Recent Tragedies in US Airspace

February 4, 2025
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accident, ATC, FAA, investigation, midair, pilot

Recent Tragedies in US Airspace

Recent Tragedies in US Airspace

Well, Folks, it’s been a tough week in aviation.

Not only one, but two, high profile aviation accidents has caught the world’s attention. This, after 15 years of nonfatal airline accidents in the United States.

Today, I shall briefly address a few factors which may have contributed to each tragedy.

Disclaimer

As always, in no way do I intend to finger point, armchair quarterback, or even draw final conclusions. Investigations are obviously ongoing as we speak, and any Probable Causes and Contributing Factors will take months to be published.

Ultimately, ALL that we discuss here will be pure speculation.

My only motivation for addressing these possible factors, is to learn from them so that we, as pilots, can more safely navigate our beloved skies.

Recent Tragedies in US Airspace

American Eagle Flight 5342 and Black Hawk Midair Collision

From Wikipedia:

On January 29, 2025, PSA Airlines Flight 5342 (operated as American Eagle Flight 5342), a Bombardier CRJ700 airliner, collided mid-air with a Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter of the United States Army (Call sign PAT25 —Cap’n Aux) over the Potomac River a half-mile (0.8 km) from the approach end of runway 33 of Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Arlington, Virginia (Airport identifier KDCA, or DCA—Cap’n Aux).

All 67 people on board both aircraft were killed in the crash (64 on the airliner, 3 on the helicopter).

My gut instinct says that the Black Hawk may be mostly at fault, not having the actual RJ in sight. Again, many contributing factors probably play a part.

The Black Hawk:

May have been on a training mission, meaning an inexperienced pilot, and a possibly saturated instructor.
Pilots may have been wearing NV (Night Vision) goggles. Some speculate that the bright lights of the RJ’s landing lights may have blinded them.
Was talking on UHF (Ultra High Frequency, which military uses), while the RJ would have been talking on the local Tower VHF (Very High Frequency.) In other words, the two craft would not have been hearing each other’s transmissions.
ATC often asks if one craft has another “in sight.” If the craft reports that they do, then the liability for separation falls on that aircraft. On the VHF audio tape (posted below), ATC says: “PAT25, do you have a CRJ in sight?” While we don’t hear the answer (UHF), it sounds like the pilot said, “Affirmative,” because ATC then says: “PAT25, pass behind the CRJ.”
At night, it is easy to mistake one blinking light for another. The Black Hawk may have thought had the RJ in sight, but saw a different plane instead. (I have flown with many pilots who simply refuse to call a plane “in sight” at night. I admit, there is some wisdom to their methods.)

The RJ:

Appears to have been on short final to Runway 33. This is a shorter runway, but frequently used by RJs and other regionals.
Was assigned 33 at the last minute by the Tower controller, as opposed to landing on the longer Runway 01. While not in itself hazardous, this last-minute change set up the flight path for the pending midair.
It may be noted that the previous RJ refused Runway 33 by saying, “Unable,” and was subsequently cleared to land on Runway 01. Again, either option is not in itself hazardous; each pilot has the option to accept or decline a clearance.

Below: Audio tape of the accident, and the aftermath. Warning: Not for the faint-hearted!

Credit: TMZ.

Recent Tragedies in US Airspace

Other Possible Factors

TCAS, or Terminal Collision Avoidance Systems, have been a safety game-changer in the aviation industry. Each TCAS box “talks” to other nearby aircraft. When a conflict occurs, the TCAS commands one to climb, and the other to descend. For some reason, this failed. It may be that the Black Hawk did not have TCAS (I don’t know military machines), or if they had it, it may have been turned off.
There is also apparently a discrepancy between reported altitudes of each plane, which may point to possible equipment error. If one TCAS thought it was at a different altitude, it may not have properly reported a conflict to the pilots. Again, all speculation at this point.
It’s reported that there was a personnel shortage at the time of the accident, and one controller had been allowed to leave early that night. While this may or may not be a contributing factor, it is certainly an issue that will be scrutinized.
Speaking of ATC personnel, there has been an ongoing controversy regarding whether there are enough controllers staffing our nation’s ATC system. This tragedy will certainly highlight this controversy.

Below: A very closeup video of the accident. Again, not for the faint-hearted!

Credit: NBC News NOW.

A Word About "DEI"

In his opening remarks after the tragedy, President Trump mentioned that he believed DEI (“Diversity, Equity and Inclusion”) may have been a casual factor. Recently, he issued an Executive Order banning all DEI offices and hiring practices in the government.

Politics aside, while DEI may or may not have been a factor in this particular case, I wholeheartedly agree that it has NO PLACE in aviation, or any safety-critical industry.

