Following a mid-air collision involving a Black Hawk helicopter and a passenger plane near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA ), Sean Duffy, who was recently appointed as secretary of transportation under President Donald Trump, is facing growing scrutiny.
The Deadly Collision
When it collided with an American Airlines PSA plane trying to land, the Black Hawk aircraft, which is operated by the 12th Aviation Battalion from Fort Belvoir, Virginia, was attempting to land on an annual effectiveness coaching journey.
The National Capital Region receives complex save assistance from the 12th Aviation Battalion in the form of helicopter transport. At the time of the tragedy, both plane were apparently following common flight patterns.
The helicopter was in a regular pattern last night when it entered DCA and was coming in a regular flight pattern. So this was no unusual”.
— Sean Duffy, US Secretary of Transport
Yet, the reason why the military aircraft entered the traveler jet’s route remains unknown.
Witness and sound for air traffic control
The moment of impact is captured on EarthCam, with the plane merging with it in midair and igniting in flames.
Witnesses Ari Schulman, who was driving at the time, described how the plane appeared regular before it abruptly banked to the right, past 90 degrees, followed by a beautiful golden glow and a supply of flames.
Air traffic control sound from LiveATC. online, obtained by CNN, raises concerns about journey coordination:
- Air traffic controller:” Touch 2-5, do you have the CRJ in look”?
- Controller:” PAT 2-5, go behind the CRJ”.
- Helicopter captain:” PAT 2-5 has plane in view, request physical separation”.
Less than 13 hours later, the incident occurred. The tower’s consoles shook their hands and yelled shocked.
Concerns with Martial Investigations and Journey Security
The 12th Aviation Battalion is currently operating wait until a full investigation identifies whether the helicopter was in the right air corridor and level at the time of the collision, according to Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth’s announcement following the crash.
However, Duffy is facing severe strain over his management of air transportation safety regulations, particularly in one of the busiest airspaces in the country.
Sean Duffy Under Fire
Duffy is in charge of overseeing regional aircraft safety standards as secretary of transportation, and critics claim that his answer has understated the severity of the crash. As concerns about military and civilian aircraft coordination rage, Duffy is being asked to evaluate air traffic management methods to stop tragedies from happening again.
At Reagan National Airport, all ascents and crossings were postponed until 11 a.m. on Thursday, with passengers being advised to examine with flights for delays and cancellations.
As studies continue, Duffy’s ability to lead the Department for Transport is being called into question, with reviewers demanding a complete transparency report on what went wrong in Washington’s stars.
