All flights halted at Reagan National Airport due to plane crash

[mystery-ak]

https://twitter.com/krassenstein/status/1885336942948110435

[DB]

https://twitter.com/krassenstein/status/1885336942948110435

This was also posted up thread somewhere. The helicopter flew right into it with no obvious effort to avoid it. They hit it at an angle such that they should have been able to see the nose lights on the plane well before hitting it. In fact the plane was turning towards the runway so the main nose lights on the plane were facing the helicopter not long before making the turn.

Inexplicable.

[catfish1957]

Heard earlier that there is a significant effort not to ID the 3rd crew member of that Black Hawk.

Why?

[Wingnut]

Heard earlier that there is a significant effort not to ID the 3rd crew member of that Black Hawk.

Why?

 

[mystery-ak]

Heard earlier that there is a significant effort not to ID the 3rd crew member of that Black Hawk.

Why?

Army said the family requested that the name of the pilot not be released to the public..

[mystery-ak]

https://twitter.com/CollinRugg/status/1885385546526081101

[Wingnut]

Army said the family requested that the name of the pilot not be released to the public..

We don't know why.  But we know why.

[mystery-ak]

This was also posted up thread somewhere. The helicopter flew right into it with no obvious effort to avoid it. They hit it at an angle such that they should have been able to see the nose lights on the plane well before hitting it. In fact the plane was turning towards the runway so the main nose lights on the plane were facing the helicopter not long before making the turn.

Inexplicable.

Sorry if I double posted..I don't know what I am doing anymore..trying to keep track of all these breaking stories...

[ChemEngrMBA]

The Blackhawk pilots were wearing night vision glasses, meaning their peripheral vision was limited with respect to the incoming jet on final approach to their left.  When the air traffic controller asked if they had the jet in sight, he was unprofessional.  There were two jets on final approach and he did not make clear "at your ten o'clock."  So they saw the jet on their right which passed by earlier, and continued to their death.
The ATC supervisor let another controller leave early.  A deadly decision that should get him fired.

[Hoodat]

Chilling 'conspiracy theory' about Black Hawk helicopter in DC plane crash is TRUE

JOE HUTCHISON  |  31 January 2025  |  21:04 EST

The US Army helicopter involved in Wednesday's midair collision with American Airlines flight 5342 had been practicing for the event of an attack on the capital.

Officials have confirmed that the three soldiers, who all perished, had been rehearsing a plan that involves the evacuation of the White House when their Black Hawk collided with the passenger jet just before 9pm on Wednesday night.

Defense sources confirmed the nature of the training exercise to CBS News, after internet sleuths had floated a theory online that it was doing exactly what sources say.

Theorists had flooded social media with claims that the chopper was carrying out an emergency evacuation route for the president as part of a Continuity of Government contingency plan. 

A Continuity of Government mission (COG) in the US refers to a set of policies and procedures designed to ensure that essential government functions continue during and after a catastrophic event, such as a nuclear attack, natural disaster, cyberattack, or terrorist incident.

One of the five key aspects of a COG mission is protecting key personnel and infrastructure.

Pilot in charge Chief Warrant Office 2 Andrew Eaves and crew chief Staff Sergeant Ryan O'Hara were named on Friday as those on board the helicopter.

The third person onboard, a female co-pilot, has remained anonymous as the Army has refused to identify them at the request of the family.

Military personnel killed in accidents or combat are usually made public 24 hours after their families are notified, making withholding her name very unusual.

'At the request of the family, the name of the third soldier will not be released at this time,' the US Army said.

O’Hara and the co-pilot's bodies have been recovered but Eaves is still in the water along with several of the airline passengers.

Relatives are entitled to do this, it is extremely unusual, with the New York Times branding the decision to withhold the name an 'extraordinary step'.

Why the co-pilot's family requested her name be withheld, and why the US Army acquiesced, is unclear.  .  .

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-14348333/theory-Black-Hawk-helicopter-DC-plane-crash-TRUE.html

[DB]

Sorry if I double posted..I don't know what I am doing anymore..trying to keep track of all these breaking stories...

That was NOT a complaint from me. Just discussing it.

[Drago]

The Blackhawk pilots were wearing night vision glasses,...

During training/re-qualification missions only ONE of the pilots would be wearing NVG (the one getting re-q'ed). Doesn't matter much either way...had the Blackhawk been on the correct helicopter route path over the Potomac at the correct altitude (under 200' AGL) then there would have been no collision. The airliner was on the correct flight path and altitude to land on Rwy. 33 at DCA.  Helis fly that route all the time and do not require input from ATC if flying the correct VFR SFR route and complying with altitude restrictions. ATC calling out "maintain visual separation with the CRJ" to the Blackhawk is a "courtesy call" when the helicopter is flying the VFR helicopter route. ATC is not "controlling" the VFR Blackhawk like he is for the AA CRJ which is flying an IFR flight plan.

