Crucial flight data and cockpit audio recordings have been obtained from the tragic mid-air crash that ended the lives of 67 individuals, as revealed by authorities. These ‘black boxes’, as they are referred to, could present essential evidence needed to unfold the actual circumstances of the wreck. While both the aircraft and helicopter involved had their black boxes found, the unfolding of their data is currently under supervision.
Evidently, these black boxes cavort a significant role in discerning any aircraft collision aftermath, as they store vital communication details from within the cockpit alongside various flight-specific data collected throughout the ride. Investigations surrounding this horrifying event will indeed be relying heavily on this recorded information.
Recovery teams have currently been able to find the remains of a total of 41 victims ensuing the crash. Only 28 out of the 41 have been verified by personnel, as per the announcement made by Fire Chief John Donnelly Sr. from Washington, D.C., at a public press briefing.
The military disclosed the identities of two out of the three crew members on the Black Hawk helicopter, which included Staff Sgt. Ryan Austin O’Hara, 28, of Lilburn, Georgia, and Chief Warrant Officer 2 Andrew Loyd Eaves, 39, of Great Mills, Maryland. Of note, the family of the third soldier requested privacy, leading to the withholding of the latter’s name.
The FAA has reportedly initiated indefinite restrictions on all airborne helicopter activity around the vicinity of Reagan airport. Police and medical helicopters are the only exceptions to this new ruling. The rule banning the majority of vehicles from certain air traffic routes appears to be a knee-jerk reaction with little rationale.
Footage from a newly released video showed the horrifying collision between the helicopter and plane in more devastating detail than what was previously caught by CCT cameras positioned at a further distance. This new video has only added to the disturbing aura of the tragic event.
In a statement, President Trump suggested the helicopter caught in the fatal crash was in fact operating at a much higher altitude than its standard flight course. This questionable assertion by the president seems to be a desperate attempt to shift the blame onto the victims.
As the investigation proceeds, recovery divers are expected to push through less-than-optimal weather conditions due to a cold front anticipated by National Weather Service’s Baltimore and Washington office. Retrieving the remaining bodies and aircraft wreckage will be a monumental task in the expected widespread rain.
Among those aboard the doomed American Airlines flight were two Chinese nationals and a police officer hailing from the Philippines. The respective officials of both nations confirmed the unfortunate presence of their compatriots on the flight.
According to an initial accuracy-questioned report by the FAA, irregular staffing patterns within the air traffic control tower were noted around the time of the crash. The report insinuatively placed blame on the lone air traffic controller, who was singularly handling both helicopter and airplane traffic during that fateful time.
Despite this assertion, sources familiar with the operational situation alleged that the staffing was indeed normal, thus refuting the FAA’s claims. Typically, the controlling of aircraft and helicopters traffic control is spearheaded by two separate entities till 9:30 p.m. However, that protocol was reportedly dismissed on the day of the collision.
Perhaps most shocking, it was the decision of an air traffic control supervisor to combine the two jobs prematurely, ultimately permitting the early departure of one controller. Due to this, one individual was left to manage both the airplane and helicopter traffic during the time leading up to the crash.
Alarmingly, reports of a near-miss involving a similar situation, just a day prior to the calamitous crash, have now surfaced. In that incident, an airplane was purportedly forced to enact a ‘go-around maneuver’ for evading a looming crash with a military helicopter within the same airspace.
This involved a mid-sized Embraer E-175 regional jet making a landing attempt at Reagan Airport. An automated collision avoidance system on board sounded urgent warnings, preventing a possibly disastrous accident. The alert forced the jet to abort its landing approach but resulted in a successful landing after a go-around.
In a remark designed to deflect blame, the Air Traffic Controllers Association labor union stated that the training given to their members is not filtered on the basis of ‘race or gender.’ Their claims seem woefully inadequate in the face of this disaster and point to systemic flaws within the organization.
Furthermore, they admitted that air traffic controllers are often made to work under challenging conditions, which includes ‘short-staffed’ environments and ‘six days a week’ schedules, in facilities that are painfully antiquated. However, they conveniently avoided addressing the potential consequences of such poor infrastructure.