. What could be the reason for the ascent?
The only question now that matters. Let’s not speculate aloud here. Obviously a horrific answer, whatever it may be.
A serious valid question is NOT speculation.
Marked obstacles on their maps. DA changed on route and made the altimeter setting off in their instruments. Lots of variables. I assume they weren’t flying by radar altimeter.
I was wondering if there could have been technical issues.
Definitely. Not saying there were, but the altimeter in the a/c is as good as the density altitude readings where the took off. The radar altimeter would likely have been on the money. In VFR situation, I assume use of both, but that’s yet to be ascertained.
I forgot to reset the altimeter on my side several times after doing the HIT check. Embarrassing
Asking because you would know, wouldn’t being illuminating by landing lights at close range play havoc with night vision? And like these new LED headlights blind you on the road briefly if they flash you just right, if the Night Vision were to be subsequently illuminated again quickly by the next plane, would this be a problem?
Not just landing lights, but ANY bright lights.
NVDs are next to useless for picking out detail in areas with lots of background lighting
My thoughts exactly and I had no answer either.
He gives the answer without verbally placing blame.
There was a pilot on YouTube tonight that speculated after the BH pilot asked the tower for visual separation, the BH pilot confirmed, but might actually been looking at the plane lights behind the AA flight that it hit.. There were 3 planes lined up to land
Thank you Main Coone! This video is so helpful. It appears the Helo deviated above the standard 200 ft altitude vector as designated by the navigation chart, after ATC left it to the trainee pilot to go it on her own to avoid the mid-air collision. A mistake she will never have an opportunity to make again. Unfortunately she (they) also took out 64 other innocent lives. There is plenty of blame to go all around for this incident. What a jackass idea in the first place to be conducting Blackhawk training exercises with novice flight crews, (and using night vision goggles that apparently limit periferal vision) in the commercial flight paths of an airport like Reagan International. It will surely come out this decision was made by a woke DEI Biden appointee.
THANK YOU MC!!!
I was JUST coming here to post Juans link…. I got SO disgusted reading all the Monday morning arm chair retards pontificating on conspiracies and operational failures / shortcomings that they have no clue about…..
This site has vacuumed up SOOO many new geniuses in the last 6 mos to a year (maybe) …..every post seems to get 100’s too over a 1k comments now…many to most inane rather than interesting or substantive as they USED to be….
Getting harder to wade thru all the drivel to find the familiar pertinent voices anymore….
Seems like its inching toward a right leaning version of the View …comment wise….mental/verbal junk food…..
I guess the 7(10 actually) year itch is taking effect on me….🙄🤬
I remember when we were supposed to post the link to our source. I can understand having an opinion and not having a source to link to, but on a topic like today, I agree, that we need to hear from SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS not Monday morning armchair opinions.
👍🏻 Yeah….seems nobody reads (or rereads) the best practices guidelines anymore….good point….people just wanna hear their own voice ….
Juan Browne’s analysis is spot on as always.
Not specificlaly assigning blame, but some facts.
The helo climbing above the mandated altitude (200 ft). The Helo was at 300 and climbing. The collision occured at ~350 ft.
The helo was not in the assigned lane. It was too far to to the right, not hugging the shore line as the route allowed.
The investigations will bring more detail, but the deviations from the assigne helo routes were almost certainly a major factor.
Mr. Browne is excellent. I just posted another video at the bottom of this page from YT channel Captain Steeve. I think the evidentiary factual height info Mr Browne presents gives great credence to his finding, but Cap. Steve makes an interesting observation, but unprovable.
this ^^^
Who’s interested in flying domestically now?
Definitely NOT at night
That’s where most military aviators differentiate themselves. Best in the world, but it takes practice and planning.
me
on command away from federal controls
99.99 percent of airspace to be specific.
G B A
How many other airports are they also training novice military pilots at using highly congested commercial flight routes?
I suspect President Trump has much information about the crash that isn’t public yet. They know why it happened.
