Latest news with #American Airlines
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- General
- Yahoo
NTSB finds Army chopper in fatal midair crash was above altitude limit
Investigators probing the January midair collision of a passenger plane and an Army helicopter over Washington that killed 67 people found the chopper was flying higher than it should have been and the altitude readings were inaccurate. The details came out of the first day of National Transportation Safety Board hearings in Washington, where investigators aim to uncover insights into what caused the crash between the American Airlines plane from Wichita, Kansas, and the Black Hawk helicopter over Ronald Reagan National Airport. The board opened the three days of hearings by showing an animation and playing audio and video from the night of the collision, as well as questioning witnesses and investigators about how the Federal Aviation Administration and the Army may have contributed to nation's deadliest plane crash since November 2001. It's likely too early for the board to identify what caused the crash. The January incident was the first in a string of crashes and near misses this year that have alarmed officials and the traveling public, despite statistics that still show flying remains the safest form of transportation. Animation, altimeter discrepancy The hearing opened Wednesday with a video animation showing where the helicopter and airliner were leading up to the collision. It showed how the helicopter flew above the 200 feet (61 meters) altitude limit on the helicopter route along the Potomac River before colliding with the plane. Investigators said Wednesday the flight data recorder showed the helicopter was actually 80 feet to 100 feet (24 to 30 meters) higher than the barometric altimeter the pilots relied upon showed they were flying. So the NTSB conducted tests on three other helicopters from the same unit in a flight over the same area and found similar discrepancies in their altimeters. Dan Cooper with Sikorsky helicopters said that when the Black Hawk helicopter involved in the crash was designed in the 1970s, it used a style of altimeter that was common at the time. Newer helicopters have air data computers that didn't exist back then that help provide more accurate altitude readings. Chief Warrant Officer Kylene Lewis told the board that she wouldn't find an 80 to 100 foot discrepancy between the different altimeters on a helicopter alarming because at lower altitudes she would be relying more on the radar altimeter than the barometric altimeter. Below 500 feet (152 meters), Lewis said she would be checking both instruments and cross referencing them. DC helicopter route permanently closed after fatal Black Hawk crash She said as long as an altimeter registers an altitude within 70 feet of the published altitude before takeoff the altimeter is considered accurate under the checklists. Army officials said a discrepancy of 70 to 100 feet (21 to 30 meters) between the Black Hawk's altimeters is within the acceptable range because pilots are expected to maintain their altitude plus or minus 100 feet. The greater concern is that the FAA approved routes around Reagan airport that included such small separation distances between helicopters and planes when planes are landing. 'The fact that we have less than 500 foot separation is a concern for me,' the Army's Scott Rosengren said. But Rosengren said that 'if he was king for a day' he would immediately retire all the older Black Hawk models like the one involved in this crash and replace them with newer versions of the helicopters. Previously, NTSB Chairwoman Jennifer Homendy highlighted that the published helicopter routes around Washington D.C. would allow planes and helicopters to routinely come within 75 feet of each other during landing. Army officials said Wednesday that the flight manual for these older Black Hawks doesn't highlight the discrepancies in altimeters that has been documented previously, but typical flight separations are at least 500 feet (152 meters) around airports. Previously disclosed air traffic control audio had the helicopter pilot telling the controller twice that they saw the airplane and would avoid it. The animation ended with surveillance video showing the helicopter colliding with the plane in a fiery crash. Investigations have already shown the FAA failed to recognize a troubling history of 85 near misses around Reagan airport in the years before the collision, and that the Army's helicopters routinely flew around the nation's capitol with a key piece of locating equipment, known as ADS-B Out, turned off. Aviation attorney Bob Clifford, who is working to file one of the first lawsuits against the government next month, said he hopes NTSB will look beyond the immediate factors that caused this crash to highlight the bigger ongoing concerns in the crowded Washington airspace. Proposed changes Even though the final NTSB report won't be released until sometime next year, U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz introduced legislation Tuesday to require all aircraft operators to use both forms of ADS-B, or Automatic Dependent Surveillance Broadcast, the technology to broadcast aircraft location data to other planes and air traffic controllers. Most aircraft today are equipped with ADS-B Out equipment but the airlines would have to add the more comprehensive ADS-B In technology to their planes. 'There cannot be a double standard in aviation safety,' Cruz said. 'We should not tolerate special exceptions for military training flights, operating in congested air space.' The legislation would revoke an exemption on ADS-B transmission requests for Department of Defense aircrafts. It also would require the FAA to evaluate helicopter routes near airports and require the Army Inspector General to review the Army's aviation safety practices. Homendy said her agency has been recommending that move for decades after several other crashes. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said that while he'd like to discuss 'a few tweaks,' the legislation is 'the right approach.' He also suggested that the previous administration 'was asleep at the wheel' amid dozens of near-misses in the airspace around Washington's airspace. 'Fact-finding proceeding' Homendy said the hearings over the next few days will be a 'fact-finding proceeding.' The NTSB will also post thousands of pages of evidence from the crash investigation online. FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford said that he expects 'we're going to have some very uncomfortable conversations over the next two and a half days' but that 'they need to be had in the clear light of day – and simply put the best interest of the traveling public ahead of any of our personal interests, perhaps.' The hearings in Washington involve NTSB board members, investigators and witnesses for organizations involved in the crash. Federal officials have also raised concerns over the nation's outdated and understaffed air traffic control system. During January's mid-air crash above Washington, one controller was handing both commercial airline and helicopter traffic at the busy airport. Associated Press writers Leah Askarinam, Ben Finley and Rio Yamat contributed to this story.