[rangerrebew]

Watch: Tucker Carlson Uncovered Devastating FAA Emails in 2018, Proved Obama Team Knew They Were Playing with Fire
Story by Randy DeSoto • 14h •

Tucker Carlson had already unearthed proof back in 2018 that the Obama administration had placed a new emphasis on diversity over traditional hiring practices at the Federal Aviation Administration.

President Donald Trump suggested during a news briefing Thursday that the crash of American Airlines Flight 5342 with an Army Black Hawk helicopter in Washington, D.C., may have had something to do with the lowering of standards for air traffic controllers that occurred first during the Obama administration and later during President Joe Biden's time in office.
 
In June 2018, then-Fox News host Carlson covered the topic, saying, "The Obama administration pressured the FAA to meet abstract diversity goals. Now nobody bothered to explain why diversity is a relevant criterion for air traffic controllers. No one will explain it now."

Carlson explained that the FAA added a biographical questionnaire to the air traffic controller application process, which he said gave more points to would-be controllers who lacked a scientific background or who had been unemployed for the previous three years than they did to licensed pilots.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/watch-tucker-carlson-uncovered-devastating-faa-emails-in-2018-proved-obama-team-knew-they-were-playing-with-fire/ar-AA1ycS7m?ocid=msedgdhp&pc=HCTS&cvid=37d4beba380e43a9946430548ed70ca9&ei=169

[ChemEngrMBA]

During training/re-qualification missions only ONE of the pilots would be wearing NVG (the one getting re-q'ed). Doesn't matter much either way...had the Blackhawk been on the correct helicopter route path over,,,//// ATC is not "controlling" the VFR Blackhawk like he is for the AA CRJ which is flying an IFR flight plan.

It mattered a very great deal "either way."  ATC's "courtesy call" was obviously errant and inadequate, as he failed to point out "at ten o'clock."  You can't excuse them out of this deadly disaster, try as you might.

[IsailedawayfromFR]

Trump is correct.  DEI killed these people

FAA’s Obama-Era “Biographical Questionnaire” for DIE Faces New Scrutiny After the D.C. Crash
By Fred Lucas • Feb. 1, 2025

(The Daily Signal)—President Donald Trump on Thursday directed the Federal Aviation Administration to assess safety standards, including evaluating hiring practices, in the wake of the midair collision over Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport on Wednesday night.

The presidential memorandum comes after Trump suggested the military helicopter that crashed into an American Airlines regional jet may have been due in part to the FAA’s diversity, equity and inclusion policies.

ADVERTISEMENT

All 67 people aboard the two aircraft were killed.

Trending: Members of Christopher Wray’s FBI Leadership Posse Told to Retire, Resign, or Be Fired by Monday

“President Trump swiftly signed a memorandum directing an immediate assessment of the Federal Aviation Administration to ensure the federal government is maintaining the highest personnel and policy aviation-safety standards,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said.

“The memorandum directs the secretary of transportation and the FAA administration to immediately review all hiring decisions and changes to safety protocols made during the prior four years, and to take all necessary corrective action to achieve uncompromised aviation safety,” Leavitt added. “The review will include a comprehensive assessment and reversal in any deterioration in hiring standards and aviation-safety standards and protocols during the previous administration.”

Trump already signed a governmentwide executive order to do away with DEI-related personnel initiatives.

As The Daily Signal previously reported, under President Barack Obama’s administration, the FAA scrapped a skills-based test and a certification program, and replaced it with a biographical questionnaire to attract more diverse applicants to become air traffic controllers. The FAA previously drew most candidates from the military and a group of 36 colleges that offer air traffic control programs.

“The Obama administration implemented a biographical questionnaire at the FAA to shift the hiring focus away from objective aptitude. During my first term, my administration raised standards to achieve the highest standards of safety and excellence,” the Trump memorandum says. “But the Biden administration egregiously rejected merit-based hiring, requiring all executive departments and agencies to implement dangerous ‘diversity, equity, and inclusion’ tactics, and specifically recruiting individuals with ‘severe intellectual’ disabilities in the FAA.”
https://thelibertydaily.com/faas-obama-era-biographical-questionnaire-die-faces-new/

[mountaineer]

The FAA previously drew most candidates from the military and a group of 36 colleges that offer air traffic control programs.

