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https://nypost.com/2025/01/30/us-news/how-did-the-dc-crash-happen-experts- reveal-what-may-have-caused-deadly-collision/

WASHINGTON ù A short runway and intersecting flight paths with
precariously close altitude requirements may have played a role in
Wednesday nightÆs deadly collision of an American Airlines plane and a US
Army Black Hawk helicopter near Ronald Reagan National Airport, experts
told The Post.

Officials have not yet provided any causal information behind the crash ù
the deadliest aviation disaster in the US in more than two decades ù but Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said Thursday that the tragedy was ôabsolutelyö preventable.

The Post spoke to several aviation experts about a number of factors that
may have contributed to the fatal collision.

Originally built to shuffle VIPs into the nationÆs capital on private or government jets, Reagan is a smaller airport and the only one physically
in the district.

With a runway nearly half as long as the standard 13,000-foot runways of
other airports built to accommodate large commercial jets, landing is
tricky for incoming planes, according to former DC-based American Airlines pilot John Wright.

ôThe first few times you fly there, you usually are with [a fellow pilot]
whoÆs really experienced. HeÆs kind of talking through it, too,ö Wright
told The Post.

ôWhere you land on [runways] that are 13,000 feet long, youÆve got plenty
of room to play with. But at [Reagan] itÆs only 7,000 feet.ö

The shorter runway makes the descent difficult, creating the need for
pilots to be intensely focused, he said.

Air traffic controller audio captured operators warning the military
helicopter that it was getting close to American Airlines Flight 5342 and directing it to pass behind the passenger plane, which would have had the
right of way for the trickier landing.

ôItÆs such a challenging airport to land a jet airplane at your focus is
really on your airspeed, your altitude, your rate of descent,ö he said,
adding that ôthe last thing youÆre looking for is to see if somebodyÆs
crossing in your path.ö

Still, he insisted, ôitÆs totally possible to operate safely at Reagan International ù I did it for 50 years, of course.ö

In addition to the shorter runway, intersecting flight paths with close altitude requirements could have also played a role in the tragedy.

There are two flight paths ù one for helicopters and another for airplanes
ù that converge near the Reagan airport, according to an official flight
map.

Follow the NYPÆs coverage of the deadly DC plane collision

Military chopper, plane collision over DC was æabsolutelyÆ preventable,
new transportation boss says ù as officials confirm no survivors expected
Air traffic controllerÆs reaction to DC collision revealed in chilling
audio: æCrash, crash, crash, this is an alert threeÆ
DC chopper, plane crash live updates: No survivors expected after AA
flight collides with military helicopter in deadliest US crash since 2009 Timeline of air traffic controllers issuing warnings before American
Airlines plane, Black Hawk helicopter collision in DC
Trump says collision between American Airlines jet and Army helicopter
ælooks like it should have been preventedÆ
Helicopters are directed to fly no higher than 200 feet in their path,
while airplanes should be at roughly 500 feet, aircraft aviation attorney
and former pilot Jim Brauchle told The Post.

ôThat approach to that runway, the commercial aircraft published approach,
is to basically fly down the east side of the [Potomac] river and then
about a mile and a half from the touchdown, the aircraft would make this 50-degree turn to go land,ö he said.

ôAnd when it makes that turn, itÆs just under 500 feet, and then obviously
itÆs going to descend,ö he explained.

ôWell, thereÆs also a helicopter route that goes right down the river
thatÆs at or below 200 feet. And so youÆve got intersecting routes that
are apparently de-conflicted by, you know, only several hundred feet ù
which is not a lot of room for a margin of error.ö

WhatÆs more, Federal Aviation Administration rules allow pilots a standard 75-foot deviation from the prescribed altitudes, which could potentially
drop that margin even lower, Brauchle said.

ôHypothetically à thatÆs a 150-foot difference,ö he said.

ôIf thereÆs only initially going to be about a 200-foot separation, that
gets the [airplane and helicopter] within 50 feet of each other.ö

Wright said the helicopter regardless ôshould not have been crossing the
flight path at any altitude at that time.ö

ôSomehow something broke down between the helicopterÆs clearance to be
there and air traffic control tower,ö the former pilot surmised.

ôItÆs kind of seems like a very preventable accident that shouldnÆt have happened if normal procedures were followed.ö


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