Fox News
6 hours ago
- Fox News
NTSB launches 3-day investigative hearing on deadly DC plane crash
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is launching a three-day hearing on the deadly plane crash that took place in Washington, D.C., in January. The crash, which involved an Army helicopter and an American Airlines passenger jet, claimed the lives of 67 people. The NTSB is expected to question witnesses and investigators about the actions of the Federal Aviation Administration, air traffic controllers and the Army, according to the Associated Press. The outlet noted that it's likely too early for NTSB to conclusively determine what caused the devastating crash. In normal operating conditions, air traffic control for helicopters and planes at Reagan National Airport is handled by two operators. However, on Wednesday, the duties were combined, leaving just one person to manage both duties, The New York Times reported. The outlet, citing a source who was not authorized to speak publicly, noted that there is usually only one air traffic controller after 9:30 PM, but a supervisor let one leave early. The midair collision that left 67 dead occurred just before 9:00 PM local time. However, a person familiar with the matter explained to Fox News Digital that the positions get combined regularly if air controllers have to step away from the console for breaks, or if they are involved in a shift change. Controllers may also have to step away when air traffic is light, the person explained, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss internal procedures.
Yahoo
11 hours ago
- General
- Yahoo
They lost their son in the Reagan National Airport midair collision. Now, they're fighting for aviation safety in his honor
January 29 started with such promise. Sheri Lilley visited a wedding venue in Savannah, Georgia, where her stepson Sam and his fiancee Lydia Coles were looking to get married. The date was already set: October 4, 2025. Sheri thought to herself, 'This is so fortunate. This place is perfect. It's going to work out great.' Sam was a commercial airline pilot on a trip, so Sheri asked Lydia to talk with him about the venue when he got back to their home in Charlotte. But several hours later their lives were shattered when a passenger plane collided with a Black Hawk helicopter flying over the Potomac River. Texts and calls went unanswered. No word from Sam. Sam's father, Tim, who is also a pilot, joined Sheri and Lydia on a group phone call. Everyone was in tears. They knew, even without official confirmation, something horrible had happened. 'I uttered the words to (Lydia), 'A plane has crashed in DC. We think it was Sam,'' Sheri said, still haunted by that night. Twenty-eight-year-old Sam Lilley died in January's midair collision, the deadliest plane crash in the US in 24 years. He was the first officer flying the CRJ-700 for PSA Airways, a regional carrier for American Airlines. Sixty-four people were onboard, including Sam and Captain Jonathan Campos. Three soldiers onboard the Army helicopter were also killed. That cold, devastating night would change the Lilley's lives forever. Telling the story of Sam When Tim and Sheri share their story, there are no longer many tears. They've shed so many in the six months since January 29 and dealt with the trauma as parents and a couple. It's an unthinkable situation that would test any marriage. The couple agrees they were able to get through it because of their faith. 'It takes some of the sting of death away for me, because I know when I move on, I'm going to have a chance to interact with Sam and other family members that I've lost on the way,' Tim said. The night of the crash Tim and his family went straight to Washington. He was no stranger to aviation or crash investigations. A former active-duty Army Black Hawk helicopter pilot himself, he flew in combat on four tours, conducted accident investigations while on active duty, and worked for almost 16 years as an emergency medical pilot. Now, he understood more about the investigation when it was his family involved. The first time Tim walked into a conference room where victim's families were meeting with the National Transportation Safety Board, the agency responsible for investigating his son's crash, he brought an iPad loaded with helicopter routes and airplane flight paths. Tim had a lot of questions. He wanted to know what happened to his son and why. The quest for answers was a coping mechanism, but it didn't stop the traumatizing breakdowns and cries. Tim didn't sleep for the first few nights after the accident. Despite being a former Army man, he was a father yearning for his son. 'Within 12 hours of the accident, I had a very strong instinct of everything that had happened and everything that went wrong, and all those instincts turned out to be true,' Tim said. 