The U.S. Army Helicopter drops crash as if it had crossed the Potomax River in Washington DC on Wednesday night, but according to military statistics, military statistics, and A -AND, these incidents were increased. There was. Aviation expert.
A total of 64 people, including passengers and flight crew members, were on the AA 5342 flight at Reagan National Airport (DCA) from Wichita. Three soldiers were performing training Army Cikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk It came from Fort Berbore in Virginia.
“Certainly, there was an incident,” said Timothy Lolanger, a veteran of Wiss Baum and the Marine Corps, told Fox News Digital. “But compared to a Flight for thousands of hours without an incident … it's all very good.”
This collision questioned how such a catastrophic accident could happen in one of the most strictly controlled airspace in the country and the world. The last major fatal commercial crash occurred in 2009 when a flight of Continental collided with a house in Buffalo, New York, killing 49 people.
DC Airplane Crash Timeline: Aerial collision includes 67 passengers, crew and soldiers
The crew regained the remnants of the American Airlines 5342 on the Potomac River near the Washington DC on January 30, 2025. The plane was a fatal collision with the US military Black Hawk Helicopter the night before. (Fox News Digital League Rean)
“Is there anything we can point out? Is the training a budget for the pilot and crew to make sure that they have sufficient training and experience to fly those aircraft? Lolander said. “These are kinds of questions to ask. If it is a problem of the aircraft itself, is it a mechanical problem, is it a design problem? Is that a manufacturing problem? Is it a matter of maintenance? “
According to the Army data, the CRASH drop of military helicopters is unusual, but last year has occurred more frequently.
American Airplane, Army Helicopter, collides outside Reagan National Airport near Washington DC
The FBI Agent was near the debris near the Potomac River in Aurinton, Virginia on January 30, 2025, where American Airlines Flight 5342 collided with Black Hawk Helicopter while approaching Ronal Dragan Washington National Airport. I'm standing. (Kevin Ramarc/Reuters)
In FY2024, it was the death rate and the most severe aerial incident, which was a dead since 2014 and was seriously injured due to an incident around 100,000 hours from 2007. According to the Army Statistics.
Fox News died in 2024, including the CRASH drop of US helicopters in 2024, including five marines from the same aircraft, and the other five Marines were injured. Since 2012, 21 Blackhawk Crush has died.
DC Plain Krash Aerial Traffic Control Audio reveals that the moment controller has seen the disaster: “Did you see the tower?”
Loranger led to an increase in the death of a military helicopter last year.
Watching: The video shows an aerial airplane collision
According to Fox and Friends on Friday, Pete Hegces said, “It will reach the bottom of what happened here.”
“It is completely accepted in the capital of our country or anywhere. Military trains will be steadily trained, and even if you pause in this unit, this exercise is important. Hegs said, “I have to train safely. It doesn't happen completely.”
See: HegSeth pledges to provide the answer
The instructor pilot in charge, who was flying black hawk for training operations on Wednesday, is clearly 1,000 flight time and is considered to be very experienced, and 500 piloters were evaluated. I had time flight time. According to US officials who talked to Fox News, their experience.
“This is a relatively simple route,” said the Five Army Secretary of the Army, who had a five -year experience of the Army Secretary of the Army in Pentagon on Thursday. The pilot was flying in the center of the river, which is generally dark and may be wearing a night vision goggles. The Memorial Bridge would have been the last checkpoint.
January 29 Washington DC, airplane -helicopter collision map.
Reagan National Airport Crash: Military Black Hawk Helicopter is an aerial collision with American Airlines Jet
Military and other government helicopters fly on the same route almost every day.
“This should have been a problem,” the officials said.
Loranger described DCA as “a very complicated airspace, a very busy airspace.”
Photos of victims following the collision of American Airlines Jet and US Black Hawk Helicopter. (Getty Image)
“There are a lot of airplanes and airplanes fly,” he said, and on the plane, information on other objects on other objects where pilots and other objects are flying nearby to avoid collisions like Wednesday. I added that a system is designed to provide. Lorancer said that it might have been difficult for the commercial plane and the blackhawk to meet each other across the river at night.
The staffing of the DCA air control tower states that “it is not normal between time and traffic.” New York Times.
A victim identified in the CRASH drop of a DC plane involving American Airlines Jet and Military Helicopters
The controller was Handling of helicopters On Wednesday night, Times reported that he was instructing an airplane landing from the airport runway. These assignments are usually assigned to two controllers.
The plane will fly near the Ronal Dragan Washington National Airport after the US E -Gouright 5342 collision and the Black Hawk Helicopter collided with the Potomac River in Aurlington, Virginia on January 30, 2025. (Eduardomnos/Reuters)
“I don't know exactly how the staffing has occurred at the specific air traffic control tower,” Hix told Fox & Friends. “It seems that there was a shortage [of controllers]And the investigation will tell you more about it. However, as the president pointed out yesterday, the environment in which the pilot or air traffic controller is selected is the best criterion as possible, the best standard managed … 1 minute flight. And management of radio traffic. “
Click here to get the Fox News app
Fox News Digital contacted FAA.
The Reagan Airport Aviation Control Tower was outdoors for many years with 19 completely certified controllers as of September 2023. However, the FFA and the controller union are looking for 30 controllers for the staff's goals.
Fox News's Jennifer Griffin, Liz Friden, and Louis Cassiano have contributed to the report.
