Questions are mounting in the wake of the devastating plane crash near Washington DC, which claimed the lives of 67 people on Wednesday night (January 29).
The crash, involving a US Army helicopter and an American Airlines passenger plane, has left investigators scratching their heads to determine what went wrong and analysts questioning the safety protocols at Reagan National Airport.
Bored Panda spoke with Dr. Daniel Bubb, a former airline pilot with a PhD in political science from the University of Missouri, who believes the answer may lie in a military practice dating back to WW2.
In the meantime, recovery teams face the grueling task of retrieving bodies from the cold, murky waters of the Potomac River, and the Pentagon is in the middle of an investigation on the matter.
The accident, which occurred in what Dr. Bubb refers to as “one of the most tightly controlled airspaces in the country,” has baffled both military personnel and aviation experts
“It’s hard to fathom how the helicopter crashed into the passenger plane, especially if it was in contact with air traffic control,” Dr. Bubb said.
As the investigation continues to unfold, government officials have given small updates on its progress.
For instance, US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy initially said that both aircraft were flying standard flight patterns.
This information has since been contested by the Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth, who noted that “someone was at the wrong altitude” in an interview with Fox News.
President Donald Trump followed up with a post on social media stating that it was the Black Hawk helicopter that strayed from its usual path, writing that it was “flying too high.”
“[We] have to wait until the FAA, NTSB, Army, and other agencies have fully conducted their investigation and issued a report. They have access to more data and details than we do,” Dr. Bubb argued.
The collision might have been facilitated by a longstanding practice of military aircraft conducting training operations in the same airspace as commercial flights
For Dr. Bubb, there’s a conversation in need of being had surrounding security protocols at airports and whether military training exercises near busy airports should be reevaluated.
“It’s common for military aircraft to conduct training operations in the same airspace as commercial aircraft and even share airports,” Dr. Bubb mentioned. “This is something that predates World War II.”
However, with Wednesday’s tragedy bringing the dangers of this arrangement into sharp focus, there could be renewed discussions on how to better separate civilian and military flight operations at airports like Reagan National.
“This accident might prompt conversation about the danger of military and civilian operations happening [at the same time],” the doctor said.
As of today (January 31), a temporary restriction has been placed on helicopter flights near the crash site, and only conducting medical or police operations is allowed.
The FAA has yet to indicate the duration of the measure or if changes to military training protocols will follow.
Dr. Bubb believes the focus of the investigation should be on analyzing the communications between both aircraft and traffic control
As details of the investigation remain confidential, Dr. Bubb weighed in on the aspects that are likely to be the focus of it.
The doctor explained how investigators are likely to zero in on communication between the two aircraft involved.
Shortly after the incident, audio clips were released between the air traffic controller at Reagan International Airport and the Black Hawk helicopter.
The controller asked the military craft if they had “the CRJ in sight,” referring to the passenger jet. The helicopter was then told to “pass behind the CRJ,” to which they replied: “PAT25 has the aircraft in sight, maintaining visual separation.”
“The NTSB, FAA, and Army will review the Black Boxes and Cockpit Voice Recorders to find out what happened,” the doctor added. “They will focus on the air traffic controller and pilots.”
Dr. Bubb pointed out that American Airlines comes with an advanced collision avoidance system that the military helicopter lacked
When it comes to American Airlines, Dr. Bubb, in his experience as a former commercial pilot, remembered how the company operates using a Traffic Collision Avoidance System (TCAS), which enables pilots to see which aircraft are in their vicinity.
“If the planes get too close, the instrument will alert pilots,” he explained.
For the doctor, this is one of the main factors making interactions between commercial and military aircraft difficult as he pointed out, “Many military helicopters don’t have TCAS.”
Since the army vehicle did not have access to a TCAS, they had to depend on the communication with air traffic controllers, which might have occurred too late for them to correct course and prevent the tragic event.
Despite this, Dr. Bubb believes the fault may lie elsewhere, pointing out that “for what has been released thus far, it sounds to me that the air traffic controller said what he was supposed to say.”
Authorities confirmed that 41 bodies have been recovered, with 28 being identified. Recovery efforts are continuing, employing sonar to find the remaining 26
District of Columbia fire chief John Donnelly revealed in a press conference today that the Reagan National Airport had resumed operations but at reduced capacity, with over 100 flights being canceled.
Donnelly confirmed the number of recovered bodies as 41, with 28 of them being positively identified.
Recovery efforts are underway using sonar scans, with two coastguard ships assisting and more to join tomorrow. The immediate steps involve the careful removal of the helicopter’s fuselage before more bodies can be recovered.
“We’ve had over 300 responders operating at one time,” he explained, with around 500 working on the site at different times.
He also warned people to “avoid fundraising scams” and to “only trust verified sources.
As for Dr. Bubb, he urged people to remain as calm as possible, stating that “air travel is still very safe” and not to make assumptions until the full report on the incident is released by authorities.
“This accident is on the helicopter pilots.” Netizens shared their theories as to what caused the crash, with many pointing fingers at the military craft