'I was kind of the voice of the family members that understood the aviation side of this tragedy.' Tim often talked to the media, with his wife by his side, speaking for the victims' families when so many of them could not fathom what had happened. Tim and Sheri recall those initial meetings with the NTSB as 'terrible,' but a time when families bonded over shared trauma. In a conference room, there were 200 or so people, including representatives from American Airlines, PSA Airways, the Federal Aviation Administration, NTSB and first responders. Conspicuously absent during those first few days was the Army, according to the Lilley's. 'The NTSB - they are so professional,' Sheri, who spent 15 years working at Gulfstream Aerospace, said. 'They're outstanding at what they do. We have so much respect for them, but I think they probably could have briefed some of those other parties a little bit better about the fact that you are not talking to law enforcement, first responders. This is an audience of grieving and shocked family members.' People left the room in horror when officials described 'body parts spread all over the ice.' Families passed notes to the front of the conference room telling officials that night to not refer to their loved ones as 'remains.' Shocked and trying to grieve, the Lilley's still pressed for answers. The couple wanted to make sure this never happened again. Without answers, the questions would keep them awake at night. But it was a different kind of answer that woke Tim up early one morning in February. About a week after the accident, he knew Sam wanted him to get a tattoo. Tim and Sheri never were tattoo people, they say, but Sam had six. The next day, Tim, Sheri and Lydia, all went to get tattoos in Sam's honor at Raven's Tattoo Shop in Bethesda, Maryland. For Tim, it was a plane with a ribbon across it, remembering the crash. Sheri and Lydia got lily flowers. 'I want to go to Capitol Hill' It was clear the Lilley family wasn't going to be out of the spotlight for quite some time. Tim's first national media interview was with NewsNation on January 31 with Chris Cuomo. In the video, his hands are crossed, he is fidgeting and fighting back tears, but he told his son's story. The day before, he spoke with a few local Atlanta TV stations. At that point, hundreds of media requests started pouring in and a friend of Sheri, Amy Camp, started acting as their press representative. About four days after the crash, Tim turned to Sheri and said, 'I want to go to Capitol Hill. I need to speak to some senators.' Camp was able to connect the couple with a lobbyist in Washington who ultimately opened doors for them to meet lawmakers. Just a few days after the crash, Tim and Sheri were in the offices of Senators Ted Cruz, Maria Cantwell, Roger Marshall and Tammy Duckworth, who was also an Army Black Hawk pilot and traded stories with Tim. The couple also met with Rep. Buddy Carter, from their home congressional district in Georgia, who had Sam's photograph enlarged and placed on an easel on the floor of the House of Representatives. 'A touching moment,' Sheri said. 'All three of us caught our breath.' On March 6, they spoke with Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, who was sworn in by Judge Clarence Thomas on the afternoon of January 28, just one day before the crash. The Lilley's were happy with the Secretary's response to the crash. They appreciated his effort to address what had happened to their son and were glad the tragedy brought heightened attention to aviation safety. 'It kind of lit a fire,' Tim said. The couple knew their voices could help keep anyone else from losing their child to a tragedy like this one. 'We've got a little bit of a platform here, and this is a way that we can honor Sam,' Sheri said. 'It's also been very healing for us to feel like we may contribute to preventing disasters like this, saving other lives. That at least helped us make some sense of this whole tragedy.' The NTSB investigation into the crash will continue for about another six months but in the meantime, the couple is going to push to make aviation safer in other ways. Fighting for funding for a new air traffic control system is one of their current goals. Sam comes home Nine days after the crash, Sheri and Tim finally went home to Savannah. American Airlines would later provide an aircraft for their son's final trip home. It was an Airbus plane, because the CRJ regional jet Sam flew wasn't large enough to carry a casket in the cargo hold, Tim said. When the plane landed Sam was honored with a water canon salute, and dozens of pilots, including other first officers and young aviators, stood in uniform to greet him. One stood out to Tim – she told him, as he shook her hand, she wouldn't be a pilot if it weren't for Sam. He was her flight instructor and took her on her first lesson. Sam's graveside service was private, but about 500 people attended his public memorial in person, and it was livestreamed. In mid-May, Tim and Sheri went back to the site of the crash to lay a wreath in the water. The Washington DC Harbor Patrol took the couple out in a boat to the exact spot where the plane went down. What they didn't know was they'd be with the first responders who pulled their son out of the water. 