A midair tragedy last night in Washington by Craig Fuller

I have flown airplanes since the age of 17, logging over 5,000 hours of flight as the pilot in command of aircraft from two-seat fabric-covered airplanes to business jet aircraft. Hence, when something happens like the tragedy experienced over the Potomac River – something extraordinarily rare – people ask, “what happened?”

Like all pilots, I have an aversion to speculation because there is much to be learned and the early speculation is often shown to be in error.

That said, there are a number of known factors. I am certain that our air traffic system is the safest in the world. It was yesterday, and it is today. One of the reasons is that the aviation community looks into every incident to learn from it as a means of correcting any circumstances that can prevent future accidents.

So, here are some of the known factors:

Weather

It was a clear night in Washington, D.C. Ironically, that is a significant factor. Had there been low overcast, the training mission for the helicopter would likely not have been conducted. Also, the commercial jet was established on a long approach to a long runway at Reagan National and the controllers asked the pilots to shift to a shorter runway. In clear weather with visual conditions, that is not unusual, but it increases the workload on the pilots as they are on a short approach to the landing. Lastly, on a clear night, near the ground the bright lights can make spotting other aircraft challenging.

Flight Paths

It is being stated by officials that both aircraft were on standard flight paths. If this proves correct, it means the pilots were not in error navigating their respective aircraft.

Through flight tracking and listening to air traffic controllers, it is evident that there were numerous arrivals and departures being conducted at Reagan National. It is also the case that the commuter aircraft flew a standard pattern and was on final approach to the longest runway at the airport. The controllers, likely working to manage air traffic flow, asked the commercial pilot if he could accept the shorter Runway (known as 33). The pilot accepted the request. There is no error in doing this, but it means that near the ground, the two pilots in the cockpit would be reconfiguring their systems for a new approach to landing. Under any approach to landing, it is busy in the cockpit with attention focused on making judgements associated with the landing.

There is equipment onboard to warn of other aircraft in the area; however, near the ground with multiple aircraft in the air and busy with adjusting to the new runway, pilots may well not have seen a risk with indicators of traffic near them.

Communication with the Helicopter

Reports indicate that there were three people onboard the military helicopter. It is also reported to have been flying around 300 feet above the ground. Again, on a clear night in busy airspace, it is challenging to monitor air traffic.

Then came a warning from air traffic control to the helicopter pilot that there was a commercial jet ahead of them on approach to landing. The helicopter pilot replied that the aircraft was in sight and they would maintain visual separation.

One reality, since the beginning of flight with more than one aircraft in the air, is that pilots do not hit what they can see. It is not known yet, but I suspect the helicopter pilot identified an aircraft other than the one the air traffic controller was warning him about. Indeed it was only seconds later that the collision occurred.

Like virtually all tragedies involving aircraft, there is not just one reason for the incident. It is also true that if just one factor was removed from the events that transpired (e.g. the runway change did not occur; or, the volume of traffic was less), perhaps there would have been no collision.

It should be said that there has been consistent pressure on Reagan National to accept more flights into and out of the airport. Ironically, one Member of Congress stated last night that he had lobbied to get American to fly the route from Wichita in to Washington.

So, there remains much to be studied in the days and weeks ahead. Clearly, there was a failure resulting in tragic consequences. What we must do is rely upon the facts and learn from them how to reduce the risk of accidents on clear nights in busy airspace.

Craig Fuller served four years in the White House as assistant to President Reagan for Cabinet Affairs, followed by four years as chief of staff to Vice President George H.W. Bush. Having been engaged in five presidential campaigns and running public affairs firms and associations in Washington, D.C., he now resides on the Eastern Shore and publishes DECADE SEVEN on Substack.u