Washington plane crash may happen due to air safety system lapses - NYT
Photo: The plane crash in Washington could have been the result of air safety system lapses (Getty Images)
According to flight records and internal reports, the plane crash in Washington may have resulted from the failure of several levels of the US aviation safety system, The New York Times (NYT) reports.
Before the crash, the passenger plane flew outside its approved flight path, and its pilots likely did not see the helicopter as they were turning toward the runway. At the same time, the air traffic controller was juggling two jobs at the same time and was unable to separate the routes of the helicopter and the plane.
Although the official cause of the crash has not yet been determined, there are already indications that both the pilots and air traffic controllers were not operating under optimal conditions.
According to a source at NYT, it is customary for a single person to handle both airplane and helicopter dispatch duties at the Reagan Airport after 9:30 p.m. local time when traffic typically decreases. However, on the day of the crash, these duties were assigned to one person before 9:30 p.m. The preliminary report by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) indicated that the staffing level was "not normal for the time of day and volume of traffic."
In addition, it is noted that the controller should have actively guided the helicopter and plane to fly as far apart as possible since darkness could have made it difficult for the pilots to assess the distance between them.
Other sources claim that the helicopter should have flown closer to the Potomac River's shore and lower to the ground. Instead, it ascended and was half a mile off its approved route before colliding with the plane.
"Safety lapses in aviation have been increasing for years, leading to an alarming pattern of close calls in the skies and at airports involving commercial airlines. They have occurred amid rising congestion at the country’s busiest airports, including Reagan National, where the frequent presence of military flights makes controlling traffic even more complicated," NYT added.
Washington plane crash
On January 29, a plane crash occurred near Ronald Reagan National Airport in Washington involving a passenger plane and a helicopter. It was later revealed that the plane was carrying 64 passengers, while the helicopter had three people on board.
Commenting on the crash, White House head Donald Trump stated that the helicopter had been heading directly toward the plane for a prolonged period, while the plane was on a perfect landing trajectory.