'They volunteered to go with us because they felt like they already had a personal connection to us, and they kind of wanted to close that loop,' Sheri said. 'It was a very beautiful moment on the river with them.' Holding the Army accountable It's been six months since Sam died. Tim and Sheri have been to Capitol Hill six times since the crash for hearings and meetings with lawmakers and have reviewed legislation. Often, they are acknowledged in the audience at the start of committee hearings. They don't plan to stop. On Tuesday, they returned to Capitol Hill to help introduce new aviation safety legislation written by Sen. Cruz and supported by the FAA, NTSB, Department of Transportation and other lawmakers. They'll also be at all three days of NTSB investigative hearings at the end of July in Washington. While they want people to remember their son, they also want accountability. Up until this point, Tim and Sheri feel like they have heard from all parties involved, but not much from the Army. 'I feel betrayed,' Tim said. 'I'll be honest with you.' In July, family members of the victims wrote a letter to the Secretary of the Army calling out the Army's refusal to engage with them. On Tuesday, after a private update from the NTSB, the families met with the Army. 'The most disappointing part from the Army's perspective is the reaction to it,' Tim said. 'They've taken the position to hide behind the NTSB and say, 'We can't really do anything or say anything until the final report.' That's just crazy.' While a probable cause of the crash has yet to be determined by the NTSB, the couple does believe the crew aboard the Army Black Hawk were at fault. 'While I do say that they made some mistakes and caused the accident, I'm not going to hold that in my heart, I have to let that go,' Tim said. The couple also reached out to the parents of crew chief Ryan O'Hara, who was in the helicopter on a training mission that fateful night. 'Our hearts really broke for them,' Sheri said, noting O'Hara was Sam's age and had a child. 'They didn't get that support like we got. Social media rallied around us.' To this day, Sheri said, six or seven of the victims of the crash haven't been publicly identified. There's a Flight 5342 Slack channel that shares birthdays and anniversaries of their loved ones. Sheri said May was a hard month full of celebrations that never happened. 'As a pilot, you bear this responsibility to get people safely where they're supposed to go,' Tim said. 'They expected them to get there and they were almost there. It's just heartbreaking.' A life together cut short October 4 will still be celebrated between Tim, Sheri, and Lydia. Plans haven't been finalized, but they know they'll take a trip somewhere to memorialize Sam and what would have been the day he and Lydia were married. Sam met Lydia at a church camp when they were 14 and were really close friends, but she was dating a friend of his at the time. Over the years, they reconnected. About two and a half years ago, on St. Patrick's Day, Sam 'accidentally' introduced his parents to Lydia, after engaging in holiday 'liquid celebrations,' Sheri said laughing. Very quickly, Tim and Sheri saw exactly what their son saw in Lydia. 'She has so much emotional maturity, she really brought out the best in him,' Sheri said. 'They brought out the best in each other.' Last October, just east of Dublin, Ireland, Sam got down on one knee with an emerald ring in hand and asked Lydia to be his wife. In July, Tim, Sheri and Lydia went to Ireland and she showed them where Sam proposed. That spot felt sacred to Sheri – where Sam felt one of the most joyful moments of his life. The three also sat down at a seafood tapas restaurant Sam and Lydia had gone to after she said 'yes.' When their server put their food down, Sheri noticed an airplane tattoo on the server's arm. 'My eyes just filled with tears,' Sherri said. It's those little moments that let them know whether on Capitol Hill, at home in Savanah or deep in Ireland, Sam will be with them forever. Solve the daily Crossword
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Business
- Daily Mail
Report: United Airlines increases ticket prices for solo travelers
United Airlines has quietly resumed charging single passengers more than those traveling in pairs or groups. The controversial policy, dubbed the 'single tax' by its critics, was exposed by a consumer rights website earlier this year. An investigation by Thrifty Traveler found that United, Delta and American were all charging solo fliers higher fares for the same route than those who booked two tickets or more together. The data also showed that American Airlines applies the 'single tax' far more aggressively, charging solo travelers more on 57 percent of its routes. Critics say the system unfairly punishes passengers who travel alone, especially those flying midweek for work, while group travelers often enjoy lower per-ticket fares. Meanwhile, United has faced a string of controversies in