A passenger jet has collided with a helicopter while landing at Ronald Reagan National Airport near Washington.

  • rational_lib@lemmy.world
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    1 day ago

    smashed into a military Blackhawk helicopter

    Speaking from DC there’s way the fuck too many low-flying helicopters around here. If it’s indeed a blackhawk it’s probably some military bigwig going to or from the pentagon a mile away.

    • AA5B@lemmy.world
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      16 hours ago

      They have to be. Basically helicopters fly low enough to be out of controlled airspace, below where airplanes should be. They’re slow and maneuverable and may want to go anywhere so control basically doesn’t care as. Long as they stay below controlled airspace. It usually works

      In this case they were clearly talking to control, but the tower relied on them to see and follow. Where did that normal procedure go off track? At the surface they said they saw the jet so it’s one them, but it wont be that simple and I’m sure there will be confounding factors

    • kreskin@lemmy.world
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      1 day ago

      I’m pretty pissed that an army blackhawk was anywhere near a commercial jet’s flightpath. Who do these moron army pilots and pentagon bigwig dickheads think they are? Our government has been a crooked clownshow for a while now but now its the military as well? If everyone on the helicopter wasnt already dead I’d be looking for some jail time for the helicopter people. Heck of a job.

      And Vances response is an ask for everyone to “say a prayer?” Is that some sort of joke? What an arsehole.

      • AA5B@lemmy.world
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        16 hours ago

        Helicopters have every right to be there too. Even if it’s just a training flight, they need to be familiar with the complexities so they can do their job when they need to.

        What we know so far the helicopter was fine, right up until they confirmed they saw the jet and would pass behind it. Sometimes it can be tough to see in the clutter, and I imagine it’s worse at low altitude and night

      • PhobosAnomaly@feddit.uk
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        1 day ago

        What are you basing these assumptions on, to be in a position to attribute responsibility at this stage?

        • Tinidril@midwest.social
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          23 hours ago

          As if Congress wouldn’t already be having hearings if Biden was still president. If it happens on Trump’s watch, then it’s Trump’s fault until proven otherwise. Some people don’t get the benefit of the doubt.

          • spooky2092@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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            15 hours ago

            That’s a bad argument. Republicans would hold a hearing if the president was a Democrat and they found out about a Republican policy. I’m honestly surprised we didn’t see an investigation into suit colors or sandwich ingredients.

        • kreskin@lemmy.world
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          2 hours ago

          Agreed, but also-- Better be real sure a ball gargling is what you’d be OK with before you suggest that to him.

      • feannag@sh.itjust.works
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        20 hours ago

        As others have said, it’s far too early to attribute blame. But beyond that, airspace control philosophy is basically that everyone deserves to be in the sky. The collision occured at 400 feet which is a very normal place for a helicopter to be. This occured very near the approach end of a runway, which is more unusual, but doesn’t mean they’re automatically in the wrong for being “anywhere close to a commercial jet’s flight path”.

      • darkdemize@sh.itjust.works
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        24 hours ago

        JBAB and the Marine One hangar are directly across the Potomac from DCA. I’m honestly kind of surprised this is the first time this has happened.