Has anyone thought about this being sabotage ? It’s the perfect setup. They get two birds with one crash. Make Trump look incompetent and give Putin a chance to complain about him. What an astonishing coincidence that this particular plane carried several Russians. The plotters could have manipulated the helicopter remotely to crash into the passenger jet. If I remember correctly, when the tower told the helicopter crew to pass by the jet, no one from the helicopter responded. I think Trump knows something about this incident is not right but can’t say anything until there is proof. I do not put ANYTHING past the evil democrats. If they thought they could get rid of Trump, by killing millions of people, they would do it.
What the Sam Hill an army helicopter flying down the Potomac for. A crossing pattern over the approach vector of an incoming commercial jet. FMD stupid.
Probably because their operational mission, for which we pay and train them, requires them to fly down the Potomac.
All I can say is that PDJT better train his replacement to the Nth degree, because to clean up this swamp is going to take more than 4 years.
The Apprentice: Empire Edition.
Stay tuned!
+ ? +
If the Commander in Chief addressing an incident involving the US military is enough to trigger you, then you’re in for a rough four years. Perhaps the Reddit hugbox is better suited for your emotional needs.
DEI is Cultural Marxism. The Communist terrorists morphed into “Champions of Democracy” after they were assisted by the US/UK/UN/China/Soviets/Cuba into power. So much for Sun City
How ‘equity’ ideology plunged South Africa into inequality and chaos
https://nypost.com/2021/07/19/how-equity-ideology-plunged-south-africa-into-inequality-and-chaos/
They should dump them all there, every one of them. Along with some others.
Artists United Against Apartheid – Sun City (music video)
noting: blancolirio, (Juan Brown) has a very good youtube channel and I recommend watching what he has to say about this crash. he is a very very good pilot. (777 and former navy pilot). He will more than likely have some preliminary comments to make about this crash and some other useful information to consider if you are interested. He’s a good dude. I support his channel. He was one of the first to comment correctly about the the failed MCAS enabled 737 “max” crashes and outlined precisely why those crashes happened and truthfully aimed the blame on both Boeing AND FAA for failure to get a new type certification…which would have revealed the flaws if that happened. Anyway, he is a dependable truth seekers.
I have my own thoughts about the altitude problems for the ERJ on approach, but they are speculative. What we will nee at a minimum to make solid estimates to cause are: ads-b data…and the flight data recorder information (as well as the cockpit voice recorder data), plus the maintenance records. We will also need to have the same for the H60.
RVSM separation rules are paramount especially for approach and landing…high density risky environments.
When we have these information, it will reveal any details that may have contributed to or have been the cause for this crash.
I work in aerospace. It’s my passion. It is however, inherently a very dangerous activity, but is made quite safe because of the skills and attention to details that happen at every single layer. This crash highlights that reality. I suspect there was more than just one event that attributed to this tragic crash. My prayers go to the family survivors who have lost their loved ones.
I hope the investigation is expedited so we can learn something new that can be used immediately to make flight more safe ..because that is how it goes….every single rule and regulation in aviation is written in blood. We have to find out what happened and to know if there is something we missed and need to solve.
God Bless America
he has more reports….this is the first one shortly after the crash
Part 2 …
Juan Brown is the best. His explanation is the most likely.
Great info!
The helicopter should have been at 200 ft but, as it neared the airplane it went up to 300 feet just as the airplane was descending to 300 feet on its approach.
last data transmission from airplane was 350 feet
plus +++
I watched Juan Brown’s 2 videos. He did an excellent job. I agree with everything he said. DCA is extremely busy airspace and everyone in the environment has to be 100% focused an on top of his or her game at all times.
I have flown in and out of DCA for 45 years; it’s always a handful with a lot going on. The only thing I would add is to expound on his point — visual see-and-avoid at nightime is really really hard to do — the bright lights of the cities below are brighter than the airplane lights and it can be pretty darn tough to try to distinguish traffic from background.
Night visual circle-to-land in a jet is inherently tough under the best of circumstances.