I've read a first-hand account from a graduate of one of those programs. He couldn't even get an interview with FAA, despite his degree, grades and experience. Too white, sane and straight, apparently. He gave up and went into real estate.

[Bigun]

I've read a first-hand account from a graduate of one of those programs. He couldn't even get an interview with FAA, despite his degree, grades and experience. Too white, sane and straight, apparently. He gave up and went into real estate.

My friend, now deceased, flew P-3 sub hunters out of Rota Spain until he got out of the Navy and went to work for the FAA where he spent more than 40 years. Listening to him describe personnel practices within that organization even pre-Obama would curl your hair. 

[rangerrebew]

So This is What the Army Isn't Telling Us About the Reagan Air Crash
Matt Margolis | 10:36 AM on February 01, 2025
   
 
Mere days ago, a horrific tragedy struck as an Army Black Hawk helicopter collided with an American Airlines flight near Ronald Reagan National Airport, resulting in the loss of 67 lives—three from the helicopter and 64 on the plane.
 

We’re still looking for answers, but one thing that many agree on is that this accident was entirely preventable. Americans nevertheless want to know exactly what happened and why, so that we can know how to prevent such accidents from happening again.

Amid the grief over this unspeakable loss, the U.S. Army made a controversial decision: to withhold the name of the female helicopter pilot involved in the accident, claiming it was at the request of her family.

“The Army is refusing to name the female pilot killed aboard the military helicopter that collided with a passenger jet flying into Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport on Wednesday,” the New York Post reports. “In an announcement Friday, the Army, which disclosed the names of the two other soldiers in the chopper who died, said the woman’s family requested her identity be withheld from the public

 https://pjmedia.com/matt-margolis/2025/02/01/so-this-is-what-the-army-isnt-telling-us-about-the-reagan-air-crash-n4936576#google_vignette

[Mod2]

Topics merged.

[mountaineer]

Hegseth should overrule whomever decided not to release the female crewmember's name.

[Lando Lincoln]

Hegseth should overrule whomever decided not to release the female crewmember's name.

I believe that will happen, if necessary. No investigation is credible without knowing who the crew was.

[mountaineer]

Sad. Photos take aboard the AA plane.

Olympic-hopeful skating sisters seen beaming on plane in eerie photo before fatal DC crash
By Deirdre Bardolf   
Published Feb. 1, 2025, 12:17 p.m. ET
Full story and more pictures at NY Post

[bigheadfred]

TaraBull

@TaraBull808
·
13m
BREAKING: Army has now identified the female pilot of the Black Hawk helicopter that collided with American Airlines flight as Captain Rebecca M. Lobach from Durham, North Carolina.

https://twitter.com/TaraBull808/status/1885817605916917885/photo/1

[Timber Rattler]

So much for that tranny-suicide nonsense that was floating around.

[dfwgator]

So much for that tranny-suicide nonsense that was floating around.

Whatever were the root causes of the crash, Trump and his team will take care so it doesn't happen again.

[DB]

It is being reported now that they believe, but are still verifying, that the tower scope indicated the helicopter was at 200'. The collision occurred at between 300' and 350'.

The radar update is about every 4 seconds.

The helicopter apparently climbed in altitude shortly before the impact.

[mountaineer]

The helicopter apparently climbed in altitude shortly before the impact.

At least one of the videos seemed to show clearly that the helicopter climbed, heading straight for the jet.

[mystery-ak]

https://twitter.com/TaraBull808/status/1885817605916917885

[mystery-ak]

https://twitter.com/SecDuffy/status/1885796425436389862

[mountaineer]

Why are we putting Army pilots to work as "social aides"? Don't they have enough to do?

Lobach, 28, served as an aviation officer in the Army.  ...  According to CBS, Lobach served as a White House social aide under the Biden administration. Last month, she escorted Ralph Lauren when he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by Biden.

https://twitter.com/CollinRugg/status/1885823686415880276

[IsailedawayfromFR]

Why are we putting Army pilots to work as "social aides"? Don't they have enough to do?

Lobach, 28, served as an aviation officer in the Army.  ...  According to CBS, Lobach served as a White House social aide under the Biden administration. Last month, she escorted Ralph Lauren when he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by Biden.

https://twitter.com/CollinRugg/status/1885823686415880276

Maybe it is the other way around.

Why are we putting social aides into piloting helicopters?

[Lando Lincoln]

https://twitter.com/SecDuffy/status/1885796425436389862

Refreshing in the face of tragedy - unlike the clown show of recent years.

