Photo : A U.S. Army UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter crew from the 12th Aviation Battalion prepares for takeoff from the 177th Fighter Wing, New Jersey Air National Guard on April 24, 2013. The 12th Aviation Battalion is located at Davison Army Airfield, Fort Belvoir, Va. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Tech. Sgt. Matt Hecht/Released)
The crash of a U.S. military helicopter and a commercial airliner over Washington, D.C., on Wednesday night was a tragic event that likely claimed the lives of all 60 passengers and four crew members aboard the American Eagle Airlines flight, as well as the three soldiers on board the Blackhawk helicopter. However, this incident was not the first close call involving a helicopter and an aircraft at Reagan National Airport.
The night before the crash, a near collision had occurred between a Republic Airways flight and a helicopter, heightening concerns about the safety of air traffic in the area.
On Tuesday evening, Republic Airways Flight 4514 was attempting to land at the same airport when it had to execute a go-around after its automated collision avoidance system detected a potential collision with a helicopter.
According to a report by The Washington Post, air traffic control captured the audio of the near miss, in which the Republic Airways flight, cleared for landing on Runway 19, was warned of the helicopter in its vicinity.
The aircraft’s automated system issued a “resolution advisory,” forcing the plane to abort its landing and circle for another approach. The aircraft eventually landed safely.
The helicopter involved in Tuesday’s near miss was reportedly flying about 1,000 feet below the aircraft.
The fatal crash occurred the following night, when American Eagle Flight 5342, operated by PSA Airlines, was en route from Wichita, Kansas, to Washington, D.C. The flight, a Bombardier CRJ-700, was on its approach to Reagan National Airport when it collided with a U.S. Army Sikorsky H-60 Blackhawk helicopter.
According to the Army, the Blackhawk, assigned to Bravo Company, 12th Aviation Battalion, out of Davison Army Airfield, Fort Belvoir, was conducting a routine training flight.
The collision occurred around 9:00 p.m. Eastern Time, as the CRJ-700 was on its final approach to Runway 33 at Reagan National.
American Airlines CEO Robert Isom released a statement shortly after the crash, confirming that the flight, which had 64 people on board, was operated by PSA Airlines, a wholly owned subsidiary of American Airlines.
Audio recordings from LiveATC.net captured the final exchanges between the air traffic controllers and the crew members of the helicopter, call sign PAT25, just moments before the crash. At 8:47 p.m. Eastern Time, an air traffic controller instructed the helicopter to pass behind the CRJ-700: “PAT25, do you have a CRJ in sight? PAT25, pass behind the CRJ.”
Tragically, moments later, both aircraft collided, and the wreckage fell into the river. One controller could be heard saying, “I just saw a fireball and then it was just gone.” Another controller noted, “Both the helicopter and the plane crashed in the river,” as the crash was also captured by a webcam at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.
American Airlines set up a hotline for those who believe they may have had loved ones on board Flight 5342. The toll-free number for American Airlines is 800-679-821.
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