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Something is SERIOUSLY F-ed up here.
Who was on the Blackhawk… and who was on the American Airlines flight.
Facts:
1. American Airlines flight 5432 (LANDING FLIGHT), a CRJ700 operated by PSA airlines, was inbound to runway 33 on whats called “short final”, the last stage of landing, about 400 feet in altitude.
2. An Army Blackhawk training flight PAT25 (HELICOPTER) was flying perpendicular to the flight path of 5432 along the Potomac river. The Potomac is a designated helicopter flight path / flight corridor.
3. PAT25 was flying on Visual Flight Rules (VFR); flight 4532 on Instrument Flight Rules (IFR). This means that flight 5432 had priority and the helicopter should have been constantly looking out visually for other aircraft.
4. Moments before the crash, the DCA tower called to PAT25 and asked them to confirm they had the “[other] aircraft in sight”.
5. PAT25 replied that they had the aircraft in sight.
Opinion:
PAT25 actually had another aircraft, the DEPARTING FLIGHT, in sight, and did not realize PAT25 was descending directly into its flight path.
