DCA - American Airlines passenger plane collides with Blackhawk over the Potomac River, all 67 on both dead, 29 Jan 2025

[dotr]

February 7, 2025

Black Hawk helicopter in D.C. plane crash had a safety system off, senator says

the Army Black Hawk helicopter that collided with an American Eagle flight over the Potomac River late last month was flying with a safety system turned off, Sen. Ted Cruz told reporters after a briefing from the FAA and NTSB.

www.cbsnews.com

"We don't know that at this time," Homendy said before describing the helicopter crew's mission. "This was a combined night vision goggle annual check ride."

ADS-B data is one of the data streams fed to air traffic controllers along with Center Radar and Approach Radar. It's fused together into a single display on controllers' screens.

Even without the ADS-B data, it has been revealed, the controller involved had a track on the helicopter that showed it at an altitude of 300 feet. The controller was in touch with the Black Hawk, which indicated it could see the plane and would maintain separation.

Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-WA) questioned last week why the FAA has allowed military flights with the ADS-B system turned off.''

What the Black Hawk Pilots Could See, Just Before the Crash

A 3-D model created by The Times visualizes the helicopter pilots’ field of view minutes before a fatal crash with a jet in Washington.

www.nytimes.com

 

[Sundog]

When D.C. firefighter Sean Wathen responded to the tragic midair collision over the Potomac River, he never expected to stand guard over a fallen hero. But as a former Marine, he recognized the flight suit of Staff Sgt. Ryan O’Hara and refused to leave his side for nearly four hours.

O’Hara, the crew chief of the Black Hawk helicopter that collided with an American Airlines flight near Reagan National Airport, was one of the first victims recovered ..... Wathen ensured his dignity was preserved until a military official arrived.

A memorial service at Fort Belvoir will honor O’Hara and the two other crew members lost in the crash, with firefighters, including Wathen, invited to attend.

Honoring a Fallen Soldier After Potomac Crash

This former Marine is a hero for standing over the remains of Staff Sgt. Ryan O'Hara and refusing to leave his side for nearly four hours in order to ensure his dignity was preserved until a military official arrived. I read somewhere online that this was incredibly meaningful to the family of Sgt. O'Hara, knowing that his remains were handled with such dignity and respect.

 

[dotr]

This former Marine is a hero for standing over the remains of Staff Sgt. Ryan O'Hara and refusing to leave his side for nearly four hours in order to ensure his dignity was preserved until a military official arrived. I read somewhere online that this was incredibly meaningful to the family of Sgt. O'Hara, knowing that his remains were handled with such dignity and respect.

Brought tears to my eyes, so tragic yet touchingly beautiful.

Firefighter guarded soldier's body for hours after recovery from Potomac

After a firefighter noticed one of the victims recovered from the Potomac River last week was a soldier, he stood guard over the body for hours.

www.nbcwashington.com

Probationary firefighter Sean Wathen — a former Marine — stands watch outside a van holding the body of Staff Sgt. Ryan O’Hara following the midair collision.

 

[Sundog]

Brought tears to my eyes, so tragic yet touchingly beautiful.

Firefighter guarded soldier's body for hours after recovery from Potomac

After a firefighter noticed one of the victims recovered from the Potomac River last week was a soldier, he stood guard over the body for hours.

www.nbcwashington.com

View attachment 563235
Probationary firefighter Sean Wathen — a former Marine — stands watch outside a van holding the body of Staff Sgt. Ryan O’Hara following the midair collision.

Me, too.

 

[meanmaryjean]

This former Marine is a hero for standing over the remains of Staff Sgt. Ryan O'Hara and refusing to leave his side for nearly four hours in order to ensure his dignity was preserved until a military official arrived. I read somewhere online that this was incredibly meaningful to the family of Sgt. O'Hara, knowing that his remains were handled with such dignity and respect.

