NTSB hearings on DCA plane crash enters day 2 with bombshell revelations and intense questioning
NTSB hearings on DCA plane crash enters day 2
Tuesday was day two of a three-day hearing on the deadly plane crash at Reagan Airport that took the lives of 67 people in January. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigative hearings began Wednesday morning.
WASHINGTON - Tuesday was day two of a three-day hearing on the deadly plane crash at Reagan Airport that took the lives of 67 people in January.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigative hearings began Wednesday morning.
Dig deeper:
Much of Thursday's focus was on air traffic controllers — and the long-held concerns about military traffic near Reagan National Airport.
The key takeaways from today’s testimony were that there were inexperienced air traffic controllers, inadequate training, and staffing issues — and management knew about it months ago.
There were also many, many worries about Army helicopters on that route.
Rick Dressler from Metro Aviation Inc. was questioned on whether the DCA airspace is safe to fly in.
"The helicopter route since 1986 were quite successful. Obviously, that ended quite tragically January 29," said Dressler. "To answer your question — today the airspace is the least safe it's ever been thanks to the changes that have been implemented after January 29."
Dressler is an official with Metro Aviation — they run medevac flights in the area.
He also testified — adding he didn’t like saying it but wanted it on the record — that he and other civilian helicopter operators are quote "very uncomfortable" when Army Blackhawk helicopters are flying near D.C. Additionally, pilots for PSA and American Airlines weren’t aware of military helicopter routes near DCA – and the FAA ignored repeated warnings about those routes, as well as inadequate air traffic controller staffing.
RELATED: New audio, video from DCA plane crash released during NTSB hearing
NTSB day 2 schedule
The backstory:
On January 29, American Airlines Flight 5342 was preparing to touchdown at Ronald Reagan National Airport when air traffic controllers asked pilots if they could land the jet on a shorter runway a few minutes before landing, and they said they were able.
Controllers then cleared the plane to land on Runway 33. Flight-tracking sites showed the plane adjusting its approach to the new runway.
Less than 30 seconds before the crash, an air traffic controller asked the Black Hawk if it had the arriving plane in sight.
The controller made another radio call to the helicopter moments later, telling them, "PAT 25, pass behind the CRJ." Seconds after that, the two aircraft collided.
The wreckage tumbled into the icy Potomac River and all 67 people on board — 60 passengers and four crew members on the American Eagle jetliner, and three people onboard the military helicopter — were killed in the crash. It marked the deadliest U.S. air disaster in almost 25 years.