This may be a dumb question, but is the head on lighting on airplanes strobe lights that can be differentiated from background city lights?
The ‘head on’ lighting refers to the white lights which are fixed on the airplane and point straight ahead of the airplane. They not only allow the airplane to be seen, they function as big headlights so the crew can see the runway and the area in front of them.
The strobes are white flashing lights typically located at the tips of the wings. Their function is to blink and make the aircraft visible to others – and more easily idenditifiable as an aircraft.
We have all seen the phenomenon: standing on the ground and looking up into the sky it is easy to see the airplanes against the black sky. In the air, looking laterally or down in any type of urban environment it is virtually impossible to see another airplane against the backdrop of the millions of lights on the ground.
Not as easily as you might think, especially if the lights are not pointed directly at you.
Can’t count how many times I’ve had “eyes on” other traffic in the pattern, then lost them in the clutter of ground lights.
Good as always. Thanks for you contributions here always.
My older brother in the same field friend. He was the one who introduced me to Pat Buchanan & the America First movement in 92. Was worried at that time that they were going to outsource aircraft maintenance/repairs to Mexico.
my brother also works aircraft maintenance. he was the #1 student pilot in SAFCON 1981. I did a LOT of hours flying with him when he was just a beginner. I learned so much from my brother, that he inspired me. I was a late starter..(he sez..you know brothers will always say it like it IS).
I did my first heavy c check work in the early 2000’s and yes I can confirm that at that time, the competition (as it were) was from S/American with illiterate (non English speaking labor) taking major wide body repairs away from US workers. Fortunately (unfortunately?) that scheme was revealed soon enough as the return to service work product was rejected by the same airline carriers who had attempted to save some money and those jobs returned to literate and demonstrably capable American work force on US soil. It was a hard lesson that everyone that I know looks back on as an example for offshoring jobs to incompetency that involved more costs that the presumed savings.
I know work as a contractor consultant and hands on. I like this work because it forces me to think hard about what the REAL GOALS are.
to provide safe flight, we have to be BEST.
that’s the goal. That’s the ambition. It is not really a global agenda. It is truly an American prestige built on excellence …there is NO better skilled and THOUGHTFUL aviation breed outside of the United States. I can say this with experience having been to numerous nation states that simply do n0t have “what it takes”.
I love to hear about success stories. I wish you AND your Brother the best of success in this endeavor.
ATA – 24…that’s where you find me.
God Bless America
I lived through the great outsourcing fiasco of aircraft maintenance along with regitiger. Alas, the story does not end well. The major carrier I flew for still outsources a lot – much of it to Hong Kong, where HAECO always gets the airplane back on time, and never finds anything wrong with it. Always on schedule and under budget — but a lot of paper instead of real fixes.
They also tried independent shops in the US with unbelievably bad results. I was sent to pick up an airplane after a major inspection once and we found a fuel leak. They said they had no record. I showed them the logbook for the inbound flight which said “fuel leak”. Things never got any better so the airline managers just got more and more exemptions from the FAA so they would not have to show the pilots the details of the maintenance history. I cannot believe they get away with it.
Last time I checked HAECO had bought TIMCO – the independent shop doing the work in the USA – so that closes that loop.
But don’t worry – the same financial wizards who gave us the tranches of risk and commoditization of risk leading to the real estate meltdown (and every other bank failure) also figured out how to commoditize aircraft part ownership. Instead of maintaining inventory for parts, now there is a liquid market for own/rent/lease/exchange parts. It makes it basically impossible for the FAA to ever do a ramp check and verify that the parts on an airliner are the ones listed in the logbook.
What could go wrong ?
Multiple holes in the swiss cheese accident model all lined up to cause this air disaster. As noted by Aqua, the second blancoliro update dated January 30th highlights the various multiple factors which came together in the right place at the right time to cause the collision.
However, in as highly congested of an airspace as the one around DCA is, lots of swiss cheese holes are present inside that very dense and very complicated airspace.
