Plane crash DCA?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The water is below freezing. A doctor said 30 minutes is longest they could last. I hope I am wrong.

You are wrong. The water is a few degrees above freezing. Otherwise, it would be ice. Doesn't matter though. They died during the tremendous acceleration forces in the collision.

Right. The water depth was around seven feet. That’s no different than hitting solid ground—except if you survive the crash you’re in near-freezing water instead of burning wreckage.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There is no need for a direct flight from
National to Wichita. That airport is too congested.

I feel awful for the poor ATCs

The flight was fine. DCA is fine.

The issue was the helicopter.

What is with the weird anti-DCA trolling?

The Alexandria residents really really hate that airport and all the airplane noise.

I used to live in the apartments on the GW parkway near DCA. I was not bothered by the airplane noise. People are such delicate flowers!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you ask an ATP they’ll tell you this was something we all fully expected. The holes of the Swiss cheese:

A demanding circle to land on runway 33
A published rotor route crossing the final approach
Planes and helicopters on different frequencies
Separation is visual “see and avoid”
Overworked and undertrained ATC

It’ll be 2 years but I expect the helicopter pilot will be faulted but there will be multiple contributing factors and recommendations. This was a completely foreseeable disaster. I am angry.

And firing Feds and bashing them daily on the
Media isn’t going to help with ATC retention or experience. Senate Denocrats were against the expansion of this very very overcrowded airport. Selfish lawmakers pushed to have 5 longrange flights added when we can’t handle what we have now. Operating way over capacity.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Too many helicopters flying along the Potomac when Republicans come into power. They love their VIP rides and the pilots love to hot dog up & down the river for the VIPs. No consequences for anyone, good times back again.

No one likes dour Democrats who put the kibosh on expensive helicopter flights.

Oh FFS, it was a training flight. It had nothing to do with Republicans or Democrats.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Are we still thinking DCA will be ready to go at 11:00am. Am supposed to be flying in to DCA today… Thank you.

No it’s closed until 5am Friday

[Anonymous]

Im aware this is a forum for people who live in dc
but I'm in Wichita

We don't need a direct flight to dc daily, our congress people just wanted it for convenience

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The water is below freezing. A doctor said 30 minutes is longest they could last. I hope I am wrong.

You are wrong. The water is a few degrees above freezing. Otherwise, it would be ice. Doesn't matter though. They died during the tremendous acceleration forces in the collision.

Right. The water depth was around seven feet. That’s no different than hitting solid ground—except if you survive the crash you’re in near-freezing water instead of burning wreckage.

Honestly, at this point we should be hoping they all died on impact.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Too many helicopters flying along the Potomac when Republicans come into power. They love their VIP rides and the pilots love to hot dog up & down the river for the VIPs. No consequences for anyone, good times back again.

No one likes dour Democrats who put the kibosh on expensive helicopter flights.

Yes!!! I drive back and forth over the 14th street bridge and there has been a huge uptick in the number of helicopters, and these big ones in the past week. My teen commented on it driving to school just yesterday

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There is no need for a direct flight from
National to Wichita. That airport is too congested.

I feel awful for the poor ATCs

The flight was fine. DCA is fine.

The issue was the helicopter.

What is with the weird anti-DCA trolling?

The Alexandria residents really really hate that airport and all the airplane noise.

There’s one loud, delicate person. I’ve lived a mile from National for 15 years and never been remotely bothered by the planes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There is no need for a direct flight from
National to Wichita. That airport is too congested.

I feel awful for the poor ATCs

The flight was fine. DCA is fine.

The issue was the helicopter.

What is with the weird anti-DCA trolling?

The Alexandria residents really really hate that airport and all the airplane noise.

It's not us. We live just south of the airport off GW. The airport was there when we bought 20 years ago. We're used to it. Let's stick to the topic.

I have lived here for 35 years. The complaints about DCA's flights over residential areas never ends. Yes, they fly directly over my neighborhood as they make the dogleg to turn north up the Potomac. No, it doesn't bother me, but Nextdoor is a never ending stream of complaints about all these "low" flights.

They hate helicopters too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

They’re doing training flights over a heavily populated area around the busiest runway in the U.S.?

Doesn’t seem wise.

They do it all day every day. Spend some time on the Mt Vernon trail and you’ll see tons of helicopters - Army, Marines, Air Force, and Coast Guard all run helicopters up and down the river for training. Sometimes you’ll see a police helicopter (DC or Park Police) but they usually have a good reason to be there.

Yep. I live in Arlington and drive to and from DC every day- right along and across the Potomac We have seen more helicopters than usual lately. Yesterday at 2:30pm we were driving in to pick up my kid and my husband noted the giant military helicopter - over head—bigger than what we usually see

Is this due to the new dipsh@ts running things?

This is interesting to me too because last Friday I was driving on one of the many highways that encircles the Pentagon and was shaken by a surprising noise/feeling. Looked left, and there was a helicopter taking off immediately to my right, probably less than 50 feet away on the other side of the short barrier wall. Never seen this before. I don't drive in that part of VA a lot so who knows but it was startling and notable to me.

Yes!!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Oh no. I wonder if it’s one of those control tower snafus that didn’t get caught in time.

Air traffic controllers were too distracted

or too short staffed and over worked.

[Anonymous]

The contributing factors to this crash will never be fully addressed. The fundamental problem is the orientation of Runway 33 vis-a-vis military traffic on the east side of the Potomac. It’s past time that Runway 33 is closed. If that means DCA has to shed a few slots so be it. Plenty of capacity at IAD.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Congress approved additional flights at DCA last year, over the protests of the locals. I hope they reduce the number now and enforce stricter regulations for all these helicopters.

Seems like an annual tradition that Congress approves more and more flights. Enough is enough. Time to cut back.

They need to build a new airport further away from the city, then shut DCA down. Reagan (like much in the area) was built in the 40s when there were far fewer people. DC has grown much too large to rely on such a small airport.

Already did that. It's called IAD Dulles. https://www.flydulles.com/about-airport/history
The problem is Congress keeps adding flights to DCA Reagan. https://marylandmatters.org/2024/05/15/faa-funding-bill-clears-u-s-house-boosting-flights-into-national-airport/

"Opponents said Washington National, also called DCA, already strains to safely handle the current level of air traffic in and ouf of the airport. Adding flights will only worsen the safety environment, they said.

But lawmakers from outside the D.C. area argued the additional flights would be a positive. Rep. Hank Johnson (D-Ga.) said they would add “connectivity and economic expansion.”

Rep. Burgess Owens (R-Utah) also applauded the extra flights.

“This legislation (was) designed not for one airport and one airline, but for all of us,” he said. “It gives more convenience, more opportunities to families traveling into Washington, D.C.”

DCA used to only handle flights 650 miles or less - then perimeter was expanded to 1250. And there are exceptions given by politicians to longer flights.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The contributing factors to this crash will never be fully addressed. The fundamental problem is the orientation of Runway 33 vis-a-vis military traffic on the east side of the Potomac. It’s past time that Runway 33 is closed. If that means DCA has to shed a few slots so be it. Plenty of capacity at IAD.

I'm PP on IAD. Runway 33 needs to be closed and DCA go back to 650 mile perimeter.