Absurdly, this is precisely what the FAA has been doing since the Obama era, until the current Administration took over!

"Diversity is integral to achieving FAA’s mission…They include...epilepsy, severe intellectual disability, psychiatric disability....”

Obama-era FAA hiring mandate

Hiring on the basis of race, gender, or any other arbitrary, superficial feature is simply absurd. We need a merit-based hiring and training policy, PERIOD. Only the BEST people in the most safety-critical positions!

Would you prefer your heart surgeon to be the best in the country, or simply one who’s skin has the “proper” melanin content?

I rest my case!

Here’s a link to a good video with comments from a Black Hawk Pilot Instructor:

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X3PtOdR_VCc

Recent Tragedies in US Airspace

Learjet Explosion and Crash in PHL

Short on the heels of the DCA midair tragedy, we also sadly lost an Air Evac medical flight when it appears to have exploded and crashed into a crowded Philadelphia shopping mall.

From Wikipedia:

Med Jets Flight 056 was a medevac flight from Northeast Philadelphia Airport to Tijuana International Airport…On January 31, 2025, the Learjet 55 operated by Med Jets SA de CV on behalf of Jet Rescue Air Ambulance crashed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, shortly after takeoff, killing all on board.

Six people, including a young female patient and her mother, were on board. The aircraft struck multiple buildings and vehicles during the incident, which caused a fire and explosions, killing one person on the ground.

A lot less to go on for this one, so once again, pure speculation here. But my gut tells me something exploded on the plane itself. Not a bomb, but more like medical equipment, such as an oxygen tank. In fact, it’s been reported that just such a tank was found in a separate location from the crash.

The Learjet 55:

is a workhorse, with a very safe reputation.
Medevac flights are routine, but can occasionally be more hazardous than standard flights. That said, precautions are always taken—or, are supposed to be taken.

Sadly, that’s really all I have so far for this one. Hopefully answers will come soon.

Recent Tragedies in US Airspace

Takeaways

If I may, a couple, quick general conclusions for you piloty types to ponder:

When you call a plane “in sight,” be DANG SURE it’s the one you’re supposed to have!
At night, be doubly sure!
When in doubt, DON’T call something “In sight!”
While the following was apparently not a factor in this midair, DCA Runways 01/19 and 33/15 are easily mistaken for one another. Even I did that once! (Fortunately my astute FO slapped me upside the head and said, “Hey, Dummy! wrong runway!”)
THOROUGHLY PREFLIGHT your machine! For the Medevac folks, this also means all medical equipment.

When people ask you if air travel is safe, tell them this:

Air travel is the safest form of travel ever invented by man—even safer than walking!
It is magnitudes safer than driving your car.
You are 7 times more likely to be struck by lighting than die in a plane.
Your bathtub is much more dangerous than any plane!

My wife Bunny and I extend our deepest condolences to our fellow aviation brothers and sisters, and loved ones left behind in these horrific tragedies. Indeed, the victims' stories have been heartbreaking!

Recent Tragedies in US Airspace

Hemisphere Dancing Report

Let’s lighten it up a bit, shall we?

WINNING!

CONGRATULATIONS to Blog Buddy and Team Aux photographer John “Otto Pilot” Keith, for winning this year’s FAA Team Rep, for ASAG, the Arizona Aviation Safety Advisory Group!

Our intrepid John won last year’s AZ Instructor of the Year award as well!

As you may recall, I met John through this blog, when he contacted me for advice on whether to change careers and follow his dream of flying.

Well, I think we can all say he made the right choice!

A Passage to Tokyo—Redux!

This past month, I got to fly the DFW-NRT run to Tokyo’s Narita Airport. As I chronicled in a recent post, my original Tokyo trips were from JFK to Tokyo HND (Haneda) Airport.

Once again, I got to meet up with college buddy Akira, and a good time was had by all!

Our trip over New Years included a visit to a local Shinto Buddhist temple, where throngs of people visited for wishes and blessings for the new year!

We also got to visit the fabled “Jet Lag Club,” a crew favorite!

Had a great time–tho my team lost our foosball game!

On my last trip to NRT, I made sure to take a picture with Aki—in the same pose that we took 43 years ago!!

Finally, here’s a pic from Jumpseater Joe, showing us with a 200 knot tailwind, which gave us a whopping 700 knot groundspeed—the fastest I think I’ve ever flown!

Quora Question Quorner

Wherein I answer all of your aviation questions at

https://capnauxsspace.quora.com

In the Headlines

Needless to say, I’ve received multiple questions regarding the recent tragedies. While I pretty much addressed all issues in this post, here’s a few: