Reagan airport crash 1/29/25

[Lostinthewoods]

Some people on here generally want to have a conversation without some of you turning it into a pissing contest.

I’ll delete where it started and reopen.
If you can’t have an educated, civil, and calm conversation then you may want to stay away from these threads.

 

[ismith]

My Army son said one of the training missions of his Blackhawk battalion is to learn to deal with the airline traffic from Reagan. It looks like the crash helicopter was doing the exact same training.

I can't imagine they would be getting their NVG time in that airspace, that would be insane.

 

[Straight Arrow]

I just cannot believe that that's an approved route for that helicopter to be on. A route going right across the approach path to a runway at the same altitude an inbound aircraft would be at is mind boggling. I flew on the civilian side and we'd occasionally get traffic alerts from ATC about helicopter traffic but not once were they ever close to our approach path.

@Straight Arrow did you ever get filed for similar routes like the helicopter yesterday?

Nope, but I flew mostly in Vietnam and Montana. However, at Boise, Salt Lake, Las Vegas, and at a few USAF bases the route to a helipad or tarmac landing was across a major runway. But never do I recall any other aircraft anywhere close ... and, boy, we Montana boys stayed alert when near the big cities!

 

[Flatrock]

My Army son said one of the training missions of his Blackhawk battalion is to learn to deal with the airline traffic from Reagan. It looks like the crash helicopter was doing the exact same training.

Huh. That's interesting. Still crazy to me that that's an approved route. There's probably more to it though. I assume more info about that will come out in the months ahead. Thanks for the insight.

 

[Flatrock]

Nope, but I flew mostly in Vietnam and Montana. However, at Boise, Salt Lake, Las Vegas, and at a few USAF bases the route to a helipad or tarmac landing was across a major runway. But never do I recall any other aircraft anywhere close ... and, boy, we Montana boys stayed alert when near the big cities!

Haha. Well thank you for your service.

 

[ismith]

Nope, but I flew mostly in Vietnam and Montana. However, at Boise, Salt Lake, Las Vegas, and at a few USAF bases the route to a helipad or tarmac landing was across a major runway. But never do I recall any other aircraft anywhere close ... and, boy, we Montana boys stayed alert when near the big cities!

We had a near miss here in Helena years ago. Around 2011 if I remember correctly, CH-47 and a Cessna 172.

 

[Straight Arrow]

We had a near miss here in Helena years ago. Around 2011 if I remember correctly, CH-47 and a Cessna 172.

Likely a Montana Army Guard Chinook. I flew out of Helena for almost a couple decades with Montana Guard and recall some of the other "weekend warriors" who were civilians being a bit off the usual flight paths.

 

[ismith]

Likely a Montana Army Guard Chinook. I flew out of Helena for almost a couple decades with Montana Guard and recall some of the other "weekend warriors" who were civilians being a bit off the usual flight paths.

Yeah, my old unit. The Cessna was the flying clubs I believe, seen it flying last week. I have stories!

 

[TheTone]

Agree. Hopefully, Don Jr will chew his butt out for his comments during the presser and tell him an apology is in order. Now is not the time for such words.

Ha! When has he ever chastised his dad? He won’t bite the hand that feeds

 

[Jwill]

Heartbreaking. Have flown in and out of there several times, always liked it better than Dulles.

 

[mdhunter]

I have been in and out of that airport many times. It exists for the convenience of congress (and anyone else not willing to drive to Dulles).

Congested (in the air and on the land) is absolutely the truth. They would never build it there today.

 

[WVmike]

If I have the choice to fly out of Dulles I will everytime and pay the the price difference if there is one due to the location and how difficult it is to get into the place from the interstate. I have missed more than one flight trying to fly out of that place. Absolutely terrible what happened to people that were just going about their day and returning home/vacation etc. The weather last night in the area was cold and windy with gusts where I live up to 50 mph until later in the evening. It would be nice if we as humans could be a bit nicer to one another rather than make it this against against this. We are all people.

 

[Sytes]

Some people on here generally want to have a conversation without some of you turning it into a pissing contest.

I’ll delete where it started and reopen.
If you can’t have an educated, civil, and calm conversation then you may want to stay away from these threads.

Need a repeat. The extreme on both sides need to dial down the vodka to Red or Blue Kool-Aid consumption in various threads.

 

[ismith]

MSN

If this is accurate it sounds like they were likely trying to get their required monthly minimum NVG time.

 

[WVmike]

They may have had night vision but for anyone who has worn those, they don't work so well when there is alot of light around especially with DC and all of the light that they have in the city and around the airport.

 

[Gulf of America]

MSN

If this is accurate it sounds like they were likely trying to get their required monthly minimum NVG time.

 

[ismith]

They may have had night vision but for anyone who has worn those, they don't work so well when there is alot of light around especially with DC and all of the light that they have in the city and around the airport.

Much worse than night unaided in that environment.

 

[WVmike]

Much worse than night unaided in that environment.

I would agree, some people just think night vision allows for complete perfect imaging just like we see during the day. Doesn't work that way.

 

[thebestusernamesaretaken]

Some people on here generally want to have a conversation without some of you turning it into a pissing contest.

I’ll delete where it started and reopen.
If you can’t have an educated, civil, and calm conversation then you may want to stay away from these threads.

 

[Richard22]

According to a review by the New York Times and later reported by Fox News...

"Staffing at the air control tower at Ronald Reagan National Airport was “not normal for the time of day and volume of traffic,” according to an internal preliminary Federal Aviation Administration report reviewed by The New York Times.

The controller who was handling helicopters Wednesday night was also instructing planes that were landing and departing from the airport runways, the Times reported. Those assignments are typically assigned to two controllers."