Moreover, in an operational environment where lots of swiss cheese holes are present, not all of those holes have to line up absolutely perfectly, or all at once, to cause a collision. Only enough holes in a given accident pathway scenario so that the scenario manages to get through all procedural and operational defenses.
Yeah, as a former army aviator, not a huge fan of the big sky, little bullet theory.
Somehow this seems like projection, that fun Alinski tool the left loves to use. Hmm.
He is the President, Dick.
When reading the childish musings of Childers, it is amusing to notice how being a little soft in the head is always – ALWAYS – associated with an obsession with “Joos,” “Zionists” and, of course, the most evil country in the world, Israel.
Mr. Childers couldn’t disappoint and he didn’t. You’ll notice he got five thumbs up. Unfortunately, even in our community of treepers, with some the love for America is always weaker than the hatred for [see above]
… It is not that our great President cannot be criticized or second-guessed with honesty. We’re not a cult, and he is our President, not prophet or god. However, to write with a straight face that President Trump suffers of “NPD” – when YOU, Mr. Childers, are a worthless nobody who thinks he’s smarter than Donald Trump – that falls into the realm of pathological. Same goes for you with the thumbs up.
Remember, opposable thumbs signify something about where you are on the evolution ladder. Meditate about that.
This right here is the bottom line. He confirmed he had eyes on and that he was going to evade and yet he made no course deviation all the while ATC had a conflict warning on their scope. They said nothing about the fact that he was obviously looking at the wrong plane.
President Trump has a kind compassionate heart. During his first term, he would go to Andrews AFB to attend the return of fallen US soldiers and to meet with their families. There are many other examples of President Trump reaching out to hurting people.
This is a national tragedy – many of the US figure skating team and coaches were on the plane, as well as several Russian figure skating champions. I really appreciate his comments about this horrific tragedy.
Dick Childers, it is better to be silent and thought a fool then to speak out and remove all doubt.
dick childers, some things write themselves.
“Why” was American Airlines 5342 asked to use runway 33?
“The airport’s longest and main runway, Runway 1/19, is 6,869 feet long, which today is considered a relatively short runway for a major airport.
Because the other two runways are much shorter, most airplanes use 1/19, making it the single-busiest runway in the country, according to airport officials.”
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2025/01/30/airspace-safety-at-reagan-washington-airport-long-been-a-concern/78039475007/
Exactly.
To increase the number of aircraft which can be landed at DCA within a given time frame. If they only used the long runway, less arrivals and departures within the same period of time.
Firstly AAL5342 was a CRJ, not needing anywhere near the runway length as, say, an MD-80. In answer to your first question, if you’d listen to the tape, you’ll know the reason. SPOILER ALERT: AAL5342 (aka JTA5342) was asked if he would accept RWY 33 instead of Rwy 01 to accommodate a departing aircraft, namely AAL1630. After JTA5342 accepted a clearance to circle to land RWY 33 ((In real terms what that means is in this case is AAL5342/JTA5342 will continue his northward heading thence turn roughly 30 degrees left to join the final approach course for RWY 33 AFTER passing the Wilson bridge. After the change to RWY 33 was accomplished, the controller next cleared AAL1630 to taxi and hold for departure on RWY 01.
NOTE::::Please disregard anything at all coming out of the MSM about this incident, they are completely utterly clueless.
Probably because somebody else was using runway 1/19.
At a busy field, it is very common for aircraft to be ASKED if they can accept a shorter runway.
If they can do so, it helps the controllers manage traffic flow. Not every aircraft needs 7,000′ of runway, especially on landing when they are light on weight. CRJ is not a huge plane.
OK, Dick. You know the slimedia are blaming PT for the crash? Of course you do.
The video of the collision seems to show in the last few milliseconds, that the BH took a downward arc into the plane. Perhaps just another gender dysphoria school shooter that made it to the next level before imploding.
As much as I may dislike the Gateway Pundit, please go there and read about the pilot in the chopper. And then, STFU.
