At the time of the devastating crash, the PSA Airlines Bombardier CRJ700 regional jetliner was carrying 60 passengers and four crewmembers on board.
A former Royal Air Force (RAF) pilot has revealed that military aircraft are expected to “see and avoid” civilian traffic. In the wake of the horrific plane crash in which an American Airlines regional jet collided midair with an Army Black Hawk Wednesday night, George Bacon told BBC that military pilots enjoy more freedom with navigation in contrast to civilian airliners.
Former RAF pilot says military aircraft are expected to ‘see and avoid’ civilian traffic
“I've flown as a military pilot in the US and I'm somewhat familiar with the airspace around Washington DC. It's highly congested but civilian and military traffic share one radio frequency,” Bacon, who is a former RAF pilot and broadcaster, told the outlet. At the time of the devastating crash, the PSA Airlines Bombardier CRJ700 regional jetliner was carrying 60 passengers and four crewmembers on board.
He explained that military aircraft enjoy more freedom in navigation when compared to civilian flights. “The military regulate themselves and pilots can choose to fly where they want and need to. In controlled airspace like this, they would still have freedom to take avoiding action, but they would be following the direction of the controller. The emphasis is that they must look - it's known as ‘see and avoid,’” Bacon said.
As of 2:50 am ET, 19 bodies were recovered, according to CBS News. No survivors have been found so far. When asked about the radio traffic alerting the army pilot about the presence of the regional jetliner, Bacon told BBC, “It's standard for air traffic controllers to ask simply, ‘Do you see the aircraft?’ There would be a very clear instruction - so this would be down to the pilot of the military helicopter to avoid the commercial aircraft.”
“It's not unusual for military helicopters to be in such close proximity to commercial aircraft. Investigators will establish what's happened and if there are lessons to be learned, there will be an amendment to the procedures,” the ex-RAF pilot added. Moments before the deadly collision, an air traffic controller was heard asking the helicopter pilot if he had the American Airlines flight “in sight,” according to CNN.
Washington DC plane crash: Why Potomac rescue operation was difficult
Mid-air collision between a passenger jet and military helicopter leads to a tragic crash in Washington's Potomac River on Wednesday
A mid-air collision between a passenger jet carrying 64 flyers and a military helicopter led to a tragic crash into Washington's Potomac River on Wednesday evening, prompting a massive rescue operation in near-freezing conditions.
The collision occurred around 9 pm ET as the passenger aircraft approached Reagan National Airport after a flight from Wichita, Kansas.
US media, citing local sources, reported multiple bodies had been recovered, with CBS News saying at least 19, and NBC more than a dozen.
However, the authorities termed it one of the most difficult rescue operations given the temperature, weather, and darkness at the time of the crash.
Washington DC plane crash: Why Potomac search and rescue operation was difficult
Addressing a press briefing, Washington Fire chief John Donnelly described the operation as one carried out under “extremely rough” conditions and gave little indication they expected to find anyone alive.
"We will re-evaluate where we are with the rescue operation in the morning when we get a better sense of it," Donnelly said, adding, "But we are still out there working, and we're going to continue that throughout the night."