[mystery-ak]

Officials recover 42 remains from Potomac River as investigation into midair collision continues
Officials are 'working through' air traffic control transcript of incident
 By Andrea Margolis Fox News
Published February 1, 2025 7:36pm EST

Washington, D.C., officials released updates about the investigation of the Jan. 29 Potomac River midair collision on Saturday, detailing what bodies and debris have been removed from the water.

In a statement released on Saturday, Unified Command said that rescuers have recovered "42 sets of remains" from the crash area so far, and the D.C. chief medical examiner has positively identified 38.

 Sixty-seven people died in the incident.

Officials also said that they attempted to remove the Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter with a crane, which was "briefly stabilized," but that the removal has not been successful so far.

"The U.S. Coast Guard is on the scene with numerous resources assisting with search efforts and enforcing a safety zone on the Potomac River," the statement read.

more
https://www.foxnews.com/us/officials-recover-42-remains-potomac-river-investigation-midair-collision-continues

[mystery-ak]

Victims identified in DC plane crash involving American Airlines jet and military helicopter



more
https://www.foxnews.com/us/victims-identified-dc-plane-crash-involving-american-airlines-jet-military-helicopter

[Timber Rattler]

Why are we putting Army pilots to work as "social aides"? Don't they have enough to do?

She was a Captain in the U.S. Army Reserves.

[mystery-ak]

FAA Academy in Oklahoma struggled to fill classrooms due to DEI quotas, Sen. Mullin says
The senator said that hiring based on DEI is 'a huge problem moving forward for us'
By Jeffrey Clark Fox News
Published February 1, 2025 2:22pm EST

Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., told "Fox News Live" Saturday that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Academy in Oklahoma has struggled to fill classrooms due to DEI quotas.

"Where the FAA air traffic controllers get trained is right here inside of Oklahoma, in Oklahoma City," Mullin said. "That's their training hub and I will tell you we were having a hard time filling the classes because of DEI."

Flight safety has become a topic of debate this week after an American Airlines plane and an Army helicopter collided outside Reagan National Airport on Wednesday. Two days later on Friday, a medical jet crashed on a street near the Roosevelt Mall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Mullin argued that DEI may have played a role in the lack of safety preparedness, especially following the crash outside Reagan National Airport. He said that focusing on hiring "the best and brightest individuals" is a far more dependable strategy than focusing on "diversity, equity and inclusion" policies.

At the FAA academy in Oklahoma City, DEI policies resulted in classes not being used to capacity to fulfill DEI quotas, Mullin said.

"Instead of these classes being 100% full, we were at 80% or 70%, and it wasn't from the lack of individuals applying for it except for each class had a ratio that they had to have on it," the senator said.

more
https://www.foxnews.com/media/faa-academy-oklahoma-struggled-fill-classrooms-due-dei-quotas-sen-mullin-says

[mystery-ak]

https://twitter.com/LauraLoomer/status/1885850262704734599

[Timber Rattler]

https://twitter.com/LauraLoomer/status/1885850262704734599

Laura Loomer is a nutcase and needs to shut her yapper.

[mountaineer]

She was a Captain in the U.S. Army Reserves.

Ah, okay. I thought she was full-time Army.

[IsailedawayfromFR]

She was a Captain in the U.S. Army Reserves.

and Lloyd Austin is a general and former Sec of Defense.

We obviously know about his competence, so the rank may not seem to mean much.

[Stevensr123]

I thought republicans were pro military and veterans? Yet you have people on here making assumptions based off zero evidence, including trump. Was she gay? Who knows, what she a DEI hire? Who knows, let’s stick to FACTS. Also just because someone is gay/black/minority/non white/a women doesn’t make them a DEI hire. Many women have served your country and have done the country proud, many are veterans who have done more for your country than you people ever will.

Should DEI exist? No, DEI lowers standards.  But putting people in boxes and saying she/he is a DEI because they are white/black/gay/minority is doing exactly what the democrats do -  putting people in groups and boxes and judging them based on various factors.

[Stevensr123]

and Lloyd Austin is a general and former Sec of Defense.

We obviously know about his competence, so the rank may not seem to mean much.

and you know absolutely nothing about this lady, so why do you feel like you have the facts at hand to judge her or her record or competence?

We know nothing about the crash yet. All I know is this lady joined the army and made a pledge to protect your country.

[Timber Rattler]

I thought republicans were pro military and veterans? Yet you have people on here making assumptions based off zero evidence, including trump. Was she gay? Who knows, what she a DEI hire? Who knows, let’s stick to FACTS. Also just because someone is gay/black/minority/non white/a women doesn’t make them a DEI hire. Many women have served your country and have done the country proud, many are veterans who have done more for your country than you people ever will.