The chopper pilot was well over 100 feet above his 200′ maximum ceiling. Trump has every right to vent about the biden DEI hires and people want to know.
I don’t understand. An Army aviator 100’ above a hard ceiling is a pilot problem and training failure, regardless of the ethnicity of the pilot. Someone said the PC could pass a pilot in command course. That is a massive problem.
It’s the Helicopter pilots fault .
The problem is not the DEI hires – the problem is what happens to corrupt the institutional quality which is masked bythe DEI issue. In the name of ‘equity’ or whatever they eliminate one merit-based test after another. It would be better to just admit 15% unqualified people. When the institutional eliminates the merit based exams and the whole set of measures of objective quality for everyone, then everyone in the institution not only studies less, works less, they have no way to measure their own competence. Even the Type A overachievers – and most pilots are – have no legitimate feedsback as to whether they are focusing on the right things. The entire organization’s competence plummets.
Never mind.
FAA has released a statement that the staffing was not normal. The ATC was doing two jobs – planes and helos. Short staffing was the reason why.
https://archive.is/2025.01.30-230956/https://www.nytimes.com/2025/01/30/business/air-traffic-control-staffing-plane-crash.html
I don’t believe anything the NYT or the FAA say . They will try to blame Trump .
I don’t think you know WHAT President Trump is qualified to do or not do. He IS certainly more than qualified to be our POTUS, and it’s part of his job to hold a presser when there is a disaster. That doesn’t make him a narcissist by any stretch, which I’m sure you are not qualified to determine. To peddle these kinds of doubts after the 4 years of corruption and incompetence our country suffered is itself disgusting.
Who in DOD supported Mark Milley? Should start FISA warrants now, pull the NSA data. That pardon for Milley under Biden is not for future acts of murder or conspiracy to commit murder. Have a voice AI expert check any radio from the crew. They were probably all dead and the Blackhawk was flying itself and following it’s mission.
The Secretary of DOD needs to use some black sites to extract information….the oath goes like this: Defend against enemies foreign and DOMESTIC. It is a war. Americans are dying AND being murdered in record numbers. FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT!
Andrew Breitbart…. born February 1, 1969 and died March 1, 2012 said it best “WAR”
Remember General Stanley McCrystal was taken out by Rolling Stone reporter Michael Hastings. The LAPD would not release the evidence of Michael Hastings death for independent examination. No one wanted to examine the idea of assassination then, and we see it again 12 years later. This time a helicopter.
DEI is a side show, this was a planned terror event. Just like JFK, 9-11.
The murder of an American President and the facts of that murder withheld for 62 years.
The multiple attempts to MURDER THE CURRENT PRESIDENT.
It is not DEI, or low IQ…..those are methods. This is an ACT. We should be laser focused on these murderous thugs in our government, All branches of our government.
President Trump told us a long time ago. They’re not after him…..they are after you.
We should stick together and everything that goes wrong is the Deep State’s fault….and they should be named.
I nominate Mark Milley and every DOD weasel that worked with and supported him is suspect. That should be ground zero.
Feels like a bit much.
Have you ever listened to Ozzy? I recommend the first song on Blizzard of Oz.
All aboard ha ha ha ha ha ha ha
Next…
https://www.smerconish.com/exclusive-content/living-to-serve-living-as-myself-a-transgender-service-members-perspective/
Hmmm……
I think it was good for President Trump to give out what information is known at this time.
Right now we don’t know enough to determine cause.
The NTSB will investigate the black boxes and investigate the ATC handling of both aircraft involved.
I heard that the blackhawk transponder was turned off.
If so , then the Blackhawk violated requirement to have it on while in the TCA ( terminal control area).
Controller based on what I read may be at fault also.
Too soon to see what mistakes caused this.
I think it may come out that both Blackhawk pilot and ATC share blame.
I don’t know why I should trust the NTSB.
Well, it depends on the people doing the investigation.
I’ve found that most did their work honestly. At least since 2007 and before. They want to know the chain of errors so that they can implement new safety protocols to avoid a repeat.