Air Traffic Controller 'Left Shift Early' Before American Airlines Disaster

[naomi24]

//An air traffic controller was given the job of two people after one worker clocked off early on the evening the American Airlines jet and U.S. military helicopter collided in Washington, DC, according to a report.

 

Airplane and helicopter traffic is normally handled by two separate controllers until 9:30 p.m., but a supervisor allegedly merged the two jobs before the allotted changeover time, a source told The New York Times. A preliminary Federal Aviation Administration report concluded that staffing levels were “not normal” at the time.///

 

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/plane-crash-washington-dc-cockpit-recording-latest-updates-b2689658.html

[woofas]

I believe this was an accident pure and simple.  Driving home last night, for a few moments I was confused between the bright luights on a pub wall and an oncoming car. I would suggest that something very similar is what happened to the helicopter pilot.

[Peter Pedant]

An air traffic controller was given the job of two people after one worker clocked off early on the evening the American Airlines jet

arent they allowed to? ( Standing orders?) two on one - you cant just say to one aircraft - "stop flying!"

[Peter Pedant]

I believe this was an accident pure and simple. 

I prefer pilot error - the grunt ( er Marine) just thouhght "I can do this..."

Rudakubana - "no no no-one must discuss it on media, ever" ( thisis NOT the law by  the way)

and thsis thelternative

Act of God - manifest destiny

No  - it is because they recruit blacks and so on - far too many. common sense.

No it is becuse they didnt hire enough controllers ( even blacks)

No it was because the ATC (the leaver) - had gone to the jarn. 

No he had garn off dooty.

I am not sure which model I prefer

 

 

 

[Khandro]

Accidents are usually a combination of things. It seems the pilot of the plane was faultless, on course with 1,000 metres to go before the landing strip.

The air traffic controller(s) must have been at fault somehow, but why didn't the helicopter pilot see the bloody thing?

[vulcan42]

On numerous recordings we have heard the ATC warn the helicoptor pilot of the other aircraft and the pilot replying he has visual, how can that be the fault of the air traffic controller?

[naomi24]

As was suggested on the news report I saw, think it's possible that the helicopter pilot was looking at the wrong plane. 

[THECORBYLOON]

This video appears to include a response from the pilot of the helicopter PAT25.

?si=aByFj7PreFa3Rflk

[davebro3]

With previous near miss(es) between military helicopters & planes in the vicinity of this airport it seems madness for the mixing to be allowed to continue. I'm sure the military could easily avoid the area on their training flights.

[Peter Pedant]

 I'm sure the military could easily avoid the area on their training flights.

wez Vulcan  - he can say. ( hey dig  the fluent AB!)

when the Americans shot down the commercial airline in Iran ( cant be arrissed to look up the incident - about 15 y ago) - it was conclusively shown that two military aircarf were taking off at the same time as a shadow/ hide tactic

[Khandro]

Seems to be far from a unique event;

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c391pe7lrv2o

[Ellipsis]

> The air traffic controller(s) must have been at fault somehow

What makes you say that?

[Khandro]

^^   "When something like this happens, typically it's something that's slipped past many safeguards," said retired air-traffic controller Ron Bazman, whose son, wife and brother have also all worked as controllers. "Rarely is it a smoking gun."

[Ellipsis]

The air traffic control dialogue is there for all to hear.  I have not seen a single news report that has pinpointed an error in that dialogue.  The helicopter just flew into the plane, despite the air traffic controllers dialogue, not because of it.

[davebro3]

The ATC warned the heli of a plane on a collision course - the heli pilot said he could see a plane. No attempt appears to have been made to check they were talking about the same plane! Probably not enough time anyway at that stage. The developing situation should have been identified & dealt with much earlier.

If the ATC was single crewed maybe their attention was elsewhere?

[Ellipsis]

> If the ATC was single crewed maybe their attention was elsewhere?

Clearly you are not an air traffic controller, but thousands of people are - and, despite the audio being broadcasted, none of them are saying that the controllers in this case did anything wrong.

[wolf63]

I agree with Khandro. 

 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swiss_cheese_model

An accident like this is usually the result of many small factors occurring, all of them having no real effect themselves but added together can cause an incident/disaster such as this.

I follow the Mentour Pilot channel on YouTube and find the breakdown of how/why planes crash interesting viewing.

 

[davebro3]

I'm talking about the timeliness of their intervention in the run up to the crash - should they have been on the case sooner?

[237SJ]

I remember when Maggie Thather's heli crossed the path of a 757 at Heathrow.  And another time (late 80's/early 90s) when a B757 had to slam on the brakes at LHR because a heli crossed it's path.  Took 55 minutes for the brakes to cool down (fire service in attendance)

[THECORBYLOON]

KHANDRO, you claimed, "The air traffic controller(s) must have been at fault somehow"

Not, "might have been at fault", they, "must have been at fault".

On what do you base that certainty?

[davebro3]

//Clearly you are not an air traffic controller, but thousands of people are - and, despite the audio being broadcasted, none of them are saying that the controllers in this case did anything wrong.//

How do you know what thousands of people are or aren't saying?