...but it is being reported that the helicopter was climbing beyond its permitted 200ft......

So, the heli pilot is to blame.

If the reports are correct, probably. And even then- partially.
From many of the posts over at PPRuNe, with multiple levels of restricted airspace, no fly zones, and multiple operators (commercial, private, military, government, secret service (Presidential security) etc) the airport is a nightmare at the best of times for operating under VFR (Visual Flight Rules). But to do so at night, is just insane- yet that is what was occurring, all within the existing regulations.
And to add to all of that

...during a three-year period ending in 2019 there were 88,000 helicopter flights within 48 kilometres of DCA, Reuters reported.

That included about 33,000 military and 18,000 law enforcement flights, the Government Accountability Office said in a 2021 report.

Local records note the federal approval for 50 additional flights in and out of DCA since 2000 came "over the strong opposition of the Airports Authority".

So even if this was due to pilot error by the helicopter pilot, and their actions/inaction were the cause of the crash- it occurred due to systemic problems that made operating under VFR in such a congested, reduced spacing air space possible.

---

Grant
Darwin NT

with the higher approach to the runway, at 400ft.

???

But CRJ was was on final approach for landing. He wouldn't approach at a level 400' until he reached the runway, and then drop vertically: civilian passenger jets can't do that. That's the error Trump made in his press conference - he looked at the scene in only two dimensions.

I'd like to see a vertical profile for the standard glide-path on final approach to runway 33: how far out over the Potomac does it cross that 400' floor?

I'm going to say over 400 on one bank of the river and under 400 by the other bank of the river.
https://skyvector.com/files/tpp/2501/pdf/00443R33.PDF

Cross IDTEK, fly visual to airport along depicted track 334° to Rwy 33

Note: They were not on this approach; they had been on https://skyvector.com/files/tpp/2501/pdf/00443IL1.PDF with instruction to "Circle to land Runway 33" which puts them on eyeballs only inside the FAF

.

Plane carrying sick child crashes near US shopping centre, reports of multiple casualties.

A medical plane carrying a sick child who had just undergone “lifesaving treatment” has crashed near a US shopping centre, sparking a massive explosion.

The medevac jet was carrying six people when it crashed in Philadelphia after 6pm on Friday local time, (Saturday Australian time), shortly after departing Northeast Philadelphia Airport to travel to Springfield-Branson National Airport in Missouri. There are reports of multiple casualties on the ground.

On board the doomed flight was the female pediatric patient and her mother, who were on their way back home to Mexico, as well as a pilot, a co-pilot, a doctor and a paramedic, Shai Gold, a spoksperon from Jet Rescue Air Ambulance, told NBC 10 Philadelphia.......

I'm going to say over 400 on one bank of the river and under 400 by the other bank of the river.

Probably about 100ft by the other bank, if you're going to cross the threshold at 50ft, which is what you aim for 99% of the time.

More unconfirmed news on the CRJ/Blackhawk crash

Data from the jet's flight recorder showed its altitude as 325 feet (99 metres), plus or minus 25 feet, when the crash happened on Wednesday night, local time, according to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).
...
However, data in the control tower showed the Black Hawk helicopter at 200 feet at the time.

My understanding is that the Altitude displayed on the ATC Radar display is actually supplied by the aircraft's transponder.
That altitude data from the aircraft's transponder is from the aircraft's pressure altitude reading. For that to be correct, the flight crew must set the reference value as supplied by ATC (QNH. The altimeter sub-scale setting to obtain elevation when on the ground. QFE. The atmospheric pressure at aerodrome elevation (or at runway threshold).
So if they didn't set their altitude reference correctly, they would have been flying at the wrong altitude, even though their altimeter would have been showing it as the correct altitude.

Even so- they were flying under VFR, so they still should have seen & avoided the CRJ aircraft (which at night in such a built-up area is reported to be extremely difficult).


However- i came across a post that is meant to have a copy of the Radar display at the time of the crash, and it shows the jet at 400 ft and 120kts, descending to 300 ft, and the chopper at 200 ft and 80kts climbing to 300ft at the moment the tracks meet- both flying towards each other and both turning to the West (the flashing orange CA indicates Conflict Alert).
Wild speculation- the chopper pilot spotted the jet just before impact & tried to go over the jet as it was descending at the time, and turning left or harder right would have had even less chance of avoiding the collision. But it was still way too late to actually avoid the collision, with a combined closing speed of 200kts.

post with Radar track

---

Grant
Darwin NT

More unconfirmed news on the CRJ/Blackhawk crash

Data from the jet's flight recorder showed its altitude as 325 feet (99 metres), plus or minus 25 feet, when the crash happened on Wednesday night, local time, according to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).
...
However, data in the control tower showed the Black Hawk helicopter at 200 feet at the time.

