Knowing a lot of families are going to be affected by this, this a tragedy no matter who or what is to blame.
This is scary as hell all things considered, but we (or at least I) have to remember that a vast majority of investigations following crashes like this implicate a series of tiny but compounding errors. Regardless, it will still take time to figure out.
My speculation based on the video that could point to human error: It appears the aircraft were possibly closing in on each other somewhat perpendicularly for an extended amount of time. With their relative speeds/distances to the crash point, the aircraft may have appeared as remaining at the same point in each other’s respective windows, with nighttime glare and light pollution effects making scale and distance hard to judge.
However, just from a momentum and maneuverability standpoint, the aircraft with the “right of way” here was almost certainly the jet on course for landing, and it would have been the helicopter’s responsibility to establish and maintain visuals.
But who knows at this point. All I know is I’m tired of tragedy in every form.
According to commenters on reddit who listened to the ATC recordings:
ATC asked the blackhawk to confirm visual of the passenger aircraft. When the blackhawk confirmed ATC told them to wait and then manoeuvre behind the passenger aircraft.
The military aircraft was therefore responsible for maintaining a visual separation which clearly they failed to do. Possibly they were looking at the wrong aircraft. Therefore it seems likely ATC wasn’t responsible.
Obvs this all based on idiots on reddit claiming to have expertise so trust it as much as you would ChatGPT.
It’s in the article too. I don’t know if that’s a later addition but it’s there. Blackhawk pilot was told to see the incoming jet and pass behind. It didn’t.
At the surface, clear human error but it’s never that simple. Was communication missed or misunderstood? Was there another jet that looked to be where they expected it? At that altitude did things get lost in the clutter and ground lights? Was the jet really where it was supposed to be? While responsibility was passed to the pilot and the aircraft was too low for radar to be clear, why didn’t the tower scream?
Knowing a lot of families are going to be affected by this, this a tragedy no matter who or what is to blame. This is scary as hell all things considered, but we (or at least I) have to remember that a vast majority of investigations following crashes like this implicate a series of tiny but compounding errors. Regardless, it will still take time to figure out.
My speculation based on the video that could point to human error: It appears the aircraft were possibly closing in on each other somewhat perpendicularly for an extended amount of time. With their relative speeds/distances to the crash point, the aircraft may have appeared as remaining at the same point in each other’s respective windows, with nighttime glare and light pollution effects making scale and distance hard to judge.
However, just from a momentum and maneuverability standpoint, the aircraft with the “right of way” here was almost certainly the jet on course for landing, and it would have been the helicopter’s responsibility to establish and maintain visuals.
But who knows at this point. All I know is I’m tired of tragedy in every form.
I mean, ATC would also normally be keeping an eye on traffic? Either one if the aircraft ignored ATC, or they weren’t warned.
According to commenters on reddit who listened to the ATC recordings: ATC asked the blackhawk to confirm visual of the passenger aircraft. When the blackhawk confirmed ATC told them to wait and then manoeuvre behind the passenger aircraft.
The military aircraft was therefore responsible for maintaining a visual separation which clearly they failed to do. Possibly they were looking at the wrong aircraft. Therefore it seems likely ATC wasn’t responsible.
Obvs this all based on idiots on reddit claiming to have expertise so trust it as much as you would ChatGPT.
It’s in the article too. I don’t know if that’s a later addition but it’s there. Blackhawk pilot was told to see the incoming jet and pass behind. It didn’t.
At the surface, clear human error but it’s never that simple. Was communication missed or misunderstood? Was there another jet that looked to be where they expected it? At that altitude did things get lost in the clutter and ground lights? Was the jet really where it was supposed to be? While responsibility was passed to the pilot and the aircraft was too low for radar to be clear, why didn’t the tower scream?
It really would not surprise me if it were an edit and the journalists’ source was the reddit thread