This represents the best explanation that I have heard about the mid-air crash that killed 67 people near Reagan National Airport this week. This explanation comes from a retired Colonel in the Army who was a Blackhawk helicopter pilot and also served as a crew chief for Blackhawks.
There are many reports floating around about the mistakes made in this tragic crash. At this point we know the chopper was flying too high. We know the Control Tower was short of air controllers. We know that one controller was doing the job of two. It has been suggested that the Blackhawk was off course as well.
It has also been suggested that DEI could have been at fault whether this involved the pilots, flight commanders on the ground, or the air traffic controllers. Perhaps the investigation will conclude this or rule it out. Was terrorism involved? Again an impartial investigation should uncover the facts.
Here is a possible explanation from an expert and the quick take is that the chopper was short a needed crew member.
*The single-greatest error in this accident was the decision to fly without a second Crew Chief on the left-hand side of the Blackhawk, who could have provided an extra set of eyes to “look out-and-up” to see the approaching American Airlines Passenger plane.
*Night Vision Goggle (NVG) flights result in a sort-of “tunnel vision” for all who wear the NVGs and normal policy in many Army flight units is to force a full crew of 2 pilots and 2 crew chiefs for all NVG flights, so that you always have “eyes out” to both sides of the aircraft, when flying in those conditions. While not mandatory, it is the proper safety call, especially when flying in the vicinity of a busy, major airport such as Reagan Airport (DCA). No matter how competent the pilots and Crew Chiefs may be, this flight needed a second Crew Chief on the left side of the chopper.
*The front-left pilot, even if not wearing Night Vision Goggles, would still have limited visibility out the left door, and if that pilot is busy with radio calls, or referencing the map/GPS, that pilot could get consumed by work inside the cockpit, instead of looking out and around.
*Flight Unit Leadership failed to recognize the need for a second Crew Chief in the Mission Planning and Risk Assessment Process. This is where either incompetence, or DEI (or both), may have come into play. This was certainly poor leadership.
*Known mistakes by the Blackhawk Flight Crew point to a lack of experience and/or competence. We’ve heard in the media that both pilots were “experienced.” This is just not true. Someone is “blowing smoke” to the media, to President Trump, and to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, to “cover their ass.” The collective level of experience of the pilots was not impressive. Their level of experience is like comparing a rookie in the NFL to a second-year player. The pilot had the experience of a second-year player, while the co-pilot was a rookie. This was NOT an experienced crew to be flying at night, near a major airport, without a second crew chief.
*Radio calls were not responded to by the Blackhawk crew, and they flew at 350 Feet above ground level (AGL), whereas reports say they were supposed to fly at 200 Feet AGL. These two mistakes alone show that the crew were not as experienced or professional as reported to President Trump, Defense Secretary Hegseth, or the media.
*The Instructor Pilot may have been too inexperienced for this “Annual Evaluation” flight, as mistakes were clearly made during the course of the flight (that are assumed to have been made by the junior pilot being evaluated). Why didn’t the Instructor Pilot notice they were flying too high and off course? That points to his lack of experience. If there had been a second Crew Chief, he could have noticed these mistakes and warned the pilots.
*The Flight Unit Commanders must share the blame, and they’re still alive! There is a 12th Aviation Battalion commander of that B Company, and I don’t know who that is, but this individual was the first leader in the chain of events for the Mission Plan and Risk Assessment to get signed off and approved. This B Company commander should be asked why they did not enforce a second Crew Chief to be on that flight.
*Accident sequences for these types of accidents begin in “Mission Planning,” when first selecting the time you will fly, where you will fly for the Annual Evaluation, and what crew members will be on the flight. Any of the Leaders in that unit’s Chain of Command could have demanded that this flight have two Crew Chiefs aboard the aircraft, due to NVG flying conditions, plus the busy airspace of Reagan airport.
*An experienced, thoughtful leader knows when to “raise the standard” and force the mission to have that second Crew Chief aboard the aircraft. This was clearly one of those moments, and both the B Company Commander and the 12th Aviation Battalion Commander failed to see through this risk problem and impose their own “Risk Reduction” to include a second Crew Chief to manage the left-hand side of the Blackhawk.
*In my opinion, even with all these mistakes that were made, a Crew Chief on the left side of the Blackhawk would still have saved them in that last 20 seconds when that American Airlines flight was approaching on the left-hand side. A Crew Chief in that seat would have warned the pilots to turn and descend immediately.
Normally the NTSB is responsible for these kinds of investigations. I am not sure just who has overall jurisdiction of the investigation at this moment on time.
Prior to the Clinton administration the head of the NTSB was an airline safety expert and the NTSB was known as a premier, high-quality organization that would put the pieces back together and ferret out the needed responses to the tragedy.
Bill Clinton politicized the agency by appointing a non-transportation person to this job. This resulted in the abortion of an investigation into the shooting down of TWA 800 off the South Shore of Long Island on July 17, 1996. Over 700 witnesses saw a rocket and over 250 witnesses were deemed highly credible by an FBI which was not yet so politicized at that point to say otherwise.
That story was buried by the NYTimes and the lead investigator. After all, Bill Clinton was running for a second term at that time and an airliner shot down just off our coast would have torpedoed that.
What will happen here? Factual answers are needed. Will the public be provided such answers?