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USA Today
8 hours ago
- General
- USA Today
NTSB criticizes FAA for failing to act before fatal Army helicopter collision
WASHINGTON, July 30 (Reuters) - The head of the National Transportation Safety Board sharply criticized U.S. officials for failing to act before the January 29 collision of a U.S. Army helicopter with an American Airlines regional jet in Washington that killed 67 people. NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy said on Wednesday that the Federal Aviation Administration did not act on warnings from air traffic control staff who proposed flight path changes to avoid such dangers and noted there had been high staff turnover at the airport's control tower. "Every sign was there that there was a safety risk, and the tower was telling you," Homendy said on the first day of an investigative hearing. "You transferred people out instead of taking ownership over the fact that everybody in FAA in the tower was saying there was a problem…. Fix it. Do better." The crash over the Potomac River near the Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport was the deadliest U.S. air disaster in more than 20 years. More: Army UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter was on a 'proficiency training flight' The NTSB disclosed that in 2022 members of an FAA air traffic working group had urged moving helicopter traffic away from Reagan airport and to establish airborne "hot spots" but it was rejected because the issue was "too political." Senator Maria Cantwell, a Democrat, cited the recommendation in sharply criticizing the FAA's inaction. "What caused the FAA's oversight to be so flawed that they couldn't fix this problem before this tragedy occurred?" Cantwell said. Homendy noted the Reagan air traffic control tower had three managers in the last two years and around 10 since 2014. The FAA did not respond immediately to a request for comment. FAULTY ALTITUDE DATA The NTSB hearing also focused on faulty altitude data in U.S. Army helicopters like the one that collided with the American Airlines jet. The NTSB investigative hearing is looking at the Black Hawk aircraft's air data systems and altimeters, including the potential it received faulty altitude data. "There is a possibility that what the crew saw was very different than what the true altitude was," NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy said. Testing after the crash showed that Army Black Hawk helicopters in flight showed discrepancies of 80 to 130 ft (24 to 40 m) versus the actual altitude. Army officials said discrepancies of up to 100 ft were not a cause for concern in the Black Hawk, manufactured by Lockheed Martin's LMT.N Sikorsky division. NTSB board member Todd Inman questioned why the Army was not doing more testing and taking other steps to alert pilots about potential discrepancies. "Could you hurry it up?" Inman said. Homendy said that discrepancy was significant, especially given the margin of error was 75 ft at the edge of the helicopter route near Reagan airport. She also questioned if broader testing was needed and whether the issue could impact civilian Sikorsky helicopters. The NTSB played audio excerpts of communications between air traffic control towers during the minutes before the crash, including a request by controllers to the American Airlines regional jet to shift to a different runway. Previously, the NTSB said the helicopter's altitude was higher than it should have been for the area at the time of the crash. The maximum altitude for the route the helicopter was taking was 200 ft, but the collision occurred at an altitude of around 300 ft. More: Flying feels riskier. Here's what the experts say about that high number of accidents. The Black Hawk, which was on a nighttime training flight, had a crew of experienced pilots wearing night vision goggles. The FAA restricted helicopter flights in March after the NTSB said the presence of those aircraft posed an "intolerable risk" to civilian aircraft. In May, the FAA barred the Army from helicopter flights around the Pentagon after a May 1 close call that forced two civilian planes to abort landings. The FAA this week said the helicopter flights remained on hold even after the agency disclosed it had signed a new agreement with the Army on July 1. (Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama, David Gregorio and Jamie Freed)
The Hill
22-07-2025
- General
- The Hill
Air Force blames air traffic controllers for near miss involving B-52 bomber
