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Re: FOLLOWUP: NTSB Reports on Deadly Midair Collision Near Washington 

By: De_Composed in GRITZ | Recommend this post (1)
Sun, 27 Apr 25 9:28 PM | 25 view(s)
Boardmark this board | Grits Breakfast of Champeens! 		Msg. 07456 of 07496
(This msg. is a reply to 05391 by monkeytrots)
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Re: “As I initially stated, THE NUMBER ONE CAUSE was the CONTROLLER.”Nope.
April 27, 2025

Female Black Hawk Pilot Who Crashed Into Airliner Made Multiple Mistakes: Report

by Publiu
TheLibertyDaily.com


A new report reveals that the pilot of a military Black Hawk helicopter, which crashed into a passenger airplane over Washington, D.C., in January, disregarded air traffic control instructions to alter course moments before the collision, resulting in 67 deaths.

Published by the New York Times on Sunday, the report outlines the Black Hawk’s communications with air traffic controllers prior to the tragedy. The pilot, Capt. Rebecca Lobach, was undergoing her annual flight evaluation, with Chief Warrant Officer 2 Andrew Loyd Eaves acting as her flight instructor.

When controllers warned the Black Hawk of a nearby airliner, Lobach and Eaves acknowledged the alert and requested to maintain “visual separation,” a standard procedure allowing pilots to avoid collisions based on their own observations rather than adhering to air traffic control directives.

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Collin Rugg @ CollinRugg

REPORT: The female pilot flying the Black Hawk helicopter that collided with an American Airlines flight, made multiple mistakes and ignored a warning from her co-pilot, according to the New York Times.

Tragic.

The New York Times reports that there were multiple mistakes made leading up to the tragedy that took over 60 lives.

“Not only was the Black Hawk flying too high, but in the final seconds before the crash, its pilot failed to heed a directive from her co-pilot, an Army flight instructor, to change course,” the NYT reports.

The report also puts blame on the air traffic controller for not being clear and urgent enough however Warrant Officer Andrew Eaves, who was co-piloting and the instructor of Captain Rebecca Lobach, told her to turn left. She didn’t.

“He told her he believed that air traffic control wanted them to turn left, toward the east river bank.”

“Turning left would have opened up more space between the helicopter and Flight 5342, which was heading for Runway 33 at an altitude of roughly 300 feet. She did not turn left,” reported the NYT.

12:24 PM · Apr 27, 2025 

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“The Black Hawk was 15 seconds away from crossing paths with the jet. Warrant Officer Eaves then turned his attention to Captain Lobach. He told her he believed that air traffic control wanted them to turn left, toward the east river bank,” the Times reported.

“Turning left would have opened up more space between the helicopter and Flight 5342, which was heading for Runway 33 at an altitude of roughly 300 feet. She did not turn left,” the report stated.

The crash sparked immediate nationwide scrutiny of air traffic control protocols, prompting Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy to launch an investigation. In March, Duffy unveiled plans to upgrade airport air traffic control systems with cutting-edge technology over the next four years and employ artificial intelligence to pinpoint “hot spots” where aircraft frequently come into close proximity.

The National Travel Safety Board (NTSB) reported 85 near-misses or close calls at Reagan National, defined as incidents with less than 200 feet of vertical separation and 1,500 feet of lateral separation between aircraft.

“We’re having near-misses, and if we don’t change our way, we’re going to lose lives,” Duffy told reporters at the time. “That wasn’t done. Maybe there was a focus on something other than safety, but in this administration, we are focusing on safety.”

http://thelibertydaily.com/female-black-hawk-pilot-who-crashed-airliner-made/


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The above is a reply to the following message:
FOLLOWUP: NTSB Reports on Deadly Midair Collision Near Washington
By: monkeytrots in GRITZ
Thu, 13 Mar 25 11:02 PM 		Msg. 05391 of 07496

As I initially stated,

THE NUMBER ONE CAUSE was the CONTROLLER.

I will add the modifier ... THE CONTROLLER operating by INSANE FAA FLIGHT REGULATIONS for that area.

Summary of Reports released Mar 11, 2025

http://www.theepochtimes.com/us/6-takeaways-from-the-ntsbs-reports-on-deadly-midair-collision-near-washington-5824556?utm_source=partner&utm_campaign=BonginoReport&src_src=part-ner&src_cmp=BonginoReport

The release follows a March 11 news conference at which NTSB officials said FAA rules allowed for an “intolerable risk to aviation safety” near that airport, leading to the increased threat of midair collisions after permitting planes and helicopters to fly too close to one another.

So, the NUMBER ONE FAULT for the accident lies with the person known as PETE BUTTPLUG. 


...“We’ve determined that the existing separation distances between helicopter traffic operating on Route 4 and aircraft landing on Runway 33 are insufficient and pose an intolerable risk to aviation safety,” NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy said during the news conference on March 11.

The report goes on to say that the chopper was at 'approximately 300 feet' (other reports peg it at 275 feet) which at a normal descent rate of 3,000 feet per minute (50 feet per second) yields only a 2 second, TWO SECOND difference in separation. TOO DAMN CLOSE, INSANELY CLOSE for a vehicle traveling at over 200 MPH, and second at over 150 MPH approaching an intersection.

The full report summary (above) is WELL WORTH READING.


I do object to one characterization though; the 'chopper ran into the airliner' - I view it quite the opposite - the airliner ran into the chopper. The airliner was traveling MUCH faster, and DESCENDED directly into the chopper. The airliner was the one 'changing position the fastest' so it is the one that 'ran into' the other.

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