American Airlines CRJ700 crash in DC

[koolpc]

It brings home how fragile life is. One min getting ready to land, all ok, the next all hell breaks out! Sad news. I really hope they find survivors..

 

[inferno]

It’s the Wild West when operating in and out of America unfortunately. Extremely busy airspace and they do things quite a bit different to the UK. Terrible to wake up to this news.


If you go on the US ATC Reddit they have been saying for ages they are chronically understaffed, over worked, stressed and it’s an accident waiting to happen.

 

[Koalaboy]

This needs to be confirmed, but (from the BBC):

Audio shows no response from helicopter after air traffic control warnings - CNN published at 07:28​

Moments before the crash, an air traffic controller can be heard asking the helicopter if it has the American Airlines passenger jet "in sight", according to CNN.
Another warning is given by air traffic control and seconds later the collision happens.
The audio was published Live ATC, a site that focuses on aviation communications for more than 1,200 airports. It has not been verified by the BBC.
The audio does not appear to include any response from the helicopter to the warnings from air traffic control.

 

[Kenai]

This needs to be confirmed, but (from the BBC):

The video posted earlier contains audio that sounds like a response from the helicopter

 

[Koalaboy]

The video posted earlier contains audio that sounds like a response from the helicopter

It does, but it's unclear if they acknowledge or whatever... sounds like pretty chaotic at that moment anyway with all the traffic.

Absolutely a tragedy, but also very surprising.

 

[Scuzi]

This needs to be confirmed, but (from the BBC):

It may or may not be the case here, but both aircraft could be on different, non-cross coupled frequencies. If that were the case, the controller can tx and rx on all selected frequencies, but other stations on a single frequency (including the receiver which recorded the clip) will not. It will become apparent when the ATC recordings are analysed whether or not this would have been a factor. I recall from the last time I visited the Potomac TRACON that it was routine to use multiple frequencies without cross coupling.

 

[Efour]

So is this trump's fault for sacking ATC workers?

 

[Freakbro]

So is this trump's fault for sacking ATC workers?

I don't know if it's his fault, but I'm sure he'll know more about crash investigations than anyone else

 

[Kenai]

I'm sure this tangent of conversation is going to go spectacularly well

 

[cu3ed]

I understand its in the dead of night etc, but flying "low" in a helicopter, wouldn't it still be visible enough to see a plane, lights etc about you?

 

[200sols]

I understand its in the dead of night etc, but flying "low" in a helicopter, wouldn't it still be visible enough to see a plane, lights etc about you?

It's a sea of lights, if they had visuals on the wrong plane as some suggest its likely they just didn't see the one they hit.

 

[Destination]

So is this trump's fault for sacking ATC workers?

Did he?

 

[Uther]

They don't think there's any survivors.

 

[beachBOYken]

Was it the helicopter or plane that reported they have them in sight over ATC.

 

[Efour]

Did he?

Well this is my TDS suffering friends opinion combined with Reddit probably...
The recent offering of government workers to retire on 8 months pay, or whatever it was, was apparently accepted by a large proportion of American atc workers. So the ones there are overworked and pulling overtime so making mistakes.

I'd love to see a single shread of evidence supporting that. Maybe it is true? I have no clue.

 

[koolpc]

Lots of speculation flying about but we really dont have the facts yet.

 

[Minstadave]

Vas Aviation with audio/video.

 

[redeye]

It’s the Wild West when operating in and out of America unfortunately. Extremely busy airspace and they do things quite a bit different to the UK. Terrible to wake up to this news.


If you go on the US ATC Reddit they have been saying for ages they are chronically understaffed, over worked, stressed and it’s an accident waiting to happen.

There's also been serious problems with radio failures after a move of Newark controllers to Philadelphia. Late last year arrival and departure controllers had no contact for circa 5 mins.

Some US controllers (mainly ground tbh) are so lax with their communication I'm amazed more accidents don't happen with that, let alone the obvious creaking infrastructure and overworking.

 

[Koalaboy]

Unfortunately, like many people who have suffered/died, this will be turned into a political stage rather than anything else. Blame culture is going to hit overdrive.

 

[Destination]

Well this is my TDS suffering friends opinion combined with Reddit probably...
The recent offering of government workers to retire on 8 months pay, or whatever it was, was apparently accepted by a large proportion of American atc workers. So the ones there are overworked and pulling overtime so making mistakes.

I'd love to see a single shread of evidence supporting that. Maybe it is true? I have no clue.

I thought that offer was 48 hours ago, surely no one can have been accepted upon it yet?