2025 Potomac River mid-air collision

On January 29, 2025, American Airlines Flight 5342 and a United States Army Black Hawk helicopter collided in mid-air over the Potomac River in Washington, D.C. The collision occurred at 8:47 p.m. at an altitude of about 300 feet (100 m) and about one-half mile (800 m) short of the threshold of a runway at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. All 67 people aboard both aircraft were killed in the crash, including 64 passengers and crew on the airliner and the three crew of the helicopter.

DCA is a call sign for Reagan airport. I had to fucking google that!

[–] buckykat@hexbear.net 10 points 4 days ago (2 children)

What would this rotor act actually do? Ban the military from playing stupid helicopter games in the approach paths of airports?

[–] InevitableSwing@hexbear.net 13 points 4 days ago

Ban the military from playing stupid helicopter games

This is a democrat bill so maybe it's... Strongly suggest the military should not play stupid helicopter games in the approach paths of airports.

[–] stink@lemmygrad.ml 3 points 4 days ago (1 children)

This bill addresses aviation safety by increasing requirements for aircraft tracking and communication using Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) technology and expanding oversight.

As background, ADS-B for broadcasting (Out) and receiving (In) transmits information (e.g., location and weather information) between aircraft and air traffic control.

Under the bill, aircraft must generally operate with ADS-B In equipment to provide the aircraft with location information of other aircraft and traffic advisories. Current law does not require this equipment.

Current Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regulations allow aircraft performing a sensitive government mission to be excepted from requirements for using ADS-B Out equipment. This bill limits which flights may be considered sensitive government missions (e.g., not training flights) and requires additional reporting and notifications for the exception.

The Government Accountability Office must review the use of the ADS-B Out exception and the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) of the Department of Transportation must annually audit FAA oversight of operations that use the exception.

Further, the bill repeals a 2025 law that exempts certain military helicopters from the ADS-B Out requirements for the Washington, DC, metropolitan area.

The bill also requires

the OIG of the Army to audit the Army’s coordination with the FAA,

the FAA to establish an office to coordinate airspace usage of military aircraft and review the safety of flight operations and routes around airports, and

the FAA to enter into memoranda of understanding with military agencies for safety information sharing.

[–] buckykat@hexbear.net 4 points 4 days ago

I see, it requires the military to at least have their transponder on while they play stupid helicopter games in the approach paths of airports, unless they really don't want to

[–] PKMKII@hexbear.net 5 points 4 days ago* (last edited 4 days ago)

The inverse of John Kerry saying “National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing” instead of just NASCAR.