re: Plane collides with helicopter over Reagan International Airport; Looking in Potomac

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It is certainly “plausible”

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No it isn’t, unless they disregarded the initial traffic call and just said “in sight” without ever looking the direction they were told.

The initial traffic call from ATC put the CRJ at 1,200 feet, south of the Woodrow Bridge. I don’t believe the departing aircraft had even taxied onto the runway at this time, much less been airborne or in any way mistakable for an airplane at 1,200 feet. Additionally, Woodrow Bridge would be an easily identifiable landmark for anyone who regularly flies those Helicopter routes.

None of this adds up to “It’s plausible” they mistook a departing aircraft for the one they were told to be looking for.

If that’s what they were doing, then the crew was more incompetent than we originally thought, which I choose not to believe.

I think they were or distracted without a sterile cockpit. They were 200 feet higher than they were supposed to be, and flew into it without any attempt to avoid.

She wasn't alone in that chopper, the entire crew failed.

What the heck!? I’m so done with you and trying to be your friend

She was a social aide in the Biden white house and that heckin meanie is trying to act like she was merely an army pilot

And by the way I've done nothing but defend her in multiple threads

Good videos.

LINK

Best evaluation of what likely happened.

LINK

Very experienced crew.

There are typically military escorts at WH events. It isnt a political thing. She served at formal events like medal ceremonies. It is tradition and decorum and something a patriotic young officer would be honored to do. Those roles serve the office not the individual and are apolitical. But you probably realize that and are just trolling as usual.

So sad.

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What impact would night vision goggles have on visibility for this event? Thanks...

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Since no one has answered I will take a stab at it but only with personal experience with ground force NVGs which are certainly different to some degree.

There are 2 big cons to aided sight via NVG:

1. limited field of view They significantly reduce your peripheral vision which is freaky until you get used to them. In a situation where you are locked onto plane lights trying not to lose track of them in an environment with lots of lights you would have in effect tunnel vision. You wouldn't want to constantly scan because you could lose the light you are tracking when you shift it out of your field of view.

2. in an area with lots of light sources and ambient light your aided vision becomes much lower definition and can wash out and get full of static. There are many times I have been in the gray area where it is hard to tell which is better aided or unaided and would constantly flip them up and down as subtle changes in light and light sources shifted quality back and forth. An imperfect analogy would be driving into the sun as it is going down one minute having your sun visor down makes seeing much easier then a little change in direction makes seeing easier with the visor up.

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I heard there’s usually 4 people in a BH with visual recognition duties assigned accordingly.

Can anyone comment on this? Is this true? If so, is it normal to fly only 3 at night in DC?

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IME as a passenger (but never in high traffic lanes like this helo was in) a Black Hawk crew was almost always 3 people. The front seaters and a crew chief.