Respectfully, there is no such thing as a "former Marine". Once a Marine, always a Marine. Semper Fi

 

[branmuffin]

This former Marine is a hero for standing over the remains of Staff Sgt. Ryan O'Hara and refusing to leave his side for nearly four hours in order to ensure his dignity was preserved until a military official arrived. I read somewhere online that this was incredibly meaningful to the family of Sgt. O'Hara, knowing that his remains were handled with such dignity and respect.

What is the assumption here? That the remains of other victims are not treated with respect?

 

[dalsglen]

@dotr that NY Times article is really informative. It really helped me understand it all better.

 

[Sundog]

Respectfully, there is no such thing as a "former Marine". Once a Marine, always a Marine. Semper Fi

Definitely let the media know!

 

[branmuffin]

Brought tears to my eyes, so tragic yet touchingly beautiful.

Firefighter guarded soldier's body for hours after recovery from Potomac

After a firefighter noticed one of the victims recovered from the Potomac River last week was a soldier, he stood guard over the body for hours.

www.nbcwashington.com

View attachment 563235
Probationary firefighter Sean Wathen — a former Marine — stands watch outside a van holding the body of Staff Sgt. Ryan O’Hara following the midair collision.

It says in this news article that O'Hara always wanted to be a pilot but couldn't get medical clearance. He was a pilot. A damned good one, I presume, if he was a training supervisor. I was reading the training is different but any helicopter pilot can transition to piloting a fixed wing aircraft. The medical conditions to prevent being a fixed wing pilot range from psychosis, alcoholism, drug dependency, epilepsy, myocardial infarction, diabetes to name a few. I think we can eliminate a lot of those circumstances. However, I was wondering about epilepsy. Sometimes seizures are triggered when someone has photosensitive epilepsy. Flashing lights and contrasting patterns of light and dark are known to trigger seizures. So I wondering if that's a possibility with O'Hara and why he may have been wearing night vision goggles. MOO

 

[kuromiiiilove]

It says in this news article that O'Hara always wanted to be a pilot but couldn't get medical clearance. He was a pilot. A damned good one, I presume, if he was a training supervisor. I was reading the training is different but any helicopter pilot can transition to piloting a fixed wing aircraft. The medical conditions to prevent being a fixed wing pilot range from psychosis, alcoholism, drug dependency, epilepsy, myocardial infarction, diabetes to name a few. I think we can eliminate a lot of those circumstances. However, I was wondering about epilepsy. Sometimes seizures are triggered when someone has photosensitive epilepsy. Flashing lights and contrasting patterns of light and dark are known to trigger seizures. So I wondering if that's a possibility with O'Hara and why he may have been wearing night vision goggles. MOO

An interesting thought. Epilepsy can be weird. I have temporal lobe epilepsy, and I am not susceptible to flashes of light. My seizures are triggered by repetitive/continuous sound and vibration - anything from a jet flying very low over my house (I’m sure the helicopter was very loud) to a tv show with a loud and continuous discordant/vibrating noise. It definitely could have played a role.

Eyesight immediately came to mind for me. He could have had poor eyesight and/or astigmatism. MOO

 

[Joe Friday]

It says in this news article that O'Hara always wanted to be a pilot but couldn't get medical clearance. He was a pilot. A damned good one, I presume, if he was a training supervisor. I was reading the training is different but any helicopter pilot can transition to piloting a fixed wing aircraft. The medical conditions to prevent being a fixed wing pilot range from psychosis, alcoholism, drug dependency, epilepsy, myocardial infarction, diabetes to name a few. I think we can eliminate a lot of those circumstances. However, I was wondering about epilepsy. Sometimes seizures are triggered when someone has photosensitive epilepsy. Flashing lights and contrasting patterns of light and dark are known to trigger seizures. So I wondering if that's a possibility with O'Hara and why he may have been wearing night vision goggles. MOO

BBM

O'Hara was not a pilot or training superviisor, he was the crew chief for the helicopter.

In the military, each aircraft has an assigned crew chief. A crew chief is an enlisted service member who oversees the aircraft to make sure all the maintenance is taken care of and the aircraft is ready to fly. Where the aircraft goes, the crew chief goes.

