Identifying the Implications of the Decline of the U.S. Air Transportation Industry in the Early Stages of an Aircraft Collision

On Thursday morning, President Donald Trump appeared to place the blame for a midair collision that killed 67 people on the previous administration’s approach to hiring aviation professionals. But experts and investigators involved with the crash, which also involved a military helicopter, say the next few weeks will see investigators pore over every element of the crash, and the moments leading up to it, to determine the causes.

The NTSB has promised to release more factual information Friday. In fact, the second day of a typical airplane disaster investigation yields plenty of new information. The NTSB says its initial preliminary report should be completed in 30 days.

It’s been nearly 60 hours since an American Airlines regional jet and U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter collided in mid-air as the jet attempted to land at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.

In a White House briefing Thursday morning, Trump pointed to a program that also existed through his first administration aimed at expanding the talent pool for the US Federal Aviation Administration to individuals with disabilities. There was no proof, he admitted, that the crash was linked to the FAA’s attempts to improve diversity in its workforce. He said that it was due to his common sense that he made the connection.

In a press briefing, NTSB board member J. Todd Inman said at least seven different working groups will focus on different elements of the flights, made up of federal investigators as well as representatives from the military, aircraft manufacturers, and organizations representing aviation professionals.

An operations group will look into the history of the accident and the crew involved. A group will look at the scene of the crash and the body of the plane to see what the trajectory of the aircraft was before the collision. Someone will go in on the engines. Others will examine onboard hydraulic, electrical, and pneumatic systems, as well as flight control instruments. A group will look specifically at the role of air traffic control, using recordings and sensor data to determine how professionals at National Airport reacted to the incident. Another will examine the reactions of first responders, and another will examine the helicopter in particular. A group of people will be embedded in those organizations to look at what role crew fatigue, workload, medication, equipment, and training may have played in the collision.

Questions about potential errors by helicopter flight crews, and the finger-pointing by the president about DEi policies at the FAA are some of the things that happened Thursday.

Other news outlets have focused on an apparent Federal Aviation Administration report that flagged “unusual staffing levels” at the DCA tower — noting controllers sometimes work two frequencies or cover two flight sectors. This is not atypical at airports late in the evening when fewer flights exist. It’s not ideal, but not dangerous.

A Jet Collision at the DCA Airport: Why Did The Regional Pilots CHOOSE a Different Runway? What Did the Pilot Tell Us About It?

A pilot can accept or reject the request. This flight crew accepted the change and were about to land on runway 33 when the collision happened.

There’s a debate over whether or not the regional jet pilots were switched to a different runway before trying to land at DCA. This happens at busy airports every day and is not unusual nor unsafe.

There’s a way for airplanes to be placed onto runways. Different planes are flying at different speeds. Sometimes a jet is moving too quickly or too slowly and it creates an accordion effect. That’s when a flight controller will suggest an alternate runway to create a better sequence of arrivals.

Information we’ve learned in the past day helps us understand what happened. There have been many rumors about routine aviation operations.