recent months — from slashing flights to selling customer data. The legacy airline announced earlier this summer that it would cut four in every 100 domestic flights this year — blaming Americans not wanting to travel as much. The cuts are centered on late night and early morning flights following a drop in demand for off-peak travel. The reductions came as United rolled out a new business class experience , offering perks such as Ossetra caviar, Laurent‑Perrier Cuvée Rosé Champagne, plasma face masks and designer hoodie pajamas for premium passengers. In April, a 90‑second air traffic control blackout at United's Newark hub caused weeks of delays and forced the airline to to cut 35 daily flights . Adding to the backlash, an investigation revealed United was among the airlines that had sold sensitive passenger data to the federal government. United, Delta and American collectively own a data broker - the Airlines Reporting Corporation (ARC) - that collects their passenger's flight record information including their names, full flight itineraries and financial details. This broker then sold passenger data on to Customs and Border Protection in a contract that asked the agency not to reveal where the data had come from. The CBP, part of the Department of Homeland Security, claims the data is necessary to help authorities track people of interest. Immigration and Customs Enforcement also purchased the data, the publication reported. 'The big airlines — through a shady data broker that they own called ARC — are selling the government bulk access to Americans' sensitive information, revealing where they fly and the credit card they used,' Democrat Senator Ron Wyden told 404 Media.
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Business
- Daily Mail
United Airlines quietly brings back their most hated rule that will cost you more money
United Airlines has quietly resumed charging single passengers more than those traveling in pairs or groups. The controversial policy, dubbed the 'single tax' by its critics, was exposed by a consumer rights website earlier this year. An investigation by Thrifty Traveler found that United, Delta and American were all charging solo fliers higher fares for the same route than those who booked two tickets or more together. After the report sparked backlash, United and Delta promised to scrap the pricing model and charge the same rates for singles and couples. American Airlines, however, kept the policy. Now United — the US's largest airline — has reneged, according to an analysis by The Economist. It is once again charging weekday solo travelers a premium on at least 8 percent of its flights. The data also showed that American Airlines applies the 'single tax' far more aggressively, charging solo travelers more on 57 percent of its routes. Critics say the system unfairly punishes passengers who travel alone, especially those flying midweek for work, while group travelers often enjoy lower per-ticket fares. Meanwhile, United has faced a string of controversies in recent months — from slashing flights to selling customer data. The legacy airline announced earlier this summer that it would cut four in every 100 domestic flights this year — blaming Americans not wanting to travel as much. The cuts are centered on late night and early morning flights following a drop in demand for off-peak travel. The reductions came as United rolled out a new business class experience, offering perks such as Ossetra caviar, Laurent‑Perrier Cuvée Rosé Champagne, plasma face masks and designer hoodie pajamas for premium passengers. In April, a 90‑second air traffic control blackout at United's Newark hub caused weeks of delays and forced the airline to to cut 35 daily flights. Adding to the backlash, an investigation revealed United was among the airlines that had sold sensitive passenger data to the federal government. United, Delta and American collectively own a data broker - the Airlines Reporting Corporation (ARC) - that collects their passenger's flight record information including their names, full flight itineraries and financial details. This broker then sold passenger data on to Customs and Border Protection in a contract that asked the agency not to reveal where the data had come from. The CBP, part of the Department of Homeland Security, claims the data is necessary to help authorities track people of interest. Immigration and Customs Enforcement also purchased the data, the publication reported. 'The big airlines — through a shady data broker that they own called ARC — are selling the government bulk access to Americans' sensitive information, revealing where they fly and the credit card they used,' Democrat Senator Ron Wyden told 404 Media. Southwest is also dealing with the ire of its customers after ditching its 50-year policy of free checked baggage. It come shortly after the budget airline also cut its first-come, first-serve seating in a bid to boost profits by offering flyers the chance to pay extra to pick their seats early or get coveted extra-legroom.