Air traffic controllers at a North Dakota airport didn't tell the crew of an Air Force B-52 bomber that a commercial airliner was flying in the same area, causing a near miss between the planes, according to the military. In a statement released Monday evening, the Air Force said the B-52 crew told Minot International Airport's air traffic control that the bomber was nearing the area where a SkyWest Airlines pilot was approaching to land the evening of July 18. 'The tower did not advise of the inbound commercial aircraft,' the Air Force said. The pilot of the passenger jet Flight 3788, which departed from Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport, was forced to veer sharply to avoid the B-52, startling passengers, though both planes landed safely. A passenger aboard the commercial flight captured a video of the pilot's explanation over the intercom of what had occurred, during which he said he had to make an 'aggressive maneuver' to turn after spotting the bomber in his flight path. 'Sorry about the aggressive maneuver. It caught me by surprise,' the pilot said. 'This is not normal at all. I don't know why they didn't give us a heads up.' SkyWest is owned by Delta Air Lines. The Air Force explained that the bomber, from Minot Air Force Base, had been conducting a flyover at the North Dakota State Fair in Minot that was 'planned in advance' and 'approved by the Federal Aviation Administration' the Minot International Airport air traffic control and the military base's air traffic control team. Ahead of the flyover, the B-52 crew contacted its base air traffic control team as well as that of the Minot International Airport's air traffic control tower. At 7:40 p.m. the bomber crew told the base they were departing their holding point for the fairgrounds. Three minutes later the base directed the crew to contact the airport's air traffic control. 'The B-52 crew contacted Minot International Airport tower and the tower provided instructions to continue 2 miles westbound after the flyover,' the Air Force said, noting that the tower did not advise them of the incoming commercial aircraft. The flyover happened at 7:50 p.m., and the B-52 kept flying west as instructed to clear the airport's airspace before returning to base, according to the Air Force. The FAA, Air Force and SkyWest are investigating the incident, the latest in a string of recent air safety scares. On Jan. 29, an American Airlines passenger jet and an Army helicopter collided over Washington, D.C., killing all 67 people aboard the two aircraft. It was later found that the UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter, on a training exercise, had been flying in airspace well above where it should have been when it struck the regional jet out of Wichita, Kansas. On Feb. 17, another flight out of Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport owned by Delta crashed upon landing at Toronto Pearson International Airport. All 76 passengers and four crew members survived but 21 were injured. Then in late February, a Southwest Airlines flight set to land at Chicago's Midway Airport was forced to sharply rise back into the sky to avoid another aircraft crossing the runway. The FAA said Monday that a private company provides services for the Minot air traffic control tower, and that those controllers are not FAA employees.
Business Insider
21-07-2025
- General
- Business Insider
A Delta pilot narrowly avoided a B-52 collision in North Dakota: 'I don't know why they didn't give us a heads up at all'
A Delta regional flight traveling from Minneapolis to Minot avoided a mid-air collision with a US Air Force B-52 bomber on Saturday. The flight, which was operated by SkyWest Airlines as Delta Connection, was headed toward North Dakota when it encountered a B-52 bomber from Minot Air Force Base. It is unclear how close the two aircraft were to each other when the incident happened. The pilot of SkyWest flight 3788 told passengers that the craft had managed to evade the B-52 after executing an "aggressive maneuver." "I don't know how fast they were going, but they were a lot faster than us, I felt it was the safest thing to do to turn behind it," the pilot said while apologizing to passengers, per a recording of the conversation. "It caught me by surprise, this is not normal at all. I don't know why they didn't give us a heads up, because the Air Force base does have radar," the pilot continued, adding that it was "not a fun day at work." When approached for comment, Delta Air Lines referred Business Insider to SkyWest Airlines. SkyWest said the flight was originally "cleared for approach by the tower but performed a go-around when another aircraft became visible in their flight." It added that the plane had landed safely in Minot and they are "investigating the incident." In January, an American Airlines flight collided with a UH-60 Black Hawk as it neared the Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. The collision killed all 67 people abroad the two aircraft. Representatives for the US Air Force Central Command, Minot Air Force Base, and the Federal Aviation Administration did not respond to requests for comment from BI.
