Breaking Down The Mid-air Collision Over Potomac River

Since the making of this video, it now confirmed that there are no survivors in this tragic accident.

Below is the best transcript explanation I’ve found so far that led to this crash.
From Captain Rick Womick

As a retired Boeing 737 Captain from American Airlines with 31 years of service. I have flown into Washington’s DCA airport over a hundred times. I can tell you EXACTLY what happed last night and why!
But before I do let me say this about comments that are being made about seeing other aircraft lights at night.
On such a clear night at that low altitude of 400-500’, all the lights of the surrounding cities blend in, making it next to impossible to see an oncoming aircraft’s lights.
Ok…so here is what happened, why it happened, whose is responsible, and how to prevent this from ever happening again!
1. The Regional Jet (RJ) was on approach to Runway 01 (landing to the north).
2. The RJ requested a circle to land on Runway 33 which requires the pilot to now land to the northwest instead of to the north. The DCA Control Tower granted this request which now put the RJ crew on a VFR approach and allows the RJ pilot to remain on the EASTERN side of the Potomac. Such a clearance subsequently allows and requires the Regional Jet to cross into and through the VFR Corridor, from the east, at a very low altitude, on its final segment of the visual approach to Runway 33. The VFR Corridor, which runs along the eastern shoreline of the Potomac, is exactly where the military helicopter was located and was flying on a southern heading.
3. This is actually a normal procedure for the smaller, regional jets landing at DCA, because they are able to land on the shorter runway. (I always had to land on runway 01 or runway 19 because we were a Boeing 737…three times the size of the RJ.)
The advantage for the RJ is during the roll out after landing on runway 33, the RJ terminal is just off to the left. So a very short taxi which saves time and fuel = $$$
4. So, by requesting a “Circle to Land on runway 33,” the RJ, like the helicopter, now becomes responsible for visual clearance and separation from all other aircraft.
5. It is also my understanding that Military helicopters are not required to have ADSB. If that is true then neither aircraft would have had an electronic traffic alert in the cockpit warning them of an impending conflict or that another aircraft was close and nearby.
6. If the DCA control tower would have denied the RJ request to land on runway 33 and thus required the RJ to continue the approach to land on runway 01, then the RJ would have remained on the WESTERN shore of the Potomac while the helicopter was on the EASTERN shore of the Potomac. The RESULT would have been NO ACCIDENT-NO MIDAIR!
7. Who’s to blame:
-Once the RJ pilot started his Circle to Land on runway 33, the pilots now bear the full responsibility to avoid other aircraft. The same is true with the helicopter who is flying under visual flight rule. Both crews must see and avoid other aircraft.
-However, the “greater” blame rest upon the DCA Control Tower and its PROCEDURES. The tower procedures MUST be changed, so that whenever there is VFR traffic (helicopter in this situation) in the VFR Corridor along the eastern edge of the Potomac, then ALL AIRCRAFT must land on Runway 01. This will keep all commercial aircraft on the western edge of the Potomac while VFR aircraft traverse through the corridor on the eastern edge of the Potomac.
8. How to PREVENT this from ever happening again:
-DCA Tower/ATC procedures must be changed to require that NO CLEARANCE for a “Circle to Land on Runway 33” should ever be granted by the DCA Control Tower when there is traffic in the VFR Corridor! Such a clearance allows a commercial aircraft to fly directly through the entire perimeter of the VFR Corridor (eastern shoreline of the Potomac) at a very low altitude, and thus create a potential, catastrophic conflict/accident.
-This procedure change must have no regard to weather conditions. Whether it’s clear and unlimited visibility or marginal VFR conditions, it cannot be allowed when there is traffic in the VFR Corridor.
-ATC fell short of monitoring separation between the RJ and the helicopter…human error that was not purposeful.
The controller was put into a situation that no one could recover from last night.
-Both cockpit crews failed to see and avoid…human error that was not purposeful. Neither crew in the helicopter or the RJ could see each other at 400’ with city lights blurring their ability to see other aircraft
-If military aircraft do not have ADSB, then ADSB needs to be installed with the capability to turn it off in a wartime situation.

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