 

[branmuffin]

An interesting thought. Epilepsy can be weird. I have temporal lobe epilepsy, and I am not susceptible to flashes of light. My seizures are triggered by repetitive/continuous sound and vibration - anything from a jet flying very low over my house (I’m sure the helicopter was very loud) to a tv show with a loud and continuous discordant/vibrating noise. It definitely could have played a role.

Eyesight immediately came to mind for me. He could have had poor eyesight and/or astigmatism. MOO

A few years ago I was just sitting on my couch when all of a sudden my eyesight went really weird. All I could see were odd geometric shapes like looking through a kaleidoscope with no color. While it was happening I called my doctor and told her. It lasted for about 10 minutes or so then my eyesight went back to normal. I was scheduled for a EEG where electrodes were attached to my scalp and I had to watch all these weird light patterns because they were trying to trigger a seizure. After eliminating epilepsy they said I had experienced an aural migraine which I've had a couple of times since.

 

[branmuffin]

BBM

O'Hara was not a pilot or training superviisor, he was the crew chief for the helicopter.

In the military, each aircraft has an assigned crew chief. A crew chief is an enlisted service member who oversees the aircraft to make sure all the maintenance is taken care of and the aircraft is ready to fly. Where the aircraft goes, the crew chief goes.

Thank you for the clarification. However, I was reading an article where a former Black Hawk helicopter crew chief said this. " The pilots’ jobs are to fly the aircraft. The crew chief’s job is airspace surveillance and obstacle avoidance,” he said. “That’s the job of the crew chief, especially at the angle the Black Hawks will fly. They fly nose down just before the main road or to be able to pull it along. So, the pilots are looking straight ahead, looking down, or even looking in the aircraft for the tasks and duties they have to do.”

So whether O'Hara was a crew chief or a pilot he still sounded responsible for airspace surveillance. My suggestion his medical exemption was related to epilepsy is still MOO. Here's the link.

https://www.newsnationnow.com/travel/is-it-safe-time-fly-black-hawk/#:~:text=%E2%80%9CThe%20pilots'%20jobs%20are%20to,able%20to%20pull%20it%20along.

 

[SouthAussie]

What is the assumption here? That the remains of other victims are not treated with respect?

I think it is more of a military tradition ... to not leave the fallen soldier alone.
Even way back in 1921, a marine stood guard over the "Unknown Soldier" while the soldier was transported from Le Harve, France, to Washington, DC. The journey took 15 days. Link

imo

 

[x_files]

A few years ago I was just sitting on my couch when all of a sudden my eyesight went really weird. All I could see were odd geometric shapes like looking through a kaleidoscope with no color. While it was happening I called my doctor and told her. It lasted for about 10 minutes or so then my eyesight went back to normal. I was scheduled for a EEG where electrodes were attached to my scalp and I had to watch all these weird light patterns because they were trying to trigger a seizure. After eliminating epilepsy they said I had experienced an aural migraine which I've had a couple of times since.

and they are pretty scary when they happen!

 

[MadMcGoo]

Prepare to continue the discussion on a new thread.

 

[MadMcGoo]

Please continue the discussion on Thread #2.

Thread 'DCA - American Airlines passenger plane collides with Blackhawk over the Potomac River, all 67 on both dead, 29 Jan 2025 #2'

Jan 29, 2025

WASHINGTON - A small aircraft has crashed in the Potomac River near the vicinity of Reagan National Airport, according to officials.

Fireboats are currently on the scene as the response team works to manage the situation, D.C. Fire and Emergency Medical Services reported.

The details of the crash, including the cause and whether anyone was aboard, have not yet been confirmed. Emergency teams are actively engaged in rescue and recovery operations.

LIVE: DC plane crash near Reagan National Airport | FOX 5 DC

A multi-agency search and rescue operation is underway in the Potomac River after a small American Airlines aircraft collided with an Army helicopter near Reagan National Airport, authorities confirmed.

www.fox5dc.com

Thread #1

• MassGuy
• Replies: 81
• Forum: Up to the Minute

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