My understanding is that the Altitude displayed on the ATC Radar display is actually supplied by the aircraft's transponder.
That altitude data from the aircraft's transponder is from the aircraft's pressure altitude reading. For that to be correct, the flight crew must set the reference value as supplied by ATC (QNH. The altimeter sub-scale setting to obtain elevation when on the ground. QFE. The atmospheric pressure at aerodrome elevation (or at runway threshold).
So if they didn't set their altitude reference correctly, they would have been flying at the wrong altitude, even though their altimeter would have been showing it as the correct altitude.

Even so- they were flying under VFR, so they still should have seen & avoided the CRJ aircraft (which at night in such a built-up area is reported to be extremely difficult).


However- i came across a post that is meant to have a copy of the Radar display at the time of the crash, and it shows the jet at 400 ft and 120kts, descending to 300 ft, and the chopper at 200 ft and 80kts climbing to 300ft at the moment the tracks meet- both flying towards each other and both turning to the West (the flashing orange CA indicates Conflict Alert).
Wild speculation- the chopper pilot spotted the jet just before impact & tried to go over the jet as it was descending at the time, and turning left or harder right would have had even less chance of avoiding the collision. But it was still way too late to actually avoid the collision, with a combined closing speed of 200kts.

post with Radar track

One must remember that altitudes from transponders are granular at 100 foot intervals; ADS-b is granular at 25 foot intervals. Transponders and ADS-b also are all set to standard pressure 29.92 and the ATC radar makes the adjustment for local pressure. When radar service is first established between pilot and ATC the altitude as well as position is verified between them to ensure there are no large equipment errors.

The AP'S report says

Investigators hope to reconcile the altitude differences with data from the helicopter’s black box, which is taking more time to retrieve because it became waterlogged after it plunged into the Potomac River. They also said they plan to refine the tower data, which can be less reliable.

and

“The crew had a verbal reaction,” Banning said, with the data recorder showing “the airplane beginning to increase its pitch. Sounds of impact were audible about one second later, followed by the end of the recording.”

https://apnews.com/article/washington-plane-crash-helicopter-recovery-980dcaf1acb6f80260146edbaaa9e4c1

Does US Army do these checks?
https://www.aopa.org/news-and-media/all-news/2018/july/12/aircraft-maintenance-altimeter-and-transponder-checks

Do helicopters have a TCAS* like larger aircraft?

*Traffic Alert and Collision Avoidance System

Yes... This one did.

TCAS is disabled below 1000'.


Fly safe?
Martin

---

See new freedom: Mageia Linux
Take a look for yourself: Linux Format
The Future is what We all make IT (GPLv3)

TCAS is not disabled below 1000ft.
It issues warnings that there is an aircraft (with an active transponder?) within the minimum separation distance, but does not give any avoidance advice such as "climb", "descend", "turn left", "turn right".

---

Bob Smith
Member of Seti PIPPS (Pluto is a Planet Protest Society)
Somewhere in the (un)known Universe?

https://avherald.com/h?article=52374362&opt=0

On Feb 1st 2025 the NTSB reported in their 3rd press conference, [...]. The CRJ crew received a Traffic Advisory. About one second prior to impact the CRJ increased their pitch. [...]

I did that one yesterday. https://setiathome.berkeley.edu/forum_thread.php?id=78677&postid=2145929#2145929

TCAS is not disabled below 1000ft.
It issues warnings that there is an aircraft (with an active transponder?) within the minimum separation distance, but does not give any avoidance advice such as "climb", "descend", "turn left", "turn right".

Good correction, thanks!


Fly safe!!
Martin

---

See new freedom: Mageia Linux
Take a look for yourself: Linux Format
The Future is what We all make IT (GPLv3)

Bus fails to turn corner.

Bus with passengers crashes into home at Bonnyrigg Heights in Sydney's south-west.

A woman says she is relieved her family was not home when a bus ploughed into their house in Sydney's south-west this morning, with passengers onboard the bus during the crash.

NSW Police say the vehicle crashed into the house on Aplin Road at Bonnyrigg Heights about 9:50am on Tuesday, causing the front section of the house to cave in.

The bus driver, believed to be in his 50s, was treated by paramedics at the scene for minor injuries and was taken to Liverpool Hospital as a precaution.

The bus passengers were uninjured, police said......

What a stupid thing to do.

Black Hawk helicopter in D.C. plane crash had a safety system off, senator says.

The Army Black Hawk helicopter that collided with an American Eagle flight over the Potomac River late last month was flying with a safety system turned off, Sen. Ted Cruz told reporters Thursday following a closed door briefing by the Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board.

All 67 people on the two aircraft were killed when they collided near Reagan National Airport near Washington, D.C.

Cruz, a Texas Republican, chairs the Senate Commerce Committee, which has oversight of the airline industry.

He said senators were told the helicopter had its automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast (ADS-B) system turned off. Military aircraft are allowed to fly with that system off.

ADS-B provides detailed granular information to track aircraft locations. The Blackhawk had a transponder, so it would have appeared on radar and was providing flight data, though the ADS-B is much more accurate.......

ADS-B is much more accurate.......

Unless you are in a conflict zone as it reports your GPS jammed location.