Should DEI exist? No, DEI lowers standards.  But putting people in boxes and saying she/he is a DEI because they are white/black/gay/minority is doing exactly what the democrats do -  putting people in groups and boxes and judging them based on various factors.

 

[240B]

Black Hawk didn't follow air traffic controller's route before DC plane crash

Daily Mail
By ALYSSA GUZMAN
1 February 2025

The Army Black Hawk that collided with an American Airlines plane was hundreds of feet outside air traffic control's predesignated, approved route ahead of the deadly crash over the Potomac River.

The Black Hawk was supposed to be following 'Route 4' - a known path at Reagan National that allows helicopters to fly at low altitudes below 200 feet to avoid commercial jets arriving at the Virginia airport - sources told The New York Times.

However, the military aircraft - which was marked as a PAT-25 - was flying above 300 feet and was at least a half-mile off course when it collided with American Airlines Flight 5342 on Wednesday evening, killing 67 people.

An experienced air traffic controller exclusively told DailyMail.com that the air traffic control (ATC) audio that emerged from the crash showed the operator's instructions to the helicopter were 'very ambiguous.'

In the nearly minute-and-a-half recording, ATC operators could be heard asking the helicopter if the commercial flight is in sight.

Through muffled audio, more commands and confirmations were made between ATC operators.

One air traffic controller said to the helicopter pilot: 'PAT 2-5, do you have the CRJ in sight?'

Seconds later, the controller spoke again, requesting: 'Pat 2-5 pass behind the CRJ.'

(more)
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-14349845/black-hawk-air-traffic-controller-route-dc-plane-crash.html

[Hoodat]

@Stevensr123

People are just trying to fill in the blanks here.  And government hasn't given them a reason to trust them.  Maybe the government should be more forthcoming here.

[Stevensr123]

@Stevensr123

People are just trying to fill in the blanks here.  And government hasn't given them a reason to trust them.  Maybe the government should be more forthcoming here.

you can try and fill in blanks, but let’s not start creating a situation where anyone who isn’t a white male should be labeled DEI.

Many women have died for your country, they shouldn’t be labeled DEI.

[dfwgator]

Should DEI exist? No, DEI lowers standards.  But putting people in boxes and saying she/he is a DEI because they are white/black/gay/minority is doing exactly what the democrats do -  putting people in groups and boxes and judging them based on various factors.

But that's one of the worst things about DEI,    it makes people question why somebody is in the position they are in, even if they are qualified.   Was she truly the best person for the job, given other applicants?     As long as DEI exists, people will ask these questions.

[Stevensr123]

But that's one of the worst things about DEI,    it makes people question why somebody is in the position they are in, even if they are qualified.   Was she truly the best person for the job, given other applicants?     As long as DEI exists, people will ask these questions.

I agree that’s the worse thing about DEI, but let’s not label everyone a DEI - again the democrats are the ones who put people in boxes based on characteristics. Increase standards again and those people will leave.

But it’s horrible you have people labelling someone who just died in your army, DEI. It’s anti military and sounds WOKE and leftist.

[Smokin Joe]

I thought republicans were pro military and veterans? Yet you have people on here making assumptions based off zero evidence, including trump. Was she gay? Who knows, what she a DEI hire? Who knows, let’s stick to FACTS. Also just because someone is gay/black/minority/non white/a women doesn’t make them a DEI hire. Many women have served your country and have done the country proud, many are veterans who have done more for your country than you people ever will.

Should DEI exist? No, DEI lowers standards.  But putting people in boxes and saying she/he is a DEI because they are white/black/gay/minority is doing exactly what the democrats do -  putting people in groups and boxes and judging them based on various factors.

I think what you are trying to say is that just because they check all the boxes, doesn't mean they cannot be competent, too.

Obviously, someone made an error, or the collision would never have taken place.
Who was on the stick? Were they considered for the position because of competence first?

Up thread, it is noted that qualified people have been overlooked because they would throw quota ratios off, so those positions went unfilled. Were standards lowered to fill other positions and more competent people overlooked because they did NOT check the gender, sexuality, race, or some other box besides competence.
That is the issue. Are the best and brightest being denied opportunities because they aren't "gay/black/minority/non white/a women"? If so, that is just wrong, and degrades the performance of the group.

[Smokin Joe]

But that's one of the worst things about DEI,    it makes people question why somebody is in the position they are in, even if they are qualified.   Was she truly the best person for the job, given other applicants?     As long as DEI exists, people will ask these questions.

Affirmative action did the same to competent blacks early on, when previously, a black in any position could have been assumed to have earned their rank, often far exceeding the qualifications.