Avoid DCA for my regular commute?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Take the train

+1 I’m confused why flying would be easier than the train.

[Anonymous]

All this talk of more air traffic controllers and runway 33…do either of these explains all the other near misses at DCA? Including the Delta flight that came dangerously close to the Arlington cemetery flyover and the two American planes that clipped each other’s wings (these being the most recent near misses of many). I thought the issue was general over capacity at DCA. Too many planes coming in and out in general. I’m not sure more air traffic controllers, while helpful, fully solves the problem. And we’re all the issues related to runway 33?

[Anonymous]

I don't mind flying out of DCA. But I did this trip several times a week for years and I hate Amtrak, just take the train. It will save you more time and times than it will burn you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Take the train

+1 I’m confused why flying would be easier than the train.

I take the train if I have time and it’s near where I am going. Tomorrow I’m taking the train because my meeting is at Hudson Yards. But if I have a meeting before 10 am I fly because it’s faster, even factoring in airport time. Also the Acela is often more expensive than flying.

[Anonymous]

Acela- More comfortable. Easier. Nicer. Safer. Better for the planet.

[Anonymous]

Well, all of you "Dulles only from now on" folks are screwed because they just had a near miss with a helicopter too.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PKI_xCRV7iw

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Well, all of you "Dulles only from now on" folks are screwed because they just had a near miss with a helicopter too.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PKI_xCRV7iw

It was a mild disagreement between a pilot and ATC, not a "near miss". It's unusual in that normally all parties are strict about not getting into stuff like this on the air, but was in the end handled professionally.

https://onemileatatime.com/news/washington-atc-helicopter-pilot-argue/

[Anonymous]

It all depends. From Georgetown. I will always fly DCA to LaGuardia and think it's easy. I don't want to go to Union Station to take the Acela.

I guess I've been doing it every week for 15 years (minus Covid) so I'm used to it and always feel a little thrill taking off. I'm a sucker.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No. I hate Dulles. It takes so much longer with that stupid bus.

PP here. Me too. The bus is a deal killer. And the traffic jam arching around the airport. Can't do it when I can just get dropped off at DCA in like 15 minutes. And ifI was less lazy, the Metro is awesome too.

[Anonymous]

Another in depth article in NYT about the crash.

[Anonymous]

I would.

Read today’s article in The NY Times about all of the near collisions that went on there MONTHLY for more than 10 years before this year’s fatal collision.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just avoid regional jets. Normal jets can’t land on runway 33 anyway, and that runway is the issue. DCA is so much quicker in and out.

The root cause was the understaffed control tower, not the runway configuration.

Controller staffing did not cause the accident. The helicopter was flying in the wrong place, too high.

And it sounds like the pilot being evaluated was told to move twice by the instructor, but did not 😧

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just avoid regional jets. Normal jets can’t land on runway 33 anyway, and that runway is the issue. DCA is so much quicker in and out.

The root cause was the understaffed control tower, not the runway configuration.

No. That may have been a contributing factor, but the primary factor was the location of runway 33 and the helicopter route and the helicopter being at the wrong altitude. Had the doomed plane simply landed on the main runway as they were originally supposed to (before being rerouted to runway 33) they would not have crossed paths with the helo route.

There were multiple contributing factors —like virtually all accidents— but error in the part of the helicopter pilot sounds primary (not to mention lax /arrogant DoD safety policies, for such a congested urban space).