Yahoo
16-07-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Texas National Guard continues flood response with Czech team joining effort
Kerrville, Texas — With about 100 people still missing after devastating floods, the Texas National Guard and local officials leading recovery efforts received additional international support this week when a specialized detachment from the Czech Republic arrived ready to help. Sixteen civilians and four cadaver dogs from a Czech search and rescue team landed Sunday in Texas on a U.S. military flight from Ramstein Air Base in Germany. National Guard Bureau Chief General Steve Nordhaus coordinated the team's arrival and met the team leads in person on Tuesday while he was visiting Kerrville, Texas, for updates on response efforts. "Thanks for being here, Texas and the Czech Republic were partners right from the beginning in 1993 and what just an amazing partnership," Nordhaus told the team leads at the Kerrville-Kerr County Airport. The Texas and Nebraska National Guard have since 1993 shared a military relationship with the Czech Republic as part of the National Guard Bureau's State Partnership Program that pairs states with countries to train together. There are over 100 partnerships with about 115 countries around the world, according to the National Guard, and the one with the Czech Republic was one of the first after the initiative began in 1991. The Czechs providing support in the wake of floods in Texas follows assistance the Texas National Guard gave last year when the Czech Republic experienced severe flooding. When a flood hit Ostrava in the Czech Republic in September 2024, a Texas Air National Guard unit training in Europe diverted an MQ-9 Reaper drone to Ostrava to provide aerial assessments for recovery efforts. In Texas, about 230 members of the Texas National Guard are currently supporting response efforts. According to the Texas National Guard, members of the guard rescued over 500 people in the initial 24 hours after the flooding began. About 360 of those were evacuated using UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters. During a Black Hawk flight over the Guadalupe River Tuesday, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott pointed out to Nordhaus flood-impacted areas, explaining where the water rose at a terrifying speed — prompting urgent evacuations — and emphasizing how intensive the search will remain for the roughly 100 people still unaccounted for. After the flight, both Abbott and Nordhaus spoke to members of the Guard who have assisted in rescue and recovery efforts since the floods began on July 4. One of the air rescues came on July 4 when two Guard helicopters evacuated 130 children from Camp Mystic, a summer camp severely impacted by floods that led to the deaths of at least 27 campers and counselors. The 130 rescued the day of the flood by the guard were evacuated from Camp Mystic and taken to higher ground, according to Captain Connor Garrison, who led one of the aircraft and recounted the mission to Nordhaus and Abbott. "I appreciate you, I couldn't be prouder," Abbott told Garrison and other members of the Guard. The Texas National Guard is receiving support from other states like Arkansas, Arizona and North Dakota, which are providing additional personnel or equipment. For instance, North Dakota has sent down one of its own MQ-9 Reaper drones to help survey debris scattered along the still swollen Guadalupe River. Mike Johnson breaks from Trump, calls on DOJ to release Epstein files Trump says Powell is "terrible" for not lowering interest rates, denies plans to fire him Apps help undocumented people avoid immigration agents and ICE raids
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First Post
14-07-2025
- Politics
- First Post
US conducts military drills at Panama Canal amid tensions over China's influence on key trade route
To kick off the drills, three US Army helicopters arrived in Panama on Sunday – two UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters and a CH-47 Chinook – landing at the Panama-Pacific Airport, formerly the US Howard base read more A cargo ship traverses the Agua Clara Locks of the Panama Canal in Colon, Panama, September 2, 2024. File Image/AP The United States military teamed with Panamanian police to conduct a series of new exercises aimed at protecting the Panama Canal, amid tensions over alleged Chinese influence along the prized trade route. To kick off the drills, three US Army helicopters arrived in Panama on Sunday – two UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters and a CH-47 Chinook – landing at the Panama-Pacific Airport, formerly the US Howard base. Michael Palacios, subcommissioner of Panama's National Aeronaval Service – known as SENAN – said the exercises would prepare Panama's forces, as well as countries in the region, against any threats to the security and defense of the canal. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD US soldiers conducted similar exercises in Panama a month ago, under a bilateral agreement that allows Washington to use Panamanian air and naval bases for training without establishing its own bases. The agreement sparked protests in the Central American country, and came amid pressure from US President Donald Trump, who threatened to reclaim the canal. He has repeatedly claimed that China has too much influence over the canal, which handles about 40 percent of US container traffic and five percent of world trade. In April, Trump called for the free transit of American commercial and military ships through the inter-oceanic route, claiming the canal would 'not exist' without the US. But Panamanian President Jose Raul Mulino said the toll fees are regulated by the Panama Canal Authority, an autonomous governing body overseeing the trade route. US presence in Panama remains a sensitive issue, as it evokes a time when Washington had an enclave of military bases in the country before the canal was handed over to Panamanians on the last day of 1999. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD SENAN officials said the US maneuvers will last until Friday and will respect 'national sovereignty.' Palacios said the exercise has been held for 23 years.
