Investigation into the fatal collision between an American Airlines jet and a Black Hawk helicopter over Washington, D.C. has revealed unusual staffing conditions at air traffic control. A supervisor combined control positions earlier than typically done due to low traffic volume. In the final moments, the commercial pilot focused on landing while the controller warned of the helicopter. Human error and line-of-sight issues contributed to the crash, emphasizing ongoing challenges in aviation safety despite advanced technology.
When aircraft volume goes down, a supervisor can make the decision to combine two controller positions into one position. This happens routinely.
Experts say it all came down to line of sight, and preliminarily, human error. 'See and avoid'... has been a problem in aviation since the very beginning.
The Black Hawk pilot confirmed he spotted the plane, saying they saw 'visual separation,' but that separation didn’t happen.
The commercial pilot was focused on the runway ahead, just seconds away from landing, when the air